New Daniel Lanois Interview (10/24/2008) New: (11/15/2008)

[Vlad n U 2]

also.

 

[U2girl]

Or maybe it actually is fantastically innovative and that they have, indeed, done it again? Is that really so out of the realm of possibility?

This late in their career ? Yes, I think so. Do you really think this next album will be better than AB, let alone JT ?

 

[Maassie]

Let's imagine for a second that they will pull it off and produce a third (with War: fourth) masterpiece, is there any other band that has even achieved this?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

hey here's a thought... how about we don't compare the new album to any of their past albums and let it stand on its own.. I know it's a crazy thought but hey it just might work.

I am so sick and tired of the comparisons to past albums..

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

^ amen to that! I am also sick and tired of the countless people who seem to be worried that this album is going to suck. Sometimes it feels like there are more people who seem not to like U2 then there are people who like U2 on this forum. pretty ironic considering this is a U2 "fan" base

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^ completely agree with ya.

 

[tomtom]

do you even know who Daniel Lanois is? seriously I am asking this. Cuz if you don't I can fill you in or better yet you can google him.

Isn't he one of Edge's roadies?

What's google btw?

 

[tomtom]

Or maybe it actually is fantastically innovative and that they have, indeed, done it again? Is that really so out of the realm of possibility?

It's not, really. I am cautiously optimistic about this album. But still doesn't mean his comments aren't out there. And there's something to be said for setting expectations.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Isn't he one of Edge's roadies?

What's google btw?

oh for fuck's sake... nevermind..

 

[Irishteen]

This late in their career ? Yes, I think so. Do you really think this next album will be better than AB, let alone JT ?

ATYCLB was better than TJT in my opinion

I know most people won't agree with me but still; TJT being their best album is hardly an established fact we all agree with

 

[Aygo]

I was listening to How to dismantle .... yesterday
and while still not being anywhere among my favourite albums the lyrics were actually a lot better than I usually give them credit for

while being direct I don't feel they're as one dimensional as I used to give them credit for

and the couple of awkward lines here and there ......
well, it's nothing new for Bono

I do think it's a stretch to call them an improvement on his earlier lyrics
he has done better (also worse though)
but it's mostly that he changed his style more than that he changed the quality

Totally agreed!

 

[Michael Griffiths]

This late in their career ? Yes, I think so. Do you really think this next album will be better than AB, let alone JT ?

You say it is out of the realm of possibility for U2 to have "done it again", yet fail to state why you feel that way. You cannot be suggesting it is simply because they have been around for a while? Secondly, who cares if the album will be "better" than AB or JT? Let the album stand on its own, just as we do currently for AB and JT.

Unfortunately, we didn't let AB stand on its own either when it was released, not until years later. Therein lies the problem with how we listen to U2 albums. U2 never make the same album twice, so comparing them is a bit of a moot point...and only leads to disappointment, no matter how good the album is on its own terms. There were people who thought U2 sold out with AB. Same with JT, actually.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

REALLY????

the whole point of Achtung Baby was to DISTANCE themselves from JT/R&H and the 80's U2. And thats exactly what they did. The only thing that can connect AB to JT is the band playing it. The sounds and subject matter are vastly different. The band themselves would reference AB as the beginning of the next part of their history.

To answer your other question about grouping POP with AB. Its not that they are directly linked. You need the bridge of Zooropa to link them. But for what Zooropa did to push the envelope of sounds that U2 touched upon on AB, POP kind of brought it all together and finished that era. I won't even mention that unmentionable "project" that they did after POP. That was bullshit.

ATYCLB was then a rebirth of the new millenium U2.They took bits and pieces of many of the great sounds and song writing of the past 20 years and some new avenues and put it all together. HTDAAB kind of brought that to a close. They really kind of backed themselves quickly into a corner sonically w/ HTBAAB, which is why I'm hoping this next album goes far away from that album.

I'm guessing that this new album will be a mature, confident, melting pot of their sounds and song writing but in a final direction that will bring them to the forefront again. I'm thinking it'll be more like an UF album. It'll have one, maybe two OBVIOUS hits, a couple of songs that will resonate over time and grow to become really big the more they play it, and a bunch of really great atmospheric kind of "you need to listen to them about 100 times" type of songs. If there is one style of album that I wish that they could reproduce in some kind of way it wouldn't be JT, or AB, it would be UF. THAT'S an album that still really resonates with me.

Sorry I missed this great post. I think we are both right, and I agree with you that AB tried to distance itself from JT (it is well documented, as we know). However, my point is more that the approach to songwriting and structure was still in tact during the making of AB. There is a certain U2ish glue that binds UF, JT, and Achtung Baby together, and that glue is the mish mash of creative songwriting, almost songwriting by accident. It really allows the spiritual side of U2 to shine through, the emotional side to direct the flow in every aspect - the lyrics, the music, the transitions, everything. After AB, U2 began to flirt with tranditional songwriting methods, and even Zooropa has some of that. Pop is very traditional when you remove the bleeps and the blips...the chord arrangents are quite standard. By this time U2 had really begun to understand music, and it was easier for them to do it this way. This is taken to the next level with ATYCLB, but I think they were better at it on ATYCLB (blips or no blips). That is why I feel Pop and ATYCLB are more linked together than Pop and Achtung Baby. Yes, the electronic influence is still there (on Pop as it was on AB), but the essense of what drew me to U2 in the first place had changed drastically. That essense can be found on AB just as it can be found on JT and UF.

I have a sneaking suspicion that some of that 84-91 essense will re-surface on the new album. Music for the sake of making music has returned.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

This late in their career ? Yes, I think so. Do you really think this next album will be better than AB, let alone JT ?

Then it will for you. Maybe not for others.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

I love the positivity here.

Whining about an album before you've heard one song from it. Great.

It's entertaining though. I mean... while waiting for the album .

 

[U2girl]

You say it is out of the realm of possibility for U2 to have "done it again", yet fail to state why you feel that way. You cannot be suggesting it is simply because they have been around for a while? Secondly, who cares if the album will be "better" than AB or JT? Let the album stand on its own, just as we do currently for AB and JT.

Unfortunately, we didn't let AB stand on its own either when it was released, not until years later. Therein lies the problem with how we listen to U2 albums. U2 never make the same album twice, so comparing them is a bit of a moot point...and only leads to disappointment, no matter how good the album is on its own terms. There were people who thought U2 sold out with AB. Same with JT, actually.

Why ? Yes, I believe it's getting increasingly harder for them the older they will get. They had inspiration in the 80's and 90's that isn't here for obvious reasons (no territories to discover like US or a band member's divorce influencing the lyrics).

I guess we do care since this particular thread is getting so many replies...

 

[PowerSurge]

Sorry I missed this great post. I think we are both right, and I agree with you that AB tried to distance itself from JT (it is well documented, as we know). However, my point is more that the approach to songwriting and structure was still in tact during the making of AB. There is a certain U2ish glue that binds UF, JT, and Achtung Baby together, and that glue is the mish mash of creative songwriting, almost songwriting by accident. It really allows the spiritual side of U2 to shine through, the emotional side to direct the flow in every aspect - the lyrics, the music, the transitions, everything. After AB, U2 began to flirt with tranditional songwriting methods, and even Zooropa has some of that. Pop is very traditional when you remove the bleeps and the blips...the chord arrangents are quite standard. By this time U2 had really begun to understand music, and it was easier for them to do it this way. This is taken to the next level with ATYCLB, but I think they were better at it on ATYCLB (blips or no blips). That is why I feel Pop and ATYCLB are more linked together than Pop and Achtung Baby. Yes, the electronic influence is still there (on Pop as it was on AB), but the essense of what drew me to U2 in the first place had changed drastically. That essense can be found on AB just as it can be found on JT and UF.

I have a sneaking suspicion that some of that 84-91 essense will re-surface on the new album. Music for the sake of making music has returned.

Really great point on the songwriting. The connection between UF, JT, and AB are actually more evident then the sounds per say. Its funny because when you look at all of his songwriting its a gradual progression of using a variety of metaphors and symbolism to get across some very strong ideas and feelings.

Its funny, because he's gotten real good at taking alot of the same subject matter and stories from the Bible and hiding them better in the music. I guess his whole fear of coming across as a lead singer of some Christian Band early on in his career has fueled some very creative and extremely interesting lyrics throughout all of the subsequent albums.

But as much as people want to say that Bono's songwriting has gone down hill from POP to HTDAAB for some reason, I beg to differ. No, he hasn't written the same amount of classic songs that filled the 80's and 90's albums, but he's put forth some pretty spine tingling lyrics in some really powerful songs since POP.

I personally think that the lyrics from MOFO, Gone, Kite, and SYCMIOYO are Bono basically ripping his heart open to show the world what's going on...and it isn't pretty and it ain't all happy. That's some tough stuff to do...putting yourself out there even for some like him at that point of his career has got to be tough. Really tough. By now he has written so many songs and people like us critique EVERY little couplet and letter and nuance of a lyric that its got to be difficult to be that open and honest without having any reservations over how it'll be received by their fans and their peers.

I'm extremely hopeful that the next album will bring some really complete and well thought out lyrics, something that was missing at times on the last album (I think due in part to his extensive time outside of the studio).

We should be in for a treat!

 

[PowerSurge]

You say it is out of the realm of possibility for U2 to have "done it again", yet fail to state why you feel that way. You cannot be suggesting it is simply because they have been around for a while? Secondly, who cares if the album will be "better" than AB or JT? Let the album stand on its own, just as we do currently for AB and JT.

Unfortunately, we didn't let AB stand on its own either when it was released, not until years later. Therein lies the problem with how we listen to U2 albums. U2 never make the same album twice, so comparing them is a bit of a moot point...and only leads to disappointment, no matter how good the album is on its own terms. There were people who thought U2 sold out with AB. Same with JT, actually.

YES! totally agree

If people keep waiting for ANOTHER J-Tree or A-Baby then they will never get what they are looking for. It ain't gonna happen.

But lets put it this way:

If JT and AB are the moon, and U2 shoot for the moon on this next album and miss, but hit a cloud or two then isn't that still pretty damn good in a musically industry where we as fans have been conditioned to accept being force fed music that struggles to get a couple inches off of the ground?