Next Album Rumours Thread III - The Gospel of Adam

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MattD said:
Lord knows what they were trying to do with Stand Up Comedy.

Perhaps it should have been given a more glossy production, faster riff? But thinking about this, speed that riff up with a more palatable and less plodding rhythm and you've basically got The Fly haven't you Maybe I don't hate it as much because I was only 18 when it was released and in my final year of school, so maybe nostalgia is painting a different picture to the rest of you. But it is undeniably a mess of a song. Not as hateful as the Ryan Tedder teeny bop crap, but dad rawk at its finest.

I've just recently listened to No Line On The Horizon again, and it's still the album post-All That You Can't Leave Behind which has the most potential yet arguably their most disappointing. There's a really interesting album in there crying to get out before they smothered it with bland 'rawk' production. I have this feeling there's an excellent album somewhere in the vaults, a tracklist made up of the pieces that were intended for Songs of Ascent and the original versions of much of the No Line before they were massacred for a dad rock sound (much to the exasperation of Eno & Lanois). Something more mysterious and ambient. While it might not count as a stone cold classic as it would lack the iconic tunes, it could still hold up as a late career masterpiece.

I'd love them to do an Anthology of sorts, at the very least release Songs of Ascent in its original form.

Maybe one day we will get the ideal No Line On The Horizon.
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Please sir. I have read some disturbing things, but placing The Fly and SUC in any sort of comparison scenario is a bridge too far.

I kid... But not really.

Went back and listened through SUC(k) again. And still horrible. Possibly about 2 short spots near the end in isolation are good. But I think the overall bad lyrics and having a 45 year old white guy talk/rapping them pretty much puts the nail in the coffin from the get go.
A waste of a good Edge riff.
 
DeVaul said:
Totally, and each musical section is actually quite enjoyable, at least to me. Would be interesting to hear an instrumental. Even the Vitamin String Quartet didn’t try it, but they did break this one out:

https://youtu.be/DHwSVjw8gY8
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For me they would have to just scrap the verse sections completely and actually have Bono sing lyrics that flow with the song. The chorus, bridge, end section could be something if that was different.
But even larger picture, this song does not belong on this album!! Could have been a fun little B-side, but it's so off the feel of the good songs on the album. It should just be buried forever.
 
womanfish said:
Please sir. I have read some disturbing things, but placing The Fly and SUC in any sort of comparison scenario is a bridge too far.

I kid... But not really.

Went back and listened through SUC(k) again. And still horrible. Possibly about 2 short spots near the end in isolation are good. But I think the overall bad lyrics and having a 45 year old white guy talk/rapping them pretty much puts the nail in the coffin from the get go.
A waste of a good Edge riff.
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Oh definitely not comparing the songs! But the riff is a bit similar.

I'm not a fan of the song in general, there's nothing going for it in anyway, and The Edge is just doing a shit tribute to Jimmy Page. That's not what I listen to him for - I want lush multilayered soundscapes, and this one is positively drab.

For a glimpse of the real U2 - one that rarely glimmers these days - I think Cedars of Lebanon and White As Snow have that very soulful and deep qualities to it that maintain the spirit of their older selves. Very thoughtful and melancholic songs.

I wish they'd do something similar - the concept of writing modern day hymns or folk songs came closest here. They ought to dig deep into the book of traditional songs again for inspiration.
 
I really wouldn't mind if they dropped the RAWK altogether and focus on more spiritual/slower tempo songs. Of course it wouldn't really tour very well, so maybe have it as a post tour U2 album.

Edge would be better served with finding more atmospherics versus trying to find some SUC riff that he's tried since Vertigo.

The band can still make big epic songs of course, but (and it's weird to say this) go back to their roots.
 
BEAL said:
I really wouldn't mind if they dropped the RAWK altogether and focus on more spiritual/slower tempo songs. Of course it wouldn't really tour very well, so maybe have it as a post tour U2 album.

Edge would be better served with finding more atmospherics versus trying to find some SUC riff that he's tried since Vertigo.

The band can still make big epic songs of course, but (and it's weird to say this) go back to their roots.
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If they made an album that was musically similar to Boy, I would cry with joy.
 
BEAL said:
I really wouldn't mind if they dropped the RAWK altogether and focus on more spiritual/slower tempo songs. Of course it wouldn't really tour very well, so maybe have it as a post tour U2 album.

Edge would be better served with finding more atmospherics versus trying to find some SUC riff that he's tried since Vertigo.

The band can still make big epic songs of course, but (and it's weird to say this) go back to their roots.
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I think that was the secret sauce of an album like Achtung Baby. Edge was just killing it, and it wasn't "riffs". The guitar was both ROCK (not RAWK) but also haunting and flowed so beautifully. You could say the Riff stuff came along with Discotheque, went full on with Vertigo which yielded a couple of shitty songs built around a riff on No Line, and then they tried again with Miracle with sorta mixed results.
 
womanfish said:
I think that was the secret sauce of an album like Achtung Baby. Edge was just killing it, and it wasn't "riffs". The guitar was both ROCK (not RAWK) but also haunting and flowed so beautifully. You could say the Riff stuff came along with Discotheque, went full on with Vertigo which yielded a couple of shitty songs built around a riff on No Line, and then they tried again with Miracle with sorta mixed results.
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lol you have a very bizarre definition of a guitar riff if you think the fly, ebttrt, uteotw, and mysterious ways don't have guitar riffs in them.
 
DaveC said:
lol you have a very bizarre definition of a guitar riff if you think the fly, ebttrt, uteotw, and mysterious ways don't have guitar riffs in them.
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The point is those songs have expansive, creative and defining guitar sounds from Edge. This is almost completely missing on SOI and SOE.
 
The closest song to their old selves that they have done in the last twenty years was book of your heart.
 
AEKU2 said:
The closest song to their old selves that they have done in the last twenty years was book of your heart.
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Andy Barlow really got to the essence of what U2 is all about. They smashed it out the park with him.

His work with them on the few songs he did are arguably U2's best post-All That You Can't Leave Behind.

What a shame then that's it only a tantalising glimpse at what a full album with him (and him only, no interference from the likes of Tedder et al) could have been like.
 
I actually think there have been a few moments of greatness from the band in the last 20 years. It’s just that they’re few and far between:

1. The 2004 version of Mercy is amazing. The band knew it wasn’t done (it’s not - still a few clunkers from Bono in there), but the trash fire that is the live version from Wide Awake in Europe just shows you how far off the band’s decision making has become.

2. I still really like Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own. Over-the-top and sappy is part of what U2 always did well.

3. Moment of Surrender.

4. Cedars of Lebanon. Just amazing imagery.

5. Raised By Wolves. I feel this one’s often overlooked.

6. The Crystal Ballroom.

7. Love Is All We Have Left. That second verse.

8. The Little Things That Give You Away. It was a monster live, it’s an even bigger monster on the album.

So, it’s not a complete U2 bash fest. But 8 truly great tracks in 20 years from one of the greatest bands of all time is concerning, in my book.
 
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The John Tree said:
I actually think there have been a few moments of greatness from the band in the last 20 years. It’s just that they’re few and far between:

1. The 2004 version of Mercy is amazing. The band knew it wasn’t done (it’s not - still a few clunkers from Bono in there)
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First, the previous poster didn't say there weren't any other great tracks, just that Book of Your Heart was "the closest song to their old selves". Which I disagree with, because not only does Mercy sound like Achtung-era, but Volcano sounds like it's from 1983. And there are a couple others.

Second, there are songs that actually made it onto Atomic Bomb that have clunkers from Bono, so clearly that wasn't the litmus test.

Fast Cars and Mercy were vetoed by Larry in the 11th hour because, from what I remember, it would have made the album 60 minutes long. Not due to quality. And as we know Fast Cars was included as a bonus track.

As you said, that they eviscerated and ruined Mercy before releasing officially it is more a testament to their habit of second-guessing than any needed editorial work.
 
lazarus said:
First, the previous poster didn't say there weren't any other great tracks, just that Book of Your Heart was "the closest song to their old selves". Which I disagree with, because not only does Mercy sound like Achtung-era, but Volcano sounds like it's from 1983. And there are a couple others.

Second, there are songs that actually made it onto Atomic Bomb that have clunkers from Bono, so clearly that wasn't the litmus test.

Fast Cars and Mercy were vetoed by Larry in the 11th hour because, from what I remember, it would have made the album 60 minutes long. Not due to quality. And as we know Fast Cars was included as a bonus track.

As you said, that they eviscerated and ruined Mercy before releasing officially it is more a testament to their habit of second-guessing than any needed editorial work.
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Fair enough. That said, I’ll take any passing mention of Mercy as an opportunity to shoehorn my thoughts about how they ruined it into the conversation.
 
The John Tree said:
I actually think there have been a few moments of greatness from the band in the last 20 years. It’s just that they’re few and far between:

1. The 2004 version of Mercy is amazing. The band knew it wasn’t done (it’s not - still a few clunkers from Bono in there), but the trash fire that is the live version from Wide Awake in Europe just shows you how far off the band’s decision making has become.

2. I still really like Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own. Over-the-top and sappy is part of what U2 always did well.

3. Moment of Surrender.

4. Cedars of Lebanon. Just amazing imagery.

5. Raised By Wolves. I feel this one’s often overlooked.

6. The Crystal Ballroom.

7. Love Is All We Have Left. That second verse.

8. The Little Things That Give You Away. It was a monster live, it’s an even bigger monster on the album.

So, it’s not a complete U2 bash fest. But 8 truly great tracks in 20 years from one of the greatest bands of all time is concerning, in my book.
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It’s concerning, but so many great ideas or starts for songs that were ruined by poor choices.

A really interesting thing for me that was brought to light in the last few tours is that they revisited a couple of songs from that period structurally and made them immeasurably better. Miracle Drug in 2015 and Iris in 2018. No word changes or massive edge solos (which we often pinpoint as the problem). Just some structural tweaks and they were far better.
 
I’ll have to go back and listen to those versions again - I didn’t realize they’d tweaked them. I do remember, the first time I ever listened to Iris, being disappointed that the “something in your eyes…” section of the song only appeared once.

Edited to add: should have listened before I responded, as I see they cut my favorite part out of the song entirely.
 
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Happy birthday to Ryan Tedder, from all of us (but especially from your #1 fan MattD).
 
lazarus said:
First, the previous poster didn't say there weren't any other great tracks, just that Book of Your Heart was "the closest song to their old selves". Which I disagree with, because not only does Mercy sound like Achtung-era, but Volcano sounds like it's from 1983. And there are a couple others.

Second, there are songs that actually made it onto Atomic Bomb that have clunkers from Bono, so clearly that wasn't the litmus test.

Fast Cars and Mercy were vetoed by Larry in the 11th hour because, from what I remember, it would have made the album 60 minutes long. Not due to quality. And as we know Fast Cars was included as a bonus track.

As you said, that they eviscerated and ruined Mercy before releasing officially it is more a testament to their habit of second-guessing than any needed editorial work.
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Agree with mercy although I see parallels with UF rather than AB but then I see parallels between AB and UF too so…

There’s a lot of boy October and war in volcano and raised by wolves - still book of your heart is quintessential enolanois u2

And yes I didn’t say there weren’t great moments just meant they have trodden a very different path to the first two decades
 
DeVaul said:
Fucking a. Volcano would’ve been a hell of a first single. *That* is U2 reclaiming their sound, moreso than BD.
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Beautiful Day was a blessing and a curse. It gave them a second lease on life and an instant classic for a new generation of listeners who are now my age. Unfortunately, it completely derailed their artistic progression because they've been trying to write the next Beautiful Day for the last 20 years and failed every time.

I know it's a passe opinion at this point, but it really is a masterpiece of a song though. Sure, it has one of the biggest big choruses of the century, something they've been searching to replicate, but it's also warm, comforting and relatable. Such a great song for elder statesmen to return with, a song that would come off so much worse from an upstart band.

But yeah, they need to forget the song ever happened and move on. The Unforgettable Fire blueprint of music making got them so much further. Volcano (and Red Flag Day) reach a little further back into their history than even that and are effective rock songs, more so than Stand Up Comedy for sure.
 
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The John Tree said:
I actually think there have been a few moments of greatness from the band in the last 20 years. It’s just that they’re few and far between:

1. The 2004 version of Mercy is amazing. The band knew it wasn’t done (it’s not - still a few clunkers from Bono in there), but the trash fire that is the live version from Wide Awake in Europe just shows you how far off the band’s decision making has become.

2. I still really like Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own. Over-the-top and sappy is part of what U2 always did well.

3. Moment of Surrender.

4. Cedars of Lebanon. Just amazing imagery.

5. Raised By Wolves. I feel this one’s often overlooked.

6. The Crystal Ballroom.

7. Love Is All We Have Left. That second verse.

8. The Little Things That Give You Away.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you must've ran out of time to add:

9. Cedarwood Road

10. Sleep Like A Baby Tonight

11. The Troubles

Because for me, those 3 alone are almost better than anything they've released since 1997.
 
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AEKU2 said:
Agree with mercy although I see parallels with UF rather than AB but then I see parallels between AB and UF too so…
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I can definitely see the UF connection in Mercy, in terms of the atmosphere and the rhythm section. I guess the guitar is a little "dirty" and that's why my mind goes to AB first. On UF it sounds more icy and clean to me, even on a more rocking track like Wire.
 
LemonMelon said:
Beautiful Day was a blessing and a curse. It gave them a second lease on life and an instant classic for a new generation of listeners who are now my age. Unfortunately, it completely derailed their artistic progression because they've been trying to write the next Beautiful Day for the last 20 years and failed every time.

I know it's a passe opinion at this point, but it really is a masterpiece of a song though. Sure, it has one of the biggest big choruses of the century, something they've been searching to replicate, but it's also warm, comforting and relatable. Such a great song for elder statesmen to return with, a song that would come off so much worse from an upstart band.
Click to expand...

I was rolling my eyes the first time I heard Beautiful Day, and it never won me over on the album or in the live setting. I can appreciate its importance and it's not an offensive track, but it will never not seem by the numbers to me; it's lazy on the Edge's part and Bono is straining too hard ("Ree-hee-hee-heeach me").

It's my least favorite track on ATYCLB because it has the least surprises on it. Even Wild Honey and IALW are sounds I hadn't heard from them before. Grace is a warm Eno cocoon. BD doesn't offend me to make me want to skip it but I tend to yawn through it.

In terms of returning to classic anthemic U2, Walk On is a far better recording, and became even greater in concert. Same with COBL but that's not from the same album.

So for me, Beautiful Day is really only a curse and not a blessing. I don't think they would have broken up without it, or stopped making interesting music. If it wasn't this, it would have been some other song to reignite the general audience.
 
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doxxer said:
I'm guessing you must've ran out of time to add:

9. Cedarwood Road

10. Sleep Like A Baby Tonight

11. The Troubles

Because for me, those 3 alone are almost better than anything they've released since 1997.
Click to expand...

You are correct.

I would also throw in Red Flag Day, Landlady, 13 and EBW.

And if we are going back 20 years, Magnificent, Vertigo, Fez, No Line on The Horizon, and Kite
 
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MattD said:
Andy Barlow really got to the essence of what U2 is all about. They smashed it out the park with him.

His work with them on the few songs he did are arguably U2's best post-All That You Can't Leave Behind.

What a shame then that's it only a tantalising glimpse at what a full album with him (and him only, no interference from the likes of Tedder et al) could have been like.
Click to expand...

Yup. They need a straight Barlow, Thomas and Flood. kick everyone else out.

Book of your Heart belongs on SOE far more than American Soul, or The Showman, or Get Out
 
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