I hope the new album is a surprise again...

[nirniva]

I think they'd only be pissed when we all yelled "Take us to Popmart!"

: "What time is it in the world?"
Interference: "THE NINETIES!"
: "...You all suck."

 

[cseggleton]

it is time for a country or folk album and i am not kidding. they could do it and do it very well.

 

[nirniva]

it is time for a country or folk album and i am not kidding. they could do it and do it very well.

Perhaps it's time for The Dalton Brothers.

Spoiler

Seriously, though, I could actually see an album in the style of WAS or something working quite well.

 

[LemonMelon]

These threads are starting to bleed together for me. I just read the title as "New U2 album a surprise...POSSIBLE HOAX??"

 

[powerhour24]

Zing!

Man, we need a news oasis in this desert.

 

[nirniva]

These threads are starting to bleed together for me. I just read the title as "New U2 album a surprise...POSSIBLE HOAX??"

"Perhaps It's Time For Exclusive Surprise Cover Art For The Club Album That Danger Mouse Is Being Secretive About Recording In Vancouver - DISCUSSION ONLY - No Email Requests - Possible Hoax?"

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I think two main things hurt bono's lyrics... his life, and his activism.

His life is pretty dammed good. His marital situation is great, his kids are great, the band is doing well in their lives, adam's sober, everything is kinda super duper.

I believe he's also come to grips with gigs mother's death, as we haven't seen that oft touched upon subject pop up in his writing in a while.

Now of course all of these things are good things... but sometimes the best inspiration comes from our darkest moments.

We obviously don't wish bad things upon the band. Maybe the back issues will give bono time to think about his own mortality and perhaps it will show in his writing.

As far as his activism goes...

Look, bono's activism and political awareness has given us some of the band's greatest songs and moments. But of late, it seems he's afraid to upset politicians, so instead we get more vague political references and cheese like "we need love and peace."

Bono was never afraid of offending anyone, even at the risk of his own life, be it with the IRA or by playing pride in the deep south. That has gone missing. I think please was the last time we really saw it. That's 14 years ago.

So yea... I obviously don't wish bad things upon the band to improve the lyrics. But not being afraid to offend politicians would be nice.

 

[Inner El Guapo]

I think they'd only be pissed when we all yelled "Take us to Popmart!"

Edge : "I'm taking us to 1997...we're doing POPmart again!"
Bono : "Only we'll do it without irony!"
Adam : "Aren't we already doing that in 2011?"
Bono : "What do you mean?"
Larry : "Big spectacle...playing consumerists."
Adam : "Only this time we're not playing."
Edge : "Okay fine then, fuck it! We're going to 1992!"
Bono : "What does ZooTv look like with no irony?"
Edge : "Like Elevation and Vertigo had a baby with less video screens..."
Bono : "We'll just do it bigger than before. Bigger is better!"
Larry : "That's what she said"
Adam : "Tell me what our ambition is again...I keep forgetting."
Bono : "To be the best band ever!"
Edge : "Then we need to go back to 1963".

 

[powerhour24]

Headache, with the exception of some moments on the oft-mentioned jammed-in middle 3, I really, really like NLOTH's lyrics. They're spiritual, from varying points of view, and with the few exceptions of WAS and COL, Bono said he intended to keep politics out of that album. I'm not saying I don't ever want to see a political song from them again, just that I certainly appreciated what we got instead.

 

[Screwtape2]

The problem for Bono is that when you living in expensive houses, talking to world leaders, dining with celebrities, happily married and pretty much living the best life you could imagine are you in a position to
a) write about the struggles of daily life?
b) write about emotional struggles?
c) write about regrets?
d) write about everyday events you witness?
e) write about the people you see on the streets?
f) write about the places you have been?

There are certainly topics there but how many would connect to the average person? Do you want to hear songs like Beautiful Yacht, In God's Country Home or I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Get More Champagne Tonight? That significantly reduces what Bono can write about. Real life subjects and examinations of everyday struggles are his bread and butter. Unable to play to that strength, is it really any surprise that we get so many lyrics that are heavy on cliche, non-descriptive and saying very little beyond the main message of the song?

 

[U2387]

The problem for Bono is that when you living in expensive houses, talking to world leaders, dining with celebrities, happily married and pretty much living the best life you could imagine are you in a position to
a) write about the struggles of daily life?
b) write about emotional struggles?
c) write about regrets?
d) write about everyday events you witness?
e) write about the people you see on the streets?
f) write about the places you have been?

There are certainly topics there but how many would connect to the average person? Do you want to hear songs like Beautiful Yacht, In God's Country Home or I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Get More Champagne Tonight? That significantly reduces what Bono can write about. Real life subjects and examinations of everyday struggles are his bread and butter. Unable to play to that strength, is it really any surprise that we get so many lyrics that are heavy on cliche, non-descriptive and saying very little beyond the main message of the song?

Well, their lives have been quite good ever since Under A Blood Red Sky started flying off of shelves, so I don't buy that entirely.

It didn't stop them from writing songs about heartache and despair and other everyday struggles.(Mothers, Please, So Cruel, etc)

They've experienced relationships and their struggles and the hard times that come with aging and people close to them dying 1st hand. A good amount of ATYCLB is about letting go, finding yourself amidst an uncertain world, etc. A good amount of Bomb deals with Bono's father.

I don't think they are immune from the struggles that anyone else faces in life. Of course, they're better off financially than almost anyone else on the face of the Earth, and that gives them a lot of freedom and less to worry about, but it's not everything in life as we all know.

Additionally, MOS was so passionate and intense and evocative of the actual situation that junkie character was in. Same with WAS and the dying warrior.

I don't think Bono met either of these guys in the South of France.

Finally, while there are plenty of artists who struggle financially or at least aren't as well off as U2, few known artists came up amidst the kind of grinding poverty, violence and drug ridden streets that you could find in Dublin at the time. Hence why we have 4 guys who don't do drugs that write a hell of a lot about heroin addiction.

They haven't forgotten where they came from, and many artists with more middle/upper middle class upbringings did not see things like they saw first hand.

I agree that Bono's lyrics as a whole have taken a bit of a dip this past decade, but as others have pointed out, NLOTH had many positive signs.

And whatever the merits of that criticism, to suggest that the 2000's has been "rainbows and butterflies and everything in the world is fine" lyrically is not really accurate.

 

[U2387]

Edge : "I'm taking us to 1997...we're doing POPmart again!"
Bono : "Only we'll do it without irony!"
Adam : "Aren't we already doing that in 2011?"
Bono : "What do you mean?"
Larry : "Big spectacle...playing consumerists."
Adam : "Only this time we're not playing."
Edge : "Okay fine then, fuck it! We're going to 1992!"
Bono : "What does ZooTv look like with no irony?"
Edge : "Like Elevation and Vertigo had a baby with less video screens..."
Bono : "We'll just do it bigger than before. Bigger is better!"
Larry : "That's what she said"
Adam : "Tell me what our ambition is again...I keep forgetting."
Bono : "To be the best band ever!"
Edge : "Then we need to go back to 1963".

That's awesome!

 

[ozeeko]

Well it has to do with the wars in the Middle East. One side has the technology and the weapons and the other side has the fuel that everyone needs to run the weapons.

Yea, that's what I thought the line was referring to, with the mentioning of gasoline and all. I just wasn't sure if there was something beyond that I didn't pick up on, but regardless, the line is still horrible.

 

[powerhour24]

Well, their lives have been quite good ever since Under A Blood Red Sky started flying off of shelves, so I don't buy that entirely.

It didn't stop them from writing songs about heartache and despair and other everyday struggles.(Mothers, Please, So Cruel, etc)

They've experienced relationships and their struggles and the hard times that come with aging and people close to them dying 1st hand. A good amount of ATYCLB is about letting go, finding yourself amidst an uncertain world, etc. A good amount of Bomb deals with Bono's father.

I don't think they are immune from the struggles that anyone else faces in life. Of course, they're better off financially than almost anyone else on the face of the Earth, and that gives them a lot of freedom and less to worry about, but it's not everything in life as we all know.

Additionally, MOS was so passionate and intense and evocative of the actual situation that junkie character was in. Same with WAS and the dying warrior.

I don't think Bono met either of these guys in the South of France.

Finally, while there are plenty of artists who struggle financially or at least aren't as well off as U2, few known artists came up amidst the kind of grinding poverty, violence and drug ridden streets that you could find in Dublin at the time. Hence why we have 4 guys who don't do drugs that write a hell of a lot about heroin addiction.

They haven't forgotten where they came from, and many artists with more middle/upper middle class upbringings did not see things like they saw first hand.

I agree that Bono's lyrics as a whole have taken a bit of a dip this past decade, but as others have pointed out, NLOTH had many positive signs.

And whatever the merits of that criticism, to suggest that the 2000's has been "rainbows and butterflies and everything in the world is fine" lyrically is not really accurate.

I like this post, a lot.

 

[U2387]

I like this post, a lot.

Thank You!

Next time at Casey's Diner, Natick on me!

 

[Everlastinglove]

Wow... a little off-topic in the middle but I seem to have hit a point.

 

[mama cass]

it is time for a country or folk album and i am not kidding. they could do it and do it very well.

no way! white as snow was AWFUL!

 

[mama cass]

Spoiler

Seriously, though, I could actually see an album in the style of WAS or something working quite well.

omg am i the only one who gets a kneejerk reaction to this song - it just drones on and on and drives me nuts lol

(i do love the intro to the track though - best bit of the song imo!)

 

[mama cass]

The problem for Bono is that when you living in expensive houses, talking to world leaders, dining with celebrities, happily married and pretty much living the best life you could imagine are you in a position to
a) write about the struggles of daily life?
b) write about emotional struggles?
c) write about regrets?
d) write about everyday events you witness?
e) write about the people you see on the streets?
f) write about the places you have been?

There are certainly topics there but how many would connect to the average person? Do you want to hear songs like Beautiful Yacht, In God's Country Home or I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Get More Champagne Tonight? That significantly reduces what Bono can write about. Real life subjects and examinations of everyday struggles are his bread and butter. Unable to play to that strength, is it really any surprise that we get so many lyrics that are heavy on cliche, non-descriptive and saying very little beyond the main message of the song?

that is such a shallow comment...

you don't think B-man has struggles with daily life? (you reckon he knows how to operate a washing machine?! just messing, but seriously) - i would imagine people in his position could sometimes feel quite alienated from everyday things, and surely that could hurt sometimes, no? and emotional struggles? well he's a human being isn't he? we all have those... and regrets, yeah, i'm sure we all have some of those too in some shape or form...

just because B-man's life looks like a bed of roses to many from an outside perspective doesn't mean he's immune to struggle and feelings and pain... in his song writing he just needs to cut out the crap and get to the bare bones of honesty really... spill his guts for all to see LOL sure it might not be pretty but at least it would have truth and not fake sincerity or whatever

tough job though and i couldn't do it, i would hate the vulnerability it would bring

i don't know, but this "third person" and "character" writing in NLOTH, i didn't buy some of it at all - it sounded very forced to me, especially the "i'm a traffic cop" character line... it's not the "third-person" form that was the problem so much though, as B has done this spectacularly many times in the past, notably for me in Running to Stand Still... he can do it, he just has to rediscover his gift again...

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think two main things hurt bono's lyrics... his life, and his activism.

I don't want to start another Bomb shitfight, but I think Bomb as a whole is where he bottomed out. I hate people pulling up naff individual lines, because you can find them on any U2 album of every level of overall quality. It's not about the individual good or bad, but a feeling over the whole, and as a whole, his lyrics on that album just seem... completely uninspired.

But this is where the No Line characters come in. He needed to go away from himself, that well was dry. Probably for the reasons you mention. Life is good, the only thing that is probably really emotionaly pulling him one way or another to any large degree would be the activism, and it is sort of out of bounds, except for in the most mild of ways...

Look, bono's activism and political awareness has given us some of the band's greatest songs and moments. But of late, it seems he's afraid to upset politicians, so instead we get more vague political references and cheese like "we need love and peace."

... and Love and Peace is a great example of Bomb as a low point. But I do think he could do a lot better on this front. The inspiration has to be there. It doesn't have to be direct, shaking of fist, protest songs aimed at a specific target. There is surely more abstract/general inspiration there? He's a smart, thoughtful guy, to say the least. He *does* live a hell of a life, and spends most of his time around others who also live lives of ridiculous good fortune, in more ways than one. But then he's also pushing, almost a representative for, those who have had the most ridiculous poor fortune. The distance between the two, the cruelty of it, his perhaps personal struggles to reconcile it both within his own conscience and literally between others - the guy must have pretty interesting thoughts on all of that, and beyond that, human nature itself, after a few bottles of red at 3am. I don't think anyone expects or really wants direct, overt political anger again -

"I'll show you a place, from high on my Gulfstream plane, where the G8 has no shame, wheeeere the GeeeeEeeeeiight has no shaaaame! We're still building not [RED]ucing traaaade barriers, [RED]ucing traaaade barriers, and when you fuck me, I'll talk shit on Fox Neeews, IT'S AAAAAALL I CAN DOOOO!!!! "

- but if you think about Bono so brilliantly getting to the heart of human nature in relation to temptation, betrayal etc on Achtung Baby, surely, SURELY, there's some of that still available. Does not have to be direct and thus risking offense. Totally abstract, impersonal. He surely has complex, interesting thoughts on this stuff. I'd hate to think that in 20 years when he's given up U2, given up the political game, and he releases the Bono Diaries, all these fascinating thoughts are in there, and in the time in between all we get are very mild slapdowns of easy targets like on Crumbs, or shithouse 13yr-old-could-do-better Love and Peace type stuff. In a way, it's sort of - everyone understands that Bono can't get all shouty about it, but what does the Fly have to say about all this?

 

[mama cass]

He does seem to have a lot more pep in his step over the past two legs. Both onstage and off. If you notice, his interviews have been both quite a bit more open and casual, and also lacking in the annoying Bono-cliche quoting of himself that normally make most interviews with him barely worth reading.

That + new album coming together quite quickly during that time, I think they've realised both "Shit, we nearly lost, and it's actually pretty good!" and are having a bit more fun with it, but also "Shit, could go at any moment, better make fuck while we can!" and are trying to push a bit more than usual. ie Eh - I'd rather be in France.

Whether that inspires some overhaul change or not, who knows. But it will probably/hopefully make for a bit more risk taking. Fuck it Larry, if we don't do it now, you never know! Needs more oonts oonts!

yep, maybe he feels he had a real close shave with his back injury and is just really fucking glad to be fully mobile and on his feet again and doesn't want to take anything for granted... recovery from illness/injury can do that i guess... i thought he was singing/performing as though his life depended on it in this latest stint in Australia! was awesome to see (on youtube LOL!) - would be nice if this same vibe came over in the new record...

 

[mama cass]

In a way, it's sort of - everyone understands that Bono can't get all shouty about it, but what does the Fly have to say about all this?

i can just see it now and it would be AWESOME!

 

[dazzledbylight]

IMO the surprise came with NLOTH. It sounded very little like ATYCLAAB.

yup

it did to me, i didn't think they had an album like that in them anymore.

My jaw dropped on hearing the song NLOTH for the first time, and most of what followed.
though i think there are a few excellent to superb songs between the 2 of them - ATYCLB & HUTDUB , the ratio (IMO) of excellent & superb songs on NLOTH has got them both beat & different sounding as well.

As a very long time fan, I was/am so proud of them!

 

[Marien]

yep, maybe he feels he had a real close shave with his back injury and is just really fucking glad to be fully mobile and on his feet again and doesn't want to take anything for granted... recovery from illness/injury can do that i guess... i thought he was singing/performing as though his life depended on it in this latest stint in Australia! was awesome to see (on youtube LOL!) - would be nice if this same vibe came over in the new record...

From my point of view Bono's lyrics in HTDAAB had a serious lack of time, they were inspired, as they were about some of the most important subjects to him: Peace and Aid to the Poor, but he stopped, or that it seems, in the first draft and never polished them off typical images, it also seems that he wanted to speak more clearly of what is important to him but that deprived his lyrics of that universal meaning he's been famous for, I don't think they were lazy, if you analyse them he has done without most of his most extendly used imaginery, but as a result he used some other too much, Bono is quite a good writer and I think he could have avoided some of these with a bit more time.
In NLOTH we can see some really good lines again, especially when he speaks of him or his band, but the third person didn't work as well, maybe he wasn't feeling but thinking what he wanted to say, sometimes it's not even the third person, when he says "I'm a traffic cop..." he's writing in the first one, but.... not about something he feels, I can understand he could be feeling too vulnerable at the moment and didn't want to expose more of his intimacy, he even explains it when he talks about "the band in my mind playing streep-tease", but in Every Breaking Wave I see a new departure from this feeling, it has very simple lines with lots of subtle meanings, lots of lyrical images that are a promise of future to me.
I've been so several shows during 2009 and 2010, I think there was a different feeling after the surgery, I attended to both opening nights in Europe, in Barcelona they were quite a bit nervous, the stage could not work as they thought, they were expectant for the new songs to connect, but this last year in Turin Bono and the whole band weren't sure they could do it again, Bono started his walk round the catwalk and suddenly he showed us his finger and started boxing the air and I knew he was back again, he wasn't going to keep anything for himself this time, it was a really emotional moment when Larry stood up in an ovation at the end of Stingray, and I could swear I saw some tears in Bono's eyes. I could follow them up to Moscow, I had this feeling in every show and from what fans were telling from Australia they still had the same feeling, all these things make me hope for great things from this band.

 

[BVS]

Wow... a little off-topic in the middle but I seem to have hit a point.

Really? This thread has been off "topic" since page one.

 

[mama cass]

From my point of view Bono's lyrics in HTDAAB had a serious lack of time, they were inspired, as they were about some of the most important subjects to him: Peace and Aid to the Poor, but he stopped, or that it seems, in the first draft and never polished them off typical images, it also seems that he wanted to speak more clearly of what is important to him but that deprived his lyrics of that universal meaning he's been famous for, I don't think they were lazy, if you analyse them he has done without most of his most extendly used imaginery, but as a result he used some other too much, Bono is quite a good writer and I think he could have avoided some of these with a bit more time.
In NLOTH we can see some really good lines again, especially when he speaks of him or his band, but the third person didn't work as well, maybe he wasn't feeling but thinking what he wanted to say, sometimes it's not even the third person, when he says "I'm a traffic cop..." he's writing in the first one, but.... not about something he feels, I can understand he could be feeling too vulnerable at the moment and didn't want to expose more of his intimacy, he even explains it when he talks about "the band in my mind playing streep-tease", but in Every Breaking Wave I see a new departure from this feeling, it has very simple lines with lots of subtle meanings, lots of lyrical images that are a promise of future to me.
I've been so several shows during 2009 and 2010, I think there was a different feeling after the surgery, I attended to both opening nights in Europe, in Barcelona they were quite a bit nervous, the stage could not work as they thought, they were expectant for the new songs to connect, but this last year in Turin Bono and the whole band weren't sure they could do it again, Bono started his walk round the catwalk and suddenly he showed us his finger and started boxing the air and I knew he was back again, he wasn't going to keep anything for himself this time, it was a really emotional moment when Larry stood up in an ovation at the end of Stingray, and I could swear I saw some tears in Bono's eyes. I could follow them up to Moscow, I had this feeling in every show and from what fans were telling from Australia they still had the same feeling, all these things make me hope for great things from this band.

yeah, it was quite something seeing the footage of Stingray from Turin! just a really joyous and emotional moment... must've been amazing being there!

i saw the Paris show and it was really wonderful, and felt so meaningful - definitely topped the Paris show in 2009...

i'm excited about where they're planning on taking us in the future with their new releases...

 

[zoopop]

Good point Marien, I never saw the Larry giving Bono a standing ovation. You can see it clearly on this video:

YouTube - U2 Turin 6 August, 2010 Intro + Return Of The Stingray Guitar (new song)

Pretty cool.

I know U2 has guarded their image/presentation of the band pretty tight this decade compared to the 90's. Maybe they loosen things up a bit this year? There not getting any younger and Bono's scare last year I'm sure affected all of them.

One of my gripes with NLOTH (Top 3 for me) was the image of the band. It was HTDAAB 2.0. It looked like they were going for something different, Bono with eyeliner, then it just shifted back to the band posing in B&W photos. This might seem minor but it has an effect on how the public perceives the band.

 

[powerhour24]

no way! white as snow was AWFUL!

Oh no you didn't!!

 

[powerhour24]

Thank You!

Next time at Casey's Diner, Natick on me!

I've actually been out in Natick several years now, and I've never eaten there... even though it's right here I park when I go to the library.

 

[Galeongirl]

My ipod gave me Fez-BB today on shuffle. I thought of this thread.

Damn. I still can hardly believe that song exists. It blows my mind every time I listen to it. A truly unexplainable feeling.


And for what its' worth, I love White as Snow.