LP15 - We're due for a break from the norm

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Let's start the new new album thread, shall we? :wink:

What we know:
Not much. Edge says there are a couple ideas floating around.

I would say that we'll probably take a little bit of a break at the end of this tour and regroup. There's lots of ideas for the next records, but I think a bit of time off just to listen to music and to really feed our creative instincts is in order.

What is rumored:
Songs of Ascent still lives on, in some form. Yes, it's true. These songs may end up getting revisited but given that they're now over 10 years old - I think it's unlikely.


Here's the big question - Will they keep running to the "songwriting 101" well, or are we due for a change in their approach to song writing?

I think we're due for a shakeup. Not just a new producer, or a new recording location - something more impactful. Maybe bringing in some additional musicians to the mix, ala Springsteen's Seeger Sessions.
 
I think it'll be 2021 at the earliest. 5 years between NLOTH and SOI, and 3 years between SOI and SOE even though SOE was announced right when SOI was released. 2021 is a ~4 year break between albums which I think is reasonable.

What will this album look like? I have no idea. They've gotten the SOI-SOE cycle done, so I think they will be drifting away from narrative-driven albums. The tone will depend on what the world looks like in 2021 - one obvious event in 2020 will do a big part in dictating that tone.
 
Hopefully they take the tour down under next year if they are going to take a long break. But not too long since the boys aren’t exactly spring chickens. [emoji4]. SOA could be a jumping off point and they have a history of letting Ideas simmer for a long time.
 
They will have something locked and loaded for the outcome of the next US election. Bet your ass.

I would like for them to drop the “songs of” theme. Just drop an album. No gimmicks, no theater.
 
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If there's no pressure to resume touring they'll never release another album.
 
They should just put out records, retire from touring, and self-indulge with Brian Eno again.

Not that they need it, but there's no money in making records anymore, the money for bands comes from touring, so more likely they would go the other way and tour and stop recording, though that may not be in their DNA.

But I think we'll be waiting a long time for a new album, they have been quite busy beavers (for them) the past 4 years, and I'm sure they feel they deserve a nice 5-6 year break.
 
I think summer 2020 big stadium tour. They have one more major production stadium tour in them. The $ is in touring and not album sales anymore.

I could also see U2 going back to Lanios and Eno. That in itself will probably interest U2 fans & some of the general public. Getting numerous producers is something U2 tried but I don't see them doing it again (too many cooks in the kitchen).
 
I think summer 2020 big stadium tour. They have one more major production stadium tour in them. The $ is in touring and not album sales anymore.

I could also see U2 going back to Lanios and Eno. That in itself will probably interest U2 fans & some of the general public. Getting numerous producers is something U2 tried but I don't see them doing it again (too many cooks in the kitchen).

my dream.

I worry that Lanois is done with production, unfortunately. Seems very much focused on his own material these days. It's been 4 years since he's produced anything aside from his own work. I get the sense he's not too keen on spending years in the studio anymore.
 
I'm not so sure Eno would be interested either at this point. He knows as well as we do that the band is likely to leave great stuff on the cutting room floor and replace it with some late-hour pop crap produced by someone else.
 
For those of you hoping for an experimental album with Eno, I think the only thing close to that would be an album solely produced by Andy Barlow. That would be something that I would love to see considering his production on the book of your heart and where he is credited on the rest of the album.
 
I'm not so sure Eno would be interested either at this point. He knows as well as we do that the band is likely to leave great stuff on the cutting room floor and replace it with some late-hour pop crap produced by someone else.

yeah I think after No Line, both had had enough.. At some point, it's a question of respect, right?
 
I could also see U2 going back to Lanios and Eno. That in itself will probably interest U2 fans & some of the general public. Getting numerous producers is something U2 tried but I don't see them doing it again (too many cooks in the kitchen).

:up: It would be interesting to see what an album with them would sound like after such a long break from each other.
 
I'm quite interested to see if their 're-application to be the biggest band in the world' (or whatever it was called) will end.

We've had 3 albums now with no hits. The last time U2 had a big song was 14 years ago. More than just their age, or having a single flop, they've failed consistently to produce a 'big' song since 2004, despite 3 very concentrated efforts.

Based on Edge's comments about ideas for the next album, they're still clearly interested in making music. But I wonder if they'll stop trying to achieve commercial success that will bring them contemporary relevance. And if so, what would that look like? Would they drop the Ryan Tedders and go back to old faithfuls like Eno and Lanois? Would they go extremely experimental with a Passengers 2?

I think the most realistic option is they'll continue to make big stadium music. I think they like to make music to play to a big crowd, and I doubt that will end. But we might get music that's a bit more daring if they stop factoring in how to appeal to radio so much.

As for a timeframe, I would guess autumn 2021 at the earliest. Can't imagine they'll bring something out in under 4 years. The only reason that happened with SoE was because they actually tried to make a quick follow up (and it still took 3 years!).
 
my dream.

I worry that Lanois is done with production, unfortunately. Seems very much focused on his own material these days. It's been 4 years since he's produced anything aside from his own work. I get the sense he's not too keen on spending years in the studio anymore.


I didn't think of that (didn't even know it). I was looking at the producers on each track for SOE......good lord. I knew it was quite a bit but to have 4-5 producers plus 4 musicians on 1 track is a little crazy.

Friggin GOOYOW had 5 producers :crack:!!!!

U2 needs to get back to basics. Its time for a sonic change from them. Their are hints of it on the last 3 albums from some songs but they need something really fresh. Someone that will hunker down with them and make music for themselves & not worry about the relevance talk.

Rock N Roll is at a different place now. You can't even find it on the FM or award shows. Its not a U2 thing. Rock N Roll just doesn't appeal to the masses anymore.
 
The additional musicians thing is what rankled me the most the first day I got the album. There's absolutely no excuse for having all these producers adding guitar parts played by random people on almost every track.

Edge should be ashamed of himself.
 
2020: release of The Best of 2000-2020
2021-2022: Achtung Baby Tour
2023: new album
2024-2025: tour new album
 
Interesting stuff on the Eno talk. One thing to keep in mind, time heals. SOA or whatever it's called could be branded as their last album, and the band could decide to go back to the original formula that worked and give in a little bit to Eno with a clause of some sort that he's the sole producer.
 
The additional musicians thing is what rankled me the most the first day I got the album. There's absolutely no excuse for having all these producers adding guitar parts played by random people on almost every track.



Edge should be ashamed of himself.



I’m with you on this. I still don’t like the fact that LOH lifts the main guitar from another artist. When you have the Edge, you use the Edge. It would be one thing to lift a violin or piano part but a guitar part? That’s just really off putting to me (also the rumors of SOL are bothersome).
 
It seems like all of my favorite tracks have Andy Barlow's name attached to them. I'd love to see an album produced solely by him - he seems to be responsible for most of the more atmospheric tracks.
 
I'm not so sure Eno would be interested either at this point. He knows as well as we do that the band is likely to leave great stuff on the cutting room floor and replace it with some late-hour pop crap produced by someone else.


also, Eno will be in his early 70s by the time U2 start making a new album. Will he have the heatlh or the stamina to work with U2? Would he even want to spend his final years working on someone else's project?

I could see U2 abandoning the desire for pop hits - they have to see that it's not going to happen, right? They'll probably be around 60 when the next album comes out and even they know 60 year olds don't have pop hits, right? RIGHT? Oh God, they probably think they're going to finally make that club jam they've been chasing...

but anyway, maybe they'll give up on the pop hits and maybe that would make them work faster. I could see Eno and Lanois agreeing to work with them if they had a firm deadline and agreed to work fast, like Peter Buck did with the last two REM albums. Fuck, maybe U2 should just get Peter Buck to produce the album, with Mike Mills doing the arrangements.
 
also, Eno will be in his early 70s by the time U2 start making a new album. Will he have the heatlh or the stamina to work with U2? Would he even want to spend his final years working on someone else's project?

I could see U2 abandoning the desire for pop hits - they have to see that it's not going to happen, right? They'll probably be around 60 when the next album comes out and even they know 60 year olds don't have pop hits, right? RIGHT? Oh God, they probably think they're going to finally make that club jam they've been chasing...

but anyway, maybe they'll give up on the pop hits and maybe that would make them work faster. I could see Eno and Lanois agreeing to work with them if they had a firm deadline and agreed to work fast, like Peter Buck did with the last two REM albums. Fuck, maybe U2 should just get Peter Buck to produce the album, with Mike Mills doing the arrangements.



I think they should consider having Beck and his Colors coProducer produce the next U2 record. Would add some modernist funky qualities to their sound and Beck was super complimentary of U2 in his stage comments at San Diego show last year. His SOE remixes are good stuff.
 
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