What do we know so far? What do we expect? What are we constantly pondering?
I?ll try to answer 3 questions (Will it be innovative? What will Edge sound like? Will it be ATYCLB 2?) So without further ado?
1.Will it be an innovative record?
Well?
The band is aware of ATYCLB?s possible weakness.
Bono said, "The album does lack a bit of some of the things that I think our band does [well], some of the anarchic, slightly abstract things; it might be a little too tightly constructed." But then he goes on to say that they don?t want to become a prog rock band, hence the journey "right into the deep structure of pop music." The next album, he said later on in the interview will have "the same songwriting discipline"
That was January, 2002. This year in April he said.
"The great music for so many artists -- the Beatles, the Rolling Stones -- was always at the moment when they were closest to pop. It would be easy for U2 to go off and have a concept album, but I want us to stay in the pop fray." He was talking to Oprah.
Neil McCormick recently said, "The songwriting that you?ve seen on All That You Can?t Leave Behind, it?s that songwriting. U2 records were never so crafted in the past."
So it is going to be a pop record ? at least in terms of song structure. This doesn?t mean that it is going to be a poppy record.
Still, the question remains, will it be an innovative record? Probably not. People that have heard bits of it have kept referring to how it sounds like early U2. Absent are some of the expirents of the past. "There's no crunk-style rapping on the new U2 album, no gospel choirs or techno experiments, nothing that could possibly be misinterpreted as a sign of midlife crisis." But then Neil McCormick says, "The songwriting refers to practically every stage of U2?s development." Every stage. So it might have some more of the ?slightly abstract things? in it. The innovation on this record won?t be the strange song structures ? la Bad, but in the work of The Edge.
2. So what is the mad genius going to sound like?
We have heard all the Bono quotes:
"It's like punk rock made on Venus. It is a mad sound The Edge is making."
"Edge is just on fire - he's making the most extraordinary things come out of his guitar. It's astonishing." But this is Bono. What has everybody else said?
The Edge, when not talking about salad dressing, has mentioned that his style is not as minimalistic as it was. Now he prefers to "?create as big an effect as I can, to really explore what guitar could be, and really push the boundaries of what guitar in a rock 'n' roll band can sound like." Lots of crazy textures then? Yes, but he also says that for him, "the last record and tour was just a return to the basic sound of the electric guitar and how amazing that can sound. The simplicity of it. And this new record follows on from that, but even more extreme."
Meanwhile, Dallas Schoo says that, "The Edge has played some of his most innovative guitar moments and recording tracks that I have witnessed." Fans hearing snippets have talked about new textures, fast playing, etc. The Edge is being innovative.
On the other hand, he is also not afraid to sound like ?Classic Edge.? This albums has, ?All the old tricks ? the Edge's echoing guitar notes?? and the clip of Vertigo sounds like an Edge with a full head of fluffy hair, if you know what I mean.
We?ll probably get a mix of new and old Edge styles.
3. The touchy question: is this ATYCLB 2?
Probably not. The song structures may be similar, and Bono has said, "I don't think we're facing that difficult second album syndrome." He also stated that he wants this album to be in many ways a continuation of ATYCLB. "Yeah, I think we've been given this new audience, and I think it's time to take this thing, this spirit, and keep the momentum."
But Edge (God bless him) scoffed at Bono, saying: "That's what he always says. No, I don't think so. I think there's a certain energy that can sometimes carry you from one project to the next, but I think at the end of this tour we need to actually take some time. When you're writing songs, it's about input, about what you're listening to, what you're studying -- that all comes through. On the road, in some ways you're disconnected. I think the next record needs to develop into something distinct. Right now, I think it will be a guitar record." And he?s been studying: Sonic Youth, BRMC and The Pixies.
In it?s early stages, the album had songs described as "a skyscraping rocker, replete with "drunk bass" and glammy fringes" and "the rawest song U2 have ever recorded: the quartet recast as an abrasive garage band." Not exactly Stuck in a Moment.
4. Conclusion
Overall: maybe 3-5 rocker (McCormick-Edge), 2 ballads (The Edge).
Vital quotes:
"Full of confident, expansive guitar rock" and "Edge is the musical wizard, and this feels like an Edge record" and "it?s not the U2 big rock record; there are maybe three rock songs on there, but there?s all the usual ambience and weird adventures, and all of the songs are about big themes."
What is it not going to be: Achtung Baby 2 or ATYCLB 2.
It?s been a long post, sorry. But you?re U2 fans, ergo, you have patience.
What are your thoughts?
I?ll try to answer 3 questions (Will it be innovative? What will Edge sound like? Will it be ATYCLB 2?) So without further ado?
1.Will it be an innovative record?
Well?
The band is aware of ATYCLB?s possible weakness.
Bono said, "The album does lack a bit of some of the things that I think our band does [well], some of the anarchic, slightly abstract things; it might be a little too tightly constructed." But then he goes on to say that they don?t want to become a prog rock band, hence the journey "right into the deep structure of pop music." The next album, he said later on in the interview will have "the same songwriting discipline"
That was January, 2002. This year in April he said.
"The great music for so many artists -- the Beatles, the Rolling Stones -- was always at the moment when they were closest to pop. It would be easy for U2 to go off and have a concept album, but I want us to stay in the pop fray." He was talking to Oprah.
Neil McCormick recently said, "The songwriting that you?ve seen on All That You Can?t Leave Behind, it?s that songwriting. U2 records were never so crafted in the past."
So it is going to be a pop record ? at least in terms of song structure. This doesn?t mean that it is going to be a poppy record.
Still, the question remains, will it be an innovative record? Probably not. People that have heard bits of it have kept referring to how it sounds like early U2. Absent are some of the expirents of the past. "There's no crunk-style rapping on the new U2 album, no gospel choirs or techno experiments, nothing that could possibly be misinterpreted as a sign of midlife crisis." But then Neil McCormick says, "The songwriting refers to practically every stage of U2?s development." Every stage. So it might have some more of the ?slightly abstract things? in it. The innovation on this record won?t be the strange song structures ? la Bad, but in the work of The Edge.
2. So what is the mad genius going to sound like?
We have heard all the Bono quotes:
"It's like punk rock made on Venus. It is a mad sound The Edge is making."
"Edge is just on fire - he's making the most extraordinary things come out of his guitar. It's astonishing." But this is Bono. What has everybody else said?
The Edge, when not talking about salad dressing, has mentioned that his style is not as minimalistic as it was. Now he prefers to "?create as big an effect as I can, to really explore what guitar could be, and really push the boundaries of what guitar in a rock 'n' roll band can sound like." Lots of crazy textures then? Yes, but he also says that for him, "the last record and tour was just a return to the basic sound of the electric guitar and how amazing that can sound. The simplicity of it. And this new record follows on from that, but even more extreme."
Meanwhile, Dallas Schoo says that, "The Edge has played some of his most innovative guitar moments and recording tracks that I have witnessed." Fans hearing snippets have talked about new textures, fast playing, etc. The Edge is being innovative.
On the other hand, he is also not afraid to sound like ?Classic Edge.? This albums has, ?All the old tricks ? the Edge's echoing guitar notes?? and the clip of Vertigo sounds like an Edge with a full head of fluffy hair, if you know what I mean.
We?ll probably get a mix of new and old Edge styles.
3. The touchy question: is this ATYCLB 2?
Probably not. The song structures may be similar, and Bono has said, "I don't think we're facing that difficult second album syndrome." He also stated that he wants this album to be in many ways a continuation of ATYCLB. "Yeah, I think we've been given this new audience, and I think it's time to take this thing, this spirit, and keep the momentum."
But Edge (God bless him) scoffed at Bono, saying: "That's what he always says. No, I don't think so. I think there's a certain energy that can sometimes carry you from one project to the next, but I think at the end of this tour we need to actually take some time. When you're writing songs, it's about input, about what you're listening to, what you're studying -- that all comes through. On the road, in some ways you're disconnected. I think the next record needs to develop into something distinct. Right now, I think it will be a guitar record." And he?s been studying: Sonic Youth, BRMC and The Pixies.
In it?s early stages, the album had songs described as "a skyscraping rocker, replete with "drunk bass" and glammy fringes" and "the rawest song U2 have ever recorded: the quartet recast as an abrasive garage band." Not exactly Stuck in a Moment.
4. Conclusion
Overall: maybe 3-5 rocker (McCormick-Edge), 2 ballads (The Edge).
Vital quotes:
"Full of confident, expansive guitar rock" and "Edge is the musical wizard, and this feels like an Edge record" and "it?s not the U2 big rock record; there are maybe three rock songs on there, but there?s all the usual ambience and weird adventures, and all of the songs are about big themes."
What is it not going to be: Achtung Baby 2 or ATYCLB 2.
It?s been a long post, sorry. But you?re U2 fans, ergo, you have patience.
What are your thoughts?
