The Edge

The Edge (born David Howell Evans the August 8th 1961 with Barking, East London, England -) is the principal Guitariste group of Rock U2. It is one of the architects of his so characteristic and identifiable U2 as of the first second.

Biography

August 1st

Music

As a guitarist, The Edge is recognized like having a clean sound, namely the wide use of digital times, and an special attention on the Texture and the melody.

The Joshua Tree is probably the best example, with titles like With gold Without You and Where the Streets Have No Name . Its style of very particular play, like very technical, rests on multiple effects of Slide S and harmonics, as well as the rhythmic melody ones which make its trademark.

As of its beginnings, he refuses with any solo based on the ranges of Blues and speed, judging that far too many guitarists excelled already in this field and that U2 needed another sound.

The Joshua Tree was recorded at the top of the era heavy metal of the years 1980, but its play on this album could not have been more far from the fashion, namely the technique by and for speed, (for example, Edge had suggested that With gold Without You could have easily finished in solo, with the November Rain (of Guns and Roses), but after a short interlude of battery, it chose to play a released and melting part, that it quotes like one of its favorite moments of the album).

The album shows the approach of The Edge on the guitar: rather than to try to bring this one in foreground by the mixing and to make its contribution obvious, it concentrates on the song and the spirit, while contributing sometimes with Juste some lines giving depth and richness with an omnipresent digital time. The intro of Where the Streets Have No Name is only a Arpège of 4 notes.

Like its contemporary, Tom Morello, The Edge decided that the majority of its parts of guitar would be based on effects. It is particularly true at the time of the era Achtung Baby , even if many materials of the group during the years 1980 uses already the echo.

Its influences as a guitarist can be seen in many still active groups, such as Radiohead, Coldplay, and the alternate scene indie/.

The Edge is also given the responsability with the secondary voices to help Bono. As a singer, his contributions towards the sound of the group are certainly underestimated. The album live of 1985 and the vidéos which were drawn from it, Under has Blood Red Sky and Live At Red Rocks is good points of reference. For example, he sings the refrain of Sunday Bloody Sunday (and Bono harmonizes on the final Sunday ). U2 will re-use this technique of surchant in Bullet the Blue Sky , inter alia.

These voices of support are often of the form of a repeated tear; this style partially was probably inspired by the last recordings of Beatles like Helter Skelter . The examples of songs which use this approach include: Beautiful Day and New Year' S Day , Numb ( Zooropa ), first half of Seconds ( War ), the part Falsetto in Stuck in has Moment You Can' T Get Out Of of All That You Can' T Leave Behind and worms of Miracle Drug ( How to Dismantle year Atomic Bomb ). He sings also sometimes the principal song in concert (as for Sunday Bloody Sunday during Popmart Tour). It is also him which sings in entirety Van Diemen' S Land , which opens the film Rattle And Hum .

He plays several instruments: electric guitar, guitar acoustic, keyboards, piano, low (on " 40"). He uses several guitars: Gibson To explore, Fender Stratocaster (with microphone customized handle), Gibson the Paul, Gibson SG, Fender Telecaster, Rickenbacker 330-12, Gretsch Country Gentleman, Variax Acoustic 700

Recordings solo

The Edge recorded with artists such as Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Tina Turner and Ron Wood.

The Edge joined Sinead O' Connor, Eno, Lanois and Michael Brook (the creator of the Infinite guitar , which it uses regularly), to work with him on the music of the films Captive (1986).

It also has creates the credits of the new American series: Batman television cartoon .

In the group, he plays sometimes of the piano or low, in addition to the guitar. It also sometimes happens to him to sing in duet with Bono or a recluse.

Disctinctions

In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine noted The Edge #24 on their list of the “100 larger guitarists of all times”.

Quotations

The words are very limited media. I do not think that is essential for us to say anything; these things appear better with the music. (1984)

I think that when it loses its humor, the rock'n'roll can become very tedious.

For me, this “pop” term is as a cereal bar. You buy it because you like it, you eat it a blow, and then you throw paper. It does not have a long-term direction or value. (1985)

I do not feel so not attached to my instruments. It is a little as if I dominated them, in a certain way. I do not see them like a share of myself; They are just there, between me and something again.

Play some notes as you can, but finds these notes which make the majority of work. If I could play a note for a whole song, I would do it. “I Will Follow” is a little that. (1997)

It is one of the things which attracted me in the rock'n'roll. At the beginning, there is this feeling of potential, of power, when you pass an electric guitar around your neck. And there you discover that of which it is really question, it is to control this power. Of course, the guitar was a large element of the rock'n'roll. I cannot right step imagine Elvis holding a violin.

I do not have the least fear or paranoia which seem to be common to the business of the music. I think that they are in danger, in fact, while being so far behind what occurs on Internet, as if they had right failure it stage coach, but good, they is super. I want to say, it y' has as well manners as that develops, I am certain that it y' has ways of which nobody still thought. (2001)

It is funny, but even in the space of a song, you can feel the public to be more or less there. The only thing to be made is to type in heavier material and there to go thoroughly. Some of our more beautiful repetitions were those which start badly, and which become magic and unforeseeable.

I did not return in the group to become a celebrity. I went there because I wanted to play of the music and to write songs and to make concerts and all these things.

Anecdote

People continue to wonder how David received the nickname “The Edge”. Whereas Bono affirms to have given him because of its sharp-edged spirit, the majority of the biographers allot it to the angular aspect of its chin. Another theory goes back to its childhood, period during which he obviously appreciated to go on narrow spaces like the edges of pavements or the walls (In English, edge means the edge, the edge).

External bonds

Official site
a study of the time of The Edge
Bookstore of the material used by The Edge (guitars, effects, amplifiers, racks.)

Random links: