How long will U2 be gone for?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

JamietheEdgefan

Refugee
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,852
Location
London
Now we all know that a may release isn't going to happen, i was wondering when we will see the next album.
I think there are two options:

1) They do the 4-5 year cycle thing, and release something in 2013/2014.
2) They make a quicker than usual comeback, in 2012, after a short rest once the 360 tour is done.

Both options have drawbacks and benefits. If they disappear for another few years, and maximise the gap between albums, it's likely that they risk falling into obscurity - they're in their 50's, their last album didn't do so well, and they have partially become a laughing stock because of spiderman, so lack of new material for a while could mean that when they do return, because of their previous problems, they're not very anticipated/ as big anymore.
However, perhaps a break is what is needed - U2 have been in the headlines since 2009, first with NLOTH, then the 360 tour, then Spiderman. Perhaps people are a bit tired of U2, and need to 'miss' them again. Perhaps a few years off would actually build anticipation for another album again?

If they do a quicker comeback, they risk not working on an album for long enough, and having their 'big return' when people are still overwhelmed with how much they've been in the media lately, making their big comeback less special. However, a faster comeback could serve as 'damage control' for NLOTH and Spiderman, making everyone forget about the bad, and remember how good u2 can be. Plus, it would prevent the potentially risky several year long disappearance of an already old, and not-as-popular-as-they-could-be band.

So, both options have benefits, and drawbacks. Which do you think U2 will take, and why?
 
I think releasing an album in 2012 or so makes more sense than waiting five years...all signs point to them having a lot of material, but not quite knowing what to do with it. Take a year or so to figure out which tracks should make the album, maybe record a few more if need be. Then release the album with low hype and maybe a smallish arena tour.
 
People need to miss them again, so they should go off the radar completely in 2012. As a fan this is obviously not what I want personally, but if we're talking about what's good for U2 they need a "cooling off" period after an eventful few years.
The problem has been they have been making the headlines for the wrong reasons. NLOTH sales disappoint. NLOTH snubbed at Grammys. Bono's emergency back surgery, 360 dates postponed. The whole Spider-Man shitfest. Whenever they dominate the news, it's not been for positive reasons. They need to lose the media glare, go home to get their heads straight and come back in 2013 with a strong album. Sure, they're not getting any younger. But forcing themselves on a jaded public will not help.
 
I don't think they have the option of waiting 4 or 5 years again. For age reasons and relevance reasons.

U2 will HAVE to do something different. Either release some EPs or album without touring, a smaller scale tour, or something we haven't thought of yet. But U2 will be shooting themselves in the foot if they wait their as of late normal period, and they are far too smart business wise to let this happen.
 
I don't think they have the option of waiting 4 or 5 years again. For age reasons and relevance reasons.

U2 will HAVE to do something different. Either release some EPs or album without touring, a smaller scale tour, or something we haven't thought of yet. But U2 will be shooting themselves in the foot if they wait their as of late normal period, and they are far too smart business wise to let this happen.

Yes, I agree.

I think they will release a new album about October 2012 and the tour will start in 2013, I also expect a smaller scale and shorter tour, in fact I think the future tours will be shorter, but they will never again be so long apart from the previous one.
 
Damn, you guys all make very good points - they've been in the news a lot (in a bad way), and a bit of time out of the spotlight would help to remove them from all of that, and add back the 'novelty' of u2 being in the media.
But at the same time, if they just disappear, their already slipping relevance is going to get even more damaged.

Maybe it's a case of compromise? If they release something in winter 2012, then they'll have time off to distance themselves from the bad press, and get the public to miss them, but won't be gone so long that everyone forgets that they're still relevant and capable.

So with that in mind, perhaps it's likely that they will disappear, but not for too long... :hmm:

Of course a great way to seal this compromise is to release an EP before the NA dates... just sayin'...
 
In my opinion, nothing that U2 has released since ATYCLB has been worth the build-up they've sometimes put fans through. I think they've taken themselves down a notch on the innovation scale, which makes some fans less likely to foam at the mouth for whatever they have coming out next. They should just release some music and have some fun with it, whether it goes big or not. I think they wear people out with all of the over-hyping.
 
Since we haven't heard the material they've been working on it's hard to gauge when they should come back. If the material isn't ready and they want to work on some songs multiple times (80 times for Breathe), then they'll be ready when they're ready.

Radiohead :giggle:

please remain calm. . .you'll get used to it

As Ed O'Brien said: "Our response is however long it takes. We're not going to consciously release shit.''
 
Some Radiohead blog said:
(Don't Get Any) Big Ideas (They Not Going To Happen)
...Wait, Nude was from the Kid A sessions? I can't believe I hadn't heard about this until now. :ohmy:
 
it was recorded a few times even earlier during sessions for OK Computer, they couldn't get it right or just didn't like the final result(s) but played it on tour during '98 etc :) there's a couple of versions on YouTube, check it out you might like it. I didn't like the final version on in rainbows to begin with but it's stuck for me now as i haven't heard the 1998 version in quite a while haha

also, you may already know this but Morning Mr Magpie on The King Of Limbs first turned up during a webcast back in 2002 and was being reworked during sessions in 2005.
 
I don't think they have the option of waiting 4 or 5 years again. For age reasons and relevance reasons.

I agree.

What I think they should do is release the next album in the fall of 2012. That gives them over a year out of the spotlight, which is a decent amount of time for a break.
 
also, you may already know this but Morning Mr Magpie on The King Of Limbs first turned up during a webcast back in 2002 and was being reworked during sessions in 2005.
Yeah, and wasn't it called "Morning, M'Lord" back then? For those who are curious:
YouTube - Radiohead - Morning m'lord (Good Morning Mr. Magpie) [12]
ANYWAY BACK ON TOPIC:
They should just release some music and have some fun with it, whether it goes big or not. I think they wear people out with all of the over-hyping.
I'd love to see this! That's why SOA would have been awesome...just a quick, Zooropa-style follow-up to NLOTH, free of the "OMG BIG NEW U2 ALBUM" hype/expectations.
...On the bright side, if they ever remaster NLOTH, the bonus disc will be pretty awesome.
 
radiohead was good back in the day, i mean 'the bends' was great. But seriously, they are the most overrated piece of shit nowdays it isnt even funny. I guess they might be "okay", even though they haven't released anything worth a fuck since H2TT. And really i have no idea why some people drink their piss they way they do...oh well

Jim Jones
:sexywink:
 
OK Computer isn't even the best album of 1997. :D

This was:

U2-Pop.jpeg
 
By all accounts they have a few projects well on the way. In the break between south america and north america, they should pick a direction, and start polishing. They should release a 3 track EP to itunes that has North Star, Even Better than the Real thing (new version studio), and Glastonbury studio to amp up the hype for Glasto.

The new songs they have been tweaking during that time should be brought out progressively during the North American leg, playing a total of 5 or 6 brand new tunes.

As soon as the tour wraps up, release an itunes EP with soundboard live versions of each of those songs. This buys them time to do the studio wrap, and start the CD production. early December 2011 they should release the new album, Deluxe version of which should contain a DVD of a North American leg show, and bonus features of live versions of the 5 to 6 new songs played on the tour.

They should make a 24 month plan to release an album every 6 to 9 months, culminating in a series of 4 shows in Dublin after each record drops. Each show should contain 2 sets - first, the new album start to finish. The second set should be half classics, half unplayed gems.

My dream release schedule:

mid April - itunes EP
early August - itunes EP
early December - New album, dangermouse material
December 26, 27, 30, 31 - Dublin shows (point depot Lovetown style)
mid March 2012- itunes live album - best live versions of all new songs, plus a few classics/rarities
early July - New album, SOA/other material
July 13, 14, 17, 18 - Dublin shows (point depot style)
mid September - itunes live album as above
early December - New album, club material
December 26, 27, 30, 31 - Dublin shows
mid March 2013 - itunes live album as above

break for family etc

Regather early 2014 for a regular album build up etc and world tour (depending on their energy, this could be the massive farewell blah blah)

This will satisfy their need to play live, and the need to get their plethora of vaulted music out there in a way that gives them no real chart pressure - IE the fans will buy it by the truckload, they will make a bit of money in the mean time with all of the releases, but no major stress of touring - they can camp out in Dublin or in New York and rattle this out without having to tour. The material is all there (apparently, so it'd only be 3-4 months of tweaking and then just putting it out.

Yes, I do understand this will never happen, but it would be awesome
 
Best album of 1997? Obviously it was Be Here Now.
I keed, I keed.
Actually it was the insanely awesome Fat Of The Land.
 
Be Here Now's not even in the top 10, still a decent album, though.
 
There really should been a follow up album during this tour, but alas circumstance, too many directions and cold feet have robbed us of that.

Fall 2012 makes perfect sense, The Edge didn't say they'd go on a long hiatus, he said he wants to put the tour to bed and then take a few weeks to figure out what direction they'd go in.
 
I think In Rainbows is not only Radiohead's best, not only the best album of the 00s, but among the 10 best I've ever heard :shrug:

I want the RH talk banished, but yes it is among one of the 10 best albums I've ever heard... from Radiohead.
 
I'm glad in a way that U2 have not rushed to release an album. EBW and Mercy are alright songs but not single worthy. The band need to write good songs and lets face it their last two albums were very poor (for their standard) with the one good single being Vertigo. The band knows this and obviously want to release a great album however long that takes.
 
Oy, if you think Vertigo is the only good thing they've done of late, please don't let the band hear that.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom