u2 music and words

[j72]

I don't know if anyone else feels the same but i'm beginning to feel frustrated, bored and a tad worried about the procrastinated release of any material when it had been anticipated, talked up, then dropped again.

I felt excited (not so much the title) by the idea of The Ascent of Man thing or at least the way Bono talked about it, i was intrigued to see if it would walk the talk even though i had no expectations of it all being great. I won't bang on again about the whole notion of overthinking over spontanaeity and intuition but..

I have recently been getting into the album An Appointment with Mr Yeats, Mike Scott's Waterboys take on some of the Irish poets songs, It is not without flaw but i find it beautiful. Mike has been a fan of Yeats for many years and it seems to have stimulated and galvanised (as opposed to overwhelmed) his music (as it seemed to do in the live show i have just been to, their own stuff and interpretations).

Bono seems to read prodigiously and i can't help thinking the band could do this in their individual way with an album diversion in their own unique way.
Yes, some critics would ridicule it, commercially it would probably do poorly, and (fair enough) woudn't be every fans cup of tea but So What. Play some smaller more intimate gigs and maybe? it would have an interesting effect.

Just as an illustration of the idea, here are two songs from the 'Appointment' album, whether you like em or loathe em. An Irish Airman Forsees his Death
and the more poppy (but nevertheless for me, affecting) Sweet dancer.

The waterboys an irish airman forsees his death - YouTube


The Waterboys - Sweet Dancer - YouTube


Hoping So hoping they can surprise me with what they are working on at the moment.
Any thoughts?

 

[Galeongirl]

Not worth getting frustrated over to me. They have hundreds of songs in their back catalog, and there's shitloads of good quality bootlegs. The new material will get here when they feel it's done, so it's not worth getting worked up over as that won't change a thing.

 

[mama cass]

am a massive Waterboys fan, have been for over 20 years, but seriously find this Mr Yeats venture to be sheer self-indulgent twaddle, sorry - i can't listen to it without wanting to break something lol

so, i really hope U2 DON'T go down that path lol

 

[j72]

Hi Galeongirl it is not so much the waiting (i expect that and fair enough) sometimes great things do take time, sometimes. Procrastination, was more my point.

I may have come across wrong there,( i also totally take your point about the fantastic musical back catalogue) and don't imagine myself exactly falling into a despairing heap any time soon.

i think i thought similiarly Mama Cass, it's not everyone cup but i love people who break out and try something whether it's liked or not. I couldn't get into the album at all atfirst but then it grabbed me, Big time. cheers for feedback folks, take care

 

[mama cass]

i don't think it's about breaking out and trying something new in particular - he did it beautifully with Stolen Child years ago, and i think that song was a tough act to follow actually... i honestly haven't enjoyed his/their recent stuff at all... maybe it all got a little too New Agey for me, i dunno...

 

[j72]

Yeah i agree Stolen Child was an absolute beauty and i won't go on about the waterboys too much as i appreciate this is a u2 forum for the most part. I also guess the idea of going back to old poetry might sound strange and not especially original but somehow for me it reenergised.

I guess u2 did this in a different way with Achtung Baby and i loved the way their music moved while very much remaining them. I also have to agree their are at least a couple of 'New Agey' doozies on the latest album.

I guess it's no coincidence that Cedars of Lebannon and before that the shared inspiration with Salman Rushdie are U2 songs i enjoy a lot and their is, especially on the former, am almost spoken word quality with lots of space and texture.

Then on other days it's back to the rockier stuff and i just can't get in to the aforementioned songs.

 

[Nick66]

You've come to the wrong place with this idea. U2's tried mixing music w/poetry before, most notably Beautiful Ghost/Songs of Experience (Blake) and Drunk Chicken/America (Ginsberg). Neither (especially Drunk Chicken) were particularly well received in recent polling on these pages.

A song with the line "I know i'm weedkiller honey... and you're sugar" fared quite well, however.

 

[mama cass]

You've come to the wrong place with this idea. U2's tried mixing music w/poetry before, most notably Beautiful Ghost/Songs of Experience (Blake) and Drunk Chicken/America (Ginsberg). Neither (especially Drunk Chicken) were particularly well received in recent polling on these pages.

A song with the line "I know i'm weedkiller honey... and you're sugar" fared quite well, however.

are you trying to say we're a bunch of poetry heathens or something?

 

[doctorwho]

You've come to the wrong place with this idea. U2's tried mixing music w/poetry before, most notably Beautiful Ghost/Songs of Experience (Blake) and Drunk Chicken/America (Ginsberg). Neither (especially Drunk Chicken) were particularly well received in recent polling on these pages.

A song with the line "I know i'm weedkiller honey... and you're sugar" fared quite well, however.

Hey, so did a song with the line "and you give, and you give and you give yourself away". Another classic, "baby, baby, baby...baby, baby, baby...baby, baby, baby, light my way". Sheer poetic genius!

 

[j72]

Thanks Nick, i like Drunk Chicken America but have not listened to the other one you mention as yet. I think, for me though whatever hits the spot, that may be the synthesis of even one word and music, The "baby, baby" as mentioned on Ultra Violet or something like the words and music of Please/love is blindness etc. Different, yet all visceral, powerful and stimulating to me personally.

I have always hated the idea of poetry being exsclusive in any way, i dislike all forms of snobbery, classic or inverted. Two of my favourite writers among others Yeats and Walt Whitman wrote words that hit me in the heart and mind and were often very earthy too.

Just sounding out a thought really, i didn't expect everyone to go with it, some of the songs among others i liked best on NLOTH was Cedars, MOS, White as Snow all seemed to point towards a spacious direction where the words and music really got to me. I also liked the way the words and music crashed around in a different way with Breathe in some ways.

I was curious, as i alluded to earlier earlier, whether Ascent of Man may have continued in this kind of atmosphere but for whatever reason they pulled it. Maybe it was crap, i don't know, would have been interested to have a listen though. Here's hoping the new material, wahtever it is like will really be something very special indeed, some of what has been said by Bono has intrigued me, we shall see?

 

[mama cass]

what is Ascent of Man?

 

[j72]

PS Galeongirl

Thanks for that lyric "uncertainty can be a guiding light" I have just noted that bit of your post, one of my favourite u2 moments lyric/music to a wonderful song.

REM also said something like "celebrate the contradiction" which is another favourite expression of mine, i am aware i, among others have different parts of me as indeed do the people i work with who sometimes express similar sentiments, another aspect of human nature which i also believe Bono explores pretty well in some songs.

 

[Galeongirl]

It's one of my favourite lyrics myself too.

There's a lot of contradictions in U2's lyrics indeed, yet some aren't true contradictions, more things you can interpret in different ways. I guess that's why u2 has such a broad audience, they have so many different songs, and each song can be interpreted in a few ways. Everyone recognizes something personal in them.

I may not be a big fan of poetry, but I am all for a new experimental phase, like when they started making AB. Something revolutionary that will knock us off our feet.

 

[j72]

Thanks Galeongirl

I guess by contradiction i am personally interpreting and resonating
at times in my life with the character of Acrobat to "think like this and talk like that." I love the fact that there is darkness as well as light and many subtleties in Bono's lyrics. Some of the people i feel closest to in this world are people who can acknowledge that in themselves or me and we take it on board. Achtung Baby was certainly one of my all time favourite albums by U2 and anyone for that matter.

I think the band are highly capable of another masterpiece, IF something clicks and grooves, sometimes i get the impression the old geezers are at their best when backed into a corner. Bono seems also to be ratcheting up the pressure with his recent coments. Although i don't get the impression his bandmates are overly chuffed heh, heh, at least if the media is to be believed.

 

[corianderstem]

what is Ascent of Man?

Well, there's an REM song called Ascent of Man, and since he (? - sorry to assume) mentioned REM elsewhere in the thread, I'll chalk it up to crossing Ascent of Man with Songs of Ascent.

 

[bonocomet]

I really like Beautiful Ghost/Songs of Experience. It's ended up on a few of my U2/Bono mix collections. And I'd like to hear some of Bono's poetry, though he may never share it. I'm still hopeful for Fuck Off! Volume 1 though!

 

[j72]

Whoops, sorry Mama cass, this plonker meant Songs of Ascent, not Ascent of Man. Ps thanks Corriander for your sensitivity, i can confirm i am a He as far as i can tell x

 

[j72]

Thanks for your comments Bonocomet. See it's interesting this isn't it, (so personal and subjective) i chased up Ghost/songs of experience and i liked the musical atmosphere. Bono however, to me, sounded like a stereotypical sixth former trying desperately to impress his lady. I would be interested, however of a Bono who has at times seemed more at ease with himself, when not overthinking things perform the lyric vocal now.

 

[bonocomet]

Thanks for your comments Bonocomet. See it's interesting this isn't it, (so personal and subjective) i chased up Ghost/songs of experience and i liked the musical atmosphere. Bono however, to me, sounded like a stereotypical sixth former trying desperately to impress his lady. I would be interested, however of a Bono who has at times seemed more at ease with himself, when not overthinking things perform the lyric vocal now.

Yeah I really like the musical atmosphere of it for sure. Since you mentioned it, have you heard Bono reading any other poetry? There are quite a few recordings out there of him reading various pieces. He also did a reading before a Andrea Boccelli song. If you want me to send you any let me know, I have quite a few.

 

[j72]

Thanks Bonocomet, i would be interested in that offer and will get back to you on that. Also, i guess, i would feel a bit overindulgent starting another thread on this but i am interested in the idea of recording in different locations and what it can bring to words and music.

I know they have done this with a lot of success with Achtung Baby and (in my opinion) less coherently but still to stimulating effect on NLOTH to name but a couple. I am aware Dublin is a huge place for them to record but i wonder if somewhere like the west coast of Ireland with it's rich tradition of songwriting, traditional, mixed, storytelling and poems could pull out something..else.
For me, i felt this stuff hang everywhere alive in the region everywhere, on the streets, cafes, pubs and round friends music get togethers) could it add another hue and flavour again. not necessarily a complete reworking but a change of effect or influence.
Pure personal speculation this (it is one of my favourite places and there could be many others powerful for them to tap into) but i like to dream out loud as someone once said.