Political or Africa album?

[U2girl]

Anyone think these might be the two options for the next "more than the sum of its parts" album? (provided they get inspired again)

9/11, freedom vs safety, Guantanamo, growing fear of terrorism... these could be starting points to a political album.

On the other hand, why not an album centered on injustices in Africa? Maybe try to include some African sounds/record in Africa to get inspired. Considering the time Bono spends there, some lyrics are bound to get inspired by that.

Speaking of lyrics, it's time Bono got the full time credits again IMO.

 

[doubleU]

On the other hand, why not an album centered on injustices in Africa? Maybe try to include some African sounds/record in Africa to get inspired. Considering the time Bono spends there, some lyrics are bound to get inspired by that.

Doubt it. I'm sure some of that may sink into the album, but it's too limiting for a theme.

Speaking of lyrics, it's time Bono got the full time credits again IMO.

Um, he has ever since after Pop.

 

[Chizip]

he about just a straight rock album followed by a rock tour without any politics?

that would definitely be u2 experimenting something new

and maybe that could mean no more bullet on the next tour

 

[doubleU]

he about just a straight rock album followed by a rock tour without any politics?

Eh, boring.

 

[MumblingBono]

1. (Stop) The Poverty
2. Streets Still Aren't Named
3. What Is The Local Drink?
4. Look At My Multicolored Robe
5. Mercy
6. East And West Of The Nile
7. I Cry Every Time I See That
8. Kneel, My Love
9. My, Oh My
10. The Khat Song
11. IMF
12. Letter To Theroux

 

[RademR]

he about just a straight rock album followed by a rock tour without any politics?

My love for u2 would shoot up to an all time high if the band actually convinced Bono to do this.

u know it would take some serious convincing

 

[U2girl]

Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

Um, he has ever since after Pop.

Stuck, Kite, When I look at the world, Vertigo, Love and peace or else and Yahweh were co-written by Edge.

 

[doubleU]

Re: Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

Vertigo, Love and peace or else and Yahweh were co-written by Edge.

Looking back you are right, it's interesting how Bomb credits Edge on these songs but on the back page it gives all credit to Bono.

 

[yolland]

Is Bono wronged somehow when Edge co-writes lyrics with him?

 

[jacobus]

i would like to listen to an angry ROCK album with some statements about all the hypocracy in politics and society...a great FOAD statement for all the politician criminals in the whole world...
i hope you all know what FOAD means?

 

[guill]

[On the other hand, why not an album centered on injustices in Africa? Maybe try to include some African sounds/record in Africa to get inspired. Considering the time Bono spends there, some lyrics are bound to get inspired by that.

Of course not, i imagine people's reaction : "Bono ? Oh yes, he makes millions of dollars with his record dedicated to poor people, what an hypocrit "
It could be a terrible mistake.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I've said this a few times before, but....

Bono is in a really interesting place. A truly very unique place in our world, and kinda in history really, certainly pop culture history for our generation.

What I'd like to hear from him doesn't necessarily have to be political, or 'Africa', but I'd like to hear more about where he is at. Not soundbites that we've heard a dozen times before in interviews, and not using the songs as an extension of the campaign. I want a song written truly when he has doubts about whether it can be done, or whether the human spirit is strong enough to get it done. I want to hear how he really feels on days when he feels like he is literally on the verge of breaking through and acheiving something amazing. Not the toned down lyrics that we get, the extension of the Oprah interview. I'm sure among friends he explains himself and his feelings on these subjects in a far more eloquent and intelligent way, and I hope he feels he can write the lyrics that way.

We read, see and hear the interviews, the speeches, the campaigning. Leave that there. With U2, give us the diary, the feeling at 2am after you've spent the day lobbying a US president and the night entertaining 20,000 of your closest friends. What does that feel like? Where's your head at?

I think Bono has been handed some of the most amazing subject matter. Something really truly both interesting and just so full of incredible emotions most of us will all experience in personal ways, but not with the weight of such universal proportions. It would be a real shame if this incredible time in his life passes, and we listen back in 25 years and a song in the veign of Crumbs is the only expression we have (and thats not a comment on good/bad in regards to Crumbs).

Don't make U2 just a mouthpiece for the campaign, make it the honest diary of a man in the middle of history.

 

[guill]

He started his "African campaign" only a few years ago, he has already written Crumbs, 46664, Miracle Drug (imo it's about AIDS)organized a concert in South-Africa, there is the African segment during concerts, the influence of his work is already here but i think that Bono is afraid to be too direct, to look pompous and pretentious again.
But yes it would be very interesting if he could describe "the feeling at 2am after you've spent the day lobbying a US president and the night entertaining 20,000 of your closest friends. What does that feel like? Where's your head at?", Bono and U2 managed to deal with that kind of feelings during the ZOOTV era or even before, they have always lived with contradictions (being a Christian in a rock band, the post Joshua Tree era, the Zootv) and made songs with them.
ATYCLB and HTDAAB are very personnal, they offer a good picture of Bono, of his doubts, both albums are great diaries. HTDAAB is great from this point of view, you can find Bono the husband, the activist, the party guy, the father, the man in his mid-40's, the religious and the son. The death of his father has occulted his African work, he needed to exorcize it. Now he seems to be OK with his father so i think that Africa will have a bigger room in the next record. I don't expect "direct" lyrics but something very subtle, little details rather than dangerous big statements.
It's risky, Bono can do it, but he will have to be an acrobat

Speculations

 

[Canadiens1131]

Neither of the two would be quite nice.

 

[powerhour24]

"My love for u2 would shoot up to an all time high if the band actually convinced Bono to do this."

Bono isn't the only one into politics in that band just because he's the face of it. I think it's ridiculous that people criticize him for it, he's gotten way more done in the past few years than any politician.

 

[powerhour24]

As much as I'm into the Africa cause it wouldn't be a good idea to write an entire album on one theme, that said if you're doing a very political album (ala War) it could definitely be one of the themes discussed.

 

[giant lemons...]

the album will be about the war in iraq, gas prices, and hurricane katrina.

 

[clifedge]

I hope neither.

 

[Sken]

The thing I really enjoyed about U2 was seeing the growth in themselves, both in the music and as musicians.

I enjoyed their progression from their straightforward tunes in their early albums to being able to paint landscapes with their lyrics and melodies.

Edge became better as a guitarist, Bono better as a lyricist, and they took further and more daring steps with AB, Zooropa and Pop.

I kinda feel, as I guess some do here that the creativeness and natural progression musically of the band is gone, or maybe just halted for the time being.

I'd like to think that they are at a point now where they can continue to go in directions they want to go and not have to worry about staying relevant or being in the spotlight. They are huge right now and I think people would welcome a ballsy album.

 

[guill]

9/11, freedom vs safety, Guantanamo, growing fear of terrorism... these could be starting points to a political album.

"When the music started to smolder, Bono grabbed a microphone. "He was awful," says Lillywhite. "The song was all about gun control — an extension of his political beliefs. Bono doesn't try that kind of thing much anymore, but when he does, you can feel the ambivalence from the band, and so can he. They want the rock star." Native Son was rewritten, stripped of politics and retitled Vertigo. Gradually, it emerged as the most rousing — and ironically, seemingly effortless — opener of U2's career. "


political album

 

[Utoo]

In a sense, I think that HTDAAB was a political/Africa album. Miracle Drug----Africa (even though originally not). Crumbs----Africa. LAPOE----Africa, Israel/Palestine, Iraq.

If you look at some of the shirts they sold on U2.com prior to the tour, they were pretty dark & a few could be seen as politically edgy (war-wise, anyway). I think that as the tour began, all of Bono's Africa work was kicking into high gear. i think that because of that, because he needed to schmooze with the pols for that stuff, the edgy "what the hell is going on" war-political stuff took a backseat. Miracle Drug became a speaking point during the shows, while Crumbs was barely played, and there was no political emphasis brought into LAPOE. The war stuff started coming in with Bullet, but not with any of the new stuff.

Basically, what I'm trying to say, is that I think HTDAAB had the Africa & war/political stuff in there...but it just wasn't plugged that way so much.

 

[U2girl]

I don't know, I view Bomb as the ultimate Bono-diary album.

Miracle Drug, while originally about a sick schoolfriend, could apply to his father, as well as AIDS/Africa.
Sometimes and One step closer are obviously connected to him, as is Crumbs.
A man and a woman being about his marriage, Original of the species I think started out being about his daughters before it was about Holly. (he called it "a song about all U2 girls")

Less directly linked to him, I think of all the members he is most outspoken about politics and faith, the two common themes in their music. (Yahweh and Love and peace) I see All because of you as being about his parents.

 

[the tourist]

The next U2 album will be about things such as the Sunday morning paper, dusty shoes in the attic, and free salads from Quizno's (with, of course, the purchase of one salad which costs equal to or more than the free sub, and also, of course, only with coupon!).

That said, no, I don't think it will be about Africa or politics.

 

[ozeeko]

Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

"When the music started to smolder, Bono grabbed a microphone. "He was awful," says Lillywhite. "The song was all about gun control — an extension of his political beliefs. Bono doesn't try that kind of thing much anymore, but when he does, you can feel the ambivalence from the band, and so can he. They want the rock star." Native Son was rewritten, stripped of politics and retitled Vertigo. Gradually, it emerged as the most rousing — and ironically, seemingly effortless — opener of U2's career. "


political album

This is key to U2's downfall IMO. The whole "rock star" angle. They didn't care about it in the 80's, they mocked it in the 90's...and now they actually believe in it!!! It's fucking bullshit and I wish Bono's bandmates would pick up a newspaper and invest an interest in the world outside their 4 chord safety zone.

 

[vaz02]

bring on a hip hop album with a fresh inspiration other than the normal drab people associate u2 with like politics. Im hoping for a album with catchy lyrics like fast cars and i bet that song was had a hip hop influence.

 

[Axver]

Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

"When the music started to smolder, Bono grabbed a microphone. "He was awful," says Lillywhite. "The song was all about gun control — an extension of his political beliefs. Bono doesn't try that kind of thing much anymore, but when he does, you can feel the ambivalence from the band, and so can he. They want the rock star." Native Son was rewritten, stripped of politics and retitled Vertigo. Gradually, it emerged as the most rousing — and ironically, seemingly effortless — opener of U2's career. "


political album

Wow, that quote is awful in so many ways.

Vertigo, U2's most rousing opener?

 

[ozeeko]

Re: Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

Wow, that quote is awful in so many ways.

Vertigo, U2's most rousing opener?

I know. What a steaming pile of horseshit. Their most rousing...why? Because it's the newest? Actually, it does start like it's gonna be rousing...right up until the "uno...dos...tres....ca-blow me!" comes in. Yea. I think Where The Streets or Zoo Station was a tad more rousing than this pseudo-rock song. Hell, the first song off Passengers was more rousing than this junk.

 

[Bono's shades]

Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

"When the music started to smolder, Bono grabbed a microphone. "He was awful," says Lillywhite. "The song was all about gun control — an extension of his political beliefs. Bono doesn't try that kind of thing much anymore, but when he does, you can feel the ambivalence from the band, and so can he. They want the rock star." Native Son was rewritten, stripped of politics and retitled Vertigo. Gradually, it emerged as the most rousing — and ironically, seemingly effortless — opener of U2's career. "

How sad to hear such total b.s. coming from a producer I admire so much. Can this be the same guy that produced the War album?

Native Son is 100 times the song Vertigo is.

I can't believe he's applauding the band for turning a song that actually means something into just another catchy rock song ready-made to promote iPods.

 

[U2girl]

Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

"When the music started to smolder, Bono grabbed a microphone. "He was awful," says Lillywhite. "The song was all about gun control — an extension of his political beliefs. Bono doesn't try that kind of thing much anymore, but when he does, you can feel the ambivalence from the band, and so can he. They want the rock star." Native Son was rewritten, stripped of politics and retitled Vertigo. Gradually, it emerged as the most rousing — and ironically, seemingly effortless — opener of U2's career. "

While I disagree about Vertigo being their most rousing opener, I can see his point.
Native son, compared to the likes of SBS, Bullet, even Please, doesn't come close to the best of U2's political songs (besides, he's at his best when he's writing about N. Ireland when it comes to politics). I somewhat agree that the band doesn't need even more politics from Bono in the studio, they need the rock star/musician back. The "missing leg of the 4 legged table" as Larry put it.

That said, I'd like to see more lyrics from his activism. I'm surprised we have only gotten Crumbs so far and he's been into it since...98? I think the corrupted globe could be an inspiration, just as the broken heart was in 1991.

 

[Utoo]

Re: Re: Re: Political or Africa album?

That said, I'd like to see more lyrics from his activism.

I dunno. I can't see too much coming from it without sounding like a charity song (i.e., Do They Know It's Christmas). For a political song, war is sexy. War/anti-war songs give you fire, rage (NYD, SBS, etc.). Starvation & malaria aren't sexy. Bono's acknowledged that many times. The only real fire that I see could be in a song about those things would be the sort of "you can help me but you're not" sentiment of Crumbs---and they've already gone that route. Maybe he could do something from the point of view of a starving/dying/diseased/whatever African person, sort of calling out "you've betrayed me, you won't help me," whatever.....but that'd pretty much be a cross between One and Crumbs.

I dunno. I just don't see much fire coming from a song about the work he's currently doing. And I definitely don't think it'd pass the Larry Test----it would sound too much like the image they tried to knock down with AB, or even too much like a Vertigo Tour Bono Speech set to music.

If it'd work, I'm all for it. I just don't see the potential for it to compare to songs like NYD, SBS, or Bullet.