The official: BRING BACK FLOOD ! thread

[onyourkneesboy]

Maybe it's too late for Songs Of Ascent, but for the next album I think they really should bring back Flood.

I think Eno is great and there's enough proof of that, but where as Eno can push U2 out of their comfortzone, on NLOTH he pulled them too much IN HIS comfortzone, I think...
Sure NLOTH is a great album with lot's of great songs on it but it lacks some kind of "unsuspected dirtyness" in which Flood is a master.
When you listen to an album like for example Songs Of Faith And Devotion by Depeche Mode one must really admit how great he was here in making a "mostly electronic band" sound dark, atmospheric, sweaty, heavy, etc..

NLOTH has great layered songs, very slick & tied produced (apart from the clipping in for example IGCIIDGCT) but it just doesn't like sweat, a cracked fingernail, sleepless nights, a slap in the face from someone or somewhere you didn't expect... I mean: Achtung Baby had that! Can you remember the first time you heard The Fly? Or Acrobat, Zoo Station, UTEOTW, the distorted wah-wah intro of Mysterious Ways ? The sound of a Nina Simone-like song performed in an abandoned cathedral in space in Love Is Blindness? And how fantastic is Edge's heavy, swaying almost weeping solo here...

Then there's Zooropa: ??? Numb, Lemon, Crashed Car, The Wanderer, Zooropa (the song)! Again, U2 NOT sounding like classic U2 and sounding completely reinvented mostly because Flood was at the buttons...

And like the album or not: POP was again a great achievement by giving the classic U2 sound a great kickin'! Discotheque, MOFO, etc..

My point is: Flood is a master in creating fantastic new atmospheres in songs because he's a sound master! He can create sounds that really can make a band sound heavy.. and new! Enough examples of that.. I think when Flood would have been on board on NLOTH, and they let him have the same freedom and impact as they did on AB, Zooropa and POP, then this album would have suprised us even more... Whether you like it or not: Edge still sounds like "classic Edge" on 99% of the songs. Also I miss the experimentation they did on Larry, Adam and even on Bono's voice on the other more "daring and bold" albums...

I'm not talking about the intro's on NLOTH, but the songs as a whole. And in that case there's just too little:?what-the-hell? is this U2? Like we had in the 90's... And let's be honest: technically there's enough to play with nowadays. So much new invented stuff and gear to play with in the studio for producers and the band... just get Flood on board again and fuck-up the "classic U2 sound" again. Mostly kicking Edge out of his comfort zone! U2 sounding muddy, dirty, and experimental again!

 

[U2girl]

I say enough of the familiar faces for a while. No more Eno/Lanois/Lillywhite/Flood etc. and at least try something different with Rubin.

 

[Niceman]

I disagree with the criticism of NLOTH, but I'd love to see Flood work with them again. Maybe Eno-Lanois-Flood next time and skip Lillywhite?

 

[INSTCUWSUMVC]

I say enough of the familiar faces for a while. No more Eno/Lanois/Lillywhite/Flood etc. and at least try something different with Rubin.

 

[digitize]

There are only certain producers who will end up working well with U2. Eno is one. Lanois is one. Flood is one. Lillywhite is one. Rubin is not one; I really do not want to hear a U2 album where they go into the studio with the album pre-written.

I would love to see E/L/F on an album after SOA, though. Flood has done some great stuff with U2; he is the only reason why Bomb has some instrumentally interesting parts (see: Lapoe), he was a big force behind AB and Zooropa, and he was the main force behind Pop.

 

[cobl04]

I was going to suggest Phil Spector... but scheduling that would be pretty tough.

 

[purpleoscar]

I disagree with the criticism of NLOTH, but I'd love to see Flood work with them again. Maybe Eno-Lanois-Flood next time and skip Lillywhite?

Anyways you can't remove Eno and Lanois from the new album unless they scrap those 9 songs.

 

[ozeeko]

I always wondered why Depeche Mode never used Flood again. I know that SOFAD was a hard, frustrating record to make.

Flood is one of the best producers out there, in my opinion one of the all time best. I would love it if they used him again. He's a master at making a band sound edgy without forcing it.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

what if SOA is their last album?

 

[purpleoscar]

what if SOA is their last album?

I thought they would be 60 before their contract ends.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

The original post has convinced me that bringing back Flood would be a great move. We must arrange a plan to kidnap him ...

 

[powerhour24]

Rubin doesn't jive with U2, they need the familiar faces to goad them and push them out of their comfort zone, but also have the production sound great. Lanois and Eno love tooling around with U2, Rubin is a glorified recording engineer.

What I'd love after hearing NLOTH2 is for them to take a bunch of old outtakes and just jam, and finish them, self-produced, it doesn't have to be a whole new era for you, just a sort of comfortable retrospective creation, without worrying about perfection and being too timid in the process. This is post SOA of course, that project sounds awesome.

 

[solemole]

Rubin would make U2 sound flat IMHO. No ambience.

For straight rock - Brendan O'Brien
Something really different - Dangermouse -OR- Sitek of TVOTR

 

[Irishteen]

If U2 bring back Flood I'd hope it'd be to work with Eno and Lanois. Danny and Brian are such a huge part of U2's sound and have always driven them to make their best work, Flood could help but Flood solo...maybe not

 

[Salome]

all U2 albums have a fairly distinct sound
if U2 doesn't sound "dirty" then this is because they don't look for that sound on that record
should they decide to dirty up their sound they might get Flood back in
but I don't think (based on POP) they can expand on the sound they've already done with Flood

I feel they should just work with Eno/Lanois
if they have to go for someone else then I'd prefer someone completely new to the band
I would be interested to see them working with T Bone Burnett or Stephen Hague (perhaps Ethan Johns )

 

[bathiu]

Maybe it's too late for Songs Of Ascent, but for the next album I think they really should bring back Flood.

I think Eno is great and there's enough proof of that, but where as Eno can push U2 out of their comfortzone, on NLOTH he pulled them too much IN HIS comfortzone, I think...
Sure NLOTH is a great album with lot's of great songs on it but it lacks some kind of "unsuspected dirtyness" in which Flood is a master.
When you listen to an album like for example Songs Of Faith And Devotion by Depeche Mode one must really admit how great he was here in making a "mostly electronic band" sound dark, atmospheric, sweaty, heavy, etc..

NLOTH has great layered songs, very slick & tied produced (apart from the clipping in for example IGCIIDGCT) but it just doesn't like sweat, a cracked fingernail, sleepless nights, a slap in the face from someone or somewhere you didn't expect... I mean: Achtung Baby had that! Can you remember the first time you heard The Fly? Or Acrobat, Zoo Station, UTEOTW, the distorted wah-wah intro of Mysterious Ways ? The sound of a Nina Simone-like song performed in an abandoned cathedral in space in Love Is Blindness? And how fantastic is Edge's heavy, swaying almost weeping solo here...

Then there's Zooropa: ??? Numb, Lemon, Crashed Car, The Wanderer, Zooropa (the song)! Again, U2 NOT sounding like classic U2 and sounding completely reinvented mostly because Flood was at the buttons...

And like the album or not: POP was again a great achievement by giving the classic U2 sound a great kickin'! Discotheque, MOFO, etc..

My point is: Flood is a master in creating fantastic new atmospheres in songs because he's a sound master! He can create sounds that really can make a band sound heavy.. and new! Enough examples of that.. I think when Flood would have been on board on NLOTH, and they let him have the same freedom and impact as they did on AB, Zooropa and POP, then this album would have suprised us even more... Whether you like it or not: Edge still sounds like "classic Edge" on 99% of the songs. Also I miss the experimentation they did on Larry, Adam and even on Bono's voice on the other more "daring and bold" albums...

I'm not talking about the intro's on NLOTH, but the songs as a whole. And in that case there's just too little:?what-the-hell? is this U2? Like we had in the 90's... And let's be honest: technically there's enough to play with nowadays. So much new invented stuff and gear to play with in the studio for producers and the band... just get Flood on board again and fuck-up the "classic U2 sound" again. Mostly kicking Edge out of his comfort zone! U2 sounding muddy, dirty, and experimental again!

remember his last song with U2 is COBL (for the album version)

 

[onyourkneesboy]

remember his last song with U2 is COBL (for the album version)

I agree with you on that! That song+mix is a disgrace!! The guy obviously had a real off-day on that song...

 

[zoopop]

Nigel Godrich or bring in Doves

 

[An Cat Gav]

Nigel Godrich or bring in Doves

Godrich is a good shout.
Definitely don't want Rubin, at least not for another ten years or when Bono does a solo album aged 70.

 

[powerhour24]

or bring in Doves

Doves producing U2? I don't think I could handle that sonic awesomeness.

 

[Joey788]

Nigel Godrich

I second this. He'll definitely push U2 even more outside their comfort zone than Flood or Eno do.

 

[purpleoscar]

Definitely don't want Rubin, at least not for another ten years or when Bono does a solo album aged 70.

 

[Rich79]

Agree with this thread 100%. Flood was a master at bringing us a truly new and fresh U2 that was also very dark and heavy. I think his influence was behind a majority of the songs that make a case against critics who say U2 isn't a "rock" band.

As much as I love Eno, NLOTH features too much of him in some kind of a "cheerful, gospel-ish, I don't know what to call it" kind of mood. Plus, I think the band was kind of working against him a little too much. And yes, please please please someone get the Edge moving outside of the box again! I can't just say the production team is solely responsible for what I don't like about NLOTH, but getting Flood back on board would be a good, much-needed kick in the pants for the band. Enough jangly, delayed guitar. Enough songs about the human spirit triumphing in hard times; I need the desperation of POP, the depth of those kinds of songs and lyrics. Everyone needs to take a lesson from Adam Clayton, for he seems to be the only one in this outfit venturing to new places musically and every album shows he is improving with age.

Also, I think I could probably dig them doing without Lillywhite on the next one, too.

 

[ozeeko]

Agree with this thread 100%. Flood was a master at bringing us a truly new and fresh U2 that was also very dark and heavy. I think his influence was behind a majority of the songs that make a case against critics who say U2 isn't a "rock" band.

As much as I love Eno, NLOTH features too much of him in some kind of a "cheerful, gospel-ish, I don't know what to call it" kind of mood. Plus, I think the band was kind of working against him a little too much. And yes, please please please someone get the Edge moving outside of the box again! I can't just say the production team is solely responsible for what I don't like about NLOTH, but getting Flood back on board would be a good, much-needed kick in the pants for the band. Enough jangly, delayed guitar. Enough songs about the human spirit triumphing in hard times; I need the desperation of POP, the depth of those kinds of songs and lyrics. Everyone needs to take a lesson from Adam Clayton, for he seems to be the only one in this outfit venturing to new places musically and every album shows he is improving with age.

Also, I think I could probably dig them doing without Lillywhite on the next one, too.

I really agree with you about "enough songs about the human spirit triumphing in hard times". 100 percent agree! I think that is the sole thing thats turning me off these days concerning the band, is the obligation to be Saviors and write these types of songs. Enough already! The human race is fucked! Write about that instead.

 

[Iskra]

I want them to work with someone that pushed them back into a creative unsafe zone.

 

[powerhour24]

I really agree with you about "enough songs about the human spirit triumphing in hard times". 100 percent agree! I think that is the sole thing thats turning me off these days concerning the band, is the obligation to be Saviors and write these types of songs. Enough already! The human race is fucked! Write about that instead.

Um, that's always been their focus. And I think a lot of NLOTH talks about being brave enough to see the good in spite of the dark. Its not being out of touch optimistic, but not despairing either. I love some of their darker songs, but U2 is all about emotional uplift in the end, a whole album of negativity would make me wonder what happened to them. AB was being cynical about how the world and their lives had changed, while also embracing the new. They're never abject.

 

[ozeeko]

Um, that's always been their focus. And I think a lot of NLOTH talks about being brave enough to see the good in spite of the dark. Its not being out of touch optimistic, but not despairing either. I love some of their darker songs, but U2 is all about emotional uplift in the end, a whole album of negativity would make me wonder what happened to them. AB was being cynical about how the world and their lives had changed, while also embracing the new. They're never abject.

U2 aren't the darkest band in the world, obviously. I just think they're recent optimistic message songs sound really forced, and just tired and predictable at this point. Bono isn't writing about this theme in an interesting way, IMO. He's writing it in a "cliched post 2000's what we've come to expect from Bono" Bono way. Nothing new, nothing exciting. Just more of the same.

 

[Luc2]

Totally agree with the original poster in this thread...

....as even Bono himself said...

"after the Flood, all the colours came out..."

 

[monsieur fly]

A Rubin-produced album would be hideous- HTDAAB part 2. I can just hear Bono's screeching over "classic" Edge guitar. No thanks. I agree that Flood should return but alongside Eno and Lanois.

 

[monsieur fly]

U2 aren't the darkest band in the world, obviously. I just think they're recent optimistic message songs sound really forced, and just tired and predictable at this point. Bono isn't writing about this theme in an interesting way, IMO. He's writing it in a "cliched post 2000's what we've come to expect from Bono" Bono way. Nothing new, nothing exciting. Just more of the same.

I agree. I was horrified when Bono went on Jonathan Ross and started talking about the "joy" underpinning their greatest songs. Where is the joy on Please, Love Is Blindness, Miss Sarajevo, Acrobat, Exit, God part 2 etc? In fact I would argue that Bono is at his best when he isn't joyful or idealistic because his darkest lyrics seem the least cliched. I think that Cedars of Lebanon should be the template for Songs Of Ascent.