david
ONE love, blood, life
Edge just did Rick Rubin’s podcast but it’s behind a paywall.
New Album Discussion 1 - Songs of..... - Unreasonable guitar album
- Thread starter dan_smee
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
david
ONE love, blood, life
Im doing a two week free trial to just listen to it..
OP
OP
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Let us know the takeaways!
Favorite part of this is that the U2 spirit of reinvention is still alive. You can tell he doesn't just want to re-hash the past and sound like a classic rock/punk outfit by "turning the amps on". He wants a fresh sound. Now, whether that means a wealth of experimentation or chasing the elusive and highly subjective "relevance" is yet to be seen.
david
ONE love, blood, life
No big takeaways from the Rick Rubin podcast. They touched upon the history of the band. Edge talked about the brilliance of Adam and his way of playing. Talked about books. Of course the new album etc.
mediaman44
War Child
The episode isn’t behind a pay wall anymore. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6FhCcsIMCJpzB85DYDCFMs?si=V8CZ0od4SiOQLi2pfH9NZw
I’m going to listen to it.
I’m going to listen to it.
Have no idea what a 'unreasonable guitar record' would sound like. I agree that stuff like Discotheque rocks harder and cooler than anything afterwards and that was a quarter of a century back! I keep banging on about this but the tune at 4.47 sounds mega.
Sure, it sounds like early U2 and isn't any reinvention, but at the risk of guitar 'rawk' like The Miracle or American Soul, I'd bite your hand off for a return to spiky post-punk.
Bono alluded to accepting they are not part of the pop mainstream anymore and that they won't bother attempting to write chart pop songs, so the album should be a reaction against that whole committee of producers and sterile overproduction that typifies so much of the modern charts. Record much of it live, drench the whole thing in reverb and release. Don't overthink it, keep it raw, Ryan Tedder well away and don't soften them up with daft teeny bopper melodies.
That's at the risk of looking like luddites, but in this day and age, a guitar band releasing something in a raw and authentic sound is rare today. I can't find it anymore but there was a video with Brian Eno discussing with Steve Lillywhite (entirely unrelated to U2) about how we are subconsciously more connected to sounds that are 'human' and not robotically pristine and perfect (he mentioned the idea of autotune or editing/perfecting a guitar riff in the middle of a song, etc ). I think there's something to be said for the rawness in that, adding to the overall energy of it all.
It's not present in the charts and any other guitar bands, U2 included, sounds sterile with its overwrought production. A reaction against that would be all the more powerful. And I reckon The Edge should keep to his strengths in making an unreasonable guitar record - that means reconciling a noisy guitar sound with the effects pedals and soundscapes of previous years. He should never ditch the thing that makes him great (which he unfortunately has in recent years), and just playing sub-standard generic rock riffs (American Soul, The Miracle, Stand Up Comedy, etc) is not playing to his strengths.
Sure, it sounds like early U2 and isn't any reinvention, but at the risk of guitar 'rawk' like The Miracle or American Soul, I'd bite your hand off for a return to spiky post-punk.
Bono alluded to accepting they are not part of the pop mainstream anymore and that they won't bother attempting to write chart pop songs, so the album should be a reaction against that whole committee of producers and sterile overproduction that typifies so much of the modern charts. Record much of it live, drench the whole thing in reverb and release. Don't overthink it, keep it raw, Ryan Tedder well away and don't soften them up with daft teeny bopper melodies.
That's at the risk of looking like luddites, but in this day and age, a guitar band releasing something in a raw and authentic sound is rare today. I can't find it anymore but there was a video with Brian Eno discussing with Steve Lillywhite (entirely unrelated to U2) about how we are subconsciously more connected to sounds that are 'human' and not robotically pristine and perfect (he mentioned the idea of autotune or editing/perfecting a guitar riff in the middle of a song, etc ). I think there's something to be said for the rawness in that, adding to the overall energy of it all.
It's not present in the charts and any other guitar bands, U2 included, sounds sterile with its overwrought production. A reaction against that would be all the more powerful. And I reckon The Edge should keep to his strengths in making an unreasonable guitar record - that means reconciling a noisy guitar sound with the effects pedals and soundscapes of previous years. He should never ditch the thing that makes him great (which he unfortunately has in recent years), and just playing sub-standard generic rock riffs (American Soul, The Miracle, Stand Up Comedy, etc) is not playing to his strengths.
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JamietheEdgefan
Refugee
This is a really intriguing idea, and I think you may be right. I was thinking the other day that there could eventually be a pendulum swing away from overly-processed 'clean' sounding production. A very human, deliberately imperfect, and truly raw guitar-focused album could ironically sound quite relevant and attention-grabbing compared to an over-produced, 'safer' sound, and could be quite bold coming from a band like U2.
Based on their approach to SoS, they've proven they're comfortable putting out raw sounding music with vocal imperfections, unpolished production etc. Apparently SoS is charting at number 1 on itunes and other charts in a few countries - I'm entirely out of the loop on what defines commercial success, but if that has anything to do with it, it might embolden the band to pursue this raw sound.
Adam saying they haven't really started recording the new album, and Bono's talk of searching for a new producer last summer makes me hope (naively) that they've decided to scrap whatever they did recently with Ryan Tedder in favour of that sound you mention that rejects sterile overproduction and is more human. I've said it before, but I'd gladly take another year of waiting if it meant pursuing a direction away from Tedder (unfortunately I reckon he's still likely to be involved, if only because Bono and Edge are still interested in 'song writing' and might want what he brings to the table there).
I also really, really hope that a renewed focus on guitar doesn't mean yet more dad-rock, blues-scale riffs, but something more soundscape based.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
I love that Edge Fender video, thanks for posting
david
ONE love, blood, life
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Neither is a good as Bono's fender video
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
I love Elevation/Vertigo/Miracle/American Soul. I like Boots.
I wasn't much of a fan of most Boy, or Oct except for IWF, OOC, ITAB, and ? Gloria Those I thought were fantastic. I was waiting to catch them live but had to give up a concert Tix in '83. Didn't see them until Radio City Music Hall.
Loved War. JT and AB were very different and both superb.
Also think NLOTH, and SOE are superb. So glad I got to see those live, as well as every tour since '84 except POP.
The Blackout us an astonishing song.
Breathe is quite wonderful different sounding, and I do love Red Flag definitely captured an earlier sound.
While I know about the Vegas gig I didn't know about SOS. It been a challenging 13 months for me.
Will have to catch that on YT (SOS) I don't know if my CD player works anymore (I had to move).
It'll be interesting yo see what they do on this SOS. Plus what ever might still be next.
I wasn't much of a fan of most Boy, or Oct except for IWF, OOC, ITAB, and ? Gloria Those I thought were fantastic. I was waiting to catch them live but had to give up a concert Tix in '83. Didn't see them until Radio City Music Hall.
Loved War. JT and AB were very different and both superb.
Also think NLOTH, and SOE are superb. So glad I got to see those live, as well as every tour since '84 except POP.
The Blackout us an astonishing song.
Breathe is quite wonderful different sounding, and I do love Red Flag definitely captured an earlier sound.
While I know about the Vegas gig I didn't know about SOS. It been a challenging 13 months for me.
Will have to catch that on YT (SOS) I don't know if my CD player works anymore (I had to move).
It'll be interesting yo see what they do on this SOS. Plus what ever might still be next.
jay canseco
War Child
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2004
- Messages
- 810
We need Beach Clips!
The_acrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Neil McCormick doesn’t believe a NEW U2 album will be released until 2025. Realistically they won’t start working on it seriously until after Vegas, sometime in 2024. So late 2024/early 2025, with a tour beginning in 2025 is the best case scenario, I think.
Ugh, I wish I could go to one of these Vegas shows!!
Ugh, I wish I could go to one of these Vegas shows!!
jay canseco
War Child
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2004
- Messages
- 810
If after all that we get a schlok rock album i will call their churches!!!!
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Do they know how old they are?
Fuck them. What about the fans? We will all be in nursing homes by the time this album comes out.
neil is obviously knowledgeable, but neil is not the bible.
it is just a guess. an educated guess - but a guess none the less.
it is just a guess. an educated guess - but a guess none the less.
Why not just release music and tour when you're ready? Not every album has to be paired with a monster tour. If it's an album that truly fits a huge multi year world stage, sure. But I feel like the band would get on better if they made music, released it with some small promo shows, and no pressure to pause their personal lives for so long
Especially as others have posted above, they ain't getting younger
Especially as others have posted above, they ain't getting younger
Every album is an event for them.
Conversely they could just tour without a new album because in 2024 it’ll be 6 years since the last in the States and Europe, and people would line up for a hits tour with open wallets. Automatic stadium run
Conversely they could just tour without a new album because in 2024 it’ll be 6 years since the last in the States and Europe, and people would line up for a hits tour with open wallets. Automatic stadium run
you must be new
The_acrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
This is absolutely what they should be doing at this point of their career.
They should take a page from the Rolling Stones book. Since 2012, they have just focused on one region per year (NA, Europe, Australiasia, etc). They typically do 20 or less shows per year. U2 should adopt this method, and then just release albums or EPs whenever they feel like it. It would take the pressure off them in a lot of ways, and would probably result in us getting more music released overall.
But then people on interference would accuse them of being a dinosaur act
but we'd all just be morally corrupt rubes if we went and saw them.
that's it - i'm going to stop posting now. i can't deal with you bootlickers
that's it - i'm going to stop posting now. i can't deal with you bootlickers
ascender_RS
Refugee
They ain't ever going to change their ways now!
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