New Daniel Lanois Interview (10/24/2008) New: (11/15/2008)

[popacrobat]

That, and why is the usual hype master Bono so quiet on this album, if it's so great ? Why the delay and more writing ?

Is Lanois completely missing something here ?

so because Bono is quiet about it means that it's not a good album? Maybe they told Bono to shut up with the hype this time around. And maybe he hasn't been able to go nuts with it either because the album hasn't been "officially" slated for release so there's no rush to interview him until then. Once the album is mixed, we have a date, and the first single etc., pretty sure you'll be able to hear all your select Bono quotes about space moons and Edge bringing it home, how it's their first U2 record, the sound of four guys who dismantled an atomic bomb and now are just here to write fresh music for the sake of it etc. etc.

Mabye Lanois is onto something here instead of missing something.

 

[ramblin rose]

New record in late February/early March, with an early leak just in time for my 18th birthday.



Who cares? Just ignore him. Besides, his opinion should have no bearing on yours anyway,

Uh, I think I have a right to express my opinion and it should have no bearing on you.

 

[LemonMelon]

Uh, I think I have a right to express my opinion and it should have no bearing on you.

And I have the right to comment on the opinion that you're expressing.

 

[Rob33]

LM, those words in your sig are awesome

....what a song

 

[Michael Griffiths]

That, and why is the usual hype master Bono so quiet on this album, if it's so great ? Why the delay and more writing ?

Is Lanois completely missing something here ?

Why is everyone so worried? Lanois knows music. He's one of the best in the business at what he does. He is also the type of person who gets physically ill if he isn't around good music. He has never turned out a crap album with U2. Why would he start now?

I think if U2 is still working on the album it is simply because they want to make this album the album of their lives. I applaud them for not settling for merely another "great" U2 album. This time they're obviously going for a "brilliant" U2 album.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^ i like your optimism.

 

[digitize]

^ i like your optimism.

Seconded. Let's not bury Irish Democracy before it's released.

 

[last unicorn]

Yeah, maybe Bono was told to shut up and stop with the hype.

Lanois is taking his place now. Maybe because people tend to find him more credible.

 

[U2girl]

so because Bono is quiet about it means that it's not a good album? Maybe they told Bono to shut up with the hype this time around. And maybe he hasn't been able to go nuts with it either because the album hasn't been "officially" slated for release so there's no rush to interview him until then. Once the album is mixed, we have a date, and the first single etc., pretty sure you'll be able to hear all your select Bono quotes about space moons and Edge bringing it home, how it's their first U2 record, the sound of four guys who dismantled an atomic bomb and now are just here to write fresh music for the sake of it etc. etc.

Mabye Lanois is onto something here instead of missing something.

Somehow I'm having trouble seeing Bono being told to zip it. He's been quite vocal about Bomb before we ever got the official dates. And, all that GREATNESS and we have very vague statements on the album and delays from the band.

I hope Lanois is onto something. I just think this album has too much hype to live up to for its own good. Brilliant, innovative, breaking new sonic ground, masterpiece, and now... "the future of rock and roll". Even Bono never hypes U2 albums that much.

 

[Salome]

I'm sure that if people get the chance to ask Bono he'll have about the same comments as Lanois
but at the moment Lanois is more approachable for comments than Bono

and, yes, Lanois breathes music
it runs through his veins
chances that he's just talking crap aren't that high

 

[shaun vox]

so if the album is no good(aka atyclb or bomb) do we get to smack Lanios?

 

[Salome]

I think it's about time you lay off the smack

 

[Irishteen]

so if the album is no good(aka atyclb or bomb) do we get to smack Lanios?

If ATYCLB is no good, then seeing as it's (in my opinion) their third best album; U2 must really suck

 

[shaun vox]

whats your NO:1 "U2" album?

 

[djerdap]

He has never turned out a crap album with U2.

Not necessarily a crap album, but All That You Can't Leave Behind is the closest U2 got to this kind of description.

 

[last unicorn]

^ Not true.

There's nothing crappy or even almost crappy about that album.

 

[djerdap]

^ Not true.

There's nothing crappy or even almost crappy about that album.

Peace on Earth and Grace fall very easily into crappy category. Elevation and Wild Honey aren't too far behind.

 

[Irishteen]

whats your NO:1 "U2" album?

1. TUF
2. AB
3. ATYCLB
4. War

5. TJT
6. Boy
7. October.
8. Zooropa
9. Rattle And Hum
10. Pop
11. HTDAAB

What's wrong with me I have one album from each u2 era in my top four; I fail at being a hater like all the cool fans...

 

[last unicorn]

Peace on Earth and Grace fall very easily into crappy category. Elevation and Wild Honey aren't too far behind.

Well, not for me.

I appreciate the album and there are songs on it that mean very much to me.

I can't think of anything "crappy" when it comes to U2.

I can think of a lot of crappy stuff when I think of some of today's music.

 

[PowerSurge]

if Chinese Democracy can get 4 out of 5 stars in RS... anything can happen

HA!

RS gave it 4 stars??????

Holy Jeebus...and I thought their credibility was already out the window. They are horrible.

The Onion has more credibility than Rolling Stone and the Onion is FAKE!

 

[Irvine511]

The Onion AV Club writes generally spot-on reviews. their HTDAAB remains the best review i read of the album.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

A quick crap U2 song list:

As mentioned and i agree, Peace on earth.

Yahweh
New York
Miami
Velvet dress
Feel Loved
Daddy's going to pay...
Pre 90's i can remember just
most of October album and 4th of July.

I'm talking about really awful songs. By any standarts. Really really bad music.

 

[Fullonedge3]

A quick crap U2 song list:

As mentioned and i agree, Peace on earth.

Yahweh
New York
Miami
Velvet dress
Feel Loved
Daddy's going to pay...
Pre 90's i can remember just
most of October album and 4th of July.

I'm talking about really awful songs. By any standarts. Really really bad music.

Come on, I hate to diverge from the thread's topic, but I don't agree with that at all. Really really bad music by any standards? I beg to differ...

 

[super fly guy]

so if the album is no good(aka atyclb or bomb) do we get to smack Lanios?

Both those albums are great.

 

[djerdap]

A quick crap U2 song list:

As mentioned and i agree, Peace on earth.

Yahweh
New York
Miami
Velvet dress
Feel Loved
Daddy's going to pay...
Pre 90's i can remember just
most of October album and 4th of July.

I'm talking about really awful songs. By any standarts. Really really bad music.

I actually think your list (and the statement after it) is a lot crappier than ATYCLB.

But, sticking to the topic, I wouldn't be surprised if Lanois was sarcastic with that "future of rock and roll" statement; if I was in his place, I would already be sick and tired of constant U2 questions.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

A quick crap U2 song list:

As mentioned and i agree, Peace on earth.

Yahweh
New York
Miami
Velvet dress
Feel Loved
Daddy's going to pay...
Pre 90's i can remember just
most of October album and 4th of July.

I'm talking about really awful songs. By any standarts. Really really bad music.

do you even like U2?

 

[PowerSurge]

A quick crap U2 song list:

As mentioned and i agree, Peace on earth.

Yahweh
New York
Miami
Velvet dress
Feel Loved
Daddy's going to pay...
Pre 90's i can remember just
most of October album and 4th of July.

I'm talking about really awful songs. By any standarts. Really really bad music.

Here we go again....

THIS ridiculous argument again.

A few quick points:

1. You mentioned 6 songs from the last 4 albums.

6 out of 46 songs = 13%. So that means that over 80% of the songs that they have released during their most experimental time in their history are decent to fantastic. Hmmm.....thats not bad in my book. I don't know too many bands that can have that "batting average" anymore. Even legendary bands have terrible songs on their albums...including yes, The Beatles. There are a number of songs off of each of their masterpiece albums that make me cringe. Does that take away from their greatness? No.

2. Working off of the previous point....some of those songs you mentioned are U2 at their most experiemental/non U2 sounding: New York, Miami, Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car, Velvet Dress, etc. Yes, they may not be everyone's cup of tea, but at least the band makes consistent attempts to create new sounds as opposed to bands who's albums sound the same now as they did 20 years ago: AC/DC and Aerosmith to name a few.

So if you are going to penalize a band for being experimental and moving away from their own pigeon-holed library of sounds then you are a fan of the wrong band. Try listening to the afore mentioned rock bands if you like "consistency".


3. FWIW, New York is an amazing song, especially live.

Just wanted to add that in there.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Not necessarily a crap album, but All That You Can't Leave Behind is the closest U2 got to this kind of description.

Let's see...

Beautiful Day

Walk On

Kite

In a Little While

Stuck in a Moment

Wild Honey

All great songs in my opinion. Even songs like 'When I Look at the World' are better than average. Every U2 album has a couple songs that aren't as great as the rest. Even The Joshua Tree has 'Trip Through Your Wires' (which I happen to like) and Achtung Baby has a couple songs that pass over some people's hearts and heads...not every song on every album is everyone's cup of tea. ATYCLB is no exception. But it certainly wasn't a crap album by any stretch of the imagination. There are at least 4 amazing songs on that record.

And if you think of the top 10 U2 songs of all time (by common consensus), almost all of them are produced by Brian Eno...certainly the top 3 or 5. I cannot wait for this album.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

While we are off topic here --> Kite is one of Bono's best vocal performances, and Beautiful Day is a fucking awesome song it can brighten my mood under almost any circumstance.

Though i do feel that there are some tracks that are definitely filler on Pop, ATYCLB, and HTDAAB. Come to think of it, there are songs on every album that I dont particularly like...but there has not yet been an album of U2's that I havent liked at least 5 songs and thats great.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

^^^ Exactly right. I think what's going on on this coming record is that U2 are trying--and I mean making sure, not just trying--for the first time, to make an album that doesn't have one "filler" type song. It is becoming more and more clear they want to get it right on every single track this time. They want to keep writing and mixing until not one single track is not deemed great by most of the people hearing the record. I feel that this could be the master work of U2's career by the way they are handling it. It's like the writer who never wants to finish his masterpiece, because he feels that he could miss the mark by not taking the extra steps. This album will last forever, and since forever is a long time, the extra few months it is taking for generations to remember it will be worth it.