Songs of Ascent: the lost album

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
so much anger in this thread....i think the thread is fair though. SOA will be known as a "lost album".
 
^
yeah even though some of the songs may live on, they won't be in the orginal SOA form. that U2 Uber box set is looking that much better.
 
what, in the recent history of this band, would lead ANY of you to believe that U2 actually planned on rehasing the zooropa idea and issuing a full album in the middle of a massive tour?

why would you believe any of this?

Believe you me, I'm very skeptical, but they did mention it a lot. Give me one more example at any point in their career where they have titled an album, talked about songs on it, the style of it, the format of it, when it would potentially come out and then not released it?
 
:hmm:

possible reasons for not releasing/scrapping/abandoning/postponing the album hereto known as Songs of Ascent. which seems most likely?

1. perceived failure of NLOTH has shaken the band's confidence in the material spawned in the early sessions
2. the songs were bloated, self-indulgent. friends heard the album, and implored U2 give it up
3. recent songs proved more interesting from a creative standpoint, so the band have shifted their focus
4. eno/lanois weren't available to bring in to finish things up
5. songs don't translate well in a live setting
 
Misconception of NLOTH. It did VERY well. It just sold most of its copies in the first week, therefore not selling well the rest of the year. It got nothing but amazing reviews and good live performances. Radio wise and single wise, they just made bad choices. Crazy shoulda been the lead off single. So, NLOTH was a huge success when you look at everything

SMB
 
Misconception of NLOTH. It did VERY well. It just sold most of its copies in the first week, therefore not selling well the rest of the year. It got nothing but amazing reviews and good live performances. Radio wise and single wise, they just made bad choices. Crazy shoulda been the lead off single. So, NLOTH was a huge success when you look at everything

SMB
If Crazy Tonight was the lead single NLOTH would've even had a worse commercial performance, specially in the beggining... at least in Europe (even though it's radiofriendly and U2-by-the-numbers).
 
I think everyone's jumping the gun a bit. U2's last album just came out a year ago, U2 usually takes a few years (at least now) between albums, so it's pretty clear that we're not going to get a new album at least until 2011.

I suspect some of the new material that was left over from the NLOTH sessions WILL make Songs Of Ascent, but there will probably be some newer stuff, too. It'll be a mixture of old and new. :)
 
Also, I wanted to say that U2 don't "owe" us anything. I've seen this before, where fans think that a band "owes them a new album", even if they've released 13 albums before.

I'm not ready for U2 to hang it up completely, but geez, give them a break! We just got a new album last year, isn't that enough?
 
I think IF the descriptions were true then we'll see SOA released later when there is no tour to go along with it, since it didn't sound like they were going to be stadium live act type of songs...

That's my prediction :wink:
 
Also, I wanted to say that U2 don't "owe" us anything. I've seen this before, where fans think that a band "owes them a new album", even if they've released 13 albums before.

I'm not ready for U2 to hang it up completely, but geez, give them a break! We just got a new album last year, isn't that enough?

well remember though that if it weren't for the members of U2 publicly advertising SOA during all the NLOTH release interviews, no one would be pissed about this. so no, they don't owe us anything, but they weren't true to their word. people have a right to be upset about that.
 
well remember though that if it weren't for the members of U2 publicly advertising SOA during all the NLOTH release interviews, no one would be pissed about this. so no, they don't owe us anything, but they weren't true to their word. people have a right to be upset about that.

Yeah, that's true.

Well, on the other hand, it's only March. There are 9 months left in the year, maybe we'll get a new album within those 9 months? Maybe it'll be a late fall-winter release?
 
yeah, hopefully that "7" thing means a new single, at least.

What IS on that 7" vinyl in the Super Deluxe Rose Bowl DVD? :hmm: Could it be new songs? If it is, it would be harder (but not impossible) to spread them around on the internet if they're on vinyl. Maybe that's what they're thinking with this; if it had a download code for U2.com, then people could easily share the songs with other people who didn't buy the deluxe set. But I'm just guessing here and am probably wrong; U2 seem to do the opposite of what I think they're going to do. :slant:

About SOA: I would like to be optimistic about it or some other album coming out this year, but I really don't think it's going to happen. But now that I've said that, maybe it WILL happen (see above). :wink:
 
Believe you me, I'm very skeptical, but they did mention it a lot. Give me one more example at any point in their career where they have titled an album, talked about songs on it, the style of it, the format of it, when it would potentially come out and then not released it?

did you miss the end of elevation tour hullabaloo about having soooo much material already recorded, ready to go, and that the ideas were flowing and they were ready to get it out there and didn't want to waste time by taking time off?

how about the chris thomas produced material from the bomb sessions that were scrapped and redone by steve lilywhite?

got a release date on all that rick rubin material yet?
 
did you miss the end of elevation tour hullabaloo about having soooo much material already recorded, ready to go, and that the ideas were flowing and they were ready to get it out there and didn't want to waste time by taking time off?

how about the chris thomas produced material from the bomb sessions that were scrapped and redone by steve lilywhite?

got a release date on all that rick rubin material yet?

did you miss when the band announced an album title and first single on more than one occasion?
 
did you miss when the band announced an album title and first single on more than one occasion?

meaningless.

it's more bloviation from bono. it's punk rock from venus. it's bullshit.

the next leg of the tour is not very far off... when will this announcement be made? obviously not before the tour... then after the tour?

u2, with their massive live nation contract, in an age where albums make no money, are going to release an album after the tour is over?


they always say they're excited about material and they're going to get it out quick, and they never do. it's not how this band operates. why would they all of a sudden shift gears now? because we want it to happen?


trust me, i hope i'm wrong. i'm not, but i hope i am.
 
meaningless.

it's more bloviation from bono. it's punk rock from venus. it's bullshit.

Yep. Plenty of people took that stuff for granted, despite knowing that the man eats hyperbole and miscalculated prognosis for breakfast. I hate to see them disappointed now. Really.
 
Agreed, but it was mentioned several times by more than just Bono, and naming a title and single is definitely more-than-the-usual. I think it's totally understandable that people paid more attention to this than the usual "Shit we're awesome, written heaps, and it's all awesome, Edge is awesome, I'm awesome, Larry is awesome, Adam is awesome, going to do an awesome quick follow up for sure" hype that they do always spill while promoting an album. In a couple of interviews he/they were talking up Songs of Ascent almost more than No Line.

I think if there's any "You actually believed that?" it should be less to do with Bono always talking shit, and more to do with: Did you really believe that U2, in 2010, would release a quick follow up of meditative songs? Really?
 
:wave:

I did.

:reject:

now I want to dissect why it hasn't come to fruition. a few of you have made it clear that this is U2 and all this should been expected. duly noted.

any other ideas?
 
Agreed, but it was mentioned several times by more than just Bono, and naming a title and single is definitely more-than-the-usual. I think it's totally understandable that people paid more attention to this than the usual "Shit we're awesome, written heaps, and it's all awesome, Edge is awesome, I'm awesome, Larry is awesome, Adam is awesome, going to do an awesome quick follow up for sure" hype that they do always spill while promoting an album.

I think if there's any "You actually believed that?" it should be less to do with Bono always talking shit, and more to do with: Did you really believe that U2, in 2010, would release a quick follow up of meditative songs? Really?

Of course, but "announcing" something, in the official sense of the word, never happened. And I believe naming Every Breaking Wave as the 1st single was said only once (two consecutive interviews at the most?), if I'm not mistaken.

But it's not like there was an announcement or anything, in the full sense of the word. Random overenthusiastic musings of an overzealous Irish rock star (probably drinking his seventeenth pint of Guinness) were written down on paper, and 90% of Interference went psycho. Kinda hilarious actually.
 
meaningless.

it's more bloviation from bono. it's punk rock from venus. it's bullshit.

the next leg of the tour is not very far off... when will this announcement be made? obviously not before the tour... then after the tour?

u2, with their massive live nation contract, in an age where albums make no money, are going to release an album after the tour is over?


they always say they're excited about material and they're going to get it out quick, and they never do. it's not how this band operates. why would they all of a sudden shift gears now? because we want it to happen?


trust me, i hope i'm wrong. i'm not, but i hope i am.

not meaningless. you're ignoring the fact the circumstances were different this time around because U2 announced and album title and first single.

in hindsight, yeah, it's typical U2 once again. but i feel that people have a legitimate gripe this time around.
 
u2 never "announced" anything... there was no press release, there was no addition to u2.com (ha, that's just a joke really), there were no band interviews.

bono said something to a reporter. just because it was a little more detailed than usual may have led to some people being suckered into believing that it wasn't his usual hyperbole.

but everything in the band's recent history should have led people to, at the very least, take anything that comes out of bono's mouth with a gigantic grain of salt.
 
u2 never "announced" anything... there was no press release, there was no addition to u2.com (ha, that's just a joke really), there were no band interviews.

bono said something to a reporter. just because it was a little more detailed than usual may have led to some people being suckered into believing that it wasn't his usual hyperbole.

but everything in the band's recent history should have led people to, at the very least, take anything that comes out of bono's mouth with a gigantic grain of salt.

the entire band talked about it in interviews during the NLOTH release. it was printed in magazines, newspapers, etc...
 
Good reasons to assume that Songs of Ascent would be a reality: (all from atu2)

February 15, 2009: This Observer article reports that U2 is planning to release another album before the end of 2009. Bono describes it as "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage."

February 28, 2009: A New York Times article says that "U2 expects to release a companion album, which band members say will have a more meditative and processional tone, before the end of the year."

March 3, 2009: The March 17 issue of Rolling Stone quotes Bono saying the next album will be called Songs Of Ascent, and that it will be released in 2010.

"Songs Of Ascent will be quieter than No Line in many ways, it's that ghost album of hymns and Sufi singing. We're making a kind of heartbreaker, a meditative, reflexive piece of work, but not indulgent."

June 21, 2009: This Irish Independent article seems to dash any plans for releasing the album in 2009:

"While a spring release date had been mentioned, Bono seems to damping down that expectation now, saying that while they have nine pieces of music that they think are really special, the album will only come out if and when it is as good or better than No Line. And it certainly won't come out, as was reported in some media, this year. Bono is unashamedly clear that he wants No Line on the Horizon to be the U2 product that gets bought this Christmas."

July 20, 2009: Edge talks about the next album in the current issue of Hot Press:

There was talk of a possible new U2 album before the end of the year. Is that on the cards?
The Edge: It is still on the cards, but we don't really have plans that we can sign up to that far out. We would love the idea of the next record being sooner rather than later. We certainly have the material for it, but it's about whether we have the time to finish it. It depends on how the touring progresses. And there's the Spiderman musical which will be early next year, starting in New York, so Bono and I have a fair amount of work to do on that early in the year. It'll be a first for us. We are very excited about it, but it's a steep learning curve.

August 12, 2009: As we reported here, Sam O'Sullivan (Larry's drum tech) told fans in Zagreb that the band will stay in Vancouver after the 360 Tour ends in October to finish work on Songs of Ascent. He says the album should be out in December or early 2010. There are also other reports that Songs of Ascent will be the first (or one of the first) albums released on a new digital album format being created by the four major record labels.

September 17, 2009: Bono talked about U2's new album plans in this interview with Canada's Sun Media:

SUN MEDIA: What's the status on a second more ambient album, to be released from the Lanois-Eno sessions, with the working title Songs of Ascent, and then the Rick Rubin session before that?

BONO: We've got a few albums up our sleeves. We've got a whole album we started with Rick Rubin, which is a rocking club album with beats and big guitars, and I can't wait to get back to that. So we're going to see where the mood takes us. But it's not like we have to start afresh. We have five or six songs on that album. We have about 12 on the Songs of Ascent, plus The Edge and myself have written Spiderman: The Musical -- that's nearly done.

September 19, 2009: Sun Media also spoke with Adam about U2's album plans, specifically asking him to comment on what Bono said (see next entry below) about Songs of Ascent and the old Rick Rubin material.

Sun Media: Bono told me there is another album coming, with the working title, Songs of Ascent, the more ambient songs done with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, from the sessions for your latest album No Line on the Horizon?

Clayton: Some of it, I'm sure, is true, especially for Bono. And those are great aspirations. I'm a little bit more nuts and bolts and until there are 10 songs finished, mixed and on a shelf, then that's not definite for me. It takes us a long time. When Bono hears two notes together he hears a song complete. When anyone else hears two notes together, we hear a starting point.

October 2, 2009: RollingStone.com has a feature about U2's new album plans, taken from interviews conducted in August and September. It's too long to repeat here, but both Edge and Larry say they want to have new music out "sooner rather than later." There are potentially three albums: Songs of Ascent, a Spider-Man album, and an album from the Rick Rubin sessions. "If we're going to do another rock record, I want to do Spider-Man. I just haven't talked Adam and Larry into that," Bono says.

October 5, 2009: USA Today talks to U2 about their new album plans, and reiterates this idea (see next entry below) of three potentially different projects U2 could do. "The Spider-Man collection is the most developed but the least appropriate to the band," Edge says. "We've got so much material at different stages of completion, it's going to be a nice problem when we've got a few weeks to look at it." Speaking about Songs of Ascent, Bono says "It's a very intimate affair. They are beautiful love songs, where the object of love is not always obvious."

November 3, 2009: Rolling Stone magazine's Brian Hiatt posted on Twitter after a phone interview with Edge. On the bright side, Hiatt posted that Edge says "Kingdom Of Your Love" -- the U2 360 tour intro song -- is a "potential Songs of Ascent track." On the not-so-bright side, Hiatt also posted that "Songs of Ascent remains an idea more than an actual album at this point, a subject of debate within the band. No release plans yet."

January 2, 2010: In the new issue of Q magazine, Bono says this about U2's plans for 2010:

"We've been listening to material for [possible next album] Songs of Ascent. We haven't fully decided to press 'go' on that. But we're touring at the end of May and it'd be nice to have some new songs. Even if it's an EP or a single song."
 
in other words, as recently as January this year, Songs of Ascent was a project in the works
 
in other words, as recently as January this year, Songs of Ascent was a project in the works

nobody is denying that.

as recently as november The Edge was saying that Songs of Ascent was more of an idea, not an album...

and clayton said that when bono hears two notes he hears a song, where as the rest of the band hears a starting point.


which goes to show that throughout allllllllllllll of those quotes there is just as much evidence that points to songs of ascent being just more bono hyperbole than actual evidence of an album that will be released.


and again... the band never announced an album.


there is no doubt that the album was thought about, worked on, even considered for release... but that's nothing new from this band. the only thing new is that bono spilled a possible title. every breaking wave as a single should not be a surprise to anyone as the song was tossed around for years as a song that would be on no line on the horizion.

it wasn't.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom