growlingsoulpup
New member
I remember a few years back, when hip-hop ruled the airwaves, when boys wore bermudas at their knees and when SARs was the big danger instead of Mas Selamat, U2 released their How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album. Up till then I was still a shitty, snotty boy with a bad haircut and fed on a diet of bubblegum Mandopop, until I happened to switch on the radio one day and heard Daniel Ong introducing the new single from U2's latest album. Now I had never heard of the band before, but I was a Daniel Ong fan back then so I thought what the hell, I'll stick around for a while more. What I heard next blew me away. Everything from the drumstick clicking to signal the intro, the brazen, massive ferocious riff and the spine-tingling vocal acrobatics was a world away from what I was used to. It was 2004, and U2's Vertigo had just introduced me to rock music.
I went out that weekend after having saved my recess money for a few days and bought the new album. Everything in that album blew me away. The ringing, chiming notes of the Edge's trademark echoing guitar. The glistening, shimmering groove of Adam Clayton's bass. The military power of Larry Mullen Jr's drumming. And of course, the explosive power of Bono's voice, coupled with his vulnerable, poetic lyrics. Everything I didn't know I wanted, I found in that album.
Years would pass and my newfound appreciation for rock music would take me down a very different path from the rest of my friends. Having had a taste of this classic band, the usual radio pop-rock fare paled in comparison. I started searching for more music of the same kind, which sent me spinning off wildly on many tangents, listening to bands such as The Who, The Beatles, GNR, Rolling Stones, STP, Stone Roses, Queen, AC/DC etc. But I always came back to the band that got me started on rock music.
Over the years, I've acquired more of their material, and everything I've learnt in my rock education has invariably come from them, and maybe, I've learnt a few life lessons as well. Bono's father problems on Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own seemed to mirror my own. The bittersweet cynical love song, One, has been the soundtrack of my life so many times I've lost count. The Fly was a sticky, oily, whispering track that goaded me towards forming a rock band. And Johnny Cash's guest vocals on The Wanderer led me when I lost my faith temporarily, speaking to me about uncertainty and homesickness.
Anyway. I've been rambling on long enough. Just thought I'd share a bit about this marvellous band that has shaped my life so much. If there are any other SOFTies out there who are U2 fans too, I invite you to share your feelings here!
I went out that weekend after having saved my recess money for a few days and bought the new album. Everything in that album blew me away. The ringing, chiming notes of the Edge's trademark echoing guitar. The glistening, shimmering groove of Adam Clayton's bass. The military power of Larry Mullen Jr's drumming. And of course, the explosive power of Bono's voice, coupled with his vulnerable, poetic lyrics. Everything I didn't know I wanted, I found in that album.
Years would pass and my newfound appreciation for rock music would take me down a very different path from the rest of my friends. Having had a taste of this classic band, the usual radio pop-rock fare paled in comparison. I started searching for more music of the same kind, which sent me spinning off wildly on many tangents, listening to bands such as The Who, The Beatles, GNR, Rolling Stones, STP, Stone Roses, Queen, AC/DC etc. But I always came back to the band that got me started on rock music.
Over the years, I've acquired more of their material, and everything I've learnt in my rock education has invariably come from them, and maybe, I've learnt a few life lessons as well. Bono's father problems on Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own seemed to mirror my own. The bittersweet cynical love song, One, has been the soundtrack of my life so many times I've lost count. The Fly was a sticky, oily, whispering track that goaded me towards forming a rock band. And Johnny Cash's guest vocals on The Wanderer led me when I lost my faith temporarily, speaking to me about uncertainty and homesickness.
Anyway. I've been rambling on long enough. Just thought I'd share a bit about this marvellous band that has shaped my life so much. If there are any other SOFTies out there who are U2 fans too, I invite you to share your feelings here!
