The usual story...

[luna_lovegood]

Hi all!

I've become an avid U2 fanatic since 2004, (after Bomb was released) so this is my first new album lead up experience!

I was wondering if you more veteran fans could fill me in on how this lead is comparing to the usual lead up vibe? Whats the usual story pre- new album?

Are poeple usually this excited? In general fans seem very positive about what the boys have been up to in Fez with Eno and Lanois...is it usually this positive? or were poeple more sceptical before Bomb....? And I get the feeling that Bono is up to his usual hyperbole and hype about Edge being 'on fire' or 'playing punk rock on Mars'

So how much can we know for sure. How much of whats leaked out about how 'interesting' and 'innovative' this ones going to be can we trust?

cheers

 

[shart1780]

My advice to you is to completely forget about all this hype until the album comes out. I learned that from Atomic Bomb. Bono will spew crap and you'll most likely get the completely wrong impression if you listen to the hype. There are a ton of people who WANT the album to be different and amazing and they'll be very vocal about it. I was unfortunately one of those people leading up to Atomic Bomb 4 or so years back and that album broke my optimism bone.

Now I just come back here every few days to browse any new info on the album, pretty much not caring about anything that's not concrete. I've trained myself to be really pessimistic with U2 and I've become a happier man because of it.

 

[U2girl]

More than the band hyping (making an opinion after actually hearing the album makes more sense but it's more fun to cry "oh noez _____ said this will sound like _____" later), I was confused by the various descriptions of the media how Bomb sounded like.

People are always excited about a new U2 album here and whether they like it or not, pretty much everyone eats up any and all descriptions on the new material.

 

[Dorian Gray]

the biggest culprits for spreading false hype are fans on these forums

 

[bathiu]

So how much can we know for sure.

leaving all those: titanium soul, punk rock from venus or real molten metal
i'd say the basic ideas were true
ATYCLB was some kind of a 'return' to 'classic' U2
HTDAAB was a kind of 'full circle' for the band
...and i'm sure this new album will have new direction/sound... in a way, the question is just how much 'new'

 

[Rob33]

Re: Re: The usual story...

leaving all those: titanium soul, punk rock from venus or real molten metal
i'd say the basic ideas were true
ATYCLB was some kind of a 'return' to 'classic' U2
HTDAAB was a kind of 'full circle' for the band
...and i'm sure this new album will have new direction/sound... in a way, the question is just how much 'new'

see, thats the thing, people are going to say the album is a disappointment if their isn't enough 'new' material, creativity wise...regardless of the true quality of music...because it isn't a completely new sound, people will automatically call it a disappointment...which is just plain stupid....

 

[luna_lovegood]

Okay, You guys have reassured what I suspected! So what your saying, is I should take all the exciting new album news with a pinch of salt!? Haha.

Well, even so, I'm still very excited to hear all the new stuff, whether its "not going to clear the dance floor like usual", or it is....!

thanks

 

[The_Edge89]

Okay, You guys have reassured what I suspected! So what your saying, is I should take all the exciting new album news with a pinch of salt!? Haha.

Exactly, especially when it comes from Bono! He tends to over-hype things every once in a while, I guess that's what frontmen do(?).

 

[shart1780]

Re: Re: Re: The usual story...

see, thats the thing, people are going to say the album is a disappointment if their isn't enough 'new' material, creativity wise...regardless of the true quality of music...because it isn't a completely new sound, people will automatically call it a disappointment...which is just plain stupid....

I don't need a new sound, I just want an interesting one. Atomi Bomb was just plain boring after a few listens.

 

[ahittle]

I liked the studio cam thing they tried for ATYCLB. At least in principle. It doesn't take much to generate interest and hits on the band's site. I'm surprised that they haven't offered more than those few updates from Fez.

 

[RademR]

my advice is to wait for a leak, listen to it, and then make some judgements.

but even then, be careful.

don't believe anything the band says...especially bono

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i'd be a little more confident that the album will be released in 2008 if i started hearing a bit more about the recording.

 

[Morgoth321]

i'd be a little more confident that the album will be released in 2008 if i started hearing a bit more about the recording.

The problem with a band having their own studio is that they can spend as much time as they like behind closed doors, experimenting, messing about, or actually recording the new album. It's not the same as the press being able to see a band walking into, say, Abbey Road Studios. Since that hypothetical band would've gone to the trouble of booking expensive studio time, they would obviously be hard at work. But U2 have the luxuries of time and money in being able to devote huge resources to studio time while not necessarily having to produce music that they consider worthy of release.

 

[luna_lovegood]

This is all good advice! That I unfortunately, expected!. Although, I can't help getting thrills of excitement when I read about the new clips of U2 playing around in the studio in Fez in Lanois's film.....eeek!

 

[Rob33]

i'd be a little more confident that the album will be released in 2008 if i started hearing a bit more about the recording.

someone reported here that U2 will definitely release in 2008..it has been confirmed

 

[corianderstem]

Confirmed by whom, though? "Someone reported here" isn't enough of a final word for me.

I'm excited that an album is coming, but would not be completely surprised if it gets pushed back.

 

[LemonMelon]

Confirmed by whom, though? "Someone reported here" isn't enough of a final word for me.

Q magazine.









I won't be waiting up.

 

[last unicorn]

Get excited. There's not much to get excited about these days. It's good to stay positive, but don't get stuck with any expectations that are too specific. I always try to take what is coming my way, no matter what it will be like. I like to be surprised, thus I'm not disappointed because there are no leaks or anything.

 

[nathan1977]

Bono... tends to over-hype things every once in a while, I guess that's what frontmen do(?).

I don't know if Atomic Bomb was over-hyped. The initial Chris Thomas sessions have a much more raw sound, and when you listen to Native Son, All Because of You, and Xanax and Wine, you definitely get the "punk rock from Venus" vibe very strongly. But the way U2 work, with plenty of time to evolve in the studio, means that songs progress over time, other songs arrive, and songs that may be interesting in one iteration change.

At the end of the day, Atomic Bomb really wasn't "punk rock from Venus," but it may well have been when Bono was interviewed. So I don't think we need to judge the boys too harshly.

 

[The_Edge89]

I don't know if Atomic Bomb was over-hyped. The initial Chris Thomas sessions have a much more raw sound, and when you listen to Native Son, All Because of You, and Xanax and Wine, you definitely get the "punk rock from Venus" vibe very strongly. But the way U2 work, with plenty of time to evolve in the studio, means that songs progress over time, other songs arrive, and songs that may be interesting in one iteration change.

At the end of the day, Atomic Bomb really wasn't "punk rock from Venus," but it may well have been when Bono was interviewed. So I don't think we need to judge the boys too harshly.

That's true and I agree about that. There's just no way that we can know for sure what is going on with the band at a specific time in the recording process, my bad.

It wasn't my intention to come off as a rude or harsh person, but I just meant that he has a funny way of describing things and it can be interpreted in several ways and many people here enjoy his comments even though they are meant to describe something entirely different than we might get to hear when the final product hits the shops.

I apologize to you nathan1977 if you or anyone else were offended by my previous post and I would like to say again that it wasn't my intention to mislead anyone.

 

[Muad'zin]

Personally I think they overproduce their albums. How hard can it be to write a few songs, then record them? Usually the longer you stare at something, the more you lose oversight.

IMHO I think they should do what Radiohead does, write some songs, do a short tour where you play these songs live and then back to the studio to record them.

 

[the tourist]

Personally I think they overproduce their albums. How hard can it be to write a few songs, then record them? Usually the longer you stare at something, the more you lose oversight.

IMHO I think they should do what Radiohead does, write some songs, do a short tour where you play these songs live and then back to the studio to record them.

If only.

 

[ahittle]

Apparently from the McGuiness podcast interview from the JT remaster, they have considered the tour-first approach. I wonder how much cash they would lose (if any) if they launched a tour without the new album hype-machine running at full gallop.

 

[the tourist]

They wouldn't lose any cash. Especially if they didn't have some big elaborate gagdetry set. Just them playing their music and one screen of each band member.

 

[Chrisedge]

Best advice:

Listen to all their old music, live recordings and such, and a few weeks before the new album hits, wait til it gets leaked.

Everything else is useless. Including Bono and the fans.

 

[Zoocoustic]

I think the problem with Bomb was that they had a fairly solid rock album (see early demos) and probably decided (as U2 does very often) that the album was "radio-friendly" enough to produce any big hit singles. So they polish the songs up which unfortunately doesn't work really well with these particular songs.

At this point, after billions of dollars and millions of record sales, U2 needs to quit worrying about whether or not their music is going to make it big on radio. Their best stuff has always come when they seemed to just give the middle finger to pop culture and do what they want. Realistically, they're too old to make a serious dent on radio anyway.

 

[U2girl]

no one seems to care about it though

At the end of the day, Atomic Bomb really wasn't "punk rock from Venus," but it may well have been when Bono was interviewed.

Well, why let facts get in the face of some good mocking ? Just wait when we get the "omg this isn't metal or trance!!!" moaning.