All "Is U2 Breaking Up" Discussion

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I've noticed this happens a lot with really successful bands like U2. Queen are another example of "rumors" about a break up e.t.c. it's probably all for PR/Promo stuff to keep people interested in the Band so they don't just fade into memory.
 
last unicorn said:
I don't think U2 would agree on such a long "touring" contract if they were about to quit anytime soon and I don't see them doing a tour without an album. So I still think the Live Nation contract is relevant here.
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the contract they signed in 1993 after Zooropa was released which was for 6 more studio albums of original new music. This one is irrelevant.

Live Nation contract exists, but that was before NLOTH singles failed. And more importantly before Bono's back interfered with the tour.

You take it for granted U2 will record and tour until they're 60.
 
U2girl said:
You take it for granted U2 will record and tour until they're 60.
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Where did the number 60 come from? The Who, the Rolling Stones and Neil Young are still touring and they're way past the 60 mark.

We shouldn't take anything for granted, but it's too early to write them off on account of their age.

Besides, what are they going to do if they stop making music? It's not as if they've got jobs to return to. They've probably got enough money to support them for the rest of their lives, but they don't strike me as the type of people who would spend the last 25 years of their lives just sipping champagne on a beach in the south of France.
 
How many half-way finished albums do these guys currently have? I don't buy it. It's all hype.

What I do believe is that they've reached a point at which they understand the next album can't be just "good." They need the 3rd album which everyone ranks next to AB and JT.
 
Niceman said:
How many half-way finished albums do these guys currently have? I don't buy it. It's all hype.

What I do believe is that they've reached a point at which they understand the next album can't be just "good." They need the 3rd album which everyone ranks next to AB and JT.
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I'd imagine if they were to call it quits all of those half-way finished albums would keep them relevant past retirement.
 
Honestly whatever it is when they do call it quits, I hope they go out with a bang. So right now just isn't the time.

And yes, I realize 360 was most certainly a bang, but what I mean is a preemptive announcement of 'this is it'. Either in the means of a walk-off an encore album or encore tour.
 
U2girl said:
the contract they signed in 1993 after Zooropa was released which was for 6 more studio albums of original new music. This one is irrelevant.

Live Nation contract exists, but that was before NLOTH singles failed. And more importantly before Bono's back interfered with the tour.

You take it for granted U2 will record and tour until they're 60.
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I highly doubt U2 will keep touring. Maybe they will put out another album. Maybe not. They don't owe us anything. How much more music can they make?
 
Niceman said:
How many half-way finished albums do these guys currently have? I don't buy it. It's all hype.

What I do believe is that they've reached a point at which they understand the next album can't be just "good." They need the 3rd album which everyone ranks next to AB and JT.
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I disagree. Their top priorities are to have new songs played on the radio, to have big hit singles and for the album to sell in excess of 10m copies. The actual artistic merits of the album are secondary. Right now I don't think they care about whether music nerds on the interwebz rank it alongside AB or not. Hits and sales are what they are really after.
 
U2Girl1978 said:
I highly doubt U2 will keep touring. Maybe they will put out another album. Maybe not. They don't owe us anything. How much more music can they make?
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They've talked a lot to simply walk out. If anything, they would tour and not put out another album. Numerous times at the end of 360 Bono was barking at the mic about not being ready to retire and whatnot. But it seems that Bono is full up with wanting to be relevant, whereas the others just enjoy being U2. What that says to me is Bono wanting to record more and the opposition being just touring (whether large-scale or not).

lemonfly said:
I disagree. Their top priorities are to have new songs played on the radio, to have big hit singles and for the album to sell in excess of 10m copies. The actual artistic merits of the album are secondary. Right now I don't think they care about whether music nerds on the interwebz rank it alongside AB or not. Hits and sales are what they are really after.
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I would agree with this if we're talking about staying relevant. They could release another Bomb which would likely be criticized by the interwebz like people on Interference, but in reality it created much more interest than NLOTH (which gets plenty of praise).
 
lemonfly said:
I disagree. Their top priorities are to have new songs played on the radio, to have big hit singles and for the album to sell in excess of 10m copies. The actual artistic merits of the album are secondary. Right now I don't think they care about whether music nerds on the interwebz rank it alongside AB or not. Hits and sales are what they are really after.
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This is the distinction which separates U2 from all other bands. Some bands want to be pop hits and played on the radio all of the time. Some want to be critical darlings and don't care about the radio. U2 is the band which demands both of itself. I think Bono would choke himself to death if U2 became a band like Radiohead these days (If he didn't, Larry would surely do it for him.) But at the same time, just being heard on the radio and not having the artistic integrity goes against everything they believe. They come from a time when the best band was also the band being played on the radio. Nowadays those are supposed to be different things, but not in U2's mind. They want both.
 
Taking your acoustic guitar on vacation doesn't exactly sound like you're thinking of not making music anymore, you know?
 
Despite the fact this angst makes me really uncomfortable, the band has risen to the occasion when they have been their own worst critics. I am confident that even within their past "failures" as a band, they've been able to overcome to be even better than before.

As U2 fans, despite this uncertainty, we should relish the band's past and be fucking excited for their future. When they dream it up again, I'm positive, they'll make it work.

Let Bono do his talking..... he's just working it all out in his head.
 
Bono had said that there was a decided rift in the band about touring with NLOTH. Hopefully the response to the tour settled that in everyone's mind and has reawoken the band's hunger for continuing to push the limits of their (and our) imagination. Sounds like Bono's asking hard questions again -- of himself, of the band, of rock'n'roll in general. Whatever U2 has to do to stay hungry and ambitious, I am all for it. Bite the nails of success, boys. Do what you gotta do.
 
Gilead12 said:
That headline is exactly what U2 (or at least Bono) want.

I hesitate to be too cynical about it, though, because I think it comes from a good place. Bono really IS questioning their relevance. This band has too much drive to be content with the kind of success NLOTH had, no matter how underappreciated it may or may not have been. And I think he really does think it would be better to quit than to be irrelevant. On the other hand, U2 are clearly still capable of great music. The magic will happen again. Just a matter of whether it's a game-changer/another classic or a mere commercial success. One thing I'm sure of: they won't be back till they have a sure-fire huge single. And I'm OK with that. They don't have one huge single I don't like quite a lot, and probably not one I don't love. If they're working with Danger Mouse, they will have a huge single. It's just a matter of how huge, and how quality.

I have absolute faith in this band, especially paired with Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse aspires to huge sounds but loves simplicity and intimacy. He won't let them go too mindless. For instance, I can't imagine SUC happening on his watch (the only NLOTH song I think is irredeemable).

Also, Every Breaking Wave is a fucking classic song. That's enough for me. They'll be back, if only to get that song right.
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:up: especially the last paragraph ~ EBW is indeed a thing of beauty :heart: and proof positive that the magic isn't going anywhere anytime soon ~ have a little faith peeps :)
 
This smacks of bono painting them into another creative corner. Of they heap the pressure onto themselves, they can allow themselves a lot more creative freedom. All the Achtung baby stuff must have got them thinking about it
 
I still don't understand why a bunch of guys in their 50s who had mainstream success as far back as 28 years ago are so worried about mainstream success today. The music business has moved on. Its all about individual songs and 5 minutes of fame these days.

Seems they have set an unrealistic benchmark for themselves. To break up because of that would be frustrating. On the other hand to break up because they have lost motivation or direction would be easier to stomach.

When the break up comes, and maybe we are there now, I jut hope it's not because they can't handle not having mainstream success and rather is due to more honest and introspective reasons.

I doubt though this is marketing spin from Bono.
 
WalkOn21 said:
Where did the number 60 come from? The Who, the Rolling Stones and Neil Young are still touring and they're way past the 60 mark.

We shouldn't take anything for granted, but it's too early to write them off on account of their age.

Besides, what are they going to do if they stop making music? It's not as if they've got jobs to return to. They've probably got enough money to support them for the rest of their lives, but they don't strike me as the type of people who would spend the last 25 years of their lives just sipping champagne on a beach in the south of France.
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Funny, because they strike me as the exact type of people that would retire to the south of France.
 
LuckyNumber7 said:
But it seems that Bono is full up with wanting to be relevant, whereas the others just enjoy being U2.
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I'm not sure about that. Bono is not the only one in the band who values 'relevance'. Edge says in U2 by U2: "The big prize for us has always been to stay relevant".

Chill Mike D said:
Funny, because they strike me as the exact type of people that would retire to the south of France.
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You misread what I said. I didn't randomly pick the south of France of course, I know about their love for the country and their homes in Èze. And when they retire, that's likely exactly the place where they'll go. But I don't think they'll retire *right now*. They aren't people who can just sit on their bums for a long time. Even in their holiday home they've got a studio.
 
Chill Mike D said:
Funny, because they strike me as the exact type of people that would retire to the south of France.
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:up: Exactly. They would get involved in vanity projects (like the Spider-Man musical) to occupy them creatively, but other than that they would have no problem sipping cocktails on a yacht with celebrity pals. They LOVE that life. I don't know why anyone thinks they'd be hopelessly lost without U2.
 
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