U2 FAQ

Question:

Too brilliant. Was  John Whoever supposed to be The Thin White Duke? Ziggy Stardust? Did he that extra mile for fan-appreciation and pretend to be bi? This is the best laugh I’ve had today. MJS

Response:

Noel, Buddy, pal, one might say……obsessed?! Try, if you will to open your mind as well as your ears. U2 is not, by far, a very influential band as you make them out to be. If you weren’t so closed minded you might realize that a certain musician from the state of Indiana, has experimented more, has educated more and has made people think more than I’m taking about, John Mellencamp. Over the past twenty year he has continually become  better and better, never once falling into a "lack of creativity" coma such as Zooropa. John has incorporated more styles, more instruments and more creativity then you and your NAMBY little U2 band will ever be able to boast. Ta. ta till next chat Noel Mike Cowbrough (University of Guelph)

Come on, now, Mike. U2 and JM (JC or JMC) each have their own genres, and each have different ideas. The are both creative in different ways, although I would have to argue that JM’s creativity has dwindled on the last two albums. U2’s ideas have changed…ever since the spooky last chords of ‘All I Want is You’, they’ve been a band dealing with commercialism & technology. They’ve gone a different way, & so has JM. However, I would argue that JM has been less experimental. If you want to check out some crazy experiments, check out bands like Phish on "Picture of Nectar," who are arguably the most talented and creative rock oriented band around, or Mr. Bungle, or Eric Zorn. Back to the point, Zooropa was an experiment that did not succeed immensely, but I sure as heck didn’t want to hear another Joshua Tree…that is a sound of the past, time to move on. Any responses are welcomed, Merry Christmas to everyone….                                  U of Notre Dame

Response:

Noel, Buddy, pal, one might say……obsessed?! Try, if you will to open your mind as well as your ears. U2 is not, by far, a very influential band as you make them out to be. If you weren’t so closed minded you might realize that a certain musician from the state of Indiana, has experimented more, has educated more and has made people think more than I’m taking about, John Mellencamp. Over the past twenty year he has continually become  better and better, never once falling into a "lack of creativity" coma such as Zooropa. John has incorporated more styles, more instruments and more creativity then you and your NAMBY little U2 band will ever be able to boast. Ta. ta till next chat Noel Mike Cowbrough (University of Guelph)

Once again we see someone praising one artist by putting down U2.  Didn’t we have this discussion when Robert Smith of the Cure insulted U2, Morrissey and several other artists?  If an artist is good, that work will stand on its own. There’s no need to insult another artist just to make yourself look good. While I admit I’m not fanatical about Mellencamp, I do think he is a good songwriter. And while I disagree with the above Mellencamp "lack of creativity" statement (sorry, but talk about an artist whose songs all sound the same…sheesh!) I don’t feel that I have to insult him just to make U2 look better (O.K., maybe the above was a little insult).  I would never think about going on a alt.fan.mellencamp (if it exists) and compare him unfavorably to U2, but then perhaps U2 fans have more class.  However, one has to admit that U2’s music touches more people.  I mean, Joshua Tree sold about 15 million copies.   Achtung Baby sold about 6 million copies.  Zooropa, as well as Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum and Achtung Baby, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and it stayed there for 4 weeks before dropping.  While Mellencamp has enjoyed success, I don’t think his following is quite the same.  So if sales are any judgment of influence, sorry, U2 wins. Ciao, John

Response:

Noel, Buddy, pal, one might say……obsessed?! Try, if you will to open your mind as well as your ears. U2 is not, by far, a very influential band as you make them out to be. If you weren’t so closed minded you might realize that a certain musician from the state of Indiana, has experimented more, has educated more and has made people think more than I’m taking about, John Mellencamp. Over the past twenty year he has continually become  better and better, never once falling into a "lack of creativity" coma such as Zooropa. John has incorporated more styles, more instruments and more creativity then you and your NAMBY little U2 band will ever be able to boast. Ta. ta till next chat Noel Mike Cowbrough (University of Guelph)

Response:

Noel, Buddy, pal, one might say……obsessed?! Try, if you will to open your mind as well as your ears. U2 is not, by far, a very influential band as you make them out to be. If you weren’t so closed minded you might realize that a certain musician from the state of Indiana, has experimented more, has educated more and has made people think more than I’m taking about, John Mellencamp. Over the past twenty year he has continually become  better and better, never once falling into a "lack of creativity" coma such as Zooropa. John has incorporated more styles, more instruments and more creativity then you and your NAMBY little U2 band will ever be able to boast. Ta. ta till next chat Noel Mike Cowbrough (University of Guelph)

Picked up an interesting piece of information lately – thought I’d share. John Cougar, Cougar Mellancamp … whatever his name is, was originally marketed by his record company as … wait for it… a David Bowie look-alike (since that was what sold at the time). Just thought it was funny trying to imagine him in the whole dress and makeup thing. S.

Response: