My object here is not to determine who thinks U2 makes folk music (wouldn't touch that can of worms for a million bucks) but simply to ask this:

Can one safely refer to The Edge (U2 guitarist) as a "real" musician because while he plays the guitar, he regularly employs processors and effects that are not naturally possible or obtainable on that same guitar without the machines hooked up to it. I am of the humble opinion that while any jackass can plug into a machine, the idea is no different that any jackass being able to slap paint on a canvas. The difference is, one has an eye and a heart for creating beauty, the other is using the "paint" because they couldn't make a picture worth shit using a plain old pencil. See what I mean? I think the ones who really have something to say can communicate their ideas with these "sound paintings" while others need the electronic crutch to mask the fact that they can't play any really skillful guitar to begin with.

Well?

Have fun,

Crunchie