I saw U2 at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1980. They had just released "War" and were about to break through internationally. The Edge sat behind a grand piano and would rotate between a pedal steel and piano; the whole time banging an electric guitar strapped to his chest with tons of echo. He would be the first to admit that he compensates for lack of fundamental skill with effects and feedback. More than anything, I admire originality in artists. There were plenty of guitar thrashers in hair bands in the 80's who could pick a million miles a minute, but had no soul to their music. The early U2 albums cut through the BS music of the time and created an exciting new sound. I like Jack White as well, but Clapton and maybe Neil Young are probably the only living guitar players whose body of works compare to Jimmy Page. In 20 years or so, we will see how U2 and Jack White's legacies survive the test of time. You could see the admiration and humility in both White and the Edge's eyes when Page played "Whole Lotta Love" in the documentary.
