Nov. 4, 2009
One of the things I love about U2 … is that they want to take everyone with them for the ride! They don’t want to let anyone go at any point! I’m always saying, ‘Look, if you’re going to do something new, you’re going to lose a few supporters along the way.’ And they really fight against that. I honestly don’t think it’s greed. It’s the feeling that everybody’s got to be at the party: we’re not going to make it unapproachable to anybody. I’m sure a big part of Bono’s drive comes from the times he visits nightclubs and sees 18-year-old girls dancing to records that aren’t U2! And I think that really bugs him!
— An incredibly charming Brian Eno, making my case against U2 even as he’s ostensibly making a case for them, in Pitchfork. (He does the same thing with Coldplay: “I’m sure they’ll turn out to be a great band.” Ouch!)