Next Album Rumours Thread III - The Gospel of Adam

[womanfish]

Sort of odd that Adam said Cohen and Cash about a week after I said I hope they do something to put them in the books as Cohen or Cash… odd.

For me, I would love to see something from them that is both stripped down and intimate but not just acoustic or piano. I’m thinking more Your Blue Room or Love Comes Tumbling. Stripped down but still with a U2 atmosphere to it.

 

[U2girl]

Achtung Baby acoustic for the 30th anniversary maybe?

 

[AndrewCowley]

For me, I would love to see something from them that is both stripped down and intimate but not just acoustic or piano. I’m thinking more Your Blue Room or Love Comes Tumbling. Stripped down but still with a U2 atmosphere to it.

An album of songs like Cedars of Lebanon.

That would be brilliant.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

To be fair, he said it could end up being either full acoustic (Leonard Cohen/Johnny Cash) or something "very lush" (which I imagine would be more orchestral, or have additional sonic elements).

So it could wind up being semi-acoustic/based on piano and acoustic guitar, but with some interesting arrangements around it.

I think the one interesting thing about this project is that it sounds like the acoustic approach is the whole point.
When they've done acoustic stuff recently, it's been for B-sides or random Bono & Edge promo performances. It's been an afterthought to otherwise full band/electronic music.

If they produce something that's dedicated to an acoustic sound, maybe they can approach it in a more thoughtful way which makes it sound more effective and powerful than what they've done recently.

If they could do something with the feel of Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt', it could actually be quite good (though I'm comparing very different artists, admittedly).

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Also, I re-read Adam's quotes, and whilst it seems more likely that this work is centered on re-imagining old material, I don't think new music can be ruled out.

He basically said "we are playing around with rearranging some of the songs that we have". In 2020 he said they had an albums worth of material but that they needed to record it. So he could be referring to new music that they haven't finished yet.

Also, remember this recent quote from Adam?
"One of the things that I think we absolutely mastered on All That You Can't Leave Behind was a song that was very much close to Edge's heart, which was "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of." [It's] essentially a gospel song in a very church tradition. It's a piano, bass song, and he spent many, many hours fiddling with those chords and adjusting notes in them to get them just right. I think that is a sound and an approach that you will hear on the new material, I think there's a direct line from that song to where we're going now."

And that quote from yesterday was about Edge messing around with changing keys and arrangements etc.

I don't know. Probably still talking about old music. I just don't know if new material can be ruled out.

Probably the strongest argument against this being new music is Adam saying it would be out by the end of the year it's probably gonna be an acoustic Achtung Baby.

 

[Hewson]

Really? I tend to think that them acoustically is just boring, but there’s a 50-50 chance the cover is cringey

But then you also get gems like Dancing Barefoot, so covers for the win.

 

[Hewson]

[

Ordinary Love

https://youtu.be/Fum3g86zUPc

(This also was the last time that U2 weren't a laughing stock, because their next appearance in public was a few months later at the Apple press conference)

.

Yet the song gets 10x better when The Roots join in with ya know, electric instruments and full drum kit etc.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Yet the song gets 10x better when The Roots join in with ya know, electric instruments and full drum kit etc.

Okay?

I didn't say this one was better. I just said it was an example of U2 doing a good acoustic arrangement - as many of their acoustic versions are trash.

I only really claim one U2 song is better as an acoustic song than electric and that's stuck. The acoustic Staring at the Sun was better than the aborted electric arrangements they tried, but I prefer the original recording over anything else.

And at the end of the day - how many songs, by any artist, sound better as a recut acoustic version vs. the original? Live or studio? It's a very small list.

There's a place for acoustic versions. They're not meant to replace the original, but it's a nice change of pace. The issue with U2 isn't that it's acoustic, it's that it hasn't been good.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

On one hand, they’ll be taking a break from trying too hard to sound cool for the kids.

On the other, an album full of this is going to make them look like boring old men.

I will take them being boring old men over trying too hard to sound hip and cool with the kids any day of the week.

Especially if this is a no frills, release it, promote it briefly and then move on to the next thing kinda deal.

 

[Hollow Island]

I'm starting to admire their perverse dedication to playing against their strengths.

 

[DeVaul]

No frills, no eyeliner

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

honestly after a god awful 15 months i'd be happy just about anything a 60+ year old band put out. if whatever this is serves as a bridge to buy themselves more time to work on a bigger project that they can tour around? i'm here for it.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

honestly after a god awful 15 months i'd be happy just about anything a 60+ year old band put out. if whatever this is serves as a bridge to buy themselves more time to work on a bigger project that they can tour around? i'm here for it.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I haven't been expecting anything from them, so even some acoustic reimaginings of older material would be quite cool to have in the meantime, and certainly better than nothing.

It was mentioned a couple pages back, but this might help them get this acoustic direction out of their system, so that whatever comes next is different. Fingers crossed.

Also, if this does end up being new material, it could result in a low key album that enables them to be more confident, and not second guess themselves like they do when working on 'the next big U2 album'. Could be interesting (though it's still more likely to be reworked older tracks).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

even if they were to tour it? i'm down.

generally speaking a live acoustic tour would not be something that i would be jonesing for whatsoever - but, ya know, i haven't been to a concert in 19 months, so they could do a tour of bon jovi covers and i'd be there with bells on.

 

[DeVaul]

honestly after a god awful 15 months i'd be happy just about anything a 60+ year old band put out. if whatever this is serves as a bridge to buy themselves more time to work on a bigger project that they can tour around? i'm here for it.

Exactly. Their take on a “Blue & Lonesome” approach (not a blues album, but a low/no stakes release) would be an enjoyable exercise to shake off any cobwebs. I’ve been saying for years they should release one-off digital singles to buy time and experiment with genres without having to commit to a producer or album-long concept. Could’ve even been a fun 45rpm series with vinyl runs for fan club purchase. But…

(audience: ) “they’re dumb and lazy!”

 

[zoopop]

Acoustic 'Mofo'!!!!


It'll probably do U2 some good to get something out by the end of the year. Were going on 4 years since SOE....

A acoustic album/release of AB and some of the 90's stuff would be kind of different. They should do something for AB 30 years. The 20th re-release was pretty extensive.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I am here for acoustic mofo.

 

[DeVaul]

I am here for acoustic mofo.

It’d probably kinda sound like the beginning of Burning Down the House on Stop Making Sense. In other words - rad

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It’d probably kinda sound like the beginning of Burning Down the House on Stop Making Sense. In other words - rad

I'm all for alternative takes on songs, if done right.

https://youtu.be/rbJ4JrArl0Y

https://youtu.be/5MtAxD9TE88

Doesn't replace the originals, but makes for a nice change of pace and addition to the catalog.

Not sure if U2 can actually pull it off successfully, but I'm willing to give them a chance. If nothing else it's a throw away time filler.

 

[DeVaul]

Agreed. Seen Bruce do a similar version on the solo Devils & Dust tour. Great stuff.

 

[The John Tree]

I dunno, I'm still reading Adam's comments as being in the context of new music.

When he says 'the songs that we have' I think he's referring to the new tunes they've been working up, whatever they are. Especially considering he's describing the project as 'embryonic,' which doesn't seem to imply reworking old songs.

What I'm reading is classic U2 talk in the early stages of an album. Right now, it's all acoustic and bare. Edge is reworking things - Edge, always the scapegoat for the album's delay, is 'putting things in different keys and trying them on piano' - which means that these songs aren't anywhere close to being done. Soon, it'll be time to record and I guarantee you that we'll hear about all the exciting sonic directions they're heading in. Then the album will be "just about done." Then The Edge will get blamed for the band deciding to scrap everything and re-record the entire album. Bono will come up with some ridiculous way of describing the recording process, like "Edge is the accountant of the band and he's making sure the books are balanced," or something stupid like that. Then some new 'fresh' ears (Tedder, or something like Tedder) will get brought in to push this thing across the finish line. I'm sure we'll get the obligatory Lilywhite involvement. And then, what was once described as acoustic and bare and Johnny Cash/Leonard Cohen will sound....just like every other U2 album released since 2000.

Or maybe I'm just being a downer.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

It’d be cool to see U2 go to the studio with another band again, maybe exchange albums and do a full album cover.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Bono Jovi

 

[Hewson]

 

[DeVaul]

Have a Beautiful Day
Bad/Medicine
Lay Your Hands That Built America
Blaze of Gloria
Runaway Stand Still




…I feel unclean

 

[Hewson]

In and Out of Ordinary Love
Wake Up Dead or Alive Man

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Living On An American Prayer

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Much like Bon Jovi, I can’t come up with anything good

 

[The_acrobat]

Someday I’ll be “Saturday Night”

Always....

 

[The_acrobat]

Living On An American Prayer

Ip