new u2 album in the works, let's discuss (1 Viewer)

[Sam E. Torres]

i searched a bit for a thread about this upcoming album and i didn't really find anything. so what do we know so far?

• bono has been quoted saying that this is u2's first guitar driven album. don't really know what he means...guitar has always played a big role in u2's music.
• apparently the edge is unleashing some pretty crazy riffs.
• a big one: chris thomas is producing. does this mean no brian eno? :frowning:
• from paul mcguiness: "it sounds very exciting to me, very rock and roll, very direct as you would expect with chris thomas producing. the band keep making him tell them beatle stories!"
• bono has been quoted saying that he has learned from the pop mistakes they made and that if this album tanks that the band would be breaking up.
• release date: late 2003-early 2004.

i, for one, cannot wait for this and i am very eager to listen to a single or just seconds from a track...just SOMETHING after "all that you can't leave behind." i still listen to that album religiously. let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

 

[kamyiu]

may as well add an early dissent.

i keep buying u2 albums, i've been a fan for quite some time. unfortunately, they keep disappointing me with each release. oh, there's the odd song here and there that is pretty good, like if you wear that velvet dress and wake up dead man from pop, or lemon from zooropa. even beautiful day was decent, but for my money, they haven't made a really solid album since achtung baby. that album was emotional, introspective, and powerful. it spoke volumes to me. in my mind, nearly everything they've done since then pales in comparison. electrical storm? come on. now they're just bland and over-produced. as mentioned above, my fingers are crossed and i'm hoping for the best. i'd be thrilled to hear a solid u2 album, but i'm skeptical. i'll wait for it to hit the used bins.

 

[Tim Hoover]

bono has been quoted saying that he has learned from the pop mistakes they made and that if this album tanks that the band would be breaking up.

That seems a rather odd statement as ATYCLB and the following tour was quite a commercial success for U2. I do wish Bono would quit his sappy manipulation, though.

Oh, and I loved "Electrical Storm". The video was also gorgeous.

 

[Camp]

bono has been quoted saying that he has learned from the pop mistakes they made and that if this album tanks that the band would be breaking up.

Bono is one for drama. He seems to add a quote about possibly breaking up every time they begin recording.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Will it be U2? Then it will be good.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

I have my fingers crossed but I'm not optomistic given the previous few releases.

 

[Greg Johnson]

but for my money, they haven't made a really solid album since achtung baby. that album was emotional, introspective, and powerful. it spoke volumes to me. in my mind, nearly everything they've done since then pales in comparison.

I couldn't agree with this more. Every album after Achtung Baby has been a disappointment to me. I'll still purchase the new release though.
On a side note. I would give my first born for Achtung Baby and all their previous releases to come out on SACD or DVD-Audio.

Greg

 

[Angelo.M]

Seems like the very early press on both Pop and ATYCLB dubbed them 'guitar-driven' (in the same way that the early press on Radiohead's Hail to the Thief called it a return to guitar-rock).

Yeah, right...

 

[Dan B]

Sounds like it could be another War-ish rock-n-roll album.

Chris Thomas is the same guy who produced London Calling & Empty Glass, right? Two of my favorites. What has he done since those albums...they came out in '79 & '80!

For the record, I really like All That You Can't Leave Behind. Zooropa is like Achtung Baby Part Two to me, but Pop was a disappointment. Love the early stuff too.


Now Playing: The Zombies Greatest Hits SACD

 

[Ted Lee]

people always say every album since achtung baby (or joshua tree) sucks. yet no one faults radiohead for essentially doing the same thing - going from guitar to keyboard. (well, i will admit that radiohead did it better.)

i get the sense that even the band members know that zooropa and pop were experimental - and that they didn't quite pass the muster.

but what's wrong with that? if a band keeps doing the same thing they'll die. that's for sure. how about giving them some credit for trying something different?

anyway, sorry for the rant. i will eagerly await their new album - if it's more rock oriented so the better.

 

[Angelo.M]

Don't want to completely derail the thread, but I'm definitely not one of the 'people' Ted is referring to. I think that between Zooropa and Pop there is one great album (sort of how I feel about Radiohead's Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief: one great album hiding among three unspectacular ones). Try Popropa: "Zooropa," "Lemon," "Stay," "The First Time," "Dirty Day," "Do You Feel Loved," "Gone," "Please," "If You Wear that Velvet Dress," "Wake Up Dead Man"... All great stuff, IMO.

 

[Ted Lee]

i agree 100% angelo.

 

[Anthony Connor]

IMHO I thought the All That You Can't Leave Behind was a very good album, something U2 can be proud of.

Ted Lee wrote :

i get the sense that even the band members know that zooropa and pop were experimental - and that they didn't quite pass the muster.

but what's wrong with that? if a band keeps doing the same thing they'll die. that's for sure. how about giving them some credit for trying something different?

I got to agree 100%

Regards

Anthony

 

[Philip Hamm]

Try Popropa: "Zooropa," "Lemon," "Stay," "The First Time," "Dirty Day," "Do You Feel Loved," "Gone," "Please," "If You Wear that Velvet Dress," "Wake Up Dead Man"... All great stuff, IMO.

I'd add "Staring At The Sun" to that list, at least.


Actually I like both "Zooropa" and "Pop" quite a bit.

 

[Angelo.M]

Philip:

My hesitation with "Staring" is the lyrics, which I feel are particularly weak. The music, however, isn't; I especially like the lovely acoustic version that appears on one of the Pop EPs; was it the Please EP?

Ted:

I also agree that the band was fully aware of their experimental tendencies at that time. Hard to think of that and not mention Original Soundtracks. I think "Miss Sarajevo" and "Your Blue Room" are two of the better tracks U2 recorded in that 'era'.

Another thought:

Does it seem a crime to anyone other than me that U2 have never released a 'proper' live collection? Yeah, Blood Red Sky is great, but too brief, and Rattle and Hum is, well, a mess. The EPs and B-sides have been OK, but nothing spectacular. I am hoping that we will someday see something in the spirit of the Springsteen live boxed set: multiple CDs covering multiple eras of live performance. They're arguable one of the finest live acts in the history of rock, and they need a stunning live compilation.

I can dream...

 

[Ted Lee]

doh! how could i forget passengers? i think that's a terrific album. it's one of the few i can say i still listen to on a fairly regular basis.

listen to miss sarajevo on headphones - when pavarotti (sp?) kicks in i get goosebumps!

i know everyone has different tastes, but to say U2 hasn't done anything creative is really an injustice. they're a band that has truly stood the test of time.

 

[Angelo.M]

Add "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" as another terrific thing U2 has done in the last few years.

 

[Tim Hoover]

I think some of the b-sides that U2 has released in the past few years are much better than some of the album material. Case in point: "North and South of the River", "Slow Dancing (I like the version w/ Bono's vocals)", and the absolutely slamming cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun".

I also really like the Passengers album. I've been listening to the vinyl release quite a bit lately. I've noticed it has MUCH better fidelity than most U2 albums.

The Please EP is great...

I wish Larry Mullen would do some press w/ Bono. I'd just love to hear him say "U2 are NOT gonna break up. Bono is full of s--t!"

 

[Anthony Connor]

Another thought:

Does it seem a crime to anyone other than me that U2 have never released a 'proper' live collection? Yeah, Blood Red Sky is great, but too brief, and Rattle and Hum is, well, a mess. The EPs and B-sides have been OK, but nothing spectacular. I am hoping that we will someday see something in the spirit of the Springsteen live boxed set: multiple CDs covering multiple eras of live performance. They're arguable one of the finest live acts in the history of rock, and they need a stunning live compilation.

I can dream...

Have you checked out the Live in boston DVD ?

Regards

AXE

 

[Philip Hamm]

I think some of the b-sides that U2 has released in the past few years are much better than some of the album material. Case in point: "North and South of the River", "Slow Dancing (I like the version w/ Bono's vocals)", and the absolutely slamming cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun".

I have burned CDs of all my 45s, 12" singles, EPs, and CD singles. My collection so far spans 5 (or 6?) full length CDs with not a single album track. - Of course that does include a lot of "Pop" remixes, which seem to go on forever. However, I agree, there are a hell of a lot of great B-sides by U2, and there always has been.

As far as live albums, I've also made CD copies of my Zoo TV LaserDisc and Boston DVD that sound fantastic and make great stand-alone live albums. (Particularly the Zooropa one, I really love that album).