U2's Next Album?/Songs of Ascent?

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

Anyone know exactly when the last time U2 mentioned SOA? I could have sworn it had come up once or twice not long after the release of SOI. Something along the lines of Bono telling RollingStone that SOA was not dead, or still a possibility? I can't recall. It's been more than two years since we've heard anything.

I think, barring any unforeseen twists, we will see U2 return. But not for a while. I suspect, after the tour, they will remain silent for quite some time, and then in (late)2020 we start to hear some rumblings about new music being recorded. Not even willing at this time to put an estimate on when the next album will appear.....on all our iTunes.

I'm not sure but I remember Adam saying something about SOA during 2016 once.

 

[Montrose]

god i hope not. they've taken this "songs of ________" thing far enough already.

if they do make another album and call it "songs of ascent" and put a black and white photo of adam's kid on the cover i'm not listening to the thing out of principle.

I've said they should just call it 'Ascent'.

My perfect version of these three releases would be them each to be called 'Innocence', 'Experience', and 'Ascent', followed by a collected release/package/box set called 'Songs of..', or something to that effect.

If U2 were to go out, that would be one way to do it. Load that box set up with all the songs from 'the vault', and let us have a go at it.

I don't think that's the plan, though, if there's a plan.

 

[rennowba]

It's number 8 on the uk iTunes chart

 

[An Cat Gav]

One more album with enough and lanois would be my wish.

 

[zoocarolina]

Hell SOI/SOE was a concept that was mentioned in the early 90s so maybe SOA will have the same gestation. JK! I think the boys are reenergized and we will have some quiet time after this tour is over, but not too long considering their age. Maybe one more gigantic tour after this one and I’m hoping just studio albums after that for as long as they can do it. Can’t we just enjoy SOE for a little bit though? . The tricky part about stopping touring and just recording eventually is I’m just not sure the boys could do it since they love to play live.

 

[dewater]

I'll be disappointed if Song of Ascent never makes an appearance in any form. Ideally for me they'd name the next album that and finish the trilogy with something very ambient. Like NLOTH but even more so.

I also think it could be neat if they use the SOA name for a compilation of rarities from the past decade. The last rarities disc they put out was 2009's Medium, Rare, and Remastered. So I'm sure they're sitting on a bunch of unreleased tracks from the NLOTH, SOI, and SOE recording sessions. Put them out as next year's subscriber gift and call it SOA.

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

2025 it is!

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

BUT yes Adam mentioned something about SOA this year or last year. I can’t remember what he said though.

 

[JoRu]

I think U2 is hanging it up. And I'm perfectly fine with it. Songs of Experience is a great album to close their career.

Pat on the back for the boys.

Nah, I don't think so. I think Bono's whole "I wrote it as if it's our last album" is a lot more about, having faced his mortality, he realized that any album can now be the last whether he likes it or not. Don't get much of a last album-vibe from SOE, not really, I think they want to keep going for quite some time; Bono in particular I feel will have to be forced out of rock stardom kicking and screaming.

 

[RoKKeR]

One more album with enough and lanois would be my wish.

Agreed. I'm hanging on to that quote of Adam saying Ascent is in the pipeline... I believe Adam over Bono and Edge haha.

I think they tour this album for the next few years, take a break, and then come back to do it one more time. But whatever they do, I hope they get to do it on their own terms.

I think we would have heard about it by now if this was the last record. That's sure to make a splash.

 

[akann]

I think U2 is hanging it up. And I'm perfectly fine with it. Songs of Experience is a great album to close their career.

Pat on the back for the boys.

What makes you say this? The band themselves have said on a couple of recent interviews that they still have a lot of new music left in them.

I just wish that they would stop touring and spend that time in the studio. Then it wouldn't be such a long wait between records.

 

[SpaceBoy]

I think it would be best if we just remove Songs of Ascent from our minds. It hasn't been mentioned since NLOTH days.

Wasn't it mentioned once or twice during the SOI phase? I'm pretty sure I remember Bono talking about how 'Songs of Ascent will have its day!' in some interview post-Innocence.

But yeah... probably best to forget it for now.


Edit: Somehow didn't even see the pages beyond the first one... forgot about Adam's mentions of it too.

 

[Rachel D.]

I’m really surprised at how much they’ve been touring over the last two years, and maybe that’s because they’re planning to do it less in the future...? I would be OK with that, but I hope they will keep making albums at least once in a while. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they are planning a Songs Of... trilogy.

 

[AtomicHorizon]

Adam was interviewed by Dave Fanning at the end of September 2016 at the u2 40th anniversary celebration hosted by atU2. Adam mentions Songs of Ascent at approximately the 5:00 mark and again at 10:45. He mentions it is still in the pipeline and that a stadium tour would not fit Songs of Experience but might fit Songs of Ascent or another project.
https://www.atu2.com/news/video-adam-clayton-talks-to-dave-fanning-at-u240cleveland.html

 

[Yahweh]

I hope there is another album - this is the first time I have thought seriously that there might not be another album. I still don't know exactly how I will react on the day they officially call it quits but I know it will be a day of mixed emotions....nobody will take the mantle from U2 as my favorite band....not in my lifetime

 

[Scorpionac]

I also think it could be neat if they use the SOA name for a compilation of rarities from the past decade. The last rarities disc they put out was 2009's Medium, Rare, and Remastered. So I'm sure they're sitting on a bunch of unreleased tracks from the NLOTH, SOI, and SOE recording sessions. Put them out as next year's subscriber gift and call it SOA.

I'd be more interested in hearing a new rarities disc than in a new album, personally. Especially if the next album is another attempt by the band to prove their songwriting chops, with a bunch of autobiographical lyrics from Bono. And yes, the rarities disc could be called Songs of Ascent.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

I'd be more interested in hearing a new rarities disc than in a new album, personally. Especially if the next album is another attempt by the band to prove their songwriting chops, with a bunch of autobiographical lyrics from Bono. And yes, the rarities disc could be called Songs of Ascent.

My wish list? They're sitting on a bunch of tracks they recorded with Barlow in the mobile studio and invite Eno in to help round them off, unconcerned with hits and more ambient, in the vein of LIAWHL and Book of Your Heart. They put this out next summer as Songs of Ascent, rope those songs in now and again on the tour, hang it up post tour in, say, late 2019. Go out for a AB tribute tour in 2021, with SOA songs being a key flavor, then do charity gigs and one off tours like the Stones to call it a day. That would do for me.

 

[kiwilad]

Eno and Lanois aren't young. Would love one more album with the dream team. But time is cruel.

 

[BVS]

It's that, or revisiting the Rick Ruben sessions. Or both.

It struck me that Ruben's critique of the band - that they don't come in with written songs, and that the Edge uses effects to disguise the fact that they don't have songs -

Where is this from? I’ve heard the not having written songs before, but never the effects part.

 

[ChurchBay]

I hope U2 follow through on the initial concept of it being a more meditative album if there is to be a Songs of Ascent.

Get Andy Barlow back in and/or Eno and Lanois for a sustained period of time and mine those soundscapes and deep ambience.

 

[david]

Where is this from? I’ve heard the not having written songs before, but never the effects part.

From Rolling Stone around 2014:


Rick Rubin, who produced a pile of mostly unreleased U2 songs a few years back, had a major influence on this album, despite not actually working on it. Rubin told Bono that U2 use their skill at sculpting unique soundscapes "to disguise the fact that you don't have a song." He pushed them to write traditionally structured tunes that would work with, say, voice and piano. "Someone like Adele makes better records than everyone else because her songs are better," says Bono. "In a great song, you can be as naked as a streaker singing a cappella. I'm embarrassed next to someone like Carole King, unless I can come up with something that's as raw as some of her great songs. So that was it. Songwriting school!"

 

[BVS]

From Rolling Stone around 2014:


Rick Rubin, who produced a pile of mostly unreleased U2 songs a few years back, had a major influence on this album, despite not actually working on it. Rubin told Bono that U2 use their skill at sculpting unique soundscapes "to disguise the fact that you don't have a song." He pushed them to write traditionally structured tunes that would work with, say, voice and piano. "Someone like Adele makes better records than everyone else because her songs are better," says Bono. "In a great song, you can be as naked as a streaker singing a cappella. I'm embarrassed next to someone like Carole King, unless I can come up with something that's as raw as some of her great songs. So that was it. Songwriting school!"

Interesting, thanks!

 

[bazzza1]

My wish list? They're sitting on a bunch of tracks they recorded with Barlow in the mobile studio and invite Eno in to help round them off, unconcerned with hits and more ambient, in the vein of LIAWHL and Book of Your Heart. They put this out next summer as Songs of Ascent, rope those songs in now and again on the tour, hang it up post tour in, say, late 2019. Go out for a AB tribute tour in 2021, with SOA songs being a key flavor, then do charity gigs and one off tours like the Stones to call it a day. That would do for me.

Great shout, plus they'd hopefully be releasing live editions, live boxsets etc, the usual stuff to keep the dosh rolling in.

 

[Scorpionac]

My wish list? They're sitting on a bunch of tracks they recorded with Barlow in the mobile studio and invite Eno in to help round them off, unconcerned with hits and more ambient, in the vein of LIAWHL and Book of Your Heart.

Sounds good to me. So long as they don't second guess the whole thing and then spend 2 years trying to write pop songs for the album.

 

[ChurchBay]

My wish list? They're sitting on a bunch of tracks they recorded with Barlow in the mobile studio and invite Eno in to help round them off, unconcerned with hits and more ambient, in the vein of LIAWHL and Book of Your Heart. They put this out next summer as Songs of Ascent, rope those songs in now and again on the tour, hang it up post tour in, say, late 2019. Go out for a AB tribute tour in 2021, with SOA songs being a key flavor, then do charity gigs and one off tours like the Stones to call it a day. That would do for me.

Why can't they be more like Bruce Springsteen? Gather together a collection of songs left over and then release it in some fashion like Tracks or Bruce's most recent album High Hopes? We all know U2 have piles of pretty much completed songs in the vaults. Even better would be a soundcloud dump like Aphex Twin...of course there management would never allow them to do that! But I hate this obsessive gaurding of material not used because it's seen by some prick like Guy Oseary as not commercial enough or it's pre empted as such by the band.

It would be absolutely perfect if they tied up the Andy Barlow sessions and brought back Eno to add further to such efforts. It would certainly bring them back to coherency amongst their albums and deliver on Edge's 'belief in the album'.

I understand they weren't ever going to do that with SOE because each song was a snapshot/image so thematic continuity in a musical sense wasn't really on their minds. And as a collection of songs it is their strongest since ATYCLB by some distance. But the argument against that is the exact one Bono used against How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and is true for everyone of their albums from ATYCLB in that the whole wasn't greater than the sum of it's parts. I think that's what pisses people of with regards to U2's post 00s work - in that no album has had a definitive sound, consistent musical and indeed lyrical theme to it like most albums pre 2000. And I think, in truth, that is the crux of people's 'issues' with U2 post 2000. Fans want a full coherent movie, not a collection of short stories.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Why can't they be more like Bruce Springsteen? Gather together a collection of songs left over and then release it in some fashion like Tracks or Bruce's most recent album High Hopes? We all know U2 have piles of pretty much completed songs in the vaults. Even better would be a soundcloud dump like Aphex Twin...of course there management would never allow them to do that! But I hate this obsessive gaurding of material not used because it's seen by some prick like Guy Oseary as not commercial enough or it's pre empted as such by the band.

It would be absolutely perfect if they tied up the Andy Barlow sessions and brought back Eno to add further to such efforts. It would certainly bring them back to coherency amongst their albums and deliver on Edge's 'belief in the album'.

I understand they weren't ever going to do that with SOE because each song was a snapshot/image so thematic continuity in a musical sense wasn't really on their minds. And as a collection of songs it is their strongest since ATYCLB by some distance. But the argument against that is the exact one Bono used against How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and is true for everyone of their albums from ATYCLB in that the whole wasn't greater than the sum of it's parts. I think that's what pisses people of with regards to U2's post 00s work - in that no album has had a definitive sound, consistent musical and indeed lyrical theme to it like most albums pre 2000. And I think, in truth, that is the crux of people's 'issues' with U2 post 2000. Fans want a full coherent movie, not a collection of short stories.

Let's be perfectly clear here...

Guy has dick to say about the creative direction of the band.

This isn't Paul McGuinness. There is no GLEBA here (or BAGEL, if you would).

Guy is strictly there to negotiate contracts and make sure shit doesn't break. U2 are in full command of what they do and do not release.

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

well I guess we have about maybe 5 years till the next album. on this interview with adam on BBC, he says they would be older gentlemen when they release the 15th album.

 

[Registered Dude]

This isn't Paul McGuinness. There is no GLEBA here (or BAGEL, if you would).

Oh I would.. BAGEL forever.

 

[dk42]

I think Songs of Ascent will happen and I don't think this will be their last album. I do think a bit of a break will take place after the E&I tour, since they've been a bit active. Adam just had a kid too. While I did enjoy JT2017 generally, I would've preferred them not wasting time to tour a 30 year old album and either wrote new music or wait to have just toured SOE, but I guess Live Nation touring commitments got in the way and there's too much money to pass up there.

I love Achtung Baby with all my heart and it's one of favorite albums ever, but I sincerely hope they don't do a Zoo TV redux tour in 2021. That era is special and significant for good reason, ahead of its time and a a band at the peak of its powers, just let that live on. I am jealous of all those who got to experience it first hand, but I can tell even from just reading about it or watching footage from that era that it was special and a game changer.

I don't necessarily mind them playing more AB songs (rare ones too) during the next tour, assuming they have an album ready to go in 2021 and they can maybe do some homage or what not, similar to the Vertigo Tour/Zoo TV style encore. Of course, U2 is a business, so the money there would be too hard to pass up, but we'll see.

Overall, I think a few more albums are in them, though it's both a blessing and a curse that they love to play live. Since every tour needs to be a giant spectacle and they have to tour every release, it might be tougher to put out more music. I'd prefer more music at this stage and surely they can tour, perhaps just less, which might be the case, but who knows?

I'd love to see them make more music into the next decade though and I think they will, plus hopefully when they call it quits, the U2 vault will be open. From the Rick Rubin sessions, to the RedOne stuff, to all that Passengers material, I mean, my goodness. Perhaps something similar to what Neil Young is doing with his online archive? I would certainly be very happy.

 

[gweeps]

Was Soon slated for No Line or was it supposed to be for SOA but became a one-off because the follow-up was scrapped? Or was it always intended to be a intro to shows?