Cactus Annie
Refugee
I'd like to hear World Music.
Speculation thread: predict U2's next era
- Thread starter U2girl
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
My theory is that we'll see we'll "EP" type releases or more often from the more viable artists. So we get more concentrated bursts. If you think about it it's better for both artist and audience.
Inner El Guapo
War Child
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2004
- Messages
- 609
Not for people who still view music as art.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
The album was defined by the space allowed on vinyl, the format fit easily on cassettes, both having about the same time and having sides. When the CD came out artist started putting out overbloated releases some 17 18 song collections. Now some have gone back to the 10 to 12 song "album" but for little or no reason except that is what they grew up with...
What was the last true album you bought and what did you play it on?
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Le Noise on vinyl, bitch.
But an 8 song collection that clocks in at less than 38 minutes wouldn't be considered an album by many.
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
...This is a really good point. Honestly, an 8-song SOA EP that sticks to the original concept would probably be better than a full album version that doesn't.
Also, I find this odd: Neil Young has a 8-song record that's 38 minutes long, and it's classified as an LP. Meanwhile, Sufjan Stevens has an 8-song record that's fifty-nine minutes long, and it's classified as an EP. What the hell, music industry?
Rachel D.
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I betcha they'll get more ambient again with more instrumentals thrown in here and there. This prediction is based on "Fez - Being Born," "Soon," and "Return of the Stingray Guitar." These songs are reminiscent of Passengers; I wouldn't mind if they went in that direction. Leading U2ologists generally agree that at least one song on an album is a foreshadowing of the next album.
intedomine
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
I am skeptical as to whether the Songs Of Ascent "meditative" project is really gonna transpire in the way it's been promised to. If there are four projects and such a smorgasbord of material, they could be tempted to mine the 12 more immediately resonating tracks from the projects and slam them all onto the one disc.
I'm feeling that Mercy, Every Breaking Wave, North Star, Stingray and Glastonbury are gonna feature on the next album, never mind whether an album is supposed to be club sounding or meditative or rock or whatever.
Also, this club album... could it just be just a compilation of remixes? Or is it genuinely gonna be a collection of ten songs or so that resemble the vaguely trancey feel of Magnificent?
Also in terms of release format, is the "application" format a goer? Could something be released in such a way to coincide with the Aussie tour?
I'm feeling that Mercy, Every Breaking Wave, North Star, Stingray and Glastonbury are gonna feature on the next album, never mind whether an album is supposed to be club sounding or meditative or rock or whatever.
Also, this club album... could it just be just a compilation of remixes? Or is it genuinely gonna be a collection of ten songs or so that resemble the vaguely trancey feel of Magnificent?
Also in terms of release format, is the "application" format a goer? Could something be released in such a way to coincide with the Aussie tour?
Inner El Guapo
War Child
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2004
- Messages
- 609
As I alluded to, I am talking about the album as art.
An "album" is whatever the artist says it is. Regardless if it's 35 or 70 minutes.
Just like a song is only completed when the artist stops working on it.
The cinematic work known as The Godfather is a film, whether it's on VHS, DVD, BluRay or broadcast by cable or satellite. It's also literally a 'film'.
So there is the format and there is the artform.
"Album" is both as well. The format in which the product is delivered by hardcopy (vinyl, CD, cassette, 8-track) is still apparently selling enough to warrant production (CD's). The artist's want to create the artform has clearly not diminished. The album is not dead. The CD may be dead one day but the "album" clearly won't be, otherwise it would be dying right now (see my question below*).
This is akin to saying that "film is dead" when VHS went by the wayside.
There will always be a format to deliver a film, whether it is quite literally film or digitally captured. Just like there will always be some way to deliver "albums" as artforms.
The last album I bought was an old used CD (I often buy old CD's and transfer them digitally to my PC). But I've bought albums as digital downloads, vinyl (collector) and CD all within the last month.
Is there anyone out there that thinks the vast majority 15 year olds in their basements right now trying to form a band and sustain a career will suddenly be more consumed by single songs than albums? If so, WHY? The financial argument tilts HEAVILY towards albums rather than singles. Why? Because I can force you to buy 12 songs rather than the only 4 you like. There isn't a single argument against the viability of "albums" that isn't wrapped in some notion about how CD sales are declining. And digital downloads are still in their infancy, more or less. If I can charge you more money to buy an album, then I will.
If I don't care about making more money, I am probably more artistically inclined. Why would I then be consumed by only making songs to sell here and there? There isn't any real logic to it. Sounds like 'Record label' excuse making. The cassette was supposed to have killed the album too. The death of the 45 was supposed to have killed the single, and what happened?
Now allow me to ask you a question*, BVS.
Can you name me any kind of significant music artist currently moving away from 'albums' as an artform?
An Cat Gav
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
You missed my point by miles. Let me ask you again, what was the last album as art that you bought? One that wasn't a collection of songs, one that didn't have filler, where the artwork was intertwined with the music, who is still doing this?
Sufjan Stevens, Ash, and Prince have all released non-album formats either digital singles or EPs.
Radiohead keep talking about it but then keep coming back to it. I think the one reason someone like Radiohead keep coming back to it is that right now there is no way to track chart success for non-album releases(don't fool yourself, they care).
Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I think Arcade Fire's latest is a fine example
standrums
War Child
It's lucky that U2 are far more ambitious, creative and less cynical that all the posters on this thread...
I look forward to greater things from this band.
I look forward to greater things from this band.
no, it isn't.
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Probably one of the best examples of the strength of the album format in a long time.
except for Sprawl II... that song blows.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
That's the best song on the album.
ugh.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I'm going to have to side with Cori here, as Sprawl II is epic.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Ready To Start.
But then Sprawl II, yeah.
But then Sprawl II, yeah.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
I found it to be a little overbloated and with filler
Don't get me wrong, a few still make albums. But for the most part, and I'm including critics' pets, the album is dead. They stick to a 10 to 12 song format due to obligation.
I think In Rainbows was just a collection, a good collection, but just a collection. But why did they release it as a full "album" length? Because a free ep wouldn't have made much impact or hype.
I think the last real Radiohead album was OK Computer or maybe Kid A.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Then I suppose, at least commercially, the LP is not dead. Or, on the flipside, the EP is in its formative years. Either way, it will be years until regular EP releases are a commercially viable option. You could use Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster as an example, but even she refers to that as an album.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Well this is kind of my point, although I believe it won't be in about 5 years.
My original post was that the album as art is dead(it's dead if you can only count one or two a year), and that there really is no reason except commercial ones anymore, and that soon will no longer be the case.
I think we'll see artists move to smaller concentrations but higher concepts, and more releases. Just my theory.
But think about it, the reason so many conceptual pieces fail is that by song 8 they've said what they want to say and the other four songs are just there to complete the obligation. I'd much rather see artists concentrate on 4, 6, 8 song concepts and release two a year rather than an album with filler.
subnet
New Yorker
more reason to record an album in canada
end result is an album, not a collection of songs.
end result is an album, not a collection of songs.
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Nickelback says "hi."
DoctorMacPhisto
War Child
bahaha... can't wait for the Chad Kroger duet version of Beautiful Day for the new Canadian branch of (RED)...
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
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