Why did Bono lie about this being a long album?

[Earnie Shavers]

I think we get HTDAAB II before we get Zooropa or Achtung Baby IMHO.

Oh, I have no belief at all that we’re getting any dramatic Achtung/Zooropa type departure or new direction. You can tell that from the early reviews. You’d be getting more bamboozlement from the general critics and more “HOLYFUCKINGSHIT!!!” from those that are obviously hardcore fans. The reviews from all sides are still all loaded with ‘classic’ ‘anthem’ ‘stadium’ etc. But I also don’t think we’re getting Bomb II. I think it will be kind of an alternate universe album.

Sort of a ‘what if’ album.

What if U2 didn’t swing wholly over to a classic, more commercial sound and song structure for ATYCLB? What if they instead accepted they needed to move more to the centre after Pop, re-incorporate some of that traditional sound, but still wanted to give a bit of a ‘fuck the haters’ by proving they could merge their classic sound (being now, really, both the late 80s and early 90s, so in itself a hybrid of JT, Achtung and Zooropa) with whatever the hell they want to push forward with? Be it another shot at the late 90s Pop electronic bedding, this time driven by Eno, or something (anything) else?

-or-

What if after ATYCLB they saw that re-treading old sounds and structures is okay, is more than just accepted but wholly loved, but felt like they’d done what they needed to do and now wanted to move back away from the centre, take those sounds and re-introduce the spirit of the 90s to it. Create new sounds from it, mess around with new structures etc, but not go so far that they lose what they gained back with those classic/traditional songs.

I think it will be one of those two, and I think the reviews reflect that. Either how a move to the centre could have been in 2000 if they hadn't gone all the way in, or how a move back away from the centre in 2004 could have sounded. New sounds, some very interesting songs and structures, but overall, not a massive shift in direction or big leap back out into left field. Certainly not an overhaul, but definitely not Bomb II, more like they’re just showing us one of their other options.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Also, the Magnificent beach clip, it sounds like the versus have a pretty heavy guitar behind them. The reviews suggest there’s a strong electronic bedding to it as well. Neither are really evident in the Walmart clip which is all 80s U2 with a spruced up beat. Is anyone else seriously praying that perhaps we’re going to get dark and stormy 90s versus that explode wide open with an 80s soaring chorus?

 

[BVS]

There was even that comment by The Edge, "How long is this album?", which we read into as backing up Bono's comment. What are fans picking up on bits of statements to do?

I can't even believe you take yourself seriously...

Are you oblivious to the fact that things change?

 

[Utoo]

Great post, Earnie.

I think it will be kind of an alternate universe album.

Sort of a ‘what if’ album.

What if U2 didn’t swing wholly over to a classic, more commercial sound and song structure for ATYCLB? What if they instead accepted they needed to move more to the centre after Pop, re-incorporate some of that traditional sound, but still wanted to give a bit of a ‘fuck the haters’ by proving they could merge their classic sound (being now, really, both the late 80s and early 90s, so in itself a hybrid of JT, Achtung and Zooropa) with whatever the hell they want to push forward with? Be it another shot at the late 90s Pop electronic bedding, this time driven by Eno, or something (anything) else?

This is pretty much what I'm thinking we're gonna get. Kind of an alternate universe direction after Achtung that didn't head down toward Zooropa, Passengers & Pop, but still had a little of that spirit. From a few of the song reviews, as well as from the GOYB video, part of me wonders if this is in some way getting a bit of the "What if we remade Pop?" treatment. Given the huge successes of ATYCLB and HTDAAB (despite whatever musical failings we may see in them) and where the band are at this moment, and given some of those single listen reviews, I would think that some of those "classic U2" sounds of UF/JT/AB are still going to be front and center in some way, shape, or form. Thus, using those sounds at heart, but still trying to be a little more "experimental," it kind of leads us toward the creation of a different version of their second 90s album. Almost as if they recorded their second 90s album while they were still in Morocco on the Mysterious Ways video shoot, instead of midway through ZooTV. Still close to JT/R&H and the creation of Achtung (the now "classic" sounds), catch the Moroccan vibe, but miss the influence of the funky mindfuck of ZooTV.

 

[Utoo]

I can't even believe you take yourself seriously...

I think the issue is that he apparently takes EVERYTHING seriously.


The fact that he uses the word "lied" is indication enough.

 

[BVS]

I think the issue is that he apparently takes EVERYTHING seriously.


The fact that he uses the word "lied" is indication enough.

True.

 

[dan_smee]

I think the issue is that he apparently takes EVERYTHING seriously.


The fact that he uses the word "lied" is indication enough.

Take this seriously then...

i cant believe this thread is in page 15.

They wrote some music. We will listen to said music.

We get 53 minutes of it. Thats better than 0 minutes of it. Bono said it is long, and by modern convention for album lengths, and song lengths, the album is huge.

How this got to 15 pages baffles me.

If you are seriously complaining that we only get 53 minutes i feel REALLY sorry for you, because your life must be so hollow and empty to have absolutely nothing else in it.

Grow. The. Fuck. Up

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think it will really just reflect them rediscovering a musical freedom, but experience has taught them to leave their feet on the ground. Or one of their feet on the ground. Or at least put Bono on one of those toddler leash things that only give him a 10 foot radius. Remember Eno has said that they’ve thrown out the more experimental stuff, which disappointed him, so obviously in favour of grounding the album. Maybe that’s where the middle three songs come into the picture, or where we later find some things have been reworked back to the centre a little. Which raises another point: I actually hope they don’t release early alternate versions this time. It is cool, but save it for the box set in 10 years. I don’t want to get an album and then immediately hear how it could have been. Bomb dropped (another) ten notches for me the day I heard its alternate versions.

 

[BVS]

Remember Eno has said that they’ve thrown out the more experimental stuff, which disappointed him, so obviously in favour of grounding the album.

I thought it was just one song he mentioned, and he said it was the most atmoshperic not necessarily the most experimental...

 

[nirniva]

At first, this thread was someone angsting about how long NLOTH was. Then it was awesome. Now it's back to angst. What happened?

EDIT: Well, it's not that angsty, but I miss when this thread was massively derailed.

 

[MMP]

I think it will really just reflect them rediscovering a musical freedom, but experience has taught them to leave their feet on the ground. Or one of their feet on the ground. Or at least put Bono on one of those toddler leash things that only give him a 10 foot radius. Remember Eno has said that they’ve thrown out the more experimental stuff, which disappointed him, so obviously in favour of grounding the album. Maybe that’s where the middle three songs come into the picture, or where we later find some things have been reworked back to the centre a little. Which raises another point: I actually hope they don’t release early alternate versions this time. It is cool, but save it for the box set in 10 years. I don’t want to get an album and then immediately hear how it could have been. Bomb dropped (another) ten notches for me the day I heard its alternate versions.

I don't agree with you... but when I heard ABOY's alternate version and Smile, HTDAAB did drop a notch or two to me...
Btw, from which album's sessions Levitate is?
U2 should be arrested for leaving that song out of an album. I think that when I heard that song it was the only time I called then "bastards" actually meaning it.

 

[nirniva]

I don't agree with you... but when I heard ABOY's alternate version and Smile, HTDAAB did drop a notch or two to me...
Btw, from which album's sessions Levitate is?
U2 should be arrested for leaving that song out of an album. I think that when I heard that song it was the only time I called then "bastards" actually meaning it.

Ooh, what's Levitate? I'm sort of new here, and I've never heard of it. Sounds intriguing, and heaven knows I could use some new U2 at the moment...
Anyone care to fill me in? Thanks.

 

[Gilead12]

I thought it was just one song he mentioned, and he said it was the most atmoshperic not necessarily the most experimental...

Either way, I'm still holding out for Passengers II...

Though I can't wait for NLOTH. Even if they take another 3 or 4 years between albums, a Spider-Man soundtrack and Passengers II would be plenty to hold me over this time.

 

[MMP]

Ooh, what's Levitate? I'm sort of new here, and I've never heard of it. Sounds intriguing, and heaven knows I could use some new U2 at the moment...
Anyone care to fill me in? Thanks.

You got a PM.
Just saw that almost everytime I wrote "released" on that PM I was meaning "release".

 

[BVS]

Either way, I'm still holding out for Passengers II...

Though I can't wait for NLOTH. Even if they take another 3 or 4 years between albums, a Spider-Man soundtrack and Passengers II would be plenty to hold me over this time.

Eh, I think Passengers is over rated in here... Would have made a great EP...

 

[Gilead12]

Eh, I think Passengers is over rated in here... Would have made a great EP...

Passengers II EP

 

[coolian2]

Eh, I think Passengers is over rated in here... Would have made a great EP...

no no no no no

 

[Gilead12]

Passengers II EP

*as a set up for Passengers III, of course

 

[Serena Vox]

I started imagining Fez-Being Born being 10 minutes or something.

Bono's no Steven Wilson.

 

[MMP]

Eh, I think Passengers is over rated in here... Would have made a great EP...

Would have made an almost, if not perfect EP... but as an album, yeah, it's kinda over rated.

 

[VintagePunk]

Just because its coming from David Letterman, its still a personal attack.

OMG! :tears:


Sicy

 

[Serena Vox]

Btw, from which album's sessions Levitate is?

I always thought from ATYCLB.

 

[coolian2]

Would have made an almost, if not perfect EP... but as an album, yeah, it's kinda over rated.

you're wrong, damn it.

 

[Gilead12]

Coolian2...

Did you see the "enoskeys" U2.com clip?

As a Passengers fanatic, that clip was one of the most exciting for me. Just to see the same man working the keyboard that did so on tracks like Beach Sequence was a religious experience for me. Very reassuring, I thought; I also thought the band putting that one up meant they probably recognized how legendary Eno's abilities are/ought to be.

If NLOTH fails, it will be due to a deficiency of Eno's keys.

 

[yenlard]

would be cool if u2 just gave us something quick and dirty...experimental...kind of a first take thing without so much production and thought behind it. of course that will never probably happen. they think about everything way too much.

 

[digitize]

Coolian2...

Did you see the "enoskeys" U2.com clip?

As a Passengers fanatic, that clip was one of the most exciting for me. Just to see the same man working the keyboard that did so on tracks like Beach Sequence was a religious experience for me. Very reassuring, I thought; I also thought the band putting that one up meant they probably recognized how legendary Eno's abilities are/ought to be.

If NLOTH fails, it will be due to a deficiency of Eno's keys.

*dances* I second that e-motion!

 

[MMP]

I always thought from ATYCLB.

Oh, I think you're right. Thanks!

you're wrong, damn it.

Well, we may disagree on that. But I'm sure we agree that EAA is a great song! Right?

I'm not being sarcastic...

 

[Serena Vox]

Oh, I think you're right. Thanks!

It sounds too good to be from HTDAAB.

 

[coolian2]

Coolian2...

Did you see the "enoskeys" U2.com clip?

As a Passengers fanatic, that clip was one of the most exciting for me. Just to see the same man working the keyboard that did so on tracks like Beach Sequence was a religious experience for me. Very reassuring, I thought; I also thought the band putting that one up meant they probably recognized how legendary Eno's abilities are/ought to be.

If NLOTH fails, it will be due to a deficiency of Eno's keys.

i haven't seen any clips, i've been steering clear of anything preview related.

 

[coolian2]

Well, we may disagree on that. But I'm sure we agree that EAA is a great song! Right?

I'm not being sarcastic...

god i hope you're being sarcastic.