ManOnTheMoon said:
In fact, if the album would be released in May, now we would know more about it and more about the tour, dont you think?
Absolutely not.
In June 2000, U2 were doing everything possible to hype the album many months before the album came out and even Edge admitted in a June 8th, 2000 online chat that the album wasnt done (make note that the album was out 4 months later)
In July 2000, U2 were still promoting and hyping the album thru the media and the initial reports for Beautiful Day and the album name were released thru U2 boards like this, not the bands actual announcement. The album followed 3 months later.
The single was online early but the single wasn't "released" until August 2000, 2 months before the album, this is very standard.
Ok, the point is. The hype and anticipation for this album is being generated by the band by NOT saying anything. This is very similar to Achtung Baby. It has no bearing on whether the album is done (its been reported that it is by more than one person close to the band), it has no bearing on when we will hear the first single. The single could feasibly come out in a few weeks and people would be saying (Holy Shit!!!!). That's the EXACT reaction they are loooking for.
In these days of quick coverage, internet fueled rumors, hype, propaganda, promotion blah blah blah. Even if U2 were still recording the album, had this been 2000, Bono would be talking about it. He has made several public appearances since he last mentioned the album. All he really has said is what it sounds like, not when it will come out. The band hasn't made any such prediction in months. (This is a good sign!!!)
They don't really want the mass media to know when it will come out until they can get people's attention by unleashing the single and video from basically out of nowhere, much like The Fly. They want the anticipation and the single to sell the album as well as make people interested.
From the standpoint of the band, they dont have to do anything right now. They don't have to say anything, they don't have to release anything. Once the album is done, th decisions are made about the details and once it's delivered to the record label, then you will hear all kinds of shit, because the label will want to hype the album because they want to make money.
U2 wants to keep people guessing, this is not similar to ATYCLB or maybe even POP, which was a clusterfuck in terms of promotion and such.
What I am saying is, that the reason we are not hearing anything is two-fold. For one, the band want the anticipation and hype itself to promote the album without them having to do so. They want to surprise us. The record label will hype the fucker up enough when they get the final product. The second reason is, there is esentially nothng to say at this point until the mastered album goes to the label.
When you hear something, you'll know that the album will follow there shortafter, if that's 2 months, 3 months or 4 months, it could be any and it still doesnt mean anything with respect to the album coming out in May or before or shortly after.
There would be no reason for Anton Corbijn to begin shooting possible album artwork back in November, or Dallas Schoo to say that he believes the album will be out in May, or Adam Clayton saying the album is cooked in December or 3 or 4 articles reporting that Bono said the album was done in December or Bono and Edge making public appearances since then and saying nothing or Neil McCormack saying spring, or Universal (the band label) projecting May, or slating a single for a soundtrack for a movie in July, there would be no reason for any of it if the album werent coming out "relatively" soon. How about the leak to U2Log, do you think that's just happenstance?
That could be April, May, June, July, I would not think any later at all but hearing nothing now means nothing essentially other than the album has not been delivered to the label. But that could happen at anytime. When it happens the album will follow. The truth is the album could come out in April, maybe even March (not likely) and we still would not have heard anything.
That is if you choose to believe that the band are following the Achtung Baby method of promotion. I believe that everything points in that direction. May 10/11 as I predicted before Axver did on the prediction thread.