A Recipe: How To Assemble A Perfect U2 Record

[Clawgrabber]

STEP 1:
Get the big guns in for serious songwriting:

"Eno & Lanois join U2 for songwriting excercise

Bono and Larry have talked to U2.com about their work with Danny Lanois and Brian Eno in Fez, Morocco.

Lanois and Eno are known for their production work, but this time things are a little different as the two have joined the band to write songs, rather than produce. Says Larry: ‘It’s the first time we’ve worked with Brian and Dan in a purely songwriting capacity, so it’s very different, quite experimental and kind of liberating because of that…’ Here come the warm jets, anyone?

Bono is quick to add they don’t know where these songs will end up: ‘We have no plans for the music yet, we’re just going to make it until we can’t not put it out!’"

STEP 2:
Take finished product back to Rick Rubin and go nuts with rerecording / producing

STEP 3:
Launch a massive world tour with an enormous TV screen and play 11 of the 12 new songs every night because they are that good.

 

[Dorian Gray]

passengers 2.0!

 

[Snowlock]

passengers 2.0!

I'm most definately not one of those Eno/Lanois haters, but having them as part of the writing isn't doing anything for me.

I wonder how much material they're gonna have for this new release... A double album?

Sessions where B was taking piano lessons which lead to those 2006 beach clips

The Rubin sessions which gave birth to Saints and Windows

Eno & Lanois sessions.

It says to me either they are really on a roll or really unhappy with what they are producing. Probably won't know until U2byU2 II.

 

[kosull]

I think that this is one of the most interesting, inspiring things that they've done in a long long time. Eno's input previously was obviously large enough for him to complain about not getting songwriting credits, and Lanois has played on and broken the backs of enough songs, so why not introduce them from the start?

I have to put in a disclaimer though, and say that I'm a big Passengers fan, and a real fan of Talking Heads' work with Eno - Once in a Lifetime anyone? - so this could be influencing my enthusiasm.

Then again, I think we should just be positive that they're out there trying something different, being experimental and pushing the boundaries of what they can do again. It sounds kinda like they were bored of how things have panned out over the last while and needed a change a scene, so we'll have to see how the 2 weeks in Morocco influenced things.

Looks good though, and, to paraphrase John Mills, hopefully it'll be worth waiting for, whenever it comes out.

 

[LemonMelon]

I agree totally with the topic creator. I may not want this record to sound like ATYCLB II, but as long as the songs are great, I won't complain too much, and if they bring it to Rubin later, perhaps the sound would be different also. You can't lose.

 

[gman]

The Rubin sessions which gave birth to Saints and Windows

Well.....theres two reasons for binning Rubin before its too late!!

 

[LemonMelon]

Well.....theres two reasons for binning Rubin before its too late!!

Yes, let's can him for being involved with recording a song U2 didn't even write, and a thrown-together greatest hits-only song that was meant to be representative of U2's sound!

 

[Clawgrabber]

let's give Rubin a chance to show his stuff with the structure and flow of an entire album.

the guy that produced Stadium Arcadium has got to know a thing or two about album structure, which is something I think U2 needs help with as of late.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I think Edge already wrote something about the perfect record, and you didn't mention vinaigrette in your original post so I don't know what to think.

 

[AtomicBono]

I wonder how much material they're gonna have for this new release... A double album?

.

oh I wish Wouldn't it be great if they had a double album, one being along the vein of Windows/the beach clips, with maybe some more stripped down stuff, but generally more poppy, and the other being more experimental and/or heavier? Rubin could produce one and Eno/Lanois the other (or Rubin could produce both and Eno/Lanois could just help in songwriting) then everyone would be happy. unfortunatley U2's "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" attitude would likely get in the way of that.

i don't know if we need a tour with a massive TV screen but I'm all for it...I want U2 to come up with something really amazing for their next tour, like ZooTV/Popmart. though I can't complain about Vertigo tour. The light curtains were tight.

 

[gman]

Yes, let's can him for being involved with recording a song U2 didn't even write, and a thrown-together greatest hits-only song that was meant to be representative of U2's sound!

You fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows!

 

[Aygo]

I wonder how much material they're gonna have for this new release... A double album?

I wouldn't like to have a double album. A double album - and in the case of 00's U2 - would have too much fillers.
Instead, I'd love if these sessions could produce enough songs for a 12/13 song album and another 9/10 songs album 2 years later.

 

[PookaMacP]

Wouldn't it be great if they had a double album

Not on my opinion no.

I wouldn't like to have a double album. A double album - and in the case of 00's U2 - would have too much fillers.
Instead, I'd love if these sessions could produce enough songs for a 12/13 song album and another 9/10 songs album 2 years later.

This wouldn't be great either. Let's keep things short and sweet and thus keep the quality high. Think of all the great albums of all time, and how many have only around 9 or 10 tracks - max 11. (White Album apart - and even it has got a lot of filler in it.) Highway 61 Revisited (9 tracks), Sticky Fingers (10 tracks), Joshua Tree (11 tracks), Is This It (11 tracks), Born to Run (8 tracks), Kid A (10 tracks), etc, etc, right the way to Ys by Joanna Newsom, with only 5 tracks. (Ok I put Newsom in as an extreme but you get the point).

Releasing a second album a year later, akin to Amnesiac wouldn't work I think, because in that case why not use all the best material on one brilliant album, which would therefore make the second one not nearly as good. Again, see Amnesiac, which pales in comparison with Kid A.

Keep experimenting, keep pushing the boundaries, but also keep trimming the fat and keep it tight.

 

[U2opra]

I have a funny feeling with Rick Rubin, I don't know why but I have a feeling songs are just going to get more simple with him - if window in the skies is anything to go by. I would rather they went with Lanois and Eno for ambience. But hey, I'll wait and see.

 

[LMP]

oh I wish Wouldn't it be great if they had a double album, one being along the vein of Windows/the beach clips, with maybe some more stripped down stuff, but generally more poppy, and the other being more experimental and/or heavier? Rubin could produce one and Eno/Lanois the other (or Rubin could produce both and Eno/Lanois could just help in songwriting) then everyone would be happy. unfortunatley U2's "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" attitude would likely get in the way of that.

I would like for them to have a double album, too. Not every double album is like Stadium Arcadium, just look at The Wall.

I know The Wall was a concept album, but wouldn't it be cool if the band had really great tracks coupled with some Promenade-esque songs or some instrumental tracks?

I know I'd really dig that

 

[AtomicBono]

I know The Wall was a concept album, but wouldn't it be cool if the band had really great tracks coupled with some Promenade-esque songs or some instrumental tracks?

I know I'd really dig that

yeah that'd be awesome personally I'd love for U2 to have an album where each track flows perfectly into the next. It's not that hard; all they have to do is add little transitions at the beginning or end of songs. It wouldn't have to be a concept album even. It'd be a small touch that would make a big difference, for me, because the album would seem more complete and, well...album-ish (as opposed to the 'collection of songs' album theory)

 

[Pop Pius V]

My wishes for the next album can be boiled down to this. I'd like it to be an album that the Tucker Carlson's and the Diane Sawyers of the world don't get.

I've seen ATYCLB II referred to a lot on this board and I know exactly what you mean. I'm not looking for that either. HTDAAB seems like half ATYCLB II and half an album that really pushes the boundaries. I'd like an album made up entirely of the latter.

More Love and peace or else less sometimes you can't make it on your own.

I think that's what we're in for. I think that's what's gonna happen. I want them to reinvent the combustion quality of the band.

I love man and a woman, and miracle drug but gimme some more Mofo! I'm talking bout mofo, motherf*****! Yahoo!

What kind of name is Tucker anyways?

 

[Clawgrabber]

What kind of name is Tucker anyways?

I know! Tucker is the name of like a southern playwright or...

let's just say it doesn't surprise me that a guy named Tucker wears a bowtie.

back on track though, i hope you are right, Pop Pius IV. I hope the next record pushes some boundaries and makes newscasters on morning shows scratch their heads and thing "what the hell am i supposed to ask these musicians about... i didn't get this record at all"