Should u2 release/have released 2 albums?

[JamietheEdgefan]

Firstly, apologies if this is in the wrong section, but here goes anyway...

I think i've had an epiphany - if u2 wants to make everyone happy, delivering on both the commercial and creative fronts, why not release two albums???

It wouldn't just be cool from an 'omg we have 2 albums' perspective, but it would solve two problems: A commercial album could have great, straightforward, catchy tunes that make the audience go wild on tour, and an experimental album could be a creative outlet for the band, and would satisfy the hardcore fans who want to see how far u2 can push the envelope.

I think the No Line compromise made everyone unhappy - u2 tried to make NLOTH accessible and experimental at the same time... in doing so, they made an album that doesn't catch fire live, and which is criticised for not being an 'achtung baby' style leap.
What really annoys me is how NLOTH's experimental side was compromised, and for no good reason - they cut down the amount of songs on the 360 tour anyway. And look at SUC - it was very obviously put on the album to be made a single and get the crowd going live, and neither of these were even tried... what's worse, it happened at the expense of Every Breaking Wave. Plus, have you heard the original Stand up Comedy versions? They're more experimental, but oh boy do they rock!

But personal opinion on songs aside, it does seem this NLOTH compromise ironically prevented both of u2's aims - to make a catchy album that would go down well live, and allow them to explore their experimental side. Both aims negated each other.

So yeah, if u2 somehow ever read this... when you release the 'next big u2 album' (maybe not the mid-tour DM one, that window of opportunity has probably passed), i think it would be a great idea if you released 2 albums, one fulfilling the 'accessible' function, the other the 'experimental'. Isn't that a great idea? I know you guys would have the material - you always go on about having '50 or 60' songs, and wanting to release quick follow ups!

So do it! Picture this: 2012 - the 360 tour has ended, but u2 want to make more music. They re-recruit Rubin, and make an album with 'big club beats and massive rock guitar riffs' (that's actually a bono quote in reference to that material), which sells and tours well, and at the same time release Songs of Ascent, which is full of crazy, evolved musical ideas that wouldn't necessarily work live but nonetheless create a new musical genre.

I'd say it's naive to think this would happen, but come on! It would satisfy all criteria that u2 are after, and do so much better than No Line!

What do you guys think?

 

[nirniva]

Plus, have you heard the original Stand up Comedy versions? They're more experimental, but oh boy do they rock!

I need to hear this. Link, please?

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

I need to hear this. Link, please?

Well, the problem is, i found those clips when i was subscribed to u2.com. Now that i'm not, those clips aren't available to me

I also can't be 100% certain that they are actually Stand up, but given the early descriptions of the song, and the fact that when i learned both the old and decided upon riffs on guitar, noting their similarity, it seems evident that they are early versions.

If anyone knows a way to find those u2.com clips, and post them here, i'd be very grateful!

Edit: Here is a (poor quality version) of what i assume is an early version... and hell, i think it's amazing! http://www.u2exit.com/2008/05/beach-clip-minus-the-beach.php

I also believe this is an early version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IkV7elmVLo&feature=related
(00.00 - 01:15)

 

[Salome]

wouldn't change a thing about No Line myself
so, no

 

[nirniva]

Thanks!

 

[Aygo]

Well, the problem is, i found those clips when i was subscribed to u2.com. Now that i'm not, those clips aren't available to me

I also can't be 100% certain that they are actually Stand up, but given the early descriptions of the song, and the fact that when i learned both the old and decided upon riffs on guitar, noting their similarity, it seems evident that they are early versions.

If anyone knows a way to find those u2.com clips, and post them here, i'd be very grateful!

Edit: Here is a (poor quality version) of what i assume is an early version... and hell, i think it's amazing! Beach Clip minus the beach – new audio | U2Exit.com News Blog

I also believe this is an early version
YouTube - U2 - Making of "No Line on the Horizon" (I)
(00.00 - 01:15)

I don't think this is the origins of SUC. SUC is a 4/4 song and the one in the video has a similar time signature to "Acrobat", something like a 12/8 or so...

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Well, it's certainly possible that they simply changed the timing as the song evolved.
Plus, the riff on that video is a simpler (so i assume earlier) version of the one in that beach clip, which in turn is very similar indeed to the finished SUC.
But hey, my evidence is still pretty flimsy, i could certainly be wrong.

But if u2 had followed my advice, and released 2 albums, we could have had all SORTS of versions of SUC!

 

[The_acrobat]

I really wish they would've done NLOTH/SOA as they originally intended. I actually love Crazy Tonight and SUC, and think they fit on the album just fine. Get on your boots I have a huge problem with, but that topic has been debated to no end. It would be really nice if we could hear NLOTH the way Brian Eno wanted it to see if it's any better.

I'd be all for your idea of a double album in the future. In my opinion, U2 can never put out too much music. Each album should have 30 songs, and in the off season they should still release a single every 3-4 months.

 

[Rachel D.]

Personally, I would rather have the experience of new U2 music spread out for two separate releases rather than have it all at once. That would be like having Christmas and your birthday on the same day and having your presents combined. You know, it's one experience rather than two.

 

[powerhour24]

Yes NLOTH should have had its heyday and companion, the band needs to be proud of every work of high caliber they do, 30 years into your career as the longest running supersuccessful band of all time earns you the right to release what you want and not worry about the radio.

At this point though, back up your claims of several projects and don't keep us waiting formyears.

 

[mama cass]

two are better than one!

there, that's my bible quoting done for the decade LOL

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think its a shame that its been over ten years (MDH soundtrack) since they've had a decent avenue for something other. I'm no fan of them doing a double album - I just suspect the result wouldn't be all that brilliant - but I think it is a shame No Line wasn't as huge commercially as they seemed to think it might be, which possibly would have led to a more commercial-pressure-free quick follow up, AND, I really think its a shame that they haven't resurrected Passengers. I don't mean something quite as left field or conceptual as that, but it is, in a way, an established secondary brand they have sitting on a shelf there that allows them to (if such urgings still exist, and surely they must to some degree) engage with their more push-the-boundaries creative side, or at least, their more non-commercial ideas and material.

I mean, if No Line had been huge, the original SoA concept could have come out fairly quickly with U2's name on it. When it didn't float as high as they hoped, well, you could release this album of meditative pilgrims songs or whatever under the Passengers name and what would people think? Oh, it doesn't have big stonking U2 hits, but its not a U2 album!

It would be a shame if Edge is sitting at home fucking around in his own time with sounds, ideas, material, structure etc and is just thinking "Meh - that's not going to go over well in a stadium." An avenue to get that side of U2 out would be great. Soundtrack. Passengers. Fucking huge commercial U2 album that gives them both the balls and space for a proper 'lesser' release. Whatever.

 

[coolian2]

And look at SUC - it was very obviously put on the album to be made a single and get the crowd going live, and neither of these were even tried... what's worse, it happened at the expense of Every Breaking Wave.

to say one song was a direct swap for another is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

to say one song was a direct swap for another is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

Perhaps, i'm open to the idea it didn't happen quite like that... however, Every Breaking Wave was planned to be on the album, and taken off at the last minute - u2.com had it on a track listing literally a couple of weeks before release - and from what i've read and heard, it was more in keeping with the general mood of the album.
SUC, on the other hand, seems like it was made much later, and tacked on... at the expense of EbW.
But hey, i could be wrong.

 

[The_Edge89]

Perhaps, i'm open to the idea it didn't happen quite like that... however, Every Breaking Wave was planned to be on the album, and taken off at the last minute - u2.com had it on a track listing literally a couple of weeks before release - and from what i've read and heard, it was more in keeping with the general mood of the album.
SUC, on the other hand, seems like it was made much later, and tacked on... at the expense of EbW.
But hey, i could be wrong.

Late Ocotber 2008: The first mention of the song ("Stand Up") in this interview with Reuters - so while it appeared late in the process, it was still a couple of months away from the actual release rather than weeks. It was also included in both the Q and Rolling Stone magazine previews if I remember correctly?

December 2008: http://media.u2.com/flash/highlights/gavboard.swf
Stand Up (Comedy) was "Nearly finished" whereas Every Breaking Wave was in the "Priority to Finish" group. Breathe on the other hand was still in the "Second priority to finish" group after the 80 something mixing sessions with that song - yet it made the album.

 

[powerhour24]

Passengers will never be revived people, at least not with all four members of U2, Larry hates that album.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

I think, from what i've read, that Breathe as much as SUC was crafted to make No Line more accessible... the early version i heard seems more meditative, and longer lasting (in the vein of MoS), and then they reworked it 80 times to make it into a more straightforward rocker.
I won't say i know for a fact which songs were swapped for what, because i don't know, but it seems to me Every Breaking wave was gonna be like Magnificent and Moment of Surrender, but would have made the album too dark or deep, so they added something like SUC.
I remember reading somewhere that everyone in the editing room was annoyed when they heard u2 had decided to drop EBW seems to me it was a more appropriate choice, but was sacrificed to make the album more accessible.
Had they released NLOTH at the same time as SoA, it wouldn't have been a problem.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Passengers will never be revived people, at least not with all four members of U2, Larry hates that album.

I think Earnie came up with a really interesting idea here - a second passengers album wouldn't necessarily have to be as ambient as 'original soundtracks 1', it could be literally anything, and u2 could settle on something outside of u2's comfort zone that Larry still enjoys, if they do all indeed wish to make something crazy but are worried about popularity.

With a whole different band, the guys could release an album as different and dangerous as they wanted, and u2 wouldn't suffer from it if it failed commercially.
I'm finding it interesting combining mine and Earnie's ideas - imagine if every time from now on that u2 released an album, they released a companion album under the passengers name?
If u2 could only, as Earnie says, establishing an avenue for 'that' side of u2, it would mean more music, music that we otherwise might never have the joy of hearing!



I think it's possible u2 will do something like this down the road - they'll probably always want to be massive superstars, but i'm sure the temptation to explore will become too much for them to deny, and we'll eventually see two sides to the band. However, for the time being, it's clear they're focused more on making "hits" than anything "interesting"... for better or worse...

 

[lemonfly]

A double album sounds good in theory, but would probably mean lots of "filler" songs. I'd prefer them to continue releasing albums of ten or eleven songs that are focused and coherent. Two albums together - one comm ercial and one experimental - would probably sound all over the place.

 

[nirniva]

I think Earnie came up with a really interesting idea here - a second passengers album wouldn't necessarily have to be as ambient as 'original soundtracks 1', it could be literally anything, and u2 could settle on something outside of u2's comfort zone that Larry still enjoys, if they do all indeed wish to make something crazy but are worried about popularity.

With a whole different band, the guys could release an album as different and dangerous as they wanted, and u2 wouldn't suffer from it if it failed commercially.
I'm finding it interesting combining mine and Earnie's ideas - imagine if every time from now on that u2 released an album, they released a companion album under the passengers name?
If u2 could only, as Earnie says, establishing an avenue for 'that' side of u2, it would mean more music, music that we otherwise might never have the joy of hearing!

"Passengers Presents Original Soundtracks II: Songs Of Ascent".

Make it happen, guys.

 

[powerhour24]

A double album sounds good in theory, but would probably mean lots of "filler" songs. I'd prefer them to continue releasing albums of ten or eleven songs that are focused and coherent. Two albums together - one comm ercial and one experimental - would probably sound all over the place.

had the Joshua Tree been 'The Two Americas' double album, it still would have been classic from top to bottom.

 

[U2girl]

U2 don't do double albums (Rattle and Hum was only a "double" due to vinyl limitations), and they don't release two albums simoultaneusly.

 

[nielsgov]

had the Joshua Tree been 'The Two Americas' double album, it still would have been classic from top to bottom.

I think it could have been even better than the album we have now.

 

[Danny Boy]

u2 could settle on something outside of u2's comfort zone that Larry still enjoys...

 

[nirniva]

This needs to happen, too.

 

[Salome]

had the Joshua Tree been 'The Two Americas' double album, it still would have been classic from top to bottom.

which shows that they were on a creative peak which ended with R&H
starting with Achtung the band seems to have to work twice as hard to make 'magic' happen

re Passengers
the entire concept of Passengers = Eno
as an Eno album it's mediocre
with some real highlights
they could poop out an album like that every 9 months if Eno wasn't too busy

 

[powerhour24]

I don't know if I agree with that, it's that after Zooropa they stopped trusting their creative instincts to the same degree.

 

[powerhour24]

I love U2, but this makes part if me wish that the band had been called Larry Mullen Jr. & The Passengers all along .

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I wasn't talking about the content of the first Passengers. Just that they have a secondary brand there, one that has a different perception/different expectation attached.

'Passengers' would obviously not have to mean an ambient/Eno album. Just that if they come to the end of a recording process for an album, like No Line, and they find they still have some very good material left over, that they'd quite like to release, but think its too something to be released as BIGU2ALBUM, for whatever reason (sound or vibe or left fieldness or whatever) then there's an avenue available there.

Nothing to do with Eno, or ambient music, or goatees.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]