New Album Discussion/Speculation Continued...

[last unicorn]

What scares me the most in this interview is not what bono talks but the way he talks. After listening to the whole thing (which by the way is a great interview during the initial 19 minutes), the u2 part is definitely the part where he uses less passionate words, he just looks like he is in automatic pilot mode not giving a shit about what’s (not) going on within the band. I got the feeling that there’s no album at all neither too much will of it.

I agree. And I really enjoyed most of this interview. Now I just with the presenter wouldn't have asked Bono about the album at all.

Remember we had the very same situation when Bono did an interview on Irish radio at the end of 2013, sometime after Christmas. That's where the "10 reasons to exist"-rumour was coming from. He talked the same way and used almost the same words. People here were alarmed about the indifference he seemed to show while talking about the band. He even said "they" as if he wasn't part of the band any more.

Now I don't think it's that dramatic and it may just be him bluffing or trying to avoid concrete answers (because he's gagged or whatever), but it surely makes you wonder ....

For me, there were some very strong indications about the album being released this year, and yes, Lillywhite listened to it some time ago while in France (early August), he said so in a recent interview, Bono played him the songs. So it's certainly not that they have no album, the question is why aren't they ready to release it?!

 

[Zoo Lemon]

No clue of scrapping the Danger Mouse work? You think not releasing it isn't a clue?

Don't know honestly, Andrew. I can just have an impression. Maybe that's guided by my hope too.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

(march)( 2014 )

 

[lemonfly]

No clue of scrapping the Danger Mouse work? You think not releasing it isn't a clue? I mean, they have no history of this now, do they? Delays are step one in the tried and trusted scrapping regime.

I feel bad for the dude. Several years of his blood, sweat and tears could be canned or rearranged beyond recognition. Lanois sure as hell wasn't kidding when he said it'd be a "character building" experience for him.

 

[ChargedVT]

This interview caused me to downgrade what I believe are the chances of an early 2014 release. Trouble is, if the DM work is being scrapped, I can see a release being as late as late 2015 or early 2016. That's a doomsday scenario, and I don't expect it, but I guess it's possible.

No. I'm very negative at the moment but even I can't see that happening.
When they scrapped Chris Thomas' work and got Lillywhite in, he started with them early in 2004 and it was released later that year.

 

[popacrobat]

you guys are unbelievable

 

[AndrewCowley]

Also I interpret "lost in the music" as b/s code for them second guessing themselves and the world's reaction to their new music and stupidly seeking big sales all over again. Just release the damn thing and be true to the original ideas behind the music and the songs. The era of big albums from a band like U2 is over.

 

[digitize]

No. I'm very negative at the moment but even I can't see that happening.
When they scrapped Chris Thomas' work and got Lillywhite in, he started with them early in 2004 and it was released later that year.

They didn't truly scrap Thomas's work. They kept the songs written in those sessions. If U2 are truly scrapping everything from these sessions, we could be in for a two year ordeal.

I don't think that that is likely, but I can see it happening. Granted, it would mean that Bono would be wrong about the "almost done" comment, but he also sounded noncommittal in a way that he would sound much earlier in the album process in that interview.

I still believe that an early 2014 release is quite possible, and that the album will most likely be released at some point in 2014. But, on the whole, I'm somewhat discouraged by this interview, and I can see the slight-but-existent possibility of catastrophe.

 

[mikal]

When U2's airplane crashed they were already hundreds of miles off course. The rescue team is looking in the wrong places.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I'm shitted, royally. If I were a shareholder then I'd sell. I want to be proud of this band but the world is passing them by. Why can't they release an album for their fans.

 

[BWU2Buffs]

[/IMG]

Couldn't help it.

 

[trevgreg]

Can we now close this forum please? I want my life back.

This thread should be re-titled -- "New Album Discussion - Misery Loves Company"

What scares me the most in this interview is not what bono talks but the way he talks. After listening to the whole thing (which by the way is a great interview during the initial 19 minutes), the u2 part is definitely the part where he uses less passionate words, he just looks like he is in automatic pilot mode not giving a shit about what’s (not) going on within the band. I got the feeling that there’s no album at all neither too much will of it.

In fact, this cannot be a surprise at all… an album just don’t fall of the sky, it would require the four band members together in a studio for several weeks/months and over the last two years we have been seeing reports almost on a weekly basis of band members (mostly bono but not only) in all kind of events/appearences/hollydays just everywhere in the world except reports of the 4 band members together in a studio with a producer and a recording team (exception of the exception goes for the 2/3 weeks in the electric lady at ny, which I think it was mostly for the Sunday Bloody Sunday and the This Is thing). I think there was not yet enough studio sickness that an album would take. Having this said, I believe that there may be a pack of ideas and scratches for songs but there’s still a long road to go for what we used to call an album, I just hope that in a near future they find the will (or the guts) to go through it.

Let's not jump the gun too fast here. What about the tweet from Chris Blackwell saying there was at least some new music out there? He wasn't just asked to take it down for no reason, you know?

 

[martha]

But don't they have major contracts with Universal for albums and Live Nation for tours? They're big and all, but even big bands have to honor their contracts. So something has to happen at some point. Aren't there usually timelines to album contracts?

 

[ChargedVT]

Let's not jump the gun too fast here. What about the tweet from Chris Blackwell saying there was at least some new music out there? He wasn't just asked to take it down for no reason, you know?

I reckon that quote was from before whatever happened happened (hey everyone else does LOST references).
I would bet my left nut that the plan was to release the album this fall - the band said so. Then.... well fuck knows.

 

[martha]

Go into the studio. Record songs. Release album. How hard can it be?

THIS x 1000. Every other band in the entire world does this and many of them somehow manage to make good, sometimes great, albums. Cheeseandcrackers. Get your shit together, U2. Grrrrrrrr.

 

[popacrobat]

I'd hate to see how you guys react when you get truly bad news in your lives.

We heard rumors from 'sources' (universal italy or whatever) that the album is due Mar. 2014, and it looks like gvox's source (if that's accurate or not, who knows, he might troll a bit but he wouldn't make shit up) said the same thing.

and the comments mirror Bono's comments 5 years ago about coming back with a piece of the space moon and getting lost in the music.

if they didn't scrap danger mouse over the summer, they're not going to scrap him now. you'll hear a new single at some point in January.

i mean, for crying out loud, bono said it's nearly done and that there's beautiful music, and that it's new and refreshing. but i guess it's easier to be an angry fan.

 

[ChargedVT]

But if the album is supposedly due in March why did Bono say there is no feeling of commitment to any release date? The way he worded it made it sound like he hasn't the foggiest about when it's coming out.

 

[mikal]

I'd hate to see how you guys react when you get truly bad news in your lives.

We heard rumors from 'sources' (universal italy or whatever) that the album is due Mar. 2014, and it looks like gvox's source (if that's accurate or not, who knows, he might troll a bit but he wouldn't make shit up) said the same thing.

and the comments mirror Bono's comments 5 years ago about coming back with a piece of the space moon and getting lost in the music.

if they didn't scrap danger mouse over the summer, they're not going to scrap him now. you'll hear a new single at some point in January.

i mean, for crying out loud, bono said it's nearly done and that there's beautiful music, and that it's new and refreshing. but i guess it's easier to be an angry fan.

This album news totally made me forget about my car accident this morning.

 

[nielsgov]

It's funny how people jump to conclusions on this place. I still think it's likely we'll see an album in March 2014 though Fall 2013 was extremely likely at one point too. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[popacrobat]

This album news totally made me forget about my car accident this morning.

haha

 

[Van Cleef]

It's funny how people jump to conclusions on this place. I still think it's likely we'll see an album in March 2014 though Fall 2013 was extremely likely at one point too. We'll just have to wait and see.

Why march 2014?

 

[2861U2]

 

[nielsgov]

Well, there have been lots of rumours that the album is as good as finished. gvox has his source.

Plans change of course but this interview doesn't rule out the possibility of an album fairly soon.

 

[gvox]

This interview is typical Bono-speak. He's being deliberately coy. The discussions and plans internally still say album March 2014 and tour right on its heels.

The rest of this stuff about being lost in the music and being nearly there and when we get there we'll know it..all par for the course for Bono.

 

[gvox]

We heard rumors from 'sources' (universal italy or whatever) that the album is due Mar. 2014

Huh. I didn't know any of those people were saying that also. Or maybe I forgot. Interesting.

Ps: rest of your post is bang on and agree 100%. Except the part about me trolling lol

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This interview is typical Bono-speak. He's being deliberately coy. The discussions and plans internally still say album March 2014 and tour right on its heels.

The rest of this stuff about being lost in the music and being nearly there and when we get there we'll know it..all par for the course for Bono.

This news fits in with everything you have said.

What is Bono really gonna say... "Well the album is done, but we're not going to release it until March... so fuck off."

This is U2 and all... so ANYTHING is possible. I'd be surprised if they went all Chris Thomas here, but not shocked.

And for those who are all "err mahhh gawwwd Lillywhite and Iovine heardz the albammm and they went more hitzzzzz"...

For fucks sake give me a break. Picking danger mouse as the producer immediately screamed that they were going after hits...

A band that is incredibly set in their ways doesn't step waaaaay out of their comfort zone and pick a hip young producer to be etherial and subdued.

If there's any trepidation about releasing the music... it's on the band and the band alone. No one else.

I just happened to scan through Killing Bono again... and a quote by Bono to McCormick after he was the ghostwriter for U2 by U2 stuck out like crazy...

"You have joined a very exclusive club of people this band have driven mad. Now you know how U2's producers feel."

 

[popacrobat]

Huh. I didn't know any of those people were saying that also. Or maybe I forgot. Interesting.

Ps: rest of your post is bang on and agree 100%. Except the part about me trolling lol

meant trolling tongue-in-cheek, with our alan cross spat.

this is what i'm referring to:
RUMOR: Universal Italy Says No U2 Album in 2013

"According to our source inside the record company Universal Italy the new U2 album definitely will not come out this year. This would seem to confirm another rumor mentioned in the news yesterday that suggests the release in March 2014."

so, with what you're saying + this + what bono said today (unless he lies and is in an underground bunker watching LOST and Battlestar Galactica), March 2014 with a single in January seems likely

 

[trevgreg]

I reckon that quote was from before whatever happened happened (hey everyone else does LOST references).
I would bet my left nut that the plan was to release the album this fall - the band said so. Then.... well fuck knows.

I know. The main point I was trying to make was that something was done, rather than the "ideas and scratches" part that they were referring to. At this point in the game and after years and years of writing stuff, it'd be hard for me to believe that there aren't many complete songs as a result of that. Whether or not they want to release it is another thing altogether...

 

[mikal]

I'd hate to see U2 in position to push the button every 108 minutes. They'd end up taking a vacation causing the world to end.

 

[lemonfly]

Listening back to the segment of the interview, I'm struck by just unenthused Bono sounds. If he had replied with a curt "Watch this space - things could get noisy soon", I'd be a heck of a lot more optimistic. Instead, he just blathered on about listening to punk rock from the mid-70s, listening to electronica, getting lost in the music blah blah. Just didn't strike me as a guy who's super pumped about a new record that's done and he can't wait for the world to hear it. Oh well.