Lillywhite talks next project

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Registered Dude

Registered Dude

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How Steve 'The Closer' Lillywhite Helped Spider-Man Turn On The Music

highlights:
- he doesn't know if he'll be involved with the next U2 album
- he recognizes he's become U2's "closer"
- he's heard the DM and RedOne songs; they're not finished
- the RedOne songs sound "really professional" - to the point where they may be sacrificing substance for style
- he worked quite a bit on Every Brewaking Wave during the NLOTH sessions, but the band are still tinkering with it. Lillywhite doesn't think the song has a chorus :angry: (please, guys, don't ruin that chorus or touch the song at all, for that matter)
- the band playing new songs live is his idea, but he doesn't think it'll happen again this tour

my opinion: sounds like Lillywhite really wants to get in there to finish the next record, get his mitts on the DM & RedOne material
 
he "recognises" that he's become U2's album closer? It didn't take him long to recognise did it, he's only been doing it since The josuha tree..
 
He will be involved. The only albums he hasn't been involved with are Zooropa (rushed), Pop (rushed), and Rattle and Hum (different kind of album). Also UF I guess, which also has an unfinished quality about it. If you listen to some of the b-sides/outtakes of TJT, you know that it would've been a very different album without Lillywhite. More of that airy vibe from "Walk to the water", "Luminous Times" and "Wave of sorrow" probably would've infiltrated the record... either that, or Bono's dream of a double album would've been realized maybe?

AB also probably would've come out as something more disjointed, unorganized, and less than it's perfection.

HTDAAB, from what I can tell, is infinitely better for having him involved. I listen to the original versions of Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, ABOY, Yahweh and Xanax and Wine, and I realize that the Chris THomas album would've been WEAK. Although X&W is interesting.
 
@U2: Do you hear the makings of another great U2 album?

Lillywhite: Oh, I think there will be. But, you know, it could also go the way of Pop, because it could be style over substance -- they'll be excited by the sound of it rather than be excited by the content. Especially with the RedOne stuff, because it sounds really, really professional.
Click to expand...

It's fun hearing the guy hardcore U2 fans call superficial pointing out U2 for that same error. :giggle:
 
So happy to see Every breaking wave is still alive :hyper:
I'm not so worried about Lillywhite 'closing' the next album - he's done it with pretty much all their albums, so it just seems like a natural part of the process now.
Although i am a bit worried about the chorus thing now - they're probably gonna replace the more sombre, dark chorus of ebw with something more catchy. Oh well, maybe DM will make it work...
 
leaveeverybreakingwavealone.jpg
 
Well, none of us have heard EBW in it's full band state. I will say the stripped down version really doesn't do much in terms of being a catchy song. North Star definitely has the better chorus, though I think that song is a bit more bland of the two (in their current tour state).

You just have to wonder if Spiderman had never been the problem child it is, would U2 have been able to finish these songs?
 
Sounds like he wasn't impressed with the Red One songs. If he's the final push U2 required to fully commit to Danger Mouse, Lillywhite is not a bad thing.

And the band have said nothing about him coming in with this album. They said they wanted to go away from the Trio for a while...
 
But U2's best work is heavy on the style. The dreaminess of UF, the dirty electronics of AB, the "widescreen" sound of TJT. It's what's been missimg from much of the 2000s work. U2, at thier best use style to convey content beyond the lyrics. Even Pop's density and clutter reflect the themes of the album.

To me, they need to overload with style, and let that guide the substance.
 
popacrobat said:
Yeah, but the next line in that is that they're sacrificing substance for style.
Click to expand...

True, but it seems strange to say something like that only to praise the work in the next sentence as being "really professional" don't you think?
Maybe he said it with some sarcasm in his voice that can't be recreated in writing? :huh: Ah forget it, I'm confused and maybe you guys are right after all.
 
433167823_Goose_Gossage_xlarge.jpeg


Goose Gossage is often said to be the first real "closer" in baseball history. I realize not all of you are American sports fans, so a "closer" in baseball is a relief pitcher specifically designated to come in and close the games. (Preserve a lead, as the starting pitchers likely have arm fatigue by those late innings). They are then awarded with a "save".

Goose is 18th all-time in saves (with 310). He is also in the Hall of Fame.

He is also the all-time leader in blown saves (with 112).
 
Registered Dude said:
How Steve 'The Closer' Lillywhite Helped Spider-Man Turn On The Music

highlights:
- he doesn't know if he'll be involved with the next U2 album
- he recognizes he's become U2's "closer"
- he's heard the DM and RedOne songs; they're not finished
- the RedOne songs sound "really professional" - to the point where they may be sacrificing substance for style
- he worked quite a bit on Every Brewaking Wave during the NLOTH sessions, but the band are still tinkering with it. Lillywhite doesn't think the song has a chorus :angry: (please, guys, don't ruin that chorus or touch the song at all, for that matter)
- the band playing new songs live is his idea, but he doesn't think it'll happen again this tour

my opinion: sounds like Lillywhite really wants to get in there to finish the next record, get his mitts on the DM & RedOne material
Click to expand...

No, Steve Lillywhite. No.
 
U2DMfan said:
433167823_Goose_Gossage_xlarge.jpeg


Goose Gossage is often said to be the first real "closer" in baseball history. I realize not all of you are American sports fans, so a "closer" in baseball is a relief pitcher specifically designated to come in and close the games. (Preserve a lead, as the starting pitchers likely have arm fatigue by those late innings). They are then awarded with a "save".

Goose is 18th all-time in saves (with 310). He is also in the Hall of Fame.

He is also the all-time leader in blown saves (with 112).
Click to expand...

You're becoming my hero.
 
I agree Every Breaking Wave has a weak chorus with weak half-assed lyrics taken from Playboy Mansion. Make an effort, Bono. As it is now, it'll go nowhere. "I don't know if I'm that strong" is not a sentiment that will "catch fire"...
 
If the man hadn't been with U2 from the outset, I would call him a presumptuous ass for sticking his nose into sessions he wasn't overseeing and proclaiming them shitty or fruitless.

Lillywhite would be a horrible, HORRIBLE choice for polishing the Danger Mouse sessions. DM-produced albums typically feel very dreamy and off-the-cuff and are characterized by taut individual tracks. It would be like throwing the TUF tracks at Lillywhite and asking him to make sense of them. The RedOne tracks, however, he might be able to beat into something palatable.

Lillywhite just all around sucks these days though. The man used to be brilliant...The La's debut, Big Country's The Crossing, Peter Gabriel's Melt, Morrissey's Vauxhall & I, obviously Boctowar...but now he's responsible for Jason Mraz, Switchfoot and the crappiest NLOTH tracks. I really don't want him near U2 right now.
 
LemonMelon said:
If the man hadn't been with U2 from the outset, I would call him a presumptuous ass for sticking his nose into sessions he wasn't overseeing and proclaiming them shitty or fruitless.

Lillywhite would be a horrible, HORRIBLE choice for polishing the Danger Mouse sessions. DM-produced albums typically feel very dreamy and off-the-cuff and are characterized by taut individual tracks. It would be like throwing the TUF tracks at Lillywhite and asking him to make sense of them. The RedOne tracks, however, he might be able to beat into something palatable.

Lillywhite just all around sucks these days though. The man used to be brilliant...The La's debut, Big Country's The Crossing, Peter Gabriel's Melt, Morrissey's Vauxhall & I, obviously Boctowar...but now he's responsible for Jason Mraz, Switchfoot and the crappiest NLOTH tracks. I really don't want him near U2 right now.
Click to expand...

He's heard the sessions though. There's nothing presumptous about having an opinion on those recordings.

There isn't anything to indicate that Lillywhite is involved in the DM songs, or any other recordings.

As for NLOTH...Crazy a good pop song, the kind that IMO Eno and Lanois can't produce. SUC, Eno and Lanois share the blame. And Boots is a far bigger letdown on Eno/Lanois' part than anything on NLOTH or Bomb on Lillywhite's part.

The one solo production credit he has on NLOTH is Breathe. He had some crucial ideas on Bomb (which had so many people involved the overall sound can't be blamed solely on him) as well, such as delivering a lead single - something the usually brilliant duo of Eno/Lanois overlooked on NLOTH, and an actual chorus for Sometimes. It was his idea to play the new songs live.

But he sucks. :up:
 
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