Billboard.com: Bono Itching To Take U2 To The 'Next Level'

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Lemon95

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Billboard article

The article's text is below:


Bono Itching To Take U2 To The 'Next Level'

December 29, 2006, 12:45 PM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

With its monster-selling Vertigo tour complete, U2 is ready to reinvent itself, frontman Bono said during a BBC Radio interview earlier this week. "Our band has certainly reached the end of where we've been at for the last couple of albums," he said. "I want to see what else we can do with it, take it to the next level; I think that's what we've got to do."

Asked by interviewer Jo Whalley if that might mean a move away from rock'n'roll, Bono replied, "We're gonna continue to be a band, but maybe the rock will have to go; maybe the rock has to get a lot harder. But whatever it is, it's not gonna stay where it is."

He went on to reveal he'd like U2 to explore compositions featuring just voice and acoustic guitar. "I would like to do a couple of tunes in that direction, with just a lot of space around the voice," he said. "I'd like to strip things down; that's something I'd be very interested in at the moment."

U2 is expected to get busy in the studio after the New Year, with an eye on releasing a new album before the end of 2007. Bono said casual fans were the target for the recently released compilation "U218 Singles," which also includes two new songs.

"We've never been much of a singles band," he admitted. "But we did it because we have a very young audience coming through, and we wanted to, you know, just be very available for people who want to check us out, you know? We wanted to have something they could check us out very easy on."
 
He was doing well until the third paragraph. But still at least they are even thinking about reinventing themselves:drool:
 
same place they were on the a man and a woman single

this will be an album consisting purely of "fuck mullen" mixes :drool:
 
He went on to reveal he'd like U2 to explore compositions featuring just voice and acoustic guitar. "I would like to do a couple of tunes in that direction, with just a lot of space around the voice," he said. "I'd like to strip things down; that's something I'd be very interested in at the moment."

I guess WITS would be a poor indicator of where they're going.....
 
It's nice to see U2 continue to get press from those obviously eager for new material, but these Bono quotes, as everyone here knows, should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

No way the next album will be acoustic...it's not U2, I doubt Edge would permit it much less than Adam and Larry, who seem to wield their greatest influence in the studio at the beginning of this process where Bono is making these grandiose statements only to be brought back down to earth by Adam and Larry.

What I more concerned with is the choice of Rick Rubin as producer. Is he the right choice nowadays? He seems to have flattended the Chili Peppers, though I do quite admire the work he did with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers in the '90s.

My choice for next producer would be Nigel Godrich. He has done excellent work with Radiohead and Beck, and he produced the hell out of McCartney's last album, which was really solid.
 
atleast he is acknowledging that a change is necessary ....the last 2 albums were good, but it is time for a change, no need to remain stagnant :drool:
 
"Taking it to the next level" = The new "Edge is on fire"

Next quote:

On this next stripped back acoustic, Larry is really on FIRE, I mean, he is drumming like never before...it is like he ain't even in the room!
 
so interference wants the band to change, bono mentions change, interference explodes with negativity

same as usual i guess
 
I won't believe anything Bono says until I hear the album... and probably not even then. :)

I haven't been thrilled by the Chili Peppers since By The Way... when did Rubin produce for them?
 
Alisaura said:
I won't believe anything Bono says until I hear the album... and probably not even then. :)

I haven't been thrilled by the Chili Peppers since By The Way... when did Rubin produce for them?

He produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991 and By The Way in 2002 I believe.
 
Bones58 said:
He produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991 and By The Way in 2002 I believe.

Huh, I wouldn't call that "flattened"... I am cautiously optimistic about this partnership.
The RHCP singles I've heard since By The Way have sounded flat to me. :shrug:
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
:hmm: so if the edge rocking hard on the guitar is "edge on fire," what would be the edge on acoustic guitar? smoldering? steaming perhaps?

the edge is lukewarm

Strumerrific

or

Picktastic
 
Well, there goes Bono again. I'm cautiously optimistic though. Whatever Bono's talking about acoustic guitars and voice with lots of room, of hard rock or whatever, all that can be disregarded. The most and only important thing in these recent articles and interviews is the bands acknowledgement that they need to CHANGE. Wherever they go from here, as long as it's something new and different, I'll be happy. :D
 
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