Still in doubt?

[t8thgr8]

Bono said himself that hes been meeting and visiting african aid sites a lot in the past couple of months 'getting it out of the way' so that he can get back to the other members in June with a bunch of songs he's written after taking his piano lessons.

its not text, its him talking, telling you this.

also note how smooth his voice sounds in the interview.

its at u2.com

 

[ElectricalVoice]

But it's Bono talking ...

You're right. I guess they are up to something. It's nice to see that they are at least thinking about doing some more work in the studio. Edge is always working on something, so it's nice to hear that Bono finally are thinking about it also. I suspect he is the last of the four to get started.

 

[Axver]

But it's Bono talking ...

... and he's even less trustworthy than half of the politicians out there.

But still, this talk does give some room for optimism.

 

[ntalwar]

It has been around two years since the end of creative work for "Bomb", so it's probably a good time to start writing again. U2 tend to have a slow creative process these days. Part of it sometimes even involves putting a "finished" song on the shelf for a few months to a year and see how well it ages over that time, and rework it if needed, with the goal of producing a polished final product that is capable of winning Grammies.

 

[babyman]

I believe Bono as much like I believe in Santa Claus

 

[pgv]

I believe Bono as much like I believe in Santa Claus

but they have had alot of time on their hands with the postponement. maybe that 2006 album release bono spoke of in Q magazine last year will come true..

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

"we're ready to get back into the studio" usually means "we'll see you in 4 years"

 

[U2girl]

Hoping for something in 2007, personally.

 

[Axver]

"we're ready to get back into the studio" usually means "we'll see you in 4 years"

I just had an "oh SHIT" moment.

Now: band preparing to get back into the studio.
June/July: band in studio.
August: Bono - "the band is on fire, we really want to capture this moment in time. Sorry Australia ..."
March 2007: Edge - "we need to change producers ..."
November 2007: Adam - "actually, first guy was better ..."
June 2008: album finally finished.
Christmas 2008: album released. About this time, the Aussie dollar goes to shit.
2009: U2 tour North America, Europe, North America again.
2010: U2 on holiday.

 

[phillyfan26]

Actually if they really feel good about this, there's a chance (small - I'm not really believing this) that we could have a Zooropa-type scenario with an album mid-tour, in which U2 may actually schedule and extra leg or two after the Austrailia/New Zealand/Hawaii leg. Highly unlikely, but, hey, U2 likes to surprise you sometimes...

 

[U2girl]

Hoping for something in 2007, personally.

Unless, of course, they're making an EP to promote the remaining dates of this tour.

 

[RademR]

more chopping down of the Joshua Tree, eh Bono?

 

[zoopop]

Unless, of course, they're making an EP to promote the remaining dates of this tour.

Thats what I'm thinking. I really don't see U2 touring with an album over 2 years old.

 

[ntalwar]

I don't think they'll make an EP for several reasons:

- It's more risky to have an EP than not, and this is a safer U2 compared to the early 90s.
- Bomb just swept the Grammies, and putting out quick sub-Grammy material at this point doesn't make much sense.
- The remaining tour dates don't need promotion - they are already sold out. It was delayed due to special circumstance.
- When was the last time U2 released 3 products at the same time? They already have the book and DVD scheduled. A 3rd product would cannibalize sales from the other 2.

 

[babyman]

I actally laughed my ass off when Bono stated: "I'm taking piano lessons, everytime when I get back home I write a new song.........."

Is he learning the notes?
Probably his songs might be:

C
D
D (Remix)
E
CDE!!!! (The ultimate masterpiece!)

 

[the tourist]

I heard Bono wrote the most magnificent and prolific piano song ever, and when he played it for The Edge, Edge began to laugh. Bono, offended by this, asked "Why are you laughing?" to which Edge replied, "You learned how to play Mary Had A Little Lamb?"

 

[t8thgr8]

I don't think they'll make an EP for several reasons:

- It's more risky to have an EP than not, and this is a safer U2 compared to the early 90s.
- Bomb just swept the Grammies, and putting out quick sub-Grammy material at this point doesn't make much sense.
- The remaining tour dates don't need promotion - they are already sold out. It was delayed due to special circumstance.
- When was the last time U2 released 3 products at the same time? They already have the book and DVD scheduled. A 3rd product would cannibalize sales from the other 2.

*fuck an ep

*if its quick it means its sub grammy material?? by U2?! Keep in mind theyve had some of these songs sitting around for 2 years. Write some new quick sub grammy songs and theres your lp. Nobodys expecting them to put out an album of the year so quick, theres nothing to lose.

*They might be sold out and im sure theyll stay that way but what if they want to extend the tour? U2 will have had over half a year to rest up, Im sure they could and would want to extend the tour. This is what they do for food and fun. Why not? Africa? maybe Bono is realizing that the more he stays active in his day job the more fulfulling the night one becomes.

*Why would it cannabilize the other products???? Its 3 completely different media. I could see if they released an album, an ep and a vertigo oakenfold remix single on the same day that one of em aint getting picked up but i can only imagine that having a new record out would only increase u2 hype and help the other's sales. Especially ifs its an 'otherness' type of style this time around. Wouldnt a U2 book by U2 reach higher sales if U2 was highly active?


***Whos gonna say ' well damn, i was gonna get that zoo tv but then theres that album they just put out... i wont have enough for the book. right....

 

[the tourist]

*fuck an ep

*if its quick it means its sub grammy material?? by U2?! Keep in mind theyve had some of these songs sitting around for 2 years. Write some new quick sub grammy songs and theres your lp. Nobodys expecting them to put out an album of the year so quick, theres nothing to lose.

*They might be sold out and im sure theyll stay that way but what if they want to extend the tour? U2 will have had over half a year to rest up, Im sure they could and would want to extend the tour. This is what they do for food and fun. Why not? Africa? maybe Bono is realizing that the more he stays active in his day job the more fulfulling the night one becomes.

*Why would it cannabilize the other products???? Its 3 completely different media. I could see if they released an album, an ep and a vertigo oakenfold remix single on the same day that one of em aint getting picked up but i can only imagine that having a new record out would only increase u2 hype and help the other's sales. Especially ifs its an 'otherness' type of style this time around. Wouldnt a U2 book by U2 reach higher sales if U2 was highly active?


***Whos gonna say ' well damn, i was gonna get that zoo tv but then theres that album they just put out... i wont have enough for the book. right....

I agree with everything stated here.

 

[Axver]

- The remaining tour dates don't need promotion - they are already sold out. It was delayed due to special circumstance.

1. Extra dates? I mean, if my "oh SHIT" moment of earlier this thread doesn't come to pass, it would then seem to me to make more sense to schedule extra dates, in order to make some profit from them and recoup some of the huge losses they've likely incurred from this cancellation. I'm pretty sure that they could sell out a date in Perth, possibly Wellington, and maybe extra dates in cities they're already playing - especially if they had an EP or album to promote it.
2. No, they aren't actually sold out. I believe Adelaide had just had a very sizeable ticket drop just before the cancellation, and even if every ticket is currently sold, people will be allowed to return their tickets for a refund if they like. I know I will almost certainly have to do this if any dates clash with my university exams. Can we predict how many other people will want refunds?

 

[AtomicBono]

*fuck an ep

*if its quick it means its sub grammy material?? by U2?! Keep in mind theyve had some of these songs sitting around for 2 years. Write some new quick sub grammy songs and theres your lp. Nobodys expecting them to put out an album of the year so quick, theres nothing to lose.

*They might be sold out and im sure theyll stay that way but what if they want to extend the tour? U2 will have had over half a year to rest up, Im sure they could and would want to extend the tour. This is what they do for food and fun. Why not? Africa? maybe Bono is realizing that the more he stays active in his day job the more fulfulling the night one becomes.

*Why would it cannabilize the other products???? Its 3 completely different media. I could see if they released an album, an ep and a vertigo oakenfold remix single on the same day that one of em aint getting picked up but i can only imagine that having a new record out would only increase u2 hype and help the other's sales. Especially ifs its an 'otherness' type of style this time around. Wouldnt a U2 book by U2 reach higher sales if U2 was highly active?


***Whos gonna say ' well damn, i was gonna get that zoo tv but then theres that album they just put out... i wont have enough for the book. right....

I actually agree with this...especially your last point about the different media. If U2 releases a new album, I'm gonna guess that sales for a U2 book or DVD would increase, because U2 would be in the spotlight.

U2 have to be careful though. They haven't been out of the spotlight for that long, and Bono's still all over the news. They might want to "disappear" for a bit before they come out with a new album so people won't be sick of them. But in the end I think it comes down to the kind of music they're making. If they're doing something new and different, they could come out with it at any time. If the songs they're making are in the same vein as HTDAAB, people might be a little more reluctant to buy into it.

It would be nice if U2 released an album only two years after their last one. The four-years-between-albums thing is becoming old. Or maybe they could stop waiting til holiday season to release albums. How about spring 2007? I think that's plausible. Do the cancelled dates in December or whatever, maybe add a few, and test a few new songs as a special treat to the fans who hardly ever even get to see U2. It'd be exciting. Then release an album in spring 2007 - March maybe? - take a couple months off for rehearsal, then tour the rest of the year.

I don't know. I just don't want U2 to stick to this same four years between albums, holiday season album release, tour the next year formula.

 

[Axver]

U2 have to be careful though. They haven't been out of the spotlight for that long, and Bono's still all over the news. They might want to "disappear" for a bit before they come out with a new album so people won't be sick of them. But in the end I think it comes down to the kind of music they're making. If they're doing something new and different, they could come out with it at any time. If the songs they're making are in the same vein as HTDAAB, people might be a little more reluctant to buy into it.

See, I think this "need to be out of the spotlight" idea is one of the most ridiculous I have ever heard. Shouldn't U2 make the music they want to make and release it when they want to release it? If people like it, they'll buy it; if they don't, they won't. Seeing Bono on the news is doubtful to have any serious impact on that. If anything, it's free promotion.

U2 needs to stop over-thinking things, worrying about media exposure, trying to win Grammy's, etc., and just make the damn music they feel like making. Who cares if only 20 people buy the album, if it's what they wanted to make and what satisfied them personally and creatively?

 

[ntalwar]

*if its quick it means its sub grammy material?? by U2?! Keep in mind theyve had some of these songs sitting around for 2 years.

They are U2, not gods.

Write some new quick sub grammy songs and theres your lp. Nobodys expecting them to put out an album of the year so quick, theres nothing to lose.

Nobody except maybe themselves. They have standards and egos too.

*They might be sold out and im sure theyll stay that way but what if they want to extend the tour? U2 will have had over half a year to rest up, Im sure they could and would want to extend the tour. This is what they do for food and fun. Why not? Africa? maybe Bono is realizing that the more he stays active in his day job the more fulfulling the night one becomes.

It's still the Vertigo Tour. New material makes it something else.

*Why would it cannabilize the other products???? Its 3 completely different media. I could see if they released an album, an ep and a vertigo oakenfold remix single on the same day that one of em aint getting picked up but i can only imagine that having a new record out would only increase u2 hype and help the other's sales. Especially ifs its an 'otherness' type of style this time around. Wouldnt a U2 book by U2 reach higher sales if U2 was highly active?

Some U2 fans have a limited budget, believe it or not. Plus, there is a thing called "U2 overload".

 

[Axver]

It's still the Vertigo Tour. New material makes it something else.

... er, what? ZooTV stayed ZooTV after Zooropa's release. The set just changed a bit. Still the same stage, personas, concepts, etc.

 

[ntalwar]

... er, what? ZooTV stayed ZooTV after Zooropa's release. The set just changed a bit. Still the same stage, personas, concepts, etc.

Sure - I've seen it called "ZooTV - Zooropa Leg" or whatever.
In this case, it becomes V4-"new album".

 

[pgv]

Some U2 fans have a limited budget, believe it or not. Plus, there is a thing called "U2 overload".

I totally disagree with that - most fans wait ages for them to release something (a book, a dvd..) and they don't that often. If they are going to release a few things at once i'm not going to think 'i wont buy all three..thats too much' and i doubt many people would do that either.

 

[ntalwar]

I totally disagree with that - most fans wait ages for them to release something (a book, a dvd..) and they don't that often. If they are going to release a few things at once i'm not going to think 'i wont buy all three..thats too much' and i doubt many people would do that either.

Most hardcore fans like the ones here will buy all 3. But those are not the bulk of U2 sales. I don't see why U2 would release an LP for a handful of tour dates, especially when it resulted in a poor selling LP before. Most casual U2 fans have never even heard of Zooropa. An LP deserves a proper, full tour to go along with it. And U2 has released either a CD or DVD roughly yearly this decade.

 

[pgv]

Most hardcore fans like the ones here will buy all 3. But those are not the bulk of U2 sales. I don't see why U2 would release an LP for a handful of tour dates, especially when it resulted in a poor selling LP before. Most casual U2 fans have never even heard of Zooropa. An LP deserves a proper, full tour to go along with it. And U2 has released either a CD or DVD roughly yearly this decade.

u2 are so big now i think they would release something soley on the basis of it being good and not about how many records it will sell. So if they come up with an LP that isn't so much filled with singles but being great on the whole (like zooropa was) i think they would do it.

 

[ntalwar]

U2 rarely, if ever, release a CD and a DVD/video in the same calendar year. So, I am going partially by history here.

 

[Axver]

Sure - I've seen it called "ZooTV - Zooropa Leg" or whatever.
In this case, it becomes V4-"new album".

... what?

Here's ZooTV's schedule:

ZooTV Leg 1
ZooTV Leg 2
ZooTV Leg 3: Outside Broadcast
ZooTV Leg 4: Zooropa
ZooTV Leg 5: Zoomerang

Now, maybe you do, but I certainly don't have any albums called Outside Broadcast or Zoomerang. That's just the name given to the leg. The Zooropa leg started a month before Zooropa was even released and had a setlist essentially identical to the prior legs. It was called the Zooropa Leg because it was in EUROPE.

If you watch the Sydney video, the stage clearly says ZooTV. It's not a new tour. No rule says new EP/album = new tour.

 

[ntalwar]

If you watch the Sydney video, the stage clearly says ZooTV. It's not a new tour. No rule says new EP/album = new tour.

I agree, but U2 are more business savvy these days. They release materials for the holidays and release CDs and DVDs in different years. Bono has cited the poor timing of Pop's release and its tour in the past. The two worst sellers in U2's LP catalog are Zooropa and Pop. They have learned from past experiences IMO.