Next Album Rumours Thread II - Songs of Ass Scent

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the only reason i'm slightly hoping that it happens is that there's a chance they would "finish" and release mercy and everyone here will finally shut up about that overrated turd of a demo.

I can’t understand how people keep insisting on the “demo” designation despite the fact that there’s a Blender article/interview that describes the track, and tells us it was voted off the album at the last minute.

You’re free to not like the recording but I don’t know why one needs to misrepresent it to validate your opinion.
 
uh, yeah, I am aware there are YouTube videos. those are not called 'concert films'.

now, was I exaggerating a touch? yeah... I must have forgotten that Interference frowns upon exaggeration. My bad.
You can't even take me agreeing with you without being a cranky bastard can you?

Keep fucking that chicken broseph.
 
Based on the interview with Hozier, don’t know when that was, and the talk about ideas for the next album, doesn’t sound like they are currently recording which probably makes sense since they would most likely be prepping for the finale of TJT tour, but good to hear that atleast ideas are being bantered about. Granted Bono is just one big idea. Based on the way SOA is being described, perhaps it could be there eventual final album. Will be curious to see where the next route will take them since it seems to be wide open.
 
was that the 11/22 show you were at? I was at that one, it ended very abruptly after a shitshow meltdown by Patti Smith. Worst ending to any show of any artist I have ever seen.



Was a great show before that (save the awful Streets)



Yes it was!

The show was amazing and Streets on this tour was disappointing for sure but still better than no Streets ala Ei.

The ending was very confusing as I think she fell ill or something and they rushed off the stage. Everyone around me was confused because we were thinking there was at least 1 or 2 more songs(came out later I think that Bad was supposed to be played).

So it was a terrible ending to what was otherwise a great show. The person I was with was seeing them for the first time and she too was like “why would they end like that, is that normal”.
 
Based on the interview with Hozier, don’t know when that was, and the talk about ideas for the next album, doesn’t sound like they are currently recording which probably makes sense since they would most likely be prepping for the finale of TJT tour, but good to hear that atleast ideas are being bantered about. Granted Bono is just one big idea. Based on the way SOA is being described, perhaps it could be there eventual final album. Will be curious to see where the next route will take them since it seems to be wide open.
Song of Ascent could be better than The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby combined and they should still change the name.
 
They should release SOA and a straight forward rock album as their final goodbye. Keeps all fans happy.
Based on the interview with Hozier, don’t know when that was, and the talk about ideas for the next album, doesn’t sound like they are currently recording which probably makes sense since they would most likely be prepping for the finale of TJT tour, but good to hear that atleast ideas are being bantered about. Granted Bono is just one big idea. Based on the way SOA is being described, perhaps it could be there eventual final album. Will be curious to see where the next route will take them since it seems to be wide open.
 
How many "fuck off rock n' roll" records is this band going to make? Wasn't this was HTDAAB was supposed to be? Wasn't this the middle section of NLOTH?

Enough with the watered down Zeppelin riffage and garage rock attempts. Their best stuff is in the ethereal.
 
How many "fuck off rock n' roll" records is this band going to make? Wasn't this was HTDAAB was supposed to be? Wasn't this the middle section of NLOTH?

Enough with the watered down Zeppelin riffage and garage rock attempts. Their best stuff is in the ethereal.
That's why it should be a double album,an album of the fly type songs then an album of more ambient stuff.
 
"Themed" EPs would be cool. They'd never do it, but I think more frequent releases with some restraint on the content would work better than a double album split into sides. The Foo Fighters album that did this was kind of slog. This would also lend itself to shorter recording sessions/seasons, which... yea, right.

They haven't written a good clone of The Fly since Discotheque, but I might rather listen to them try to do it four times in a row than shoehorned in throughout an album.
 
That's why it should be a double album,an album of the fly type songs then an album of more ambient stuff.

I dont know if this band is capable of writing anything within 500 miles of "The Fly" anymore. I also dont think they trust themselves enough to do anything experimental or ambient either. Think about it- they had a perfect invitation to do it with Barlow and some of the material last album, and they still had to shove rawk songs in the middle of it and call Tedder to "pop-ify" the songs for radio, picking the most banal and familiar song as lead single. I truly dont think they get it, and doubt it will hit them now.
 
I dont know if this band is capable of writing anything within 500 miles of "The Fly" anymore. I also dont think they trust themselves enough to do anything experimental or ambient either. Think about it- they had a perfect invitation to do it with Barlow and some of the material last album, and they still had to shove rawk songs in the middle of it and call Tedder to "pop-ify" the songs for radio, picking the most banal and familiar song as lead single. I truly dont think they get it, and doubt it will hit them now.

They're lost. I think the problem is that they're more interested in creating product than in creating art.

They're more interested in satisfying their ego than in expressing themselves.

What if the desire to be glorified is the most honest expression of U2's self though...
 
They're lost. I think the problem is that they're more interested in creating product than in creating art.

They're more interested in satisfying their ego than in expressing themselves.

What if the desire to be glorified is the most honest expression of U2's self though...

this is an interesting thought to tease out..

glorified is maybe a tad unfair. I think theirs is a desire to be heard. Still tied up in ego, no doubt.
 
I’ll complain as much as anyone about their poor decision-making and compromises, but this kind of shit is disingenuous. If all they wanted to do was “ride the legacy” or cash in or whatever there are many ways they could have done that over the years.

When people post this kind of thing I wonder (a) why they bother to come here and (b) if they’ve ever understood this band, like, at all.
 
I’ll complain as much as anyone about their poor decision-making and compromises, but this kind of shit is disingenuous. If all they wanted to do was “ride the legacy” or cash in or whatever there are many ways they could have done that over the years.

When people post this kind of thing I wonder (a) why they bother to come here and (b) if they’ve ever understood this band, like, at all.
Exactly,see main example the rolling stones.
 

They could have been doing JT20 for the last 12 years. Hell they could have never done anything after Joshua Tree and toured 80's material for as long as they could.

The point is that they continue to want to create. Whether that's what any certain fan might want is a different story. I personally liked SOI and SOE as full albums more than anything from 2000 to 2010.
So i'm glad they are still at it. I personally would like a more ethereal album, but if they still have a surprise and can pull off a unique, original and non-cheesy straight rock album. then that's cool.
 
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"Themed" EPs would be cool. They'd never do it, but I think more frequent releases with some restraint on the content would work better than a double album split into sides.

I thought they might even find that sort of idea a bit liberating from the (apparently) difficult/lengthy process they usually do for albums. Concentrate on a few songs, add a couple of remixes and release an EP every few months for a while.
 
the only 'theme' they have ever fully embraced is 'sell as many fucking albums/singles/downloads as possible, bank as much as possible, and be relevant'.

and they will do whatever they think it takes to achieve that.
 
Like it or not, the next record will be released based closely around the results of the next US presidential election. Even if the songs aren’t directly tied to it (Bono will claim a song is about his wife or children but the music video will tie into something relevant, like politics) you know somehow the band will spin a song or two that direction. Can’t help themselves. Hopefully it is actually a “fuck off rocker” and not some bland single like you’re the best thing about me. Lastly, it’s not going to be some “atmospheric soundscape” that some of you always hope for and never get.
 
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the only 'theme' they have ever fully embraced is 'sell as many fucking albums/singles/downloads as possible, bank as much as possible, and be relevant'.

and they will do whatever they think it takes to achieve that.

Not sure I agree 100% on the "bank as much as possible" part.
If it was only about money, they'd have never have given SOI away for nothing, and would charge more for GA tickets (which they could easily do). Certainly they make plenty of money, no question, but they could squeeze more out of fans if they wanted to.

The relevance thing absolutely, I think that drives them more than anything, sometimes (most times nowadays) to their detriment
 
I think my concern for U2's next record stems from how they chose to present to the public their last one. Best Thing, I can understand: it's the first single, and they went with a fairly solid pop/rock song. But GOOYOW @ the Grammy's? American Soul on SNL? *This* is what U2 believed would connect w/ people over songs like The Blackout, RFD, The Showman (yes, I quite like this track: it's effortless and fun and catchy--displays the kinda carefree, lack-of-attention to detail that's almost refreshing). Sure, LIBTAIIW is nice, but something about the track leaves me wanting. Can't put my finger on it, but it reminds me of what I imagine early versions of SYCMIOYO sounded like (where Lanois has mentioned that it didn't have a chorus)--it's a song that I feel is almost great, but because it doesn't quite reach the heights it aspires to, I'm always left a little disappointed.

And to know that they're sticking w/ Tedder is just... eeehhhhhh...

Don't get me wrong; I'm not completely cynical about the band: I still firmly believe that U2 have the potential for greatness (Little Things, anyone? c'mon...) <3). I'm just starting to worry that what they're chasing may outweigh what they're sacrificing.
 
Not sure I agree 100% on the "bank as much as possible" part.

If it was only about money, they'd have never have given SOI away for nothing, and would charge more for GA tickets (which they could easily do). Certainly they make plenty of money, no question, but they could squeeze more out of fans if they wanted to.



The relevance thing absolutely, I think that drives them more than anything, sometimes (most times nowadays) to their detriment



They didn’t give it away for nothing though. Apple paid them for the rights of the record so they could distribute it. A lot of reports quoted that they paid them 100 million for it which I can’t believe but I bet any money that u2 made more money from that release then they would have made from a regular cd release
 
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