Who here thinks U2's album is already finished?

[buzzkill27]

I was just curious...who here on this board really thinks the U2 album is actually finished? (recording...that is)

If Bono is actually to be believed about U2 writing 50 to 60 songs,is it possible the delay is figuring out what 11,12 or 13 songs to put on the album? ...for some reason(although I would love to see this) I don't think U2 is going to put out a double album.The Q magazine interview alluded to Edge "talking about trying to weave together a coherent collection of songs"
It is possible the supposed band disagreement that is holding the album up is just what songs to put on the album and what running order?

I'm not sure about the "we're still writing songs comment"

1.) If they've really written "50 to 60 songs" ...that is an enormous amount,you don't keep writing unless you're planning to put out 4 CD's of new music or something like that

2.) U2 from what I can see aren't in the studio...The Edge has been in Toronto and London...Bono has been in London and will be in New York later this month...Danny Lanois and Brian Eno are off doing their own things.

3.) The numerous amount of albums by semi-established to big name artists that were/are being released this fall...as someone said before U2 is bigger than any of them and I could never see any other artist affecting U2's sales but maybe there is truth to the fact that they want January to Feb. all to themselves,when all attention is on them and no one else.

4.) I know that HTDAAB was released in November 2004 but maybe this time U2 and management decided to really ramp up promotion for the album after the holidays not before...final mixing and mastering takes a little time so the article in the Irish Mirror could be correct about a January release.

 

[scottyT]

Fair enough.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Yeah, I don't get the feeling their busting their asses to put the finishing touches on an album that is 'the best they've ever released' at this point. My guess is they have finished all the major recording and are chasing a couple of ideas that have piqued some interest...wary of sitting down and listening to an album not all of them will agree upon.

Don't know for sure, pure speculation here....

 

[Utoo]

They're done. They're may be a couple of kinks, but on the most part, they're done.

 

[Phalanx]

I think your third point is the strongest. I read an article not long ago of the bands with releases this fall, and it's an impressive list. I even thought to myself that U2 is going to have a hard time competing in sales with that collection of artists with new CDs. Bono and Edge are arguably throwing out red herrings to distract us from that as one of the facts for the delays.

 

[mikal]

i pretty much agree with all of this.

 

[lancerla]

So many more albums are sold over the holidays than any other time. There's a reason they have been releasing records in November. If it was done, it would be out this year.

 

[U2DMfan]

Who is to say they won't record in October, November straight through all the way up to the holiday break? 8-10 weeks could produce a few more songs for sure.

They probably thought they'd be done, Eno and Lanois probably made appointments to be elsewhere at this time and won't be free again until later on.

I don't know, all I know is to not take the band's word as gospel.

 

[intedomine]

They've finished recording I reckon. They might be concerned and deliberating over the track order, and if they are delaying the album becuase they are so concerned about the tracklisting, than maybe they really are releasing an album album this time, as opposed to 11 songs kinda slapped together

 

[ndmaxfield]

I think the album is finished, but that Bono (giddy the album was finally completed) played a practical joke and shaved-off one of Edge's eyebrows (and Edge didn't want the one eyebrow air-brushed back onto his face for all of the promotional work)...so they're waiting a few months until it grows back. That's my latest theory about the delay.

 

[IrishDawg]

I'm almost positive that HTDAAB was finished by early summer of 2004. It's very possible that they are in the mixing stages of the new album.

 

[PowerSurge]

Hate to mention the obvious...but if it were indeed "finished" we'd have it THIS year.

That being said, it probably was "finished" but they got cold feet and second guessed the whole thing and pulled it back.

That way, they can overthink the finished product.

Hopefully they won't ruin the songs that were supposed to come out in 2008.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i think it's finished. but they might not be happy with what they have. what i would love is basically another achtung baby/zooropa thing, where they put the first album out now, then the other one somewhat shortly after. wishful thinking, though.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

I think they finished the album and didn't like the final result. Be prepared fro POP part II...

 

[bram]

I think point 1 is the weakest. We know that the "50-60 songs" really means nothing in light of the "100 songs" from ATYCLB. But overall, given the quality of songs apparent in the beach clips, I agree with your main point.

I also think U2 is at a point where anything less than a Number 1 album around the world (especially in the US) will be considered a failure. And they are old enough/far enough along where that could be tough for them to deal with. If they get knocked off the pedestal now (or are seen as having been knocked off) then there is pretty much no way they will ever get back there...no matter how good their future albums are. There are plenty of bands that release albums as good as U2's last couple and are relatively unknown. U2 is enormous but they won't always be. I think this is probably the last album where U2 can be looked at as (using Bono's phrase) "relevant". I think they want to maintain the status they re-achieved in 2000 with Beautiful Day for as long as possible...which is likely through 2011. After that the earliest we'd see an album/tour again would be 2015 and they'd all be around 55 years old. I think they did the math and realized that, no matter what, they may be up against forces much too large for them to overcome at that point.

 

[sue4u2]

This is a major corporate business decision.
Don't you think Paul and Bono and obviously the rest of U2 -have the necessary information on this free falling worldwide economy?
Maybe not exactly, but it won't be this year. They are hoping on next year.
I guess we all are.
anyway..
It's the economy, stupid..
(and that's not directed at anyone, just a quote from the past )

Oh and I really think they were finished with the album. But all things are subject to change.
(again, just my 2cents)

 

[buzzkill27]

Who is to say they won't record in October, November straight through all the way up to the holiday break? 8-10 weeks could produce a few more songs for sure.

They probably thought they'd be done, Eno and Lanois probably made appointments to be elsewhere at this time and won't be free again until later on.

I don't know, all I know is to not take the band's word as gospel.

We know they(U2) have been taking their time for the better part of 2 + years to record music for this album..as is their M.O....I have a hard time believing they are going to do a month to 2 months of rush recording in October and November for an album that is due in Jan./Feb.

 

[Niceman]

I think the album is done, but I don't think the delay is for fear of competition. I'm more likely to think it's due to a more personal issue. Perhaps someone's health, or any of a million reasons why they don't want to go into active promotion mode just yet. That's my theory....

 

[Pop Artist]

I think they were finished too. Maybe dragging their butts on the post-production work, and now maybe a tweak or two. But I think there may be grains of truth in the wanting to claim another #1 album, which is much easier to achieve January/February than in November, argument, as well as the argument that the economic situation is too volatile right now, people will be holding off on their discretionary spending. The economy may still be in the crapper come early 2009, but by then it'll probably have stabilized, tax refunds will come in, holiday commitments done and people will start making discretionary expenditures again.

One other theory...they want the songs to be fresher for the audience when they tour them. When you think about it, U2 is an exception rather than the rule - most bands start their tours simultaneously or shortly after releasing their albums. With the exception of Pop somewhat (although Pop really is a special case), U2's tours since AB have come 3-5 months after album release. I dunno, just a theory, but I do think that the album is "done" already.

 

[last unicorn]

Hopefully it's nothing personal like Niceman suggested. Of course it may be, but I hope it's something else. They might be ready or almost ready. Just because they are on a break now and we have already heard beach clips doesn't mean that the album is finished. There may be a tiny bit missing, who knows.

 

[bathiu]

I think they finished the album and didn't like the final result. Be prepared fro POP part II...

 

[shaun vox]

im sure the album is finished. they just dont want to release it this year. u2 are not a rock band anymore they are a business. money making business.
thank you. and they are just going to hype this album up more with the delay.
end result will be disappointment. having only 4 decent songs on an album.ex(atyclb and bomb) help us god.

 

[LemonMelon]

I don't know, all I know is to not take the band's word as gospel.

 

[U2girl]

No.
We wouldn't be getting the delay, and especially not the "we're still writing" talk from Bono and Edge.

 

[U2DMfan]

im sure the album is finished. they just dont want to release it this year. u2 are not a rock band anymore they are a business. money making business.
thank you. and they are just going to hype this album up more with the delay.
end result will be disappointment. having only 4 decent songs on an album.ex(atyclb and bomb) help us god.

Shaun, please dress up in your Bono garb, get in your bathtub and answer me this question.

What is the business motivation for skipping the Christmas shopping season?

And if you don't have your fly shades on and your rubber ducky, don't bother responding.

 

[U2DMfan]

We know they(U2) have been taking their time for the better part of 2 + years to record music for this album..as is their M.O....I have a hard time believing they are going to do a month to 2 months of rush recording in October and November for an album that is due in Jan./Feb.

I know what you mean but I think they fully intended to be done and then someone in the band pulled the escape hatch. The album wasn't voted as larry done mullen by the band jr.

So I guess the compromise was to record again but there is no forim release date even now.

Sadly, this thing could go back even further depending what happens.

I hope you're right, though, believe me.

 

[trucdfou]

i think half of the songs are 'ready' (or judged as, by some band members), the numbers witch Bono played again and again at Eze all summer long, and that some interferencer did record on his cellphone,
Cedars/Breathe/Get On Your Boots/Love is all that...(or whatever it is called)
+ MOS that the good people from u2achtung did hear as well on that beach

i think songs such as 'For Your Love' (the one with the Whole Lotta Love kinda riff on the U2.com clip) are not complete, or judged too 'rough' for a u2 release...it could be the case with the others that we don't heard of such as NLOTH with its 'death by audio' guitar effect

i think they won't have the time to polish the whole thing, unless some few overdubs here and here , nether to write nor record some other tunes...come on they would already be at HQ from now, which is obviously not the case

i see a POP like release, with the tour being scheduled before the album is finished (come on it IS the case, they are setting up tentative dates), it will be an unpolished product, and iam pretty happy with it, unless the mastering doesn't suck as much as Metallica 's Death Magnetic

 

[Rob33]

Shaun, please dress up in your Bono garb, get in your bathtub and answer me this question.

What is the business motivation for skipping the Christmas shopping season?

And if you don't have your fly shades on and your rubber ducky, don't bother responding.

That is a fucking excellent question....Shaun...answer this, please...I don't expect it to make any sense at all...but please, try to come up with an answer to this one.

 

[fren]

They don't finished it because Bono likes to PARTY!!!!

 

[Reead]

Shaun, please dress up in your Bono garb, get in your bathtub and answer me this question.

What is the business motivation for skipping the Christmas shopping season?

And if you don't have your fly shades on and your rubber ducky, don't bother responding.

This isn't even a question worth asking *certain* cynical people here. To them, U2 is always just "in it for the money". If they released the album in October/November, they "just wanted to make money from the Christmas season. Total sell-outs!" Now that they're likely releasing it in February/March, those same people are now saying that U2 "just want to avoid competing with other bands releasing albums before the Christmas season. Those ****ing sell-outs!"

It's a hopeless battle that will never be won. Certain people have grown up expecting the worst out of the world just to avoid any form of disappointment. It's a sad way to go about life.

There's also the other alternative: They get their kicks watching people like me try explain their unreasonable cynicism. As in, they're trolls.