I just don't get The Edge

[lionambience]

So, i'm well aware of what can happen for posting what i post.
knocking on someone that everyone looks up to.

but I just don't get it.
I'll respect that he did cool stuff, and he did his popular delay, but I just don't get why he uses it sooo soo much.

it's a huge turn off, maybe just for me.

Anyway. It'd just been bothering me, and a friend of mine [a purist when it comes to U2 fans] would not leave me alone about it.

I will also agree that The Edge is a good guitar player, but why so much of the same delay?!

Am i alone on this?

[rollyfoster]

he went to the edge and never came back

[Alpedra]

He sure knows how to tinker and play with guitar effects.. but except that there´s nothing special with him.

[flat_broke]

there are a lot of cool little nuances in his delays though. for a while i felt the same as you and it's a totally valid view. then i got REALLY into delay and started noticing a lot of little things about his delays.
http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/
that site goes in depth on his delay. but yeah it's just not for everyone. it's his thing though. most people have a thing they love and do that works for them. edge loves delays.

[markw1980]

I guess his playing has really worked out for him, along with their songs, but to me, he is not too special.

[Bankston]

Seems to me there's a lot more to his guitarwork than using delay. It's just one part of his aesthetic.

I've always dug the Edge's playing and songwriting.

[gainiac]

I like his more conventional no delay stuff. Very hooky, big sound full of character, yet minimalistic. I'd say he's a musician first, guitarist second.

[hcole]

I'm not huge U2 or even The Edge fan but I think he's more than just delay. I think over the short lifetime of rock music there are few guitarists who define their bands sound more than The Edge does for U2.

[Red Suede]

You know exactly who it is when you hear him. I'd say that's special whether people like it or not. There's a few I don't prefer, but I know them when I hear them.

[Flyin' Brian]

To me, what makes him very very special is knowing when NOT to play.

The perfect example (that he has talked about himself):

Go to about 4:05 of "With or Without You". That's the place where many rockers would stand on stage, spread their legs the required 1.35 times their shoulder width apart and rip some hot solo. Instead he plays a simple 2 note ostinato while the main guitar part of the song builds back under it. The combination of The Edge and producer Daniel Lanois creates an awful lot of music that's presented without a lot of flash and unnecessary chops.

On another note Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are an incredibly tight and vastly important rhythm section, much the same as Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. In both cases there are two people thinking exactly as one.

[eBay]

Originally Posted by Alpedra

He sure knows how to tinker and play with guitar effects.. but except that there´s nothing special with him.

That may be taking it a little too far. His ability to create accompaniments that have inspired a generation of guitar players is evidence that he has something special though at times I don't fully comprehend it myself.

[theycallme"tc"]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Kirk Hammet's wahs lol...

tc

[semi-hollowbody]

Why did hendrix use so much wah and octave so much
Why did page use that theramin, flange and phase so much
Why does most guitar players use distortion soo much...
Why did Gilmore use Delay so much
Why does joe perry, joe walsh, and frampton use that talk box so much...

meh, people just like to find things to pick at with the edge...because his simplistic playing is more creative and has gotten him further than 99.9% of us and our little shredder skills

[yucatown]

You might not get him, but millions of fans do. And what they get is more than just delay.

[Flyin' Brian]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

Why did hendrix use so much wah and octave so much
Why did page use that theramin, flange and phase so much
Why does most guitar players use distortion soo much...
Why did Gilmore use Delay so much
Why does joe perry, joe walsh, and frampton use that talk box so much...

meh, people just like to find things to pick at with the edge...because his simplistic playing is more creative and has gotten him further than 99.9% of us and our little shredder skills