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

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I just hope this new album rivals Achtung Baby for its "completeness". When I hear someone mention Achtung Baby its almost like the password to some cult, maybe to a place in the film "Eyes Wide Shut" haha. The key to a masterpiece. Hopefully I get that same sort of feeling for this album.
 
Michael Griffiths said:
^^^ Exactly right. I think what's going on on this coming record is that U2 are trying--and I mean making sure, not just trying--for the first time, to make an album that doesn't have one "filler" type song. It is becoming more and more clear they want to get it right on every single track this time. They want to keep writing and mixing until not one single track is not deemed great by most of the people hearing the record. I feel that this could be the master work of U2's career by the way they are handling it. It's like the writer who never wants to finish his masterpiece, because he feels that he could miss the mark by not taking the extra steps. This album will last forever, and since forever is a long time, the extra few months it is taking for generations to remember it will be worth it.
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While I wish I could share your optimism for such an album, I think the shear library of varying sounds and songs that U2 have accumulated over their history would prevent this from happening. You just can't please everyone all of the time. While I think they could definitely make an album that would make a large number of U2 fans go bonkers with enthusiasm it begs the question: which type of U2 fan?

There are clear divides in the type of U2 fan. There are the "Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree" kind of fan, the "Achtung Baby/Zooropa/POP?" kind of fan, and now it seems like there is the newer "ATYCLB/HTDAAB" kind of fan. Vastly different tastes for vastly different age groups and generations. I just don't see them appealing to everyone.

Its a lost cause. I think in the end, they should just try to make music that appeals to THEM and let their fans sort it out.

Hopefully, you and I will love it. :wink:
 
ps333 said:
While I wish I could share your optimism for such an album, I think the shear library of varying sounds and songs that U2 have accumulated over their history would prevent this from happening. You just can't please everyone all of the time. While I think they could definitely make an album that would make a large number of U2 fans go bonkers with enthusiasm it begs the question: which type of U2 fan?

There are clear divides in the type of U2 fan. There are the "Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree" kind of fan, the "Achtung Baby/Zooropa/POP?" kind of fan, and now it seems like there is the newer "ATYCLB/HTDAAB" kind of fan. Vastly different tastes for vastly different age groups and generations. I just don't see them appealing to everyone.

Its a lost cause. I think in the end, they should just try to make music that appeals to THEM and let their fans sort it out.

Hopefully, you and I will love it. :wink:
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Agreed, though I was speaking of the listeners in the U2 camp. However, I have to ask why so many people group Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop together. I always felt Achtung Baby had more in common with The Unforgettable Fire, and even The Joshua Tree, than it did with Pop. In fact, I would say Pop has more in common with ATYCLB than it does with Achtung Baby! I feel the transition in songwriting which last ended with Atomic Bomb began with Pop, and spilled over into ATYCLB--a far more conventional sounding songwriting structure on Pop than Zooropa or Achtung Baby.
 
Michael Griffiths said:
Agreed, though I was speaking of the listeners in the U2 camp. However, I have to ask why so many people group Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop together. I always felt Achtung Baby had more in common with The Unforgettable Fire, and even The Joshua Tree, than it did with Pop. In fact, I would say Pop has more in common with ATYCLB than it does with Achtung Baby! I feel the transition in songwriting which last ended with Atomic Bomb began with Pop, and spilled over into ATYCLB--a far more conventional sounding songwriting structure on Pop than Zooropa or Achtung Baby.
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I actually agree.
 
The president of the company is singing better than ever and the tracks are wildly innovative. I would never have thought things would have gone this way. I believe, well, rock ’n’ roll has been reinvented one more time.

:hmm:
 
U2girl said:
The president of the company is singing better than ever and the tracks are wildly innovative. I would never have thought things would have gone this way. I believe, well, rock ’n’ roll has been reinvented one more time.
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oh, come on!!!!!! :angry:


could somebody SHUT UP this man??? :mad:
 
Re inventing rock n roll ey? How about inventing a time machine so I can listen to it already. :angry:
 
Michael Griffiths said:
Agreed, though I was speaking of the listeners in the U2 camp. However, I have to ask why so many people group Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop together. I always felt Achtung Baby had more in common with The Unforgettable Fire, and even The Joshua Tree, than it did with Pop. In fact, I would say Pop has more in common with ATYCLB than it does with Achtung Baby! I feel the transition in songwriting which last ended with Atomic Bomb began with Pop, and spilled over into ATYCLB--a far more conventional sounding songwriting structure on Pop than Zooropa or Achtung Baby.
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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.
 
U2 producer talks about their new album

courtesy of NME.com Courtesy Of Nme.com – Tue Nov 18, 12:00 pm ET


U2's producer Daniel Lanois, has spoken on about his time with the band and their new album.

Speaking to the Boston Herald, Lanois said Bono's voice is sounding great and the band have "reinvented" the genre of rock 'n' roll again with the upcoming record.

He said: "The president of the company is singing better than ever and the tracks are wildly innovative. I would never have thought things would have gone this way. I believe, well, rock 'n' roll has been reinvented one more time."

Lanois also revealed why the relationship between him and U2 has continued for so long--the producer has worked on six albums, including The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree in 1984 and 1987.

"I like those people for their appetite for innovation. They want things to be new and fresh, and they never get stuck on how the band should sound," explained Lanois. They're very smart people. And [Brian] Eno and I just have a lot of fun with them, especially for the first 20 or 30 percent of the record. During those first sessions, it's no-holds-barred, we take on anything that comes our way."

He added: "I also think Bono's lyrics get better with every record."

The follow-up to 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', due early next year, is strongly rumored to be called No Line On The Horizon.

For more on U2, check out their NME.com page.
 
That's great..but it has been reported before....I'm more interested in the info that Lanois provided when he said that he and U2 did indeed mix part of the album for 2 weeks in New York and that he was flying out of Boston on the 18th(yesterday) on his way to London for another 10 days to finish mixing the album with U2.....that means the album will be ready to be mastered in December and finally completed before the holidays...you figure promotion in Jan. and Feb. ......album released in March.
 
BonoFox1 said:
He added: "I also think Bono's lyrics get better with every record."
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If Bono's direct approach and ditching of 'all things subtle' is an improvement for Danny Lanois, then I am not sure I can trust any of his opinions at all on this new album.

It's bad enough to talk about revolutionizing rock and wild innovations, it's another to try and sell me on what I've already heard.

It's just his opinion, yes, I'm only making the point that just because he's made some great records with U2, doesn't mean he's got his finger on the pulse any better than we do.

Bono's lyrics:
In his 20's&30s>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the last 2 albums.

I just can't be convinced otherwise.
And I am not one of those people who needs dark, mysterious vague 'wordy' passages through every track but I'd like some subtlety mixed in there. Some clever ideas or stories, something beyond a song written about God and women rolled into one with the shroud torn off.

I won't go further because I am not here to bash but the most well reasoned defenses I've read on the last two albums always had among them, one concession. An admission that the lyrics were below par.

And Lanois wants to tell you they are getting better.
I'm telling you, that guy is putting on his water skis as we speak.
He's getting read to try and make the jump.
Somebody pull him back!!!!
 
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
 
last unicorn said:
It's not discussion. You can discuss something that's factual but not something you know nothing about.
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Umm. I don't know if you're talking about U2DMFan, but his post had nothing to do with the new album, it concerned the old stuff.

And on an unrelated note, if we restricted our discussions to "factual" matters this forum might as well not exist. People speculate, they offer opinions, hopes, fears, I thought that was one of the points of the forum. It's not the New York Times for Chrissake.

Has anyone checked to see if this so-called Mr "Lanois" has a hint of an Irish brogue, wears sunglasses when not being watched, and has a rosary around his neck? I'm starting to think this is Bono in disguise!

His comments are really out there. It's one thing to say "we've done some great work here", but another to proclaim something as "fantastically innovative", "we've done it again", etc etc.
 
salome said:
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
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Qft.
 
Isn't the "President of the company" line from a really old interview, or is he just reusing it?
 
tomtom said:
Umm. I don't know if you're talking about U2DMFan, but his post had nothing to do with the new album, it concerned the old stuff.

And on an unrelated note, if we restricted our discussions to "factual" matters this forum might as well not exist. People speculate, they offer opinions, hopes, fears, I thought that was one of the points of the forum. It's not the New York Times for Chrissake.

Has anyone checked to see if this so-called Mr "Lanois" has a hint of an Irish brogue, wears sunglasses when not being watched, and has a rosary around his neck? I'm starting to think this is Bono in disguise!

His comments are really out there. It's one thing to say "we've done some great work here", but another to proclaim something as "fantastically innovative", "we've done it again", etc etc.
Click to expand...



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.
 
tomtom said:
Umm. I don't know if you're talking about U2DMFan, but his post had nothing to do with the new album, it concerned the old stuff.

And on an unrelated note, if we restricted our discussions to "factual" matters this forum might as well not exist. People speculate, they offer opinions, hopes, fears, I thought that was one of the points of the forum. It's not the New York Times for Chrissake.

Has anyone checked to see if this so-called Mr "Lanois" has a hint of an Irish brogue, wears sunglasses when not being watched, and has a rosary around his neck? I'm starting to think this is Bono in disguise!

His comments are really out there. It's one thing to say "we've done some great work here", but another to proclaim something as "fantastically innovative", "we've done it again", etc etc.
Click to expand...
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?
 
Michael Griffiths said:
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?
Click to expand...

Yes, yes it is. They cannot do anything good anymore.

While there is a decent amount of constructive criticism in here, there is also a lot of unfounded criticism. Not pointing to anybody or any posts in particular, but that's how a lot of the post-Pop U2 has been

Personally, I don't think Atomic Bomb or All That You Can't Leave Behind are perfect, but they are pretty good albums with some great moments. They aren't as good as Achtung Baby or The Joshua Tree to me, but they're not on the bottom of the heap for me either. I actually like both albums a lot and listen to Atomic Bomb often. The band have evolved past the 90's in terms of style and songwriting, lyrically and musically. There will always be the signature sound that makes them U2, but what also makes them U2 is they seldom repeat themselves, but build off themselves. I'm sure there will be some tracks on the new album that are unquestionably U2 in sound and some that are definitely a departure, and some that are probably both. Many people on here just cannot grasp that they aren't in their 30s anymore. That doesn't mean that's an excuse that the songs are going to suck- that means the songs, songwriting, and lyrics are just going to be different. I don't mind the visceral approach Bono has taken lately- I think they've resulted in some excellent lyrics, and some clunkers as well- but not everything will be a lyrical masterpiece.

What's the point of my post? Not sure, but at least it's related to U2 unlike 95% of the U2 forums around here :wink: But really, I definitely think U2 have at least another masterpiece in them and I do think Atomic Bomb could have been one and is pretty close to one, it just is a victim of production and not being cohesive- but a bunch of the songs are excellent tunes. I'm optimistic based on the post-Atomic Bomb quotes from the band about it (not feeling like an album) coupled with the fact that they are seemingly going out of their way to make a cohesive album this time, that they have struck gold and "have done it again." But then again, I think these guys are the best in the business, so maybe I'm wrong for thinking they're capable of it. :shrug:
 
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