Not likely.
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Not likely.
Well, working with a producer not coming out of rock for once might help get them creative again.
It's not silly since the last *new* sound they brought to U2 was ATYLCB. Despite the hype, NLOTH was nowhere near as a reinvention. NLOTH is basically, imo, what Bomb would be with Eno and Lanois at the helm. A little smarter/better vintage U2 record, but not really anything new. And not a cohesive album.
It's not silly since U2 needs to back away from the umpteenth rehash of the chimes and weak riffs. I think the producers are, as you say, at least as responsible for that.
They are capable of recording, certainly, without Eno and Lanois. So they needn't depend on them post All that... so much.
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
I wouldn't say that length is necessarily a bad thing altogether. Yeah, rescheduled tour dates and other things did get in the way of probably receiving a new album earlier than this. And even though they probably could have released something in the past year and a half, it's definitely not a sign of things to come either. Until we actually hear some music here, no one's going to have any insight on how this plays out.
Well, Bono definitely had a few clunkers back in the 80's and 90's too. And the more current stuff doesn't get the benefit of us growing up with certain songs and so on.
I get what you're trying to say there, but what are we supposed to have Edge do in the end? Come up with just bar chord riffs? Stop playing the higher and lighter strings altogether? Stop using effects pedals? Being innovative is one thing, but someone has to play guitar in the end, you know?
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Not coming out of rock? He's a lot more rock than Eno...
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Yep. I've said this a hundred times over the years.
But especially if the producer isn't writing with them. And the last time U2 did that (NLOTH) with E/L they went back and changed things. Based on what Eno and Lanois both said afterwards, I'd say they were very disappointed by what happened in the end (relative to the album they had made earlier on).
And the last time they wrote (to any significant degree) with a producer other than E/L it was Howie B and they did the same thing to him. Scaling back from the trip-hop styles more towards general rock.
I think producers can push the artist towards a sound.
But ultimately it is and will be entirely up to U2 what these albums sound like.
But especially if they've changed the creative direction mid-stream again.
Whatever happens on this next album, let's just hope THAT doesn't happen.
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I'm guessing...the only way that makes sense is to fit her special narrative that Eno and Lanois are now somehow bad for U2 and they are "rock", therefore anything away from them is a good thing and justifies itself.
Rachel D.
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Adam Ant thinks U2's habit of having huge gaps between albums is the way to do it and other bands should follow their lead:
Adam Ant urges bands to follow U2's lead
Isn't he the guy that spent some time in a mental hospital a while back?
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
How are the producers responsible for rehashes? Does Brian Eno break out a guitar and tell Edge what to play? Did the same Lanois that was miffed at what U2 ended up doing on NLOTH push them towards a sound that ending up making him miffed at them? Make some sense here.
It was Bono that talked Edge back into his "Coca-Cola riff" back in 2000.
Blame that on the band. It's their music and they have the ultimate say-so.
U2 have worked with 8 different producers over 4 albums - Howie B, Flood, Nellee Hooper, Eno, Lanois, Chris Thomas, Jacknife, Lillywhite - and not one of those 4 albums was "cohesive". Not one. They were all 'Best of' the eras.
Maybe it's just time to stop blaming the producers. And/or giving them that much credit for 'new sounds' that U2 end up moving away from anyhow.
U2 will either have the goods or they won't. Regardless of who is producing. What DM/Burton gives them - is a different and younger perspective. A fresher set of years. A jolt of confidence. And if they don't listen to him, it's not going to matter. They stopped listening to Eno and Lanois.
And the ONE time we know they listened to them on NLOTH was on Moment of Surrender, pretty much the universally accepted best song on NLOTH (not my fav, but the consensus) - when E/L told them to leave it the fuck alone.
The one piece of hard evidence we have - is that quite possibly, they should have listened MORE to Eno and Lanois on NLOTH. But I know that conflicts with your 'narrative', so I wonder why I bother even as I type these words.
TheEdge1987
Acrobat
I've got a feeling that Zane Lowe was talking about Kings of Leon
popacrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
It's widely irrelevant who Lowe was talking about. If Lowe was talking about U2, cool, if not, whatever, the album is going to come out in the fall anyway. The secrecy of his comments seems to fall in line with what U2 have been doing so far with Danger Mouse and this particular album, i.e. mostly silent, but again, whatever.
News should really pick up in June, July, August. Pretty much the calm before the storm right now.
News should really pick up in June, July, August. Pretty much the calm before the storm right now.
mama cass
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
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Nick66
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Spot on. Your observation about MOS is particularly salient. Whatever U2's problems are and have been, they certainly are not the fault of Eno or Lanois.
Indeed. I'd think after the embarrassing John Vanderslice fiasco, people would be a bit more circumspect regarding these "insiders" Tweets about the band.
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
Good gracious, no!
Edge's unique sounds in guitar playing with the effects boxes, tweking those he's been using, and keeps others as they are, and the higher chiming or sparkling sounds are a nmajor reason they are as sucessful as they are.
I still love the chiming and higher and lighter strings sounds.
Plus They have done so many kinds of sounds over 30 years I say they can still make excellent to superb music and songs by doing what they have done even without innovation. I like to love many of Bono's lyrics- yes even through the 00's.
I wonder if it's a matter of personal taste as to whether music fans want big changes each record or 2 vs those who enjoy subtler variations as well as big changes from time to time.
As for me who thinks NLOTH is a masterpiece (as well as JT & AB)- I didn't love, even really like a few songs (as with the other 2 I mentioned)- but I think what NLOTH's completeness is- is in it's variety of songs.
ANd "for the record"
I tthink Zooropa, POP & War are excelent. So I've loved alot of their chages over the decades.If they innovate well, that'd be great, too, but not totally necessary for me.
Personally, I have no problems with the "chimes" per se, just the uninspired phoned-in playing that Edge displayed on NLOTH. Cedars was probably the only track where he demonstrated some innovation. I don't think anyone is expecting Edge to radically shift from his recognisable minimalistic style, but he really was the weak(est) link on NLOTH. Eno ended up doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the better tracks, and I can't help but feel he was compensating for Edge's overwhelming blandness.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Completely disagree.
NLOTH was very new for Edge, new effects, totally different dynamic. Breathe was like ABOY but with some guts. Cedars as you mentioned and MOS / WAS were very cool, and again relatively new ground for Edge. The only 'phoned-in' songs I can point to are CT, GOYB and Magnificent, and even those had their creative / inspiring moments. I actually thought it was Larry if anyone that was phoning it in on NLOTH.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
I think people are mistaking innovation within the sphere of what has been done, and total reinvention. Edge has created some dynamic and complex sounds in his day, and I for one don't care if he camps there forever - as long as he gets innovative within that sphere. Of course the ultimate is that he builds new sounds, new textures and new dimensions to his music, but the building blocks have always been there, since Boy.
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
That's what I mean aout subtler variations VS a whole new innovation.
Ede phonimg it in on NLOTH?
nope.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I agree. Despite typical Interference criticism, this is stating the obvious.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
This is bullshit. The band was clearly interested in trying something different by recording in Morocco, even if the more heavily-influenced experiments didn't make it to the album. There's also the increase in group singing, chants, etc.
Fez, Cedars of Lebanon, Moment Of Surrender, even the vibe on Magnificent don't sound like anything from the two previous albums.
jeevey
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I loved the chant aspect, sort of a call and response. It was really put to brilliant use on Unknown Caller.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Yes. People complain about the lyrics but aside from the awkward "force quit" computer stuff, I think the verses are well-written. And I love the singing on that one. Musically it's stellar.
lov12113
The Fly
I agree with a lot of you. NLOTH did have a lot of innovative elements. Nothing sounded "phoned-in" to me (except possibly the album version of SUC and Crazy). Even the much maligned Boots fits much better on the album than as a single. U2 was trying some different stuff on NLOTH and you can really see that on a lot of the songs. There are a lot of tracks on NLOTH that do not sound much like ATYCLB or HTDAAB. I know people like to get snarky and criticize the album, but for me, it's still one of their best. As good as JT and AB? No. As good as some of their best that are not their two masterpieces? Hell, yes!
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
I think NLOTH sits perfectly as the final chapter of the trio of albums from the 00's. I know some hate the theory of U2 trilogies, but fact of the matter is there is some truth to it. NLOTH is to ATYCLB as War is to Boy, Rattle & Hum is to TUF, Pop is to Achtung Baby - they are the final expressions of creativity from the wave of invention created by the former albums. Time now for the next period of stylistic change, this era's Boy, TUF, AB or ATYCLB - something new.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
NLOTH is a great record, commercial aspects aside, that's nothing to do with the "quality". I think U2 were really going for innovation here but IMO they weren't going far enough. Also, Morrocco could have been a much greater and most of all: much more obvious and audible influence on that record. Still I love NLOTH though it has its weaknesses.
LemonMirrorSky
War Child
If the new album is not radically different from the last 3, then it either means that U2 have completely abandoned the trilogy theory or there never was one to start with. :/
I don't think that U2 ever consciously chose to have three trilogies of albums.
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