Project Zero One / Songs of Ascent / New Album Discussion

[trevgreg]

I just don't see the obsession with judging the quality of material on how "weird" or "out there" it is.

All I care is that it's good.

I love U2's sound, all aspects of it, and don't think they need to become another band entirely to be good.

Most bands have one sound throughout their entire career. U2 has had at least 3 drastic and distinct changes in direction(1984, 1991 and 2001) and all have been EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL if you ask me, along with most fans and most critics.

So they already have the most diverse sound of almost any band in history as a baseline and so many of their hardcore fan base here still insists they need a complete overhaul in order for them to truly make another great album. Give me a break!

I also don't get the false leap being made from "U2 has reexamined the left field side of NLOTH and blames it for the tepid commercial response" to "fuck all of us, they're now going back to HTDAAB and singing about intellectual tortoises and tops of newborns heads."

War was on the radio and good.UF was on the radio and good. Same for AB. Same for JT. Same for R&H. Same for some songs on ATYCLB and HTDAAB.

The only real left field songs, in terms of challenging to play, hard to digest, etc on NLOTH would be Fez/BB(an average song at best, I think), Unknown Caller and Moment of Surrender. Of the 3, they've done 2 extensively live. Moment of Surrender they seem to absolutely love.

The title track and Magnificent seem to kind of walk the line between the U2 we are used to and left field, and both tracks seem to be very well liked by U2 and were received extremely well. I'd be surprised if they were looking at tracks 1-3 of NLOTH as any part of the problem whatsoever.

I would bet any amount of money they're thinking of UC(was just awkward in every way), Fez-BB(see UC) and maybe Cedars as the culprits. I would disagree with them on Cedars.

White As Snow (even Cedars too)isn't that far out there for people familiar with TUF and the B-side material on the Joshua Tree. Nor is it a particularly out there, left field arrangement. It's just a softer, country tinged ballad, more in the vein of the Eagles and Springsteen than U2, but still very mainstream sounding.

Magnificent and Breathe are, in my opinion, the best songs on the album after the title track and MOS.

Crazy Tonight is good if a bit cheesy for my taste, and I think with GOYB and SUC, it becomes very clear after a few listens that these songs fall well short of U2 standards.

Who knows, ultimately, what they are thinking, but the remix version of Crazy(with the distracting stage effects) and the suspicious lack of any acknowledgement of SUC(as BVS points out) indicates they're just as likely to be thinking of these songs as they are some of the more ambient stuff.

Good post, since I agree with the majority of it. I'm definitely in the group that says the second half of the album falls short on a lot of things, though I do love Breathe. And like someone else on here said, I think UC leaves a bit open in terms of lyrics, but musically it's a standout.

 

[digitize]

I hate U2.

 

[Steved1998]

Like Fez, Cedars and White as snow ?


Adam also stated before HTDAAB that the songs were Pop in nature, and he was correct

No, he wasn't.

NLOTH had good reviews, the media reception was not one of the problems. What was missing was a good single, least of all not a second-rate re-hash of your previous lead single and the worst song on your album.

It's been said many times before, but SUC screams to be played on stage whereas the other 3 don't.

 

[Steved1998]

Sure...doesn't change the fact that those songs were deemed strong enough to make the cut at the time.

And there could be plenty of reasons why SUC isn't being played live ... that don't include the alleged party line. It's a portion of the internet fans that hates SUC, not U2 themselves.

They would have attempted it. It would have popped up at some point. During the Vertigo Tour, they played almost every song off that album. Not playing SUC indicates that they probably regret it.

 

[God Part III]

Ah, good lord! I haven't ever seen that first video.

What they’ve got there with Magnificent is great. Imagine it starting out a bit like that, tighter and cleaner obviously, and then slowly building and evolving until its become the synth-disco thing we have now at the end. East into West or some shit. That would have been something really good, and pretty unique, and possibly the missing thing or spirit that song desperately needs. Along with better lyrics.

And with UC, right in that video they’ve pretty much captured the moment where that song went south. That first burst of it is really nice. Really nice. Then it cuts, and they’re playing the song at the speed (and in the more boring way) we know it now.

Why U2, WHY?!?!?

Well, personally, I love love love love Magnificent. It started off as the greatest song the first time I heard it, then it plummeted as I discovered how great many of the other songs were on 10th or 20th listen, but it's back almost on top now as my second-most favourite NLOTH song. I actually love the lyrics. But I'd still love to hear alternates.

As for Unknown Caller, I love the hell outta those lyrics, I'll defend them forever, but I agree, it's a tad too slow. Still, this is the U2 album whose outtakes I want to hear the most. I still agree with Eno, it does get too exotic, I like how they've taken 70% of the Fez-vibe and tightened it. But yeah, Breathe with Mandela lyrics, an alternate version of Magnificent, and an early version of Unknown Caller should be released at some point.

We got alternates/early versions of Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Fast Cars, Vertigo and All Because of You (all of which are INSANELY inferior, but still), so why not this time around?

 

[Steved1998]

Well, personally, I love love love love Magnificent. It started off as the greatest song the first time I heard it, then it plummeted as I discovered how great many of the other songs were on 10th or 20th listen, but it's back almost on top now as my second-most favourite NLOTH song. I actually love the lyrics. But I'd still love to hear alternates.

As for Unknown Caller, I love the hell outta those lyrics, I'll defend them forever, but I agree, it's a tad too slow. Still, this is the U2 album whose outtakes I want to hear the most. I still agree with Eno, it does get too exotic, I like how they've taken 70% of the Fez-vibe and tightened it. But yeah, Breathe with Mandela lyrics, an alternate version of Magnificent, and an early version of Unknown Caller should be released at some point.

We got alternates/early versions of Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Fast Cars, Vertigo and All Because of You (all of which are INSANELY inferior, but still), so why not this time around?

Maybe they're holding on to them for the next U2 box set/U2.com CD I'd love to hear them.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I hope they play stand up comedy at the next show just to fuck with all of your minds.

 

[SeeLoganRun]

As The Edge, I will take this into account.


I'm not actually The Edge.

Or am I?

No.

?

 

[silkensky]

the raw, unpolished, low-production version of the NLOTH album >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> what we got.

...of that much I'm sure. Hope someday we get to hear it.

 

[SeeLoganRun]

How would you know? Unless YOU'RE The Edge???

Dunh dunh dunh

 

[silkensky]

early magnificent and the faster unknown caller pwn all!

 

[scottyT]

Breathe is one of the best songs they band has every put together. NLOTH is excellent and early UC could have been a homerun. I hated FBB at first, but now it is easily one of my favorites. It should have been the leadoff.

Cedars - Bside, Magnificent - a medium version of a great U2 song, Crazy tonight - Soso tonight. Stand Up - potentially awesome, White as Snow Bside but awesome. MOS - I don't even know, but great lyrically. GOYB, fantastic live, not a leadoff single.

Still this album is awesome.


What does any of this have to do with a new release we all want and aren't getting this spring?

I must admit i'd be very happy if we got all the new songs played on the last leg plus Mystery Girl. It'd be something!

 

[The_acrobat]

U2 have too much going on right now, and are suffering from too many options. They just need to put something out ASAP that reflects the best of this "Danger Mouse album/Club album/Spiderman songs/Rubin Sessions/Songs of Ascent/2010 Road testing songs" clusterfuck they're in. Then finish out the 360 tour, finally, and start the next album completely from scratch, and have that be their one and only musical focus.

 

[Iskra]

I agree. The boys are stuck in the mud. Spiderman is draining them and they seem to have lost focus. Achtung was great bc the took off to a new locale and WORKED. They need to do nothing but the album. You would never be good at your job if you had this much going on in your life. Focus Bono-san! Focus!!

 

[U2387]

Good post, since I agree with the majority of it. I'm definitely in the group that says the second half of the album falls short on a lot of things, though I do love Breathe. And like someone else on here said, I think UC leaves a bit open in terms of lyrics, but musically it's a standout.

Thank you!

I really only think the 2nd half of the album falls short on F-BB.

I love WAS, Breathe and Cedars.

I was just pointing out how I thought they were likely thinking of F-BB and Cedars as 2 of the tracks that were too much or too far or whatever. I don't necessarily agree with them....if that's even what they are thinking.

We're all speculating.......as always!!!

I just want whatever is next to be out reasonably soon and be GOOD!!

 

[Iskra]

I'd also like to address the love/hate for UC. Some of the lyrics are rough to say the least but that guitar solo makes everything ok to my ears. I would love to hear an alternate version ala Native Son though!!!!

 

[lazarus]

Seems odd that people are judging UC so harshly because of the chorus, which is only one element of the track. Okay, so it's a bit much. At least give Boner credit for trying something different.

The lyrics on the verses are great and to me that's enough to overcome it. And the music soars, not just the guitar solo but Hedge's work during the verses and also the drumming.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think that first clip is an example of what Brian Eno was talking about in that interview where he talks about them recording in Fez with other musicians. He says it was a fantastic experience, BUT he felt it sounded too exotic, a "different musical language" and "self consciously worldy".

And I would totally agree with that. If it just sounded like a bit of superficial exotic-ness tacked on, then yes, ditching it is/was the right call. But in that Magnificent run through, it's only the rhythm, I wouldn't think that's an example of what Eno was talking about? Even if you remove the percussionists, what Larry is up to is great on its own. And I mean, you go to Morocco, you spend a bit of time there, and what of it? There would have been nothing wrong with something from there drifting in, as long as it did sound and feel natural and right for the song, as opposed to 'wrong' - like U2 recorded a U2 song then paid some locals to make it sound 'authentic'/aren't we worldly. And that rhythm does really naturally work with Magnificent. Bit of a bummer. Would have sounded great starting like that, with the electro-synth sounds slowly creeping in before cascading over into the disco-rock track we now have in the second half.

 

[bonocomet]

And I would totally agree with that. If it just sounded like a bit of superficial exotic-ness tacked on, then yes, ditching it is/was the right call. But in that Magnificent run through, it's only the rhythm, I wouldn't think that's an example of what Eno was talking about? Even if you remove the percussionists, what Larry is up to is great on its own. And I mean, you go to Morocco, you spend a bit of time there, and what of it? There would have been nothing wrong with something from there drifting in, as long as it did sound and feel natural and right for the song, as opposed to 'wrong' - like U2 recorded a U2 song then paid some locals to make it sound 'authentic'/aren't we worldly. And that rhythm does really naturally work with Magnificent. Bit of a bummer. Would have sounded great starting like that, with the electro-synth sounds slowly creeping in before cascading over into the disco-rock track we now have in the second half.

Yeah what I get from his statement is that it sounded too far from "their" sound, as in U2/Eno/Lanois. Maybe this being their first time they were putting all their names in as the songwriters they didn't want to stray that far from it. I agree the clips we've been able to hear don't sound so bad! I especially would like to hear more of that first piece in the video I posted. But it's possible that an entire album full of this sound did seem to go too far, or was just too much, and if they had only used it on some of the songs, those would seem out of place with the rest of the more traditional U2 sound, so as he said, in the end they felt they had to scrap all of it. I can sort of see what he's saying when you think about it like that.

Just adding though that I agree with you that it would still have been interesting to hear their finished songs with those influences. I remember being very excited about their early talk about recording there and the music festivals they'd attended there. Though I really like NLOTH as it is, I do hope that we'll get to hear some of this stuff someday.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Seems odd that people are judging UC so harshly because of the chorus, which is only one element of the track. Okay, so it's a bit much. At least give Boner credit for trying something different.

The lyrics on the verses are great and to me that's enough to overcome it. And the music soars, not just the guitar solo but Hedge's work during the verses and also the drumming.

Exactly. I would go as far as to say that I am a fan of the chorus.

 

[super fly guy]

All great insight and discussion,but please wake me when there is some news!

 

[bonocomet]

All great insight and discussion,but please wake me when there is some news!

Will do. We're all waiting for that!

 

[super fly guy]

^^ lol a PM will do,right now im gonna retire to the batcave. Just a headache in a suitcase...........

 

[mikal]

folks, March 21st is my new deadline for news....over a month away. if we don't know any more than we do now on that date, then the album isn't coming out this spring. in the meantime, calm down. if the album is really coming out on May 27th, it's too early for news from the band.

 

[super fly guy]

folks, March 21st is my new deadline for news....over a month away. if we don't know any more than we do now on that date, then the album isn't coming out this spring. in the meantime, calm down. if the album is really coming out on May 27th, it's too early for news from the band.

We all know that,but when has that ever stopped us worrying!

 

[edge-evans]

UC: I played it for my brother who is a casual and the chorus caused him not to cringe but burst out laughing. The thought it sounded like some stupid robot stuff that belonged on a Styx concept album. Sad because Edges guitar progressions are great and interesting. Somewhere Larry should have said "hey, Bono, these lyrics are shit."

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

UC: I played it for my brother who is a casual and the chorus caused him not to cringe but burst out laughing. The thought it sounded like some stupid robot stuff that belonged on a Styx concept album. Sad because Edges guitar progressions are great and interesting. Somewhere Larry should have said "hey, Bono, these lyrics are shit."

that's exactly how i feel about that song... i love the music, even like the verses. the chorus makes me cringe.

 

[mama cass]

B-man doing his robot impression lmfaooooooooooooooooo so much i cry!

 

[Registered Dude]

those raw clips are really interesting.. u2 sounds so much more like a band in clips like that.. their finished albums always sound so processed and pristine in comparison. it's a production style I suppose - a choice on their part..

but when was the last time a U2 album sounded like the band playing together? Joshua Tree?

 

[super fly guy]

Right from the off with this album I have loved UC,and its not gone down in my estimation since. But then again I like SUC!