LP13 - Just Give Us Some F*&king News...

[mama cass]

Of course they did, and of course the Beatles weren't touring during that period so they had more studio time, but the insane difference between the amounts of material released is mind-boggling.

The fact that the Beatles came out with all that (and to that consistent quality, and evolved so much from Help! to Let it Be) in that time frame is ridiculous. The fact that U2 can't produce more than two songs in all that time as well is also (but not quite equally) ridiculous. That's my point.

the Beatles were babies back then though and full of energy - makes a huge difference... the 60s were buzzing and rock n roll was new and exciting... things are so different today...

maybe 30+ years into a career you start to run out of ideas and inspiration, who knows!

 

[DaveC]

maybe 30+ years into a career you start to run out of ideas and inspiration, who knows!

Then if they're so out of ideas and inspiration that they can't come up with 10 songs in over five years, they should just fucking retire! If you can't find the motivation to that point you obviously aren't too interested in doing it in the first place and are going to put out a mediocre product at best.

This album is either going to be a complete masterpiece, or a complete piece of shit.

 

[dan_smee]

Then if they're so out of ideas and inspiration that they can't come up with 10 songs in over five years, they should just fucking retire! If you can't find the motivation to that point you obviously aren't too interested in doing it in the first place and are going to put out a mediocre product at best.



This album is either going to be a complete masterpiece, or a complete piece of shit.

This attitude always gives me the shits. If you just want them to 'fucking retire' why do you even care? When you boil it down, what fucking business of yours is it that 4 men in their mid 50s want to play music together. You feel entitled to something? What? It's been an excruciating wait, and if it's too much, disengage, otherwise don't be so arrogant and presumptuous to think that the thoughts of one insignificant fan should effect what 4 men halfway across the world want to do with their time.


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[Registered Dude]

Dan, can I read your posts with an Aussie accent in mind? I think that'd make em even better.

 

[DaveC]

This attitude always gives me the shits. If you just want them to 'fucking retire' why do you even care? When you boil it down, what fucking business of yours is it that 4 men in their mid 50s want to play music together. You feel entitled to something? What? It's been an excruciating wait, and if it's too much, disengage, otherwise don't be so arrogant and presumptuous to think that the thoughts of one insignificant fan should effect what 4 men halfway across the world want to do with their time.

It's my business because they're asking me to pay money that I worked for to have the privilege of listening to this music that "4 men in their mid 50s" make. I care because I've spent thousands of dollars on material that this band has released over the past 35 years, and my money has contributed to the lifestyle they lead. As has yours, and everyone else's here. So yes, they ought to care what we as the source of the cash that lines their pockets think about what they do with their time. They chose this career, and have become very wealthy men as a result of money that I have paid. I think I'm entitled to have an opinion. By the way, I would advise you not to lip me again and/or call me names like that because I haven't said anything like that to you. Do it again and you won't like the response.

I like the band and I obviously want them to succeed. I want new material, but I also don't want them to end up like the Rolling Stones where they put out album after album of total garbage as an excuse to go out on tour until they are 100 and literally cannot stand up behind their instruments anymore. If they are going to release good stuff and put effort into it, then great. But if they're just going to put out something four high school kids could write just to justify , and take 5+ years to do it, then fuck this band. This album really is going to be a complete crossroads for me in the story of my "U2 fandom".

 

[prbiker15]

I'm tired of waiting. There's a lot of new music out there, but nothing is distracting me. I hope we're not that far from anything.

 

[JOFO]

With every day that passes without news....Bono eats a kitten.....with BBQ sauce.


Just sayin....

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

There are plenty of good comparisons out there with acts at similar stages of their careers and U2 that make U2 look bad for this delay.

The Beatles are not one of them.

 

[DaveC]

There are plenty of good comparisons out there with acts at similar stages of their careers and U2 that make U2 look bad for this delay.

The Beatles are not one of them.

I don't know why I ever bothered to come back in to EYKIW.

The comparison isn't great, I admit. The point I'm trying to make is that U2 is being straight up lazy, and really have pissed away an opportunity. I know somebody is going to tell me "they're trying to make it perfect!" but it's really a piss poor excuse. No band in the world should ever take 5 and a half years (which will probably be at least 6 by the time this thing comes out) to write 10 songs plus the singles. Even if you discount the entire period of the 360 tour it's been nearly three full years. I hope at this point that U2 is making an album of music for themselves rather than an album that they're hoping will get a #1 spot again, because I'm not sure the general music-buying public will buy a U2 album anymore simply because it's U2. And to be honest if U2 tried to make the kind of music that would result in a #1 single at this point in their careers, it would probably not be that great considering the EDM/hip hop influence they would need to put into it to make it a hit nowadays.

Besides, they already wrote that song, and it was called "Mofo" (I am convinced that if they had released this for the first time in 2014 it would be a hit, it was ahead of its time when it came out).

As I said I hope that I am wrong about all of this, but it really doesn't bode well. I hope that the boys end up happy with what the end result is but don't get so overhyped about sales that it ends up destroying the band entirely.

As for what I'd like to see, I am hoping for an album of music that pushes the boundaries without too much concern for what's going to make the biggest chart dent. I think if U2 can accept that they are past that point in their careers we'll probably get some fantastic new tunes that they will have fun playing and I'll enjoy listening to. But if it's obvious that they're trying too hard I think the backlash from the public will be overwhelming and the band as we know it won't survive.

Anyways, as I mentioned, this place is its own special kind of crazy, so I think I'll take my leave unless someone comments directly to something I've said.

 

[bono_212]

I just took that statement to be a general, look what one band can do in that span.

For a more recent example, I found it hilarious that the Killers released two albums, a b-sides collection and the lead singer released a solo album in the gap bomb and nloth

 

[mikal]

The thing that still sticks out to me the most is that my daughter was born shortly after NLOTH came out. Now she's starting kindergarten in a month.

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[DaveC]

I just took that statement to be a general, look what one band can do in that span.

Well, at least one other person got my point

 

[Registered Dude]

I don't know why I ever bothered to come back in to EYKIW.

The comparison isn't great, I admit. The point I'm trying to make is that U2 is being straight up lazy, and really have pissed away an opportunity. I know somebody is going to tell me "they're trying to make it perfect!" but it's really a piss poor excuse. No band in the world should ever take 5 and a half years (which will probably be at least 6 by the time this thing comes out) to write 10 songs plus the singles. Even if you discount the entire period of the 360 tour it's been nearly three full years. I hope at this point that U2 is making an album of music for themselves rather than an album that they're hoping will get a #1 spot again, because I'm not sure the general music-buying public will buy a U2 album anymore simply because it's U2.

...

As for what I'd like to see, I am hoping for an album of music that pushes the boundaries without too much concern for what's going to make the biggest chart dent. I think if U2 can accept that they are past that point in their careers we'll probably get some fantastic new tunes that they will have fun playing and I'll enjoy listening to. But if it's obvious that they're trying too hard I think the backlash from the public will be overwhelming and the band as we know it won't survive.

I think the '"lazy" criticism is pretty far off the mark, and lazy.

everything else is fair game.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well, at least one other person got my point

I got your point, and I don't disagree with the point in general. The Beatles are just a terrible comparison.

 

[david]

The funny thing is that despite how much money I've spent on the band's product, after all, they produce a product/commodity. I don't really feel entitled to an opinion other than when they're ready, "they're ready". I'd rather them take as long as they want as long as it is good right? I mean, when you buy a car you want something reliable, when you buy a meal you want it to taste good right, when pay to see a movie you at least hope it is good right? It's all about craftsmanship. They're crafting songs they want to be heard, they're crafting songs they feel are worthy enough to sell to us. Maybe it is because I am about to turn 37 and while U2 was a band I was obsessed with in high school, and they're still a band I like, I just learned with them an album will happen when it happens.

 

[prbiker15]

The Beatles are just a terrible comparison.

Shouldn't even be compared to.

 

[mikal]

I wonder if that one guy that wrote to the band asking them to release the album before he dies of his terminal illness is still alive.

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[DaveC]

I think the '"lazy" criticism is pretty far off the mark, and lazy.

everything else is fair game.

If anyone else in the world had this kind of productivity at their primary occupation, they'd be fired (and rightfully so).

You simply don't have this kind of output at your job unless you are either incompetent, are unmotivated (don't want to do it anymore - which I would understand completely considering how long they've been doing this and don't need the money anymore at all), or are lazy.

Besides, wasn't this album basically supposed to be done and ready to be released minus a few small tweaks in 2010 ("Songs of Ascent")? There is no piece of music in the world that should ever take four years to mix, they aren't sitting in the studio with a bunch of tape reels, a roll of scotch tape and a pair of scissors anymore like Pink Floyd used to have to do (and they put out at least one full album every single year from 1967-1974 despite all that). They were even bigger perfectionists than U2 by far.

Nowadays you can mix an entire album in your living room on a Macbook in a couple days at the most if you have to. Unless you're making a hip hop album you don't need a hundred different producers all tinkering with the mixes, which also doesn't bode too well for the outlook of this album either. Too many cooks and all that.

Maybe "laziness" is not the right word, but maybe "procrastination" and "lack of motivation" are more apt. Either way if they delay this too much longer all the work they've done so far is going to sound dated on the day it comes out.

 

[mikal]

If anyone else in the world had this kind of productivity at their primary occupation, they'd be fired (and rightfully so).

You simply don't have this kind of output at your job unless you are either incompetent, are unmotivated (don't want to do it anymore - which I would understand completely considering how long they've been doing this and don't need the money anymore at all), or are lazy.

Besides, wasn't this album basically supposed to be done and ready to be released minus a few small tweaks in 2010 ("Songs of Ascent")? There is no piece of music in the world that should ever take four years to mix, they aren't sitting in the studio with a bunch of tape reels, a roll of scotch tape and a pair of scissors anymore like Pink Floyd used to have to do (and they put out at least one full album every single year from 1967-1974 despite all that). They were even bigger perfectionists than U2 by far.

Nowadays you can mix an entire album in your living room on a Macbook in a couple days at the most if you have to. Unless you're making a hip hop album you don't need a hundred different producers all tinkering with the mixes, which also doesn't bode too well for the outlook of this album either. Too many cooks and all that.

Maybe "laziness" is not the right word, but maybe "procrastination" and "lack of motivation" are more apt. Either way if they delay this too much longer all the work they've done so far is going to sound dated on the day it comes out.

I have similar productivity at my job but they put up with it because they respect all of my activism and charity work.

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[david]

They've earned the right to take as long as they want making an album.

 

[mikal]

They've earned the right to take as long as they want making an album.

Not until they make u2girl's list.

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[DaveC]

The funny thing is that despite how much money I've spent on the band's product, after all, they produce a product/commodity. I don't really feel entitled to an opinion other than when they're ready, "they're ready". I'd rather them take as long as they want as long as it is good right? I mean, when you buy a car you want something reliable, when you buy a meal you want it to taste good right, when pay to see a movie you at least hope it is good right? It's all about craftsmanship. They're crafting songs they want to be heard, they're crafting songs they feel are worthy enough to sell to us. Maybe it is because I am about to turn 37 and while U2 was a band I was obsessed with in high school, and they're still a band I like, I just learned with them an album will happen when it happens.

When I buy a meal, I want it to taste good, but I also don't want it to take four hours to get to my table either. And I have recourse in the form of walking out before it arrives or receiving some other form of compensation (ie. a discount/free meal, free dessert/wine, etc), something which is unlikely to happen when this thing finally comes out.

 

[DaveC]

I have similar productivity at my job but they put up with it because they respect all of my activism and charity work.

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I sincerely doubt you produce something in the neighbourhood of two relatively minor products in a five year timespan. If that's indeed true, you obviously work for the Government of Canada.

 

[mikal]

When I buy a meal, I want it to taste good, but I also don't want it to take four hours to get to my table either. And I have recourse in the form of walking out before it arrives or receiving some other form of compensation (ie. a discount/free meal, free dessert/wine, etc), something which is unlikely to happen when this thing finally comes out.

Maybe the restaurant earned the right to take that long.

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[david]

If a meal does take 4 years to be made you KNOW it has to be good.

Especially if these guys are the cooks!!

 

[mikal]

Maybe the main entree would be called "the comeback".

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[Super Yo]

I'm hungry.

 

[DaveC]

They've earned the right to take as long as they want making an album.

As someone who has directly contributed money to them, I disagree. Just because my bank has made a boatload of cash in innovative ways does not mean that I should expect a lower quality of service simply because "they've earned the right" to work however they want to. I'm a paying customer and just as I would expect a certain level of service from any other business I have contributed significant monies, time, and loyalty to, I feel I have a right to expect the same from U2, Inc.

This is not to say they need to put out an album every single year, but at this point either it's total writer's block or the album isn't very good and they're trying desperately to save it, or they just don't care enough.

 

[mikal]

I'm hungry.

Not only did you leak the beach clip, you just just leaked lyrics to the new album.

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[david]

As someone who has directly contributed money to them, I disagree. Just because my bank has made a boatload of cash in innovative ways does not mean that I should expect a lower quality of service simply because "they've earned the right" to work however they want to. I'm a paying customer and just as I would expect a certain level of service from any other business I have contributed significant monies, time, and loyalty to, I feel I have a right to expect the same from U2, Inc.

This is not to say they need to put out an album every single year, but at this point either it's total writer's block or the album isn't very good and they're trying desperately to save it, or they just don't care enough.

Eh, you get what you pay for.