The new album should sound like Blood On The Tracks

[LemonMelon]

Screw rock; this is what the band needs to try with the next album. I wholeheartedly welcome the softer sound the band has been hinting at trying.

• It would get Bono to focus on writing poetically again, with fewer political overtones, and more personal material.
• It would be easy to perform live, and it could cause the band to rediscover their other, softer gems from 84-90.
• We could witness a rebirth of Bono's vocal talents if material like this is emphasized.
• Those who want a "darker" album would get it by default.
• The band seems enthusiastic to try this kind of sound, so it wouldn't come off as forced.
• If Rubin produces it, he would welcome the more organic sound that an album like this would require.
• It WOULD be a pretty surprising shift in style for the band if they did it all the way without backing into the Stuck In A Moment/SYCMIOYO-style balladry they have gotten comfortable with.

The problem with this is that if they set their sights on acoustic-led balladry, they could very likely make an album of pure schlock. But let's hope not.

 

[intedomine]

i'm all for a softer sound, just as long as it isn't acoustic-balladry...something experimental....how about soft hip-hop?

 

[Jeffo17]

i don't mind softer sound as long as it is ACE!!!

I want to be rocked though... still...

 

[Lancemc]

Screw rock; this is what the band needs to try with the next album. I wholeheartedly welcome the softer sound the band has been hinting at trying.

• It would get Bono to focus on writing poetically again, with fewer political overtones, and more personal material.
• It would be easy to perform live, and it could cause the band to rediscover their other, softer gems from 84-90.
• We could witness a rebirth of Bono's vocal talents if material like this is emphasized.
• Those who want a "darker" album would get it by default.
• The band seems enthusiastic to try this kind of sound, so it wouldn't come off as forced.
• If Rubin produces it, he would welcome the more organic sound that an album like this would require.
• It WOULD be a pretty surprising shift in style for the band if they did it all the way without backing into the Stuck In A Moment/SYCMIOYO-style balladry they have gotten comfortable with.

The problem with this is that if they set their sights on acoustic-led balladry, they could very likely make an album of pure schlock. But let's hope not.

I love you. Best thing I've read in this subforum in a long time.

 

[Salome]

I still wouldn't mind seeing an album sort of in the same vein as the million dollar hotel soundtrack,
but this could also be pretty cool

 

[LemonMelon]

soft hip-hop?

Trip hop?

+

=

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I still wouldn't mind seeing an album sort of in the same vein as the million dollar hotel soundtrack,
but this could also be pretty cool

 

[U2girl]

I still wouldn't mind seeing an album sort of in the same vein as the million dollar hotel soundtrack

 

[artdirector]

Achtung Baby 2. Thats what they should do.
Dark Album.

 

[scottyT]

Yeah I'd like them to listen to a lot of Hooverphonic and Massive Attack before they start recording again.

 

[IrishDawg]

I consider Mercy their "darkest" song since Acrobat or WGRYWH, and it's probably my favorite since any of the songs from Achtung. Would love to hear the "Darkness" again

 

[LemonMelon]

Pfft. Darkness.

Were the Beatles dark?

No. And everyone knows the Beatles are the end-all-be-all of music.

Achtung Baby wasn't that dark. It had 5 hit singles for goodness sakes...that's in Shania Twain's league. Yeah, the last two tracks are a bit creepy, but come on now. Pop is MUCH darker, and no one wants to call that a classic.

My point? Darkness can suck it. Also, the new record isn't going to be dark. Why? Because the members of U2 aren't perpetually emo/emotionally imbalanced, so don't hold your breath.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I'd like the new album to sound like Trout Mask Replica.

 

[PookaMacP]

Screw rock; this is what the band needs to try with the next album. I wholeheartedly welcome the softer sound the band has been hinting at trying.

• It would get Bono to focus on writing poetically again, with fewer political overtones, and more personal material.
• It would be easy to perform live, and it could cause the band to rediscover their other, softer gems from 84-90.
• We could witness a rebirth of Bono's vocal talents if material like this is emphasized.
• Those who want a "darker" album would get it by default.
• The band seems enthusiastic to try this kind of sound, so it wouldn't come off as forced.
• If Rubin produces it, he would welcome the more organic sound that an album like this would require.
• It WOULD be a pretty surprising shift in style for the band if they did it all the way without backing into the Stuck In A Moment/SYCMIOYO-style balladry they have gotten comfortable with.

The problem with this is that if they set their sights on acoustic-led balladry, they could very likely make an album of pure schlock. But let's hope not.

Sounds like a great idea for an album, as long as they make something that has that pop sensibility that Staring at the Sun, Window in the Skies, Sometimes..., and Stuck... have and don't get a record full of Wild Honey and A Man And A Woman. Could be a really interesting sound though.

Although there are other dangers with the Blood on the Tracks comparison - Dylan recorded the entire album, had some copies pressed, and then decided it wasn't good enough so he went back into the studio and re-recorded a lot of the tracks. The problem being that the original pressings are in many ways far superior. Sound familiar?

 

[BEAL]

Just make music that won't take 4 years to put out. That's my only complaint.

I don't care if they make X album part 2, which seems weird that some people are requesting this, as they will complain about U2 repeating themselves.

If they make a album of songs, Great! If they make a album that is a collection of music, that is tied together by a central theme, awesome.

Whichever way, just give me some music this year!!!!

 

[LyricalDrug]

Achtung Baby 2. Thats what they should do.
Dark Album.

yes yes yes yes yes. lots of industrial/post-modern/dark/loss-of-faith poetic lyrics too. slow-burning, soaring, dark anthems.

 

[LemonMelon]

yes yes yes yes yes. lots of industrial/post-modern/dark/loss-of-faith poetic lyrics too. slow-burning, soaring, dark anthems.

 

[U2girl]

I don't care if they make X album part 2, which seems weird that some people are requesting this, as they will complain about U2 repeating themselves.

Betcha no one will really moan at AB part 2 here. Look at the Mercy droolfest.

 

[SpaceBoy]

I'd like the new album to sound like Trout Mask Replica.

Better yet, U2 could just collaborate with Captain Beefheart.

 

[God Part III]

Blood on the tracks

Seriously though, even if I do want songs like them to do an album like that, I also want at least one guitar solo, especially after hearing the extended solos from leg 5 (Kite, One Tree Hill)

But who knows?

 

[God Part III]

yes yes yes yes yes. lots of industrial/post-modern/dark/loss-of-faith poetic lyrics too. slow-burning, soaring, dark anthems.

BTW, judging by Window in the Skies, this will be last thing they'd ever do.

 

[LemonMelon]

BTW, judging by Window in the Skies, this will be last thing they'd ever do.

But judging from WITS is a pointless exercise because the band has openly stated that WITS is the end of that sound for them and they consciously want to try something different.

But please, U2, don't "try" to make a dark, depressing album and end up sounding emo. I beg of you. The people above me know not of what they ask.

 

[U2girl]

I think a depressing album from U2 now will only be made if something grave happens to band members' children/wives. Ergo, a death or divorce.

 

[God Part III]

But judging from WITS is a pointless exercise because the band has openly stated that WITS is the end of that sound for them and they consciously want to try something different.

When did they do that? It doesn't really sound like any U2 record before it, the closest we get is Wild Honey or something?

Also, it's one of the songs from the beach clips - I can't imagine them dumping all those, (they sound a very similar) in favor of a new sound...

Different, sure, but WITS is different already.

Don't get your hopes up, that's all I'm saying...

 

[2morrow]

Edge said they want to go with a more melodic sound...I don't know how dark they could make that.

 

[thrillme]

Yeah I'd like them to listen to a lot of Hooverphonic and Massive Attack before they start recording again.

Adam is a fan of Massive Attack...and some rather "interesting" bands as well.

I could see why Bono and Edge call him avante-guard.

 

[Laura M]

Achtung Baby wasn't that dark. It had 5 hit singles for goodness sakes...that's in Shania Twain's league. Yeah, the last two tracks are a bit creepy, but come on now. Pop is MUCH darker, and no one wants to call that a classic.

Pop

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Wow. Some really weird things get said in these threads.

 

[The John Tree]

I'm not trying to be a jerk:

But I read this a lot from U2 fans. They want a dark album.

Listen, Achtung Baby is my favorite album of all time. I love its darkness. I can HEAR Berlin in the album. And to be honest with you (and this is embarassing to admit, believe me) Achtung Baby is the REASON that I'm a modern European history major. I wanted to learn about the Cold War, specifically Berlin in the 80s.

But it's not gonna happen.

Why?

Why WOULD it happen? The band at the time was going through dark times. The band was fighting, their marriages were strained, and they were stuck creatively. Achtung Baby was the perfect soundtrack to 1991: Marriage stress and technology break through.

It's 2006. Everyone in the band is happy. Edge is newly married. Bono is happily married. Adam is getting married. A breakup album is out of the question. So "Blood On The Tracks" ain't happening. Why would the band try and force that type of album?

That doesn't mean a dark album is out of the question: death always leads to darkness, right?

Wrong. HTDAAB was the result of the death of Bob Hewson, Bono's father. I think there's certainly a fair amount of darkness on the record. I wouldn't call "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" light by any stretch of the imagination. That's a dark, dark song. Even Vertigo may sound happy, but the theme has a fair amount of darkness in it.

I respect U2's acoustic work. I hope they do more of it. But I don't want a whole album's worth. And if there IS darkness on the next record, I hope it's not forced.

 

[u2fan628]

Dave Grohl should produce a few songs!