Someday U2 will have a new album. Today is not that day. discuss.

[last unicorn]

Someone over at the German U2 forum has met Larry in Dublin some days ago. They say Larry told them that U2 are going back to NY next week to finish the album. Larry also said that the album will be released in February with an arena tour starting in May in Europe.

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just reporting what they are saying.

 

[last unicorn]

Sorry, they didn't meet Larry in Dublin but in Nizza, in a bar.

That's all

 

[Galeongirl]

I really do hope all of this is true.

Maybe. We'll see.

This needs to be the name of the album!

WOuldn't that be perfect?

 

[beachball]

Someone over at the German U2 forum has met Larry in Dublin some days ago. They say Larry told them that U2 are going back to NY next week to finish the album. Larry also said that the album will be released in February with an arena tour starting in May in Europe.

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just reporting what they are saying.

This sounds more realistic than anything we've heard. Thanks for telling us.

 

[Hollow Island]

I think U2 were ahead of the curve in the sense that they were often influenced by the right "underground" bands and they found a way to bring those elements to the mainstream.

That's not being ahead of the curve.

 

[gvox]

Someone over at the German U2 forum has met Larry in Dublin some days ago. They say Larry told them that U2 are going back to NY next week to finish the album. Larry also said that the album will be released in February with an arena tour starting in May in Europe.

This sounds more realistic than anything we've heard. Thanks for telling us.

More realistic than March 2014, May tour? lol

And that's not me being defensive, I just think it's funny that what will probably end up being mere days or a couple weeks earlier than March might be more "realistic". But anyways, I guess in reality something straight from Larry's mouth is a bit more 'definitive'.

What's this person's rep over there on that board last unicorn? Are they a fairly reliable fan ie not prone to exaggeration and bs?

 

[digitize]

Someone over at the German U2 forum has met Larry in Dublin some days ago. They say Larry told them that U2 are going back to NY next week to finish the album. Larry also said that the album will be released in February with an arena tour starting in May in Europe.

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just reporting what they are saying.

This sounds plausible.

 

[purpleoscar]

The latest comment from the dude with supposedly inside info:

Alan Cross - A Journal of Musical Things - Is This the Tracklisting for the New U2 Album? And Will This Be the First�Single?

My conversation with Guggi was only last month and yes Tim I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is. U2's new album will be released at the end of November of this year. They are puling out all the stops on this one and have invested in a huge marketing campaign in time for the Christmas market. Adam Clayton got married just two weeks ago so that it would not conflict with the publicity work. He will be back from honeymoon next week. Trust me, this is no word of a lie. Their new single is going to be called "Smash and Grab"

U2's marketing campaign for Smash and Grab:

 

[last unicorn]

What's this person's rep over there on that board last unicorn? Are they a fairly reliable fan ie not prone to exaggeration and bs?

Well I'm not really active on that forum, I just take a glimpse at the discussions now and then and check if they have some news, but as far as I can see he's a regular on that forum, has a lot of posts and people seem to believe him.

However, there's a general skepticism towards Larry's comments or any of the band's comments at this point, so they are still discussing Larry's reliability

 

[mikal]

Well I'm not really active on that forum, I just take a glimpse at the discussions now and then and check if they have some news, but as far as I can see he's a regular on that forum, has a lot of posts and people seem to believe him.

However, there's a general skepticism towards Larry's comments or any of the band's comments at this point, so they are still discussing Larry's reliability

Good to know. Thanks for posting. If it's February, that's a good thing. Means we should have a 1st single around X-Mas time which isn't that far away.

 

[beachball]

More realistic than March 2014, May tour? lol

And that's not me being defensive, I just think it's funny that what will probably end up being mere days or a couple weeks earlier than March might be more "realistic". But anyways, I guess in reality something straight from Larry's mouth is a bit more 'definitive'.

What's this person's rep over there on that board last unicorn? Are they a fairly reliable fan ie not prone to exaggeration and bs?

Sorry, gvox, I forgot you! I was referring to all the nonsense coming from the Alan Cross site.

I actually agree. Album in the beginning of 2014, spring/summer arena tour in Europe. Couple of weeks didn't matter to me.

Could we have a link to the german forum?

 

[macawaca]

It could be both. As in 2009, the 28th February 2014 is on a Friday (the traditional release day for albums in Ireland), with the rest of the world following suit on 3rd and 4th March 2014. Just like NLOTH if I remember right.

 

[gvox]

Sorry, gvox, I forgot you! I was referring to all the nonsense coming from the Alan Cross site.

Haha, it's all good. Larry's a better source, anyways.

Spoiler

When he's not getting his ass kicked on the way to photo shoots, that is.

 

[Blue Room]

But then came ZooTV and all was well in this world.

Not really, the same fans that saw AB as a sellout viewed the Zoo tour as a complete confirmation of it. They lost "some" hardcore fans with AB and ZooTV (I was friends with a few of them at the time), but they gained new ones also.

I have said this before, Zoo TV was great, but it was not head and shoulders above any other U2 tour I have seen or some magical event. It was just different and somewhat original for the time. The great performances on that tour were no better than the great performances from any other tour to me.

 

[chork]

In my many, many years of U2 fandom, I have learned to sit back, open my eyes wide and just let it happen. I'm along for the ride and I'm going where they take me. I'd imagine a great many long term fans have, at least at one point or another, had doubts. Christ knows I cringed and flinched at the Apple asskissery and iPod adverts, but did it ultimately detract from the music for me? Not one goddamned bit. My biggest fear as an idealistic teenager back in the JT days was that they would "sell out". Now I can't even remember why. Selling out seems to be part and parcel of the business of it all anymore; the older, cynical/realistic part of me gets it. And you know what? I don't give a rat's ass. If they are consistently trying to produce the very best music they're capable of, then I'm still on board. We've had a few albums in the recent past with what I considered to be some subpar throwaways, but I remain optimistic. I know what they can do, and I expect them to live up to my expectations, because I know they can.

 

[BVS]

I remember many of us cringing back in 91 when we heard they were doing a "dance" album, it was called Achtung Baby of all things, and the first single was going to be called 'The Fly'? We pictured cartoons and caricatures, it was not pretty...

 

[zoopop]

Well if those Larry rumor/statements are true then its pretty much in line with his last comment of trying to finish this album by the end of the year.

-Sept/Oct Finish Album
-Nov/Dec Plan Marketing/Xmas break
-Dec/Jan Release 1st single

2014 U2 Returns

 

[Blue Room]

U2's road crew was told to clear their schedules for 2014 and 2015. Things can and will change, but I think it may just be the timing of the album release that has changed. By change I mean from the normal late fall release for Christmas. I do not think releasing then is as much of a factor to release at that time as it has been in the past. So maybe that is all that is different.

 

[powerhour24]

The idea that they've yet again gotten cold feet has me worried about a fourth straight watered down album (as if the ensuing years between the first DM sessions and now didn't leave the door open for that enough already) and while I'll always be excited for new U2 music and shows, my enthusiasm has really been sapped by this whole debacle.

Besides, do we really believe they'll put something out in the spring again after NLOTH? If they can't get it out by Thanksgiving (highly unlikely given what we're hearing and what we know of the U2 machine), I fear they'll move on to other things before attempting to put it together for late 2014. I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but I almost think it'd be time for them to pack it in at that rate. Going on six years between albums? The fans don't want a bid for "relevancy" or the "perfect album" we've seen the results of those pursuits for over a decade now, I think most people would prefer to see more raw creative pursuits more often. You've got millions and millions of fans, don't worry about converting other people, or bothering the casuals, your hardcore fan base that will follow you everywhere is bigger than most people's entire fan base and people have been put off before only to show up and have a good time at the live shows anyway.

 

[powerhour24]

Bruce Springsteen is one of if not the most prolific song writer of the past 50 years.

He has B sides that he purposely kept off albums because he felt, rightfully so, that they would be too popular.

Imagine a song like Because The Night being held off an album. It was a top 10 billboard hit for two separate artists, yet the artist who wrote the song purposely kept it off the album.

Bruce is has and always will be a better songwriter than Bono, and that is not an insult to Bono whatsoever. Bruce Springsteen shits out songs that most artists wish they could write. He's a freak. Not being able to match his output is not an insult.

As for his recent works? Wrecking Ball showed that you can still be adventurous and experimental without pandering to the top 40 scene. It's an artist comfortable with who he is, and what he's done, and not caring about doing anything other than what he wants to do. This feeling is likely what's made his recent shows some of the best one's he's done since the Darkness tour.

That is the only Springsteen "thing" I wish U2 would do. not care about anything other than doing what they want to do. It will make their albums better.

Bruce Springsteen, the italian-dutch-irish american, has written more celtic sounding songs than the biggest band Ireland has ever produced. Why? Cause he doesn't care what anyone thinks of it. Dude put out an entire album of bluegrass just because he wanted to. And it was terrific.

This is what I want from U2. Just don't care. Do YOU. If The Edge can only write chimey guitar riffs now, but can make great songs out of it, minus any extravagant experimentation? Okay... Do it. If you want to make a trippy themed album, all atmospheric and shit? Okay... Do that.

This indecisiveness based on wanting to continue to appeal to "the masses" is infuriating.

QFT.

Amen to that.

 

[LemonMirrorSky]

I remember many of us cringing back in 91 when we heard they were doing a "dance" album, it was called Achtung Baby of all things, and the first single was going to be called 'The Fly'? We pictured cartoons and caricatures, it was not pretty...

Well, thank heavens they went with their instincts then and didn't "listen" to you jokers! Because Achtung Baby turned out to become the greatest album ever!

 

[Blue Room]

The idea that they've yet again gotten cold feet has me worried about a fourth straight watered down album (as if the ensuing years between the first DM sessions and now didn't leave the door open for that enough already) and while I'll always be excited for new U2 music and shows, my enthusiasm has really been sapped by this whole debacle.

Besides, do we really believe they'll put something out in the spring again after NLOTH? If they can't get it out by Thanksgiving (highly unlikely given what we're hearing and what we know of the U2 machine), I fear they'll move on to other things before attempting to put it together for late 2014. I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but I almost think it'd be time for them to pack it in at that rate. Going on six years between albums? The fans don't want a bid for "relevancy" or the "perfect album" we've seen the results of those pursuits for over a decade now, I think most people would prefer to see more raw creative pursuits more often. You've got millions and millions of fans, don't worry about converting other people, or bothering the casuals, your hardcore fan base that will follow you everywhere is bigger than most people's entire fan base and people have been put off before only to show up and have a good time at the live shows anyway.

What is a debacle other than threads like this and U2 fans overreacting to mostly rumors and conjecture? U2 did not indicate officially that they would be releasing an album this year. Most of it is complete rumor and 2nd, 3rd 4th hand sources. So I think debacle is a bit strong. Everything is speculation at this point for the most part. I think originally they did plan to put out an album this year and tour next year. I think the only thing that may have changed is the album release time by 4-5 months. But that is speculation obviously.

If you want U2 to pack it in if they wait to late 2014 to release a new album I think you would be in a massive minority there. There are no requirements of an artist of U2's stature of when to release something or even release something at this point.

 

[Blue Room]

Well, thank heavens they went with their instincts then and didn't "listen" to you jokers! Because Achtung Baby turned out to become the greatest album ever!

A: I thought the song titles were strange at the time (prior to hearing them) but I'm not sure how that makes me a joker???
B: Debatable, obviously. The greatest album of all time was recorded by U2, but it was released in 1987.

 

[powerhour24]

What is a debacle other than threads like this and U2 fans overreacting to mostly rumors and conjecture? U2 did not indicate officially that they would be releasing an album this year. Most of it is complete rumor and 2nd, 3rd 4th hand sources. So I think debacle is a bit strong. Everything is speculation at this point for the most part. I think originally they did plan to put out an album this year and tour next year. I think the only thing that may have changed is the album release time by 4-5 months. But that is speculation obviously.

If you want U2 to pack it in if they wait to late 2014 to release a new album I think you would be in a massive minority there. There are no requirements of an artist of U2's stature of when to release something or even release something at this point.

I knew someone would pick apart that word. I'm not saying U2 is missing deadlines they themselves set, but this is a project that stems from sessions from several years ago, from which late in the game tracks were shared with U2's circle of friends and collaborators to high praise months ago, and now it's become fairly clear that yet again they're not going to release material in the same state it started to take shape in. It baffles me that the band that praise Moment of Surrender and the off-the-cuff way it came into the world would release it on a album they overcooked and second-guessed so much and may be continuing to work material to death in the ensuing years.

Obviously I don't want U2 to actually pack it in, but it's starting to feel ridiculous that a band so worried about relevancy and remaining fresh creatively for themselves continues to drag their feet and redo something on a longer and longer time frame each time out.

 

[ChargedVT]

Someone over on the U2start forums met Dallas, who said that next year U2 will be "touring all the way"
Also they will be in the studio this weekend.

 

[Blue Room]

I knew someone would pick apart that word. I'm not saying U2 is missing deadlines they themselves set, but this is a project that stems from sessions from several years ago, from which late in the game tracks were shared with U2's circle of friends and collaborators to high praise months ago, and now it's become fairly clear that yet again they're not going to release material in the same state it started to take shape in. It baffles me that the band that praise Moment of Surrender and the off-the-cuff way it came into the world would release it on a album they overcooked and second-guessed so much and may be continuing to work material to death in the ensuing years.

Obviously I don't want U2 to actually pack it in, but it's starting to feel ridiculous that a band so worried about relevancy and remaining fresh creatively for themselves continues to drag their feet and redo something on a longer and longer time frame each time out.

Problem is you are expecting U2 to do something they really have not done before. Almost everything they have done was an effort to be relevant and the biggest/greatest rock band since they started. That is what they have always been striving for and I think they always will. They have indicated this. Seems to have worked pretty well for them for the most part.

I do understand where you are coming from though. But what a lot of fans would like to see is usually not how U2 views things. I have found it is best to come to terms with that and enjoy what we do get when we get it.

 

[2861U2]

Someone over on the U2start forums met Dallas, who said that next year U2 will be "touring all the way"
Also they will be in the studio this weekend.

And it was a member with 30K posts, so I'd think it's legit. Not that anything substantial was revealed in his convo, but still...

 

[gvox]

And it was a member with 30K posts, so I'd think it's legit.

I meant more along the lines of, like, does anyone know the dude on anything remotely approaching a personal or professional level. I don't think post counts mean a dang thing, frankly.

edit: sorry, that was in reference to previous guy from other forum. Glad to hear that from Dallas. Really glad.

 

[jeevey]

In my many, many years of U2 fandom, I have learned to sit back, open my eyes wide and just let it happen. I'm along for the ride and I'm going where they take me. I'd imagine a great many long term fans have, at least at one point or another, had doubts. Christ knows I cringed and flinched at the Apple asskissery and iPod adverts, but did it ultimately detract from the music for me? Not one goddamned bit. My biggest fear as an idealistic teenager back in the JT days was that they would "sell out". Now I can't even remember why. Selling out seems to be part and parcel of the business of it all anymore; the older, cynical/realistic part of me gets it. And you know what? I don't give a rat's ass. If they are consistently trying to produce the very best music they're capable of, then I'm still on board. We've had a few albums in the recent past with what I considered to be some subpar throwaways, but I remain optimistic. I know what they can do, and I expect them to live up to my expectations, because I know they can.

Lovely, you.

 

[BVS]

Well, thank heavens they went with their instincts then and didn't "listen" to you jokers! Because Achtung Baby turned out to become the greatest album ever!

That's exactly my point. There's all this talk about how this news is cringe worthy or that title is cringe worthy, but that's always been the case with U2, even for the "greatest album ever".