Rock and roll isn't a career or hobby - it's a life force ... it's just something I have to do.
Interpretation
Rock and roll is an essential part of life for those who live it.
In this quote, The Edge emphasizes that rock and roll transcends mere career aspirations or hobbies; it is a fundamental part of existence that drives passion and creativity. It suggests that for true artists, engaging with this genre is a necessity, reflecting a deep connection to the music that shapes their identity and purpose.
In practice
In a speech at a music festival to inspire young musicians.
Starting a band is the easy part. Once you've formed the band, you have to tell a story, and that story requires songs. And not just good songs, but great songs. After a while, great songs won't do - they have to be the best. Success doesn't make it any easier. Each time I start a new record, it's a brand-new search.
Music is such a great communicator. It breaks down linguistic barriers, cultural barriers, it basically reaches out. That's when rock n' roll succeeds, and that's what virtuosity is all about.
Weirdly enough, if I'm having trouble with a guitar part - not the playing of it but the writing - I'll mess around with echo and other effects, just turn everything up and make it as crazy as can be, and it winds up taking me somewhere. I've found so many guitar parts from echo. It's limitless.
The big cop-out would be to accept popularity rather than opting to try to create potent work. It's so easy to do the popular thing, the expected thing, and that's where you start to cheat yourself - and your fans, in the end - because there's an inherent dishonesty in pandering and dishing up what everyone's expecting.
I felt very proud to be part of a music scene that was changing the face of commercial music and rock music internationally, but I also felt like it was necessary for Soundgarden - as it was for all of these Seattle bands - to prove that we deserve to be on an international stage, and we weren't just part of a fad that was based on geography.
Like family, we are tied to each other. This is what all good musicians understand.
Hail, hail rock and roll / Deliver me from the days of old.
It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me.
I want to see 10 female rappers getting regular rotation. It can't be all about a man's opinion.
I always say, you gotta play a dive bar like you play an arena, and you play an arena like you play a dive bar.
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