I just came from a 'Meet & Greet' with Daniel Lanois

[martha]

There was a thread a few days ago saying the band had a private party in San Fransico to celebrate the completion of the album.

It wasn't to celebrate the completion of the album. It was a party for Elevation Partners, and B&E were there because B is a partner in the company. They sang songs and had drinks and food. They didn't celebrate any completion of anything.

 

[djerdap]

Amen to that!! People relax, I think think the album is nearly finished there is NO WAY they would just sit on it until November of 09! And even if they did, big whoop they will release it when they want to. It is about them not us and infact if they didn't want to release the album altogether then that would be fine too it's THEIR decision!

I really hope you're being sarcastic.

 

[lauramullen]

Until I hear a new sinlgle then I won't believe anything.

 

[Mr. V]

until i'm posting here about how this album sucks and HTDAAB was way better, i won't believe it.

 

[U2DMfan]

Well, the sunshine pumpers don't want to hear it but the absolute worst news possible, other than the delay itself, would be that they went back to re-record songs that were already finished. Remember, fanboys and fangirls, they were going back to only record more songs, remember that morsel? Yeah, you'd believe whatever they sold ya.

Let's face it.

You've got two camps in U2, who both want different aims in the music and furthermore, you've apparently got a band-wide confidence problem, where the ego is so fragile that anything beyond complete acceptance by all is considered up in the air, to the point in which the recording never stops.

No wonder Chris Thomas or Rubin couldn't work with them. No wonder Eno and Lanois wanted writing credits. This is arduous bullshit.

How many consecutive albums do we need to see it before it becomes plain? Time to just call it as it is?

We will get the most digestible, agreeable, generic sound possible.
U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

They are trying to manufacture a masterpiece. It can't work.
Name one time it has.

 

[last unicorn]

U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

Yes, that would probably be the best. Sometimes I really wish U2 would come out right now and say: That's it, no more albums. Then all of this will stop and we can finally sleep peacefully again and concentrate on other things.

 

[djerdap]

Well, the sunshine pumpers don't want to hear it but the absolute worst news possible, other than the delay itself, would be that they went back to re-record songs that were already finished. Remember, fanboys and fangirls, they were going back to only record more songs, remember that morsel? Yeah, you'd believe whatever they sold ya.

Let's face it.

You've got two camps in U2, who both want different aims in the music and furthermore, you've apparently got a band-wide confidence problem, where the ego is so fragile that anything beyond complete acceptance by all is considered up in the air, to the point in which the recording never stops.

No wonder Chris Thomas or Rubin couldn't work with them. No wonder Eno and Lanois wanted writing credits. This is arduous bullshit.

How many consecutive albums do we need to see it before it becomes plain? Time to just call it as it is?

We will get the most digestible, agreeable, generic sound possible.
U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

They are trying to manufacture a masterpiece. It can't work.
Name one time it has.

Mostly I agree. And again, they said they are writing more new songs, but in this case, they are rewriting the old ones. While they were supposed to be mixing it. It does sound like it will lead to overproduction. In their Post-Pop paranoid time, they are really trying too hard IMO.

But let's not jump to conclusions. For all I know, this album could work out great. Let's hope so.

 

[Maassie]

According to modern critics, U2 has produced three 'masterpieces':

WAR: Why: The transition from 'boy' to man was evident, 2 classic songs on this album,
The Joshua Tree: More or less a 'theme' album, 2 america's etc 3 classic songs on this one,
Achtung Baby: Four men chopping dows the JT, the courage to change, 1 classic song here,
The 'Horizon' album... Why would this become a classic????????????????????

Or... how do you make something that will be considered a masterpiece with a track record like this????

 

[Mr. V]

According to modern critics, U2 has produced three 'masterpieces':

WAR: Why: The transition from 'boy' to man was evident, 2 classic songs on this album,
The Joshua Tree: More or less a 'theme' album, 2 america's etc 3 classic songs on this one,
Achtung Baby: Four men chopping dows the JT, the courage to change, 1 classic song here,
The 'Horizon' album... Why would this become a classic????????????????????

Or... how do you make something that will be considered a masterpiece with a track record like this????

like it or not, a lot of critics see the three masterpieces as JT, AB and ATYCLB.

 

[waynetravis]

until i'm posting here about how this album sucks and HTDAAB was way better, i won't believe it.

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

I really hope you're being sarcastic.

Nope I am serious! Is there a problem with that?

 

[An Cat Gav]

Well, the sunshine pumpers don't want to hear it but the absolute worst news possible, other than the delay itself, would be that they went back to re-record songs that were already finished. Remember, fanboys and fangirls, they were going back to only record more songs, remember that morsel? Yeah, you'd believe whatever they sold ya.

Let's face it.

You've got two camps in U2, who both want different aims in the music and furthermore, you've apparently got a band-wide confidence problem, where the ego is so fragile that anything beyond complete acceptance by all is considered up in the air, to the point in which the recording never stops.

No wonder Chris Thomas or Rubin couldn't work with them. No wonder Eno and Lanois wanted writing credits. This is arduous bullshit.

How many consecutive albums do we need to see it before it becomes plain? Time to just call it as it is?

We will get the most digestible, agreeable, generic sound possible.
U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

They are trying to manufacture a masterpiece. It can't work.
Name one time it has.

Unfortunately this sounds about right. Possibly the best post I've read all year.

 

[martha]

We will get the most digestible, agreeable, generic sound possible.
U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

Sometimes I wonder if they still give a shit. Four fucking years to put together 12 songs?! Lesser bands put out better albums in a quarter of the time.

I think Bono's real interest is with his political activity, and the rest of the them are so damn rich now, they don't have to care.

 

[Maassie]

like it or not, a lot of critics see the three masterpieces as JT, AB and ATYCLB.

Well... Don't think I would agree, but ok: that doesn't change the question!

 

[JoRu]

I think we'll hear the first single around the middle of February and album release in April. That's my belief, November 2009 doesn't seem possible.

 

[Irishteen]

The band rerecording songs...

Is this gonna be an Always into Beautiful Day thing were it works
or a All Because of You change where it didn't...

Or a Native Son to Vertigo where one nothing special songs becomes another nothing songs...

Please just release the album...

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

Sometimes I wonder if they still give a shit. Four fucking years to put together 12 songs?! Lesser bands put out better albums in a quarter of the time.

I think Bono's real interest is with his political activity, and the rest of the them are so damn rich now, they don't have to care.

Come on!! Since when do they have to release albums for us???? you know they have a life too other then to please us? you know they do have families and other commitments! You should be thankful that they are still writing songs for God's sake! Afteral they shouldn't have to do anything for us! Just be happy with what you got or going to get and if you don't klike it then don't be a fan but they have the right to take their time, they don't have to please anyone especially us

 

[Rob33]

Sometimes I wonder if they still give a shit. Four fucking years to put together 12 songs?! Lesser bands put out better albums in a quarter of the time.

I think Bono's real interest is with his political activity, and the rest of the them are so damn rich now, they don't have to care.

umm...okay? You act like this is something new...like the last record was whipped together in 1 year or something.....this is how U2 works.

 

[Screwtape2]

Well, the sunshine pumpers don't want to hear it but the absolute worst news possible, other than the delay itself, would be that they went back to re-record songs that were already finished. Remember, fanboys and fangirls, they were going back to only record more songs, remember that morsel? Yeah, you'd believe whatever they sold ya.

Let's face it.

You've got two camps in U2, who both want different aims in the music and furthermore, you've apparently got a band-wide confidence problem, where the ego is so fragile that anything beyond complete acceptance by all is considered up in the air, to the point in which the recording never stops.

No wonder Chris Thomas or Rubin couldn't work with them. No wonder Eno and Lanois wanted writing credits. This is arduous bullshit.

How many consecutive albums do we need to see it before it becomes plain? Time to just call it as it is?

We will get the most digestible, agreeable, generic sound possible.
U2 either needs to break up or end their democracy.

They are trying to manufacture a masterpiece. It can't work.
Name one time it has.

I share this thought as well and I don't think saying this is bashing the band either.

It is a bit sad but it seems to be the case.

 

[bathiu]

like it or not, a lot of critics see the three masterpieces as JT, AB and ATYCLB.

actualy it was just one review in The Rolling Stone and a few papers citing that review. They called it the 3rd masterpiece, but before that, like Maassie said, many critics named War, JT and AB as masterpieces, so if you really, reeaally want you can call ATYCLB the 4th masterpiece ( )
who said they can only have 3??

 

[Registered Dude]

perhaps my original post was misleading...

two things I want to clarify
1) Lanois was in town promoting his own show, his own music... we didn't bombard him with u2 questions because that's not what he was there to talk about
2) the primary reason for the delay, according to Lanois, was family business.

all this worry over rerecording... I wish I could explain this better, but being there I got the sense that Lanois is genuinely excited about the new material.. he might not have said much in words, but through his manner, his way of answering those u2 questions that did come up, he seemed quite optimistic. this doesnt sound like much now, but at the time, he was "saying" more than his words let on...

 

[purpleoscar]

I don't believe unfinished U2 is better than finished U2. It would be nice to give them the time to finish the album instead of having them complete the songs on cd singles.

Even the crappy sound quality beach clips show they are on their way to a masterpiece. Re-recording songs to avoid over-production sounds better than the tweaking of the last album, which was a fantastic album despite all the last minute studio changes. It sounds like they are still passionate about music. It's so much better than REM, Coldplay, and whatever wannabe bands who want the job but none of the work ethic. Knowing that U2 just improved a few songs tells us to be patient.

BTW, U2 were trying to manufacture masterpieces for Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, and arguably for POP, ATYCLB, and HTDAAB. They are an ambitious band. Unforgettable Fire was noted by Edge to not be the kind of album for hit singles and they obviously went for a masterpiece with Joshua Tree afterwards. They even worked Where the streets have no name to death and succeeded, despite Eno.

The only difference is that it's an internet generation and we know lots about the production which may spoil it for some people when the album comes out.

 

[martha]

Come on!! Since when do they have to release albums for us???? you know they have a life too other then to please us? you know they do have families and other commitments! You should be thankful that they are still writing songs for God's sake! Afteral they shouldn't have to do anything for us! Just be happy with what you got or going to get and if you don't klike it then don't be a fan but they have the right to take their time, they don't have to please anyone especially us

Calm down. sheesh. I'm well aware they don't owe me anything. All I said was that they don't appear to care about making music anymore. And all this extracurricular activity kinda helps to make my point.

umm...okay? You act like this is something new...like the last record was whipped together in 1 year or something.....this is how U2 works.

I know this is how they work now. It didn't used to be like this and they made better albums back then.

2) the primary reason for the delay, according to Lanois, was family business.

I both hope and don't want to hope this is true. I hope it's not the reasons I stated above, and I hope everyone's family is fine and well and healthy.

 

[purpleoscar]

Come on!! Since when do they have to release albums for us???? you know they have a life too other then to please us? you know they do have families and other commitments! You should be thankful that they are still writing songs for God's sake! Afteral they shouldn't have to do anything for us! Just be happy with what you got or going to get and if you don't klike it then don't be a fan but they have the right to take their time, they don't have to please anyone especially us

I would also add that they are TRYING REAL HARD to impress us. I don't know of any band being this old and this ambitious with records. Most rest on their old hits and come out with albums that have 1 good song at most. U2 wants to have 10 - 12 good songs per album. Even if you're really nitpicky and harsh, the last 3 albums have at least 5 good songs each. I think there are more, but I'm a fan. I love melody and nobody has mastered melody to me for rock 'n roll like U2 has. Maybe the Beatles, but they broke up because of ego.

U2 wants to leave a legacy of songs that will be enjoyed for years to come. Until a new Mozart or Beethoven show up we will have to be content with what comes out. They are lifting the relevancy of rock 'n roll almost solely.

If U2 just quit now with no record the loss would be felt big time. I don't see any bands out there that consistently have this high standard for so many records. It's astounding!

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

I would also add that they are TRYING REAL HARD to impress us. I don't know of any band being this old and this ambitious with records. Most rest on their old hits and come out with albums that have 1 good song at most. U2 wants to have 10 - 12 good songs per album. Even if you're really nitpicky and harsh, the last 3 albums have at least 5 good songs each. I think there are more, but I'm a fan. I love melody and nobody has mastered melody to me for rock 'n roll like U2 has. Maybe the Beatles, but they broke up because of ego.

U2 wants to leave a legacy of songs that will be enjoyed for years to come. Until a new Mozart or Beethoven show up we will have to be content with what comes out. They are lifting the relevancy of rock 'n roll almost solely.

If U2 just quit now with no record the loss would be felt big time. I don't see any bands out there that consistently have this high standard for so many records. It's astounding!

I agree with you 100% here! There is actually a lot of thought put into their music and that is why I like it so much! Too many artists these days just release album after album (and like Martha quoted "Lesser bands") quickly bvut their music is thoughtless and thus this is why they are not as famous. It really amazes me that after so many years U2 is still doing great music and it amazes me so many people complain about how long they take. For me I am just happy to still be getting new music from them and although maybe not as good as their 80's and 90's work its DAM GREAT compared to the crap being released these days!

 

[buzzkill27]

Sometimes I wonder if they still give a shit. Four fucking years to put together 12 songs?! Lesser bands put out better albums in a quarter of the time.

I think Bono's real interest is with his political activity, and the rest of the them are so damn rich now, they don't have to care.

Well Martha in a sense you're right...I don't know what you mean by "lesser bands" but established major bands have no pressure on them in terms of a timetable for releasing records,so a good few years pass before something new comes out.....I mean look at Metallica,they just released a new album in September,but that was 5 years after the previous one which was released in the summer of 2003...AC/DC (well past their prime I know) are releasing one after 6+years since their last,Rush takes their time,the Rolling Stones...(well let's not even get into them) you could say the long wait builds up anticipation for a new record...but there is never a sense of urgency with major established acts.
One can only hope that the 50 to 60 "songs" U2 has supposedly recorded will mean that they can put out another album shortly after the next one arrives,since I don't think they are going to go the way of the double album....but it's U2,they seem to like laboring over their songs like a kid who can't put down a new toy...so it's doubtful.

It could be worse you could be a Guns-N-Roses fan....I hear Chinese Democracy is coming out soon

 

[martha]

Well Martha in a sense you're right...I don't know what you mean by "lesser bands" but established major bands have no pressure on them in terms of a timetable for releasing records,so a good few years pass before something new comes out.....I mean look at Metallica,they just released a new album in September,but that was 5 years after the previous one which was released in the summer of 2003...AC/DC (well past their prime I know) are releasing one after 6+years since their last,Rush takes their time,the Rolling Stones...(well let's not even get into them) you could say the long wait builds up anticipation for a new record...but there is never a sense of urgency with major established acts.

I wasn't talking about the dinosaurs, who could put out a pile of crap and still fill stadiums (Stones?). I have the Black Keys on in the car right now, Rubber Factory, and it's a really good album, and it didn't take four years to make. (And no, I'm not saying the Black Keys are as good as U2 were in their prime.) If you only consider the last two U2 records, the ones that took four years, they aren't really that great. There are several good songs on them, but there's filler, there's overproduction, and I'm just not sure they're better albums for the time it took to make them. Spontaneity doesn't happen with endless rewrites in a four year period, and it sure doesn't happen when half the band is on a different continent from the other half.

If they really are concerned with relevancy, and it "being their year," then they need to get on it and quit fucking around.

 

[buzzkill27]

I wasn't talking about the dinosaurs, who could put out a pile of crap and still fill stadiums (Stones?). I have the Black Keys on in the car right now, Rubber Factory, and it's a really good album, and it didn't take four years to make. (And no, I'm not saying the Black Keys are as good as U2 were in their prime.) If you only consider the last two U2 records, the ones that took four years, they aren't really that great. There are several good songs on them, but there's filler, there's overproduction, and I'm just not sure they're better albums for the time it took to make them. Spontaneity doesn't happen with endless rewrites in a four year period, and it sure doesn't happen when half the band is on a different continent from the other half.

If they really are concerned with relevancy, and it "being their year," then they need to get on it and quit fucking around.

Well Metallica isn't a dinosaur(in fact they're a few of years younger than U2)...but,yes the other acts are older are that's why I kinda said
"past their prime".... I could not agree with you more on the fact that the last two U2 albums didn't cut it for me either....I was especially angry when I bought the "complete U2" on I-tunes and heard some of the unreleased/cut songs off the last two albums...(Love You Like Mad,Flower Child,Smile) and alternate versions of songs like "Yaweh" that were better than some of what was put on record...it did not justify the length of time between records and I began to wonder did U2 really have an objective opinion from somebody outside the band becuase the desicion making seemed to be off kilter...I thought I read an article where Bono said the band didn't surround themselves with "yes" men...I guess time will tell when the new one comes out

 

[Salome]

riddle me this:
Lanois says the main reason for the delay is family related so this forum rehashes the old crap about overproduction and band democracy?

get a life?

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

I don't think it will be in November '09. Seeing as they're so terribly afraid of any kind of backlash or failure, I'd like to think they would be afraid of pissing off their fanbase by delaying album releases over and over again.