Songs of Ascent: the lost album

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's embarassing(to many) when we see Bruce put his crotch in the camera, or when Eddie Vedder or Thom Yorke try to do some rock n roll jump and only get a few inches off the ground.

hey, eddie's still got hops

just do it.

 

[subnet]

^ look, I'm so HIIIIGH!!!!

 

[BVS]

Well, that's pretty good. Maybe he's been stretching recently, last tour I remember just cringing watching him try to do those scissor jumps(or whaterver you call them) and only get a few inches off the ground and barely being able to spread his legs. I find them to be completely cliched to begin with but then when he looked so old doing so it just made it worse.

 

[djerdap]

Well, that's pretty good. Maybe he's been stretching recently, last tour I remember just cringing watching him try to do those scissor jumps(or whaterver you call them) and only get a few inches off the ground and barely being able to spread his legs. I find them to be completely cliched to begin with but then when he looked so old doing so it just made it worse.

He probably had two bottles of wine before that jump. I can imagine plenty of drunk 20-year-old athletes not doing much better.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Ha ... now you'll get a bunch of people in here yelling about categorizing BEP as hip hop.

They're a POP act!

And I'd think that for people who question their cuddling up to BEP, it's not about hip hop at all, or trying to be cool via association with hip hop at all, it's a question of whether he/they either think BEP are at some kind of front line of brilliance in any serious way (so a question of judgement - e.g. yes, they have for a long time embraced hip hop, but it used to be the likes of Public Enemy, that's quite the steep drop off, 2 degrees away from embracing the Jonas Brothers as the future of rock) or the cynical view that it's simply because they're trying to hitch a wagon to something the kids love.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well, that's pretty good. Maybe he's been stretching recently, last tour I remember just cringing watching him try to do those scissor jumps(or whaterver you call them) and only get a few inches off the ground and barely being able to spread his legs. I find them to be completely cliched to begin with but then when he looked so old doing so it just made it worse.

that was tuesday in newark... he was getting a ton of air...


i saw 'em last night at the garden too... he was only getting an inch off the ground. the hops come and go from day to day as you get older... i feel his pain

 

[bathiu]

Poul McG. on U2.com

The band were really looking forward to getting back out on the road until the emergency surgery on Bono's back, which took place in Munich today. We were due to start rehearsals on Tuesday in Salt Lake City and get the show ready for the next leg. There were gonna be some changes and some new material. It's unfortunate that we're inconveniencing fans. We will make plans to reinstate these dates as soon as possible. Obviously, it's been very disruptive for our crew, as well; we have over 400 people converging on Salt Lake City, and some of them have been turned around and told to stay at home until we make our new plan. We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible. Keep watching U2.com and you'll get the information as soon as we can get it out to you. Signing off, this is Paul McGuinness

 

[Niceman]

He shouldn't worry about anything this year but getting healthy. I can wait for new songs and tour dates.

 

[bathiu]

He shouldn't worry about anything this year but getting healthy. I can wait for new songs and tour dates.

posted this here only because there's this tiny little bit of news about possible new material.

 

[schnumi]

He shouldn't worry about anything this year but getting healthy. I can wait for new songs and tour dates.

This year?

Im pretty sure he will be back way sooner then that.

 

[U2girl]

trying to be cool via association with hip hop

That's exactly what it is. As if 2010 and BEP was their first, only and last encounter with hip hop acts.

 

[corianderstem]

If they really want to associate with hip hop, they should associate with real hip hop.

 

[popacrobat]

If they really want to associate with hip hop, they should associate with real hip hop.

didn't Dr. Dre produce a song with them? Treason? I'd love to hear that someday.

 

[Niceman]

This year?

Im pretty sure he will be back way sooner then that.

If that's sensible, then great, but his health is more important than anything. I just saw an idiot woman on MSNBC say that Bono's accident was a big deal because it effects how much money the band will make this year - what an idiot!

 

[bram]

Well, that's bad news (not because of the tour delay, but because the B-man is hurting). The silver lining is that Bono could potentially use this experience for some unique, introspective song-writing.

 

[popacrobat]

Well, that's bad news (not because of the tour delay, but because the B-man is hurting). The silver lining is that Bono could potentially use this experience for some unique, introspective song-writing.

Silver lining to me could be that they'll have to reschedule some of those dates for 2011, especially Anaheim and Oakland. I doubt the MLB schedule will afford U2 the time to play in the Angels and A's parks later in the summer. I haven't looked over either the Angels or A's schedules, but I doubt there's going to be a break long enough for U2 to get the space station set up and taken down and have the Angels and A's time to fix their field after the stage tramples it. I know the Angels had a road trip from may 31 through june 13 to make room for the U2 show. there is definitely no such break for the rest of the year like that for Angels Stadium.

if the tour is forced to go into 2011, I think the chances of a new album increase dramatically. Granted, the most important thing is Bono's health of course, don't want to see him really seriously damage his spine further, but if there is a silver lining in all of this, that's the direction I'm looking in.

 

[Salome]

If they really want to associate with hip hop, they should associate with real hip hop.

maybe they can get Jay-Z to do some rapping on Sunday Bloody Sunday or something

 

[nielsgov]

Yes why don't they bring out an album with old songs with Jay-Z rapping over it all.?

 

[lazarus]

Silver lining to me could be that they'll have to reschedule some of those dates for 2011, especially Anaheim and Oakland. I doubt the MLB schedule will afford U2 the time to play in the Angels and A's parks later in the summer. I haven't looked over either the Angels or A's schedules, but I doubt there's going to be a break long enough for U2 to get the space station set up and taken down and have the Angels and A's time to fix their field after the stage tramples it. I know the Angels had a road trip from may 31 through june 13 to make room for the U2 show. there is definitely no such break for the rest of the year like that for Angels Stadium.

They never should have booked there anyway. Why should all of the Los Angeles residents have to drive down to fucking Anaheim? If I never enter Orange County again it will be too soon.

If Dodger Stadium isn't a possibility, they should just switch it to the Coliseum. Can't be many conflicts there, and I don't think it would be a problem selling that place out either.

 

[popacrobat]

They never should have booked there anyway. Why should all of the Los Angeles residents have to drive down to fucking Anaheim? If I never enter Orange County again it will be too soon.

If Dodger Stadium isn't a possibility, they should just switch it to the Coliseum. Can't be many conflicts there, and I don't think it would be a problem selling that place out either.

Without looking at the Dodgers schedule exactly, I can't imagine it's a possibility. I think the MLB had specifically made the Angels road trip longer there - leading to some complaints from the Angels. The Coliseum though does seem like a feasible alternative. In Oakland, I suppose they could see if the 49ers would let them use their stadium. Not too far away in San Fran.

But there's just no way that either Angel Stadium or Oakland Coliseum will be hosting a U2 concert during the duration of the MLB season.

 

[digitize]

They could move the SoCal shows down to Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres are awful, so no one would care if MLB abused them. And downtown San Diego is awesome.

 

[popacrobat]

the Padres do, and should, suck but they're in first place someway, somehow... have a run differential of +43, second best in the NL.

I know you were kidding though.

 

[bonocomet]

Downtown San Diego IS most definitely awesome though, that much is true!

 

[U2DMfan]

U2MDFAN said "Breathe" is U2 aiming for blues rock and winding up at dad rock and I frankly couldn't disagree more. No, Breathe is not the very peak of U2 creativity, like say, Numb or Mofo or The Fly or TUF in its day, but it is relatively unique for U2, is structured in an interesting way and does have some nice raw guitar work and genuinely good Edge solos. Also, it is clear, both album and live, that Edge really, really gets into Breathe and believes in it. "Dad rock," again, whatever that is, I could really only see being present in Elevation or Vertigo.

Breathe as blues? I don't see it. The closest U2 has ever come to blues rock, I think is Trip Through Your Wires, When Love Comes To Town and Angel of Harlem, which, save for the drums in "Trip" could not be any further from Breathe. Maybe the theme of Breathe is blues like- being bothered by a sales man, having some disease, rejecting what others promise will bring happiness, and walking out and connecting with an imperfect world, "finding grace inside a sound" and seeing the bright side through it all.(which really makes it no different than Beautiful Day in this regard) But the music could not be any further from blues inspired if it tried.

Bluesy rock, my dear. Do I really need to describe what I am talking about?

It's where rock and roll derives from. You are describing lyrics and not paying attention to the musicianship. The slow slugging riff, is proto-blues rock. Riff-rock comes from Robert Johnson and the whole herd.

It's white boys trying to be soulful. U2 avoided this, they were the alternative to this kind of shit for decades and suddenly Edge discovered a distortion pedal and met Jimmy Page and was like 'wow'...now I'll play the same shit everyone else has been playing for the last 30 years and pass it off as unique...it doesn't work.

 

[U2387]

Bluesy rock, my dear. Do I really need to describe what I am talking about?

Did not know I was your dear.....

Please do describe what you are talking about, because I don't make that same leap.

It's where rock and roll derives from. You are describing lyrics and not paying attention to the musicianship. The slow slugging riff, is proto-blues rock. Riff-rock comes from Robert Johnson and the whole herd.

I am quite well aware of where rock and roll derives from.

Read my post again- I made it a point to specifically address what you are saying I ignored- the music.

So any "slow, slugging" riff(whatever that is) is automatically blues rock?

Can I use that definition on a test in music class should I ever take it again?

Breathe is really not that slow, but anyways, even if it is, look at all the elements of it again. The riff is pretty down the middle Edge with a few interesting, new for Edge twists to it.

The main riff is raw with a good amount of power chords, chorus and solos ring and use delay. Where is the newfound bluesy Edge here? What is different?

It's white boys trying to be soulful. U2 avoided this, they were the alternative to this kind of shit for decades and suddenly Edge discovered a distortion pedal and met Jimmy Page and was like 'wow'...now I'll play the same shit everyone else has been playing for the last 30 years and pass it off as unique...it doesn't work.

You could not be serious here. Edge just recently discovered a distortion pedal?

Edge discovered a distortion pedal at least as early as AB with Zoo Station and The Fly.

Probably Hawkmoon on R&H.

Any guitar geeks that can help me out?

This is before I even ask you the obvious- where did you come up with Breathe as an example of heavy distortion use?

Its not even the most distortion heavy track on the album, that would have to go to NLOTH, F-BB or SUC.

Again, if Breathe is U2 going from their own unique sound to the same shit people like Page and other blues rock influenced acts have been playing for years, then a completely new definition that I am unaware of has been created for each.

Breathe to me is U2 to the core, structured a bit differently, with some new to them elements mixed in.

Again, how is this white boys trying to be soulful and bluesy while R&H gets a pass?

How is this a new found taste for blues with songs like Trip Through Your Wires in the past?

1987-1989 was the closest U2 ever came to blues, before or since, period.

I have heard of a lot of words to describe Breathe.

Blues is certainly not one of them.

 

[Niceman]

Breathe is no more Blues than R.E.M. is!

 

[lazarus]

But there's just no way that either Angel Stadium...will be hosting a U2 concert during the duration of the MLB season.

This is music to my ears. You know, assuming they just don't cancel the show outright.

They could move the SoCal shows down to Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres are awful, so no one would care if MLB abused them. And downtown San Diego is awesome.

No way that is going to happen. They aren't going to make everyone drive that far away for a make-up show.

 

[U2girl]

maybe they can get Jay-Z to do some rapping on Sunday Bloody Sunday or something

Or have Public Enemy or Kanye West opening...

 

[lazarus]

Those were the days. Relevant, good artists opening.

 

[U2387]

breathe is no more blues than r.e.m. Is!

exactly!

Thank you!