Why do U2 take so long to make/release a new album ?
- Thread starter boystupidboy
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
tehyre lazy espesily bono!!! to busy with acrifa an bein fat and plus supamoodels 
I think what U2 should do on the next record is kind of what they did with Rattle & Hum -- when they almost went to work with completed, fully-written, songs.
Edge and Bono and bash the composition out at their houses, Larry and Adam can have a little run through over at Edge's on a Sunday, then the 4 of them and some nameless producer who can press "record" go into a studio and lay it down in about two days. Maybe two overdubs, maximum.
THAT's the way to make a rock album!
Edge and Bono and bash the composition out at their houses, Larry and Adam can have a little run through over at Edge's on a Sunday, then the 4 of them and some nameless producer who can press "record" go into a studio and lay it down in about two days. Maybe two overdubs, maximum.
THAT's the way to make a rock album!
Salome
you are what you is
i don't think they really have a reason to release albums more quickly
unless they'll stop touring i don't think their productivity will increase
unless they'll stop touring i don't think their productivity will increase
doctorwho
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Given your "location", I'm gonna chance it and say that Larry is a lot happier than you (and I'm happier than you too - see what I did there? I made a funny.
)Trouble is, it would take Edge and Bono 4 years to write those "complete" songs. So the amount of time is the same.
financeguy
ONE love, blood, life
Because they have long since lost interest in music, particularly and especially making music with each other.
Sometimes the obvious answers are the best.
Sometimes the obvious answers are the best.
doctorwho
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
yenlard
War Child
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its all about the lyrics............the music probably comes easy. its bono job to come up with some decent lyrics for the music. not always easy
SpaceBoy
War Child
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pluss thy r old,.. liek sevanty or eigty yrs now an slowr thenn they use 2 betehyre lazy espesily bono!!! to busy with acrifa an bein fat and plus supamoodels
Lemonfix
Refugee
Maybe. But then why not just break up? They could always reunite later for the big bucks.
Very few bands have found themselves in the situation U2 are in now; they're approaching their 50's, have a dozen kids between them, have other interests they're pursuing. Most bands go their separate ways (or have changed their line-ups multiple times, like the Rolling Stones) before they reach their mid 40's. The ones who do stick around don't usually put out albums that fans highly anticipate, like U2 does. Finally, U2 don't need the money, don't have to deal with a record company breathing down their necks, and probably don't care to see the same childhood friends 24/7. I think it makes total sense that they take so long between albums.
cdirani
War Child
Because they want to. It's up to them, not up to the fans. Simple as that.
bono_man2002
Blue Crack Addict
Because they like the hype?
Its another thing to take so long, if NLOTH 'bombs' it'll be another wasted 4 years. But Get On Your Boots, while its not lyrically mind blowing, musically, its fantastic!
Its another thing to take so long, if NLOTH 'bombs' it'll be another wasted 4 years. But Get On Your Boots, while its not lyrically mind blowing, musically, its fantastic!
Screwtape2
Blue Crack Addict
I think it is a combination of a lot of the things mentioned in this thread. The band has sort of hit legacy mode. They can't get much bigger so it is a matter of what they can add to the family of albums. Fear and perfectionism seem to delay these albums a lot.
angelordevil
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
U2®
The brand has become bigger than the band. But, I'm eternally hopeful that NLOTH will knock my socks off. Decidedly naive? Perhaps, but it has to be this way.
The brand has become bigger than the band. But, I'm eternally hopeful that NLOTH will knock my socks off. Decidedly naive? Perhaps, but it has to be this way.
They have long tours, and for good reason. As good as the albums are, a lot of us love their live performances even more.
They have families.
They are involved in a lot of causes and charities. The band actually has a life outside of music. And its a good thing; I firmly believe that one of the reason why they have the inspiration to keep writing music is because they are involved with the happenings in the current day and don't have their heads up their own asses as far as a lot of rock bands do 30 years into their career.
And yes, their albums are calculated. They have been for a long time. They like to listen to whats "in" and see how they can incorporate that into their music. They aren't afraid to abort a bad idea (early Achtung sessions, 2003 version of HTDAAB, scrapping the Rick Rubin material). And I do think that they wait for the right time to release an album. I don't think they'd want to release their album around the same time as a Killers or Coldplay album just because of the popularity (or lack thereof) of Rock music. All of 3 of those bands appeal to the same demographic and it would be optimal if their releases were spread out.
They have families.
They are involved in a lot of causes and charities. The band actually has a life outside of music. And its a good thing; I firmly believe that one of the reason why they have the inspiration to keep writing music is because they are involved with the happenings in the current day and don't have their heads up their own asses as far as a lot of rock bands do 30 years into their career.
And yes, their albums are calculated. They have been for a long time. They like to listen to whats "in" and see how they can incorporate that into their music. They aren't afraid to abort a bad idea (early Achtung sessions, 2003 version of HTDAAB, scrapping the Rick Rubin material). And I do think that they wait for the right time to release an album. I don't think they'd want to release their album around the same time as a Killers or Coldplay album just because of the popularity (or lack thereof) of Rock music. All of 3 of those bands appeal to the same demographic and it would be optimal if their releases were spread out.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
They don't. They don't take 4 years to make an album. That is a very misleading statement. They ONLY way one could think it takes U2 4 years to make an album is if one expects U2 to start making a new album the second they're done with the last one. You do not measure from the release of album A to the release of album B to measure how long it takes U2 to make an album. That is absurd. You measure from when they started making the new album to when the finished making the new album. Logical enough, yes? Now, we have no real way of knowing exactly when they started making the album that is going to be released in a couple weeks, but let's just say for the sake of a hypothetical that they start making the new album as soon as the tour for the last album is over. Let's start from the Zooropa-Pop transition.
ZooTV finishes in December 1993, Pop is released in March 1997 = 3 years, 3 months
Popmart finishes in March 1998, ATYCLB is released in October 2000 = 2 years, 7 months
Elevation Tour finishes December 2001, HTDAAB is released November 2004 = 2 years, 11 months
Vertigo Tour finishes in December 2006, NLOTH will be released March 2009 = 2 years, 3 months
U2 took less time to make this record than they did making the last three. And, in fact, ATYCLB and HTDAAB took less time to make than Pop did.
And this is assuming that they started making each album as soon as the previous tour ended, which is probably not the case, and this is not taking into consideration that each record, with the exception of Pop, was completed 1-2 months before release(even more than that for Bomb, if I recall), so those numbers above are realistically even smaller.
This complaint that people have about U2 taking SO long to make a record is based in false and inaccurate measurements.
The reason there's so much time between each batch of new U2 music is because they tour more than a lot of other bands do.
ZooTV finishes in December 1993, Pop is released in March 1997 = 3 years, 3 months
Popmart finishes in March 1998, ATYCLB is released in October 2000 = 2 years, 7 months
Elevation Tour finishes December 2001, HTDAAB is released November 2004 = 2 years, 11 months
Vertigo Tour finishes in December 2006, NLOTH will be released March 2009 = 2 years, 3 months
U2 took less time to make this record than they did making the last three. And, in fact, ATYCLB and HTDAAB took less time to make than Pop did.
And this is assuming that they started making each album as soon as the previous tour ended, which is probably not the case, and this is not taking into consideration that each record, with the exception of Pop, was completed 1-2 months before release(even more than that for Bomb, if I recall), so those numbers above are realistically even smaller.
This complaint that people have about U2 taking SO long to make a record is based in false and inaccurate measurements.
The reason there's so much time between each batch of new U2 music is because they tour more than a lot of other bands do.
Not to mention HMTMKMKM and the Larry/Adam time in New York. They weren't idle between Zoo TV and the Pop sessions.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
Which was taken into consideration when I said "And this is assuming that they started making each album as soon as the previous tour ended, which is probably not the case...so those numbers above are realistically even smaller." Passengers and HMTMKMKM and whatever else only means that Pop was made in even less time than the 3 years, 3 months I have posted, which only proves my point further.
Screwtape2
Blue Crack Addict
The thing is your statement is more misleading, namkcuR. It assumes they don't start writing until the end of each tour. There are songs that aren't finished from the last album sessions, soundchecks and songs they write on the road. That's a lot of material.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
That's probably all true, but I'd still bet that the bulk of a new record is made after the last tour ends.
because they can?
boystupidboy
Refugee
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Because they're old.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
Galeongirl
Galeonbroad
/thread.
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