U2's Last Album?

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Miggy D

Miggy D

War Child
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Could HTDAAB be U2's final album? I remember Bono saying once that he didn't want to rock into his 50s and 60s like the Rolling Stones, and U2 is definitely not getting any younger. If this is indeed U2's best album (or one of its best), maybe they plan on going out on a high note. But then again, maybe they'll stick around and put out more albums into their grandfathering years. If that's the case:

Do you want them to?

I'm unsure about my feelings on this subject. On one hand, I love U2's music and new U2 music every four years would be great. But on the other hand, I hate seeing my idols grow old. (It's been depressing watching Harrison Ford over the last 7 or so years...he has really aged horribly since 1997) The selfish part of me wouldn't mind U2 playing until they die, but another part of me kind of wants U2 to go out with a bang, while they're still on top, and be remembered that way, instead of 65 year old rockers trying to recapture their youth ala Mick Jagger. Also, I'm afraid of Bono's voice might sound like 4 years from now, let alone 8. Some of the songs on POP and ATYCLB freaked me out, big time. Hearing Bono's voice, which was once so soaring and majestic, crack and fade away...well it's honestly one of the saddest/most depressing things ever. I am thankful for what Bono has given me over the last 20 years, but listening to Bono singing is somewhat akin to watching an elderly sprinter try and run as fast as he did when he was 20.

Where the heck am I going with this? I've no idea. In an ideal world, would you make this album U2's last?

-Mike
 
Well, maybe some people think it should be their last album and others think it shouldn't be.
I hope it's not thier last album :( cause this one is the first I get to celebrate the release of, and to make it the last kinda breaks my heart :( I don't like thinkin about this...
 
Actually, if you recall reading the brilliant interview by our wonderful staff here at Interference with U2 (Read it NOW if you haven't!), there is mention of another Best Of collection for 2000-2010. I am not sure of the tone of seriousness this part of the interview had, but personally, it comes off as a good sign of things to come. There was mention of Elevation and Walk On finding a good home on another "hits" collection. I would like to believe that U2 have an album or two to make before 2010.
 
To quote the interview: "That’s why the last LP was the crucial one, it sets us up for this one and another."

It seems to make sense that there would be another. The interview goes on to talk about a Best Of 2000-2010, which would really need one more album's worth of material. Furthermore, they'll have plenty of time after this upcoming tour to put out another album and have one final tour just as they turn 50.

This to me sounds like the logical plan, and seems to jive with what the interview says. Plus, they really don't seem ready for this to be the end quite yet :)
 
Personally, i do not think this will be their last album, i think it might be their best :wink: , but certainly not their last. bono did say , himself, that the band plans on continueing making music at least the rest of the decade...if the music is still good, which i don't really think will be a problem.

But, as to how long they WILL go on...who really knows, but this is my idea.

i don't think they would go on rocking into their 60s like the stones (GOd the stones piss me off these days) because that jsut wouldn't suit them. U2 has always been a band that changes with the times and with themselves. In another 10 or 20 years i picture them still making albums, but maybe much more mellow, acoustic albums or something like that. I mean, just look at the development and grow they've gone through THESE past 25 years, starting with Boy and now electricl Storm and Atomic Bomb. It's certainly a much more mature band. So in anohter 15 years i think they will be making music that 50-something year old musicians should be making..but then again, who knows.
 
Another interesting tidbit from the interview is this: "There will come a time when you won't see U2 that much. We would record less. I don't think that’s in the near future, though. We still have plenty to accomplish."

That seems to suggest that they may still record in a limited manner even after the album after HTDAAB.
 
it all depends on how the album is recieved and how the tour goes.

to speculate right now is pointless. start this thread a year from now and then we can discuss.
 
As long as HTDAAB does well, there will be another two albums and a Best Of. You can bet on it.
 
I really like what they did with Zooropa. Achtung (and the tour) was so successful and so inspiring that they had the freedom to - mid tour and 'out of cycle' - just put the noises in their head down and release it, with little regard for how it would come across commercially. In the immediate future I hope 'Atomic Bomb' is similar to Achtung in that regard. Gives them that much space that they can do something like that again (my favourite U2 is the U2 that has no regard for commercial success and just pushes their creativity). Then once the Atomic cycle is finished they can settle in to the next major LP, which I guess will be about 2007.
Anything other than that, well who's to say where the wind will take you, right?
 
Miggy D said:
I am thankful for what Bono has given me over the last 20 years, but listening to Bono singing is somewhat akin to watching an elderly sprinter try and run as fast as he did when he was 20.
Click to expand...
Bono still sounds incredible to me.

I think that he sang with a somewhat strained sounding voice in ATYCLB on purpose because it was part of the style that he was going for.

Oh, and the small bit that we can hear of him in the beachside Vertigo clip sounds absolutely incredible and back to his soaring style if you ask me...
 
I hope so! I tried listening to one of the beachside clips (All Because of You, I think), but it was such a crap recording I couldn't get past 10 seconds. But from those of you who have magical ears, I trust your judgement and I'm excited that it sounds great.
 
Miggy D said:
I hope so! I tried listening to one of the beachside clips (All Because of You, I think), but it was such a crap recording I couldn't get past 10 seconds. But from those of you who have magical ears, I trust your judgement and I'm excited that it sounds great.
Click to expand...

Magical ears? All you need are headphones.
 
1980-1990
Boy, October, War, UF, JT, RH(WAIA)
1990-2000
AB, Zooropa, Pop, ( Passengers)
2000-2010
ATYCLB, HTDAAB, One More and then hits

Man, looking back to 80-90 they put out alot of albums that decade, but I think they will put one more out after this, puit a hits, and then just release alot of box sets and things like that.
 
If you think about it, they could have finished and released HTDAAB in 2003 if they hadn't taken a year to make the Best Of 1990-2000. They could have released ATYCLB in late 1999 or early 2000 if they hadn't taken time to make the Best Of 1980-1990. This makes me think they still have it in them to make an album every three years, as long as there are no side projects in between. I think it's possible we could see two more albums within this decade, one in 2007 and one in 2010. They could then release the Best Of 2000-2010 around 2012, with a couple new tracks, like they did with ES and HTBA. After that, who knows?
 
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last album?? naaaa, not yet, they just 44 and 43, ain't no grandpas! there are still 15 years career:wink: .....you can play music until you die, with 80-90----------imagine them.........."U2 WORLD TOUR 2035-2036" wheeeeeeeeeee!! :wink: :wink: :wink:
 
I don't know.

I would say there will definitely be Dismantle, after that it seems they're going for a long tour ("next two years we will be all over the map" as the interview says), so if they tour into 2006, next album in 2008, the next Best of in 2010. After that, I wouldn't bet on anything.
I think Bono's voice will have a big role, if he will handle the touring well, that will be a good sign for their future.
 
U2girl said:
I would say there will definitely be Dismantle, after that it seems they're going for a long tour ("next two years we will be all over the map" as the interview says), so if they tour into 2006, next album in 2008, the next Best of in 2010. After that, I wouldn't bet on anything.
Click to expand...

Not so sure about that logic. They'd need to make two more albums after Hut Dab to have enough material for a Best Of. Let's say they make just this album and then another in 2008 and the Best Of has 14 tracks.

1-2: Elevation and Walk On (Although they've said this, I think they will think better of including Elevation)
3-4: Two new songs.
5-14: TEN spots for tracks off Hut Dab and 2008 Album. Five per CD.

Somehow, I think that's totally unreasonable. Hut Dab and 2008 Album would have to be the best albums ever made to provide five 'best of' tracks each.

My prediction in a worst case scenario;
2004 - Hut Dab
2005-6 - Hut Dab Tour
Early 2008 - 2008 Album
2008 - 2008 Tour, akin to Elevation
2010 - 2010 Album
2011 - 2011 Tour
2012 - Best Of 2000-2010
2013-14 - Farewell Tour

We have at least ten more years of U2, I believe.
 
You're very optimistic, I see. Two years between Dismantle-follow up and another album?

Well they had basically 3 albums on the last Best of (apart from two ATYCLB and two Passengers songs), I hope the next Best of will include Ground beneath her feet and Stateless.

The most succesful albums seem to provide 4 songs on Best of's. (the interview said Elevation and Walk on....again, they will skip In a little while and Kite)

I'm not sure U2 would make an album 2 years after a tour. (maybe Dismantle would have been out sooner if it wasn't for the Best of) Certainly not if they keep the 4 year span between albums. Unless they pull another Zooropa on us. Also keep in mind Bono's activist work.
 
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See, I think that the long gaps between albums can be quite easily explained away.

Zooropa --> Pop because of Passengers.
Pop --> ATYCLB because of the Best Of AND M$H.
ATYCLB --> HTDAAB because of the Best Of, to an extent. They have been slower on this one, but I suspect there was studio friction and it wasn't an easy album to make.

Yes, I do think we could see albums in 2008 and 2010. Stop and think about that one for a second - release an album early in 2008 and tour, a la Pop/Popmart, but don't tour into 2009. Spend 2009 and 2010 making the album and release it in November. That's two years to make it, which is most certainly achievable for U2.

Also, if you think I've only allowed for one year to make the 2008 album, I haven't. The HTDAAB will not be all of 2006. If it weren't for Zooropa, ZooTV would have ended much like Popmart. So if this tour is like that, that gives them most of 2006 and 2007 to make the early 2008 album.

I feel it's actually quite realistic.
 
I think the gaps are deliberate, as U2 is obviusly carefully planning and guiding their career.
(AFAIK Passengers took about as much to make as Zooropa, or even less, and I imagine MDH soundtrack wasn't very long in the making)

I know, but also think that Elevation tour was done in the span of 2001, and the follow up is only coming in two months or so.

I don't know that U2 would work so fast, even if all the tours would be as long as Elevation.
 
I'd have to agree with you, that U2 are carefully planning and guiding their career. They're at the stage where they can essentially do what they please, especially if HTDAAB is a massive hit, and I suppose speculation is pretty pointless. What U2 want to do, U2 will do.

I'd imagine the three biggest determining factors in their future will be how creative they feel, how Larry's wrists hold out, and, as you said, the state of Bono's voice. I think Larry's wrists are the biggest cause for concern.
 
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