Another album soon?? Songs of Ascent

[eas]

by the way, did anyone else notice the picture in the book that came with the Magazine version of NLOTH that shows both "No Line On The Horizon" and "Songs Of Ascent" both in caps?

this may prove that the band has had a two album plan longer than we think. i remember hearing rumors of this a couple months ago, but didn't think much of it. but considering this magazine was most likely made around late December/early January, this picture was probably taken quite a while ago.

Exactly. I remember one of the first post Fez rumours about the album was that the band was working on the new album plus a "Passenger-like" side project.

The more I think about it, the more it seems intentional that NLOTH would be somewhat less experimental than everyone thought, and that the followup would be more experimental. I also think that when the band and producers were talking about the album (hyping the album) they reflexively were talking about all the material that was recorded and not just NLOTH. Of course, they spoke specifically of NLOTH but I get the feeling that the confidence coming out of the U2 camp has something to do with all the material recorded.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Who are you talking about, exactly?

i dont think we really want to know the answer to this, do we?

 

[shart1780]

does anybody see All My Life from the beach clips on the new album? or is it a lost cause

I hope so. That sounds like a horrible song IMO. I cringe hearing it and that's only from a few beach clip listens.

 

[Achtung Billy]

Don't care about the title, I really hope we hear a finished version of "All My Life" someday. Love that clip.

 

[mikal]

Exactly. I remember one of the first post Fez rumours about the album was that the band was working on the new album plus a "Passenger-like" side project.

The more I think about it, the more it seems intentional that NLOTH would be somewhat less experimental than everyone thought, and that the followup would be more experimental. I also think that when the band and producers were talking about the album (hyping the album) they reflexively were talking about all the material that was recorded and not just NLOTH. Of course, they spoke specifically of NLOTH but I get the feeling that the confidence coming out of the U2 camp has something to do with all the material recorded.

very true! the band probably realized that it wouldn't be a smart career move to release a Passengers-like album as your first album in 4.5 years. as much as the diehards would have loved it, it would have just been slaughtered by the media. now at least they were able to release a great U2 album in NLOTH, and now they can release the Passengers-like album, and it won't get slammed if it's presented as a companion album.

smart move!

 

[mikal]

damn, really?
i havent' gotten my uberdeluxe box set in the mail yet.
can we see a scan of this?:

unfortunately, my scanner is down at the moment.

 

[animeavalanche]

what page is it on? i got the super mega limited whatever its called a few mins ago and can probably scan the page into the computer (if its in the hardcover)

 

[Achtung Billy]

Commercially speaking, would it not make more sense to release this new album around Christmas time, 2010? For the 2009 Christmas season, Universal will hope for people to buy NLOTH as a Christmas gift. Having 2 newer U2 albums out would dilute the sales impact of both. Spreading them out more would increase each album's commercial presence, right?

Also, if they don't release another new album by Christmas this year, I wonder if that would increase the chances of the Achtung Baby remaster finally being released?

 

[adrball]

mikal...i agree with you. A companion album, bonus tracks, whatever. Releasing so close to a major will take some of the media stress away.

Also cautiously optimistic and still waiting for next U2 sound.

 

[mikal]

what page is it on? i got the super mega limited whatever its called a few mins ago and can probably scan the page into the computer (if its in the hardcover)

not sure. they don't have page numbers. i think it's right after the first Adam interview.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Bono already knows the title — Songs of Ascent — and the first single, a surging anthem called “Every Breaking Wave” that was left off No Line at the last minute.

Not all of it will be totally "self indulgent".

That is interesting..I wonder why it was left off the last album.

 

[Salome]

sounds exciting
as anything could still happen I am just going to enjoy the tour first and see what the band's got in store

 

[mikal]

sounds exciting
as anything could still happen I am just going to enjoy the tour first and see what the band's got in store

that's a good approach to take.

 

[Popmart Shopper]

Well there seems to be something different this time about the album comments.Usually Bono just says one time that they want to get an album out soon,but now we have a working title as well as a possible first single.So its quite possible for the Songs of Ascent to come out before Christmas 2009 with Every Breaking Wave single hitting radio premeire in Oct or Nov 2009.The reason also is because it sounds like this album is already 80-90 percent finished with just touch ups,remixes,and the finishing touches to be made.However it also possible for this to be released in early to mid 2010.Id say at the absolute latest Fall of 2010.Here is a sample timeline of what I think may go down:

2009-NLOTH and Spiderman Musical(though I dont know if they just wrote songs for this or have recorded thier own versions?)
NLOTH Tour-June 2009-Dec 2009(then a Xmas holiday break)
2010-Song of Ascent-Feb or Mar 2010
Mar-Sept or Oct of 2010(to wrap up tour)
2011-Probably take a year off so Bono can be political again and Larry can drive kids around Ireland.LOL.Hopefully more remastered albums by this point.Oh how I cant wait for POP!
2012-Maybe in late 2012 we will be lucky to have another new album before the world ends.Just Kidding about the world but not an album of course.

 

[adrball]

Digital Spy saying 2010.

Music - News - U2 announce 2010 album plans - Digital Spy

 

[LyricalDrug]

Well there seems to be something different this time about the album comments.Usually Bono just says one time that they want to get an album out soon,but now we have a working title as well as a possible first single.

Yeah, agreed. I think there's some inter-band tension about what songs should have been included on NLOTH, when the companion album should be released, etc. Is it just me, or did NLOTH seem very rushed at the end? They were editing tracks and adding / deleting songs right up until the midnight hour, just like they did with Pop. And remember Brian Eno's (semi)-sarcastic comments about NLOTH's final track order, in the RS interview last year? Eno, to reporter, smiling: "tell U2 they're being a bunch of fuc*ing cun*s" ...And then Edge joked recently, "I don't know if Brian Eno even likes rock music, or if he likes a lot of U2's work." And now Bono is heavily pushing the idea of a new album -- maybe it's Bono's way of forcing the issue, so others within the U2 camp have to go along?

This is just speculation on my part, as I'm trying to connect the dots, but you're right -- it seems like something's up.

Basically, I just want a new album soon -- I'm a greedy fan

 

[mikal]

Yeah, agreed. I think there's some inter-band tension about what songs should have been included on NLOTH, when the companion album should be released, etc. Is it just me, or did NLOTH seem very rushed at the end? They were editing tracks and adding / deleting songs right up until the midnight hour, just like they did with Pop. And remember Brian Eno's (semi)-sarcastic comments about NLOTH's final track order, in the RS interview last year? Eno, to reporter, smiling: "tell U2 they're being a bunch of fuc*ing cun*s" ...And then Edge joked recently, "I don't know if Brian Eno even likes rock music, or if he likes a lot of U2's work." And now Bono is heavily pushing the idea of a new album -- maybe it's Bono's way of forcing the issue, so others within the U2 camp have to go along?

This is just speculation on my part, as I'm trying to connect the dots, but you're right -- it seems like something's up.

Basically, I just want a new album soon -- I'm a greedy fan

it does seem like this is more than Bono's idea though. all 4 members have gone on record saying that there is another album in the books/in the works.

 

[cdirani]

Well there seems to be something different this time about the album comments.
2009-NLOTH and Spiderman Musical(though I dont know if they just wrote songs for this or have recorded thier own versions?)

Well, I'm sure they have complete demos of the songs. How about a special Spider box with those tracks included?

 

[IndyShade]

'Songs of Ascent' is a terrible name. It sounds like the title of an Enigma album. Then again, the backing track of MOS sounds like an Enigma song...

 

[dan_smee]

I think all the hype is the band really forcing their own hand. Making sure they put in the hours to get this project done.

Lyrical Drug makes a great point thoguh about internal tensions. To me this means that they had enough material for the original 2 EP's plan, decided to go with the album, and had to leave some stuff off. That caused problems because everyone wanted different things, so two EP's turned into 2 albums (keeping similar themes). They firmly believe that anything over an hour is too long, so a double album was out of the question. What's the best solution? Bring out another album in a year.

 

[mikal]

I think all the hype is the band really forcing their own hand. Making sure they put in the hours to get this project done.

Lyrical Drug makes a great point thoguh about internal tensions. To me this means that they had enough material for the original 2 EP's plan, decided to go with the album, and had to leave some stuff off. That caused problems because everyone wanted different things, so two EP's turned into 2 albums (keeping similar themes). They firmly believe that anything over an hour is too long, so a double album was out of the question. What's the best solution? Bring out another album in a year.

not sure if i agree about the internal tensions part. it almost sounds to me like they've had the 2 album thing on their agenda earlier than we all think.

i do agree with you about the hype forcing the hand now.

 

[dan_smee]

^ Mikal, I see that your location is Fez. Do you think anyone here is brave (or gross) enough to have their location as "Being Born"?

 

[what a bomb!]

sounds like a commercial disaster to me if the next album is gonna be full of slowies like WAS and COL ,albeit hated them at first but love them now (still least faves) this 2nd album will have to be absolutely MINDBLOWING to make wanna buy it, but hey! its all hearsay at the mo so will hold out judgement

 

[mikal]

^ Mikal, I see that your location is Fez. Do you think anyone here is brave (or gross) enough to have their location as "Being Born"?

kind of a "vag" location.

 

[mikal]

i apologize for the totally inappropriate comment i just made.

 

[Swan269]

sounds like a commercial disaster to me if the next album is gonna be full of slowies like WAS and COL ,albeit hated them at first but love them now (still least faves) this 2nd album will have to be absolutely MINDBLOWING to make wanna buy it, but hey! its all hearsay at the mo so will hold out judgement

it was quoted that 'every breaking wave' is a surging anthem so i don't necessarily think that it will be full of slowies

 

[Popmart Shopper]

Does anyone else find it interesting that on the RARE AND UNRELEASED U2.Com CD that they are giving away with the memberships that Mercy is not listed on the tracklist.Hmmm I wonder if maybe Mercy will make it to an album after all.Songs of Ascent perhaps?

 

[Swan269]

^ def possible

 

[dan_smee]

at Mikal!! I like the style of rather than removing the comment, just apologising after

ur a good egg mikal

 

[Earnie Shavers]

sounds like a commercial disaster to me if the next album is gonna be full of slowies like WAS and COL ,albeit hated them at first but love them now (still least faves) this 2nd album will have to be absolutely MINDBLOWING to make wanna buy it, but hey! its all hearsay at the mo so will hold out judgement

Releasing it in the shadow of a BIG! NEW! U2! ALBUM! release removes practically all commercial pressure. It can sell 1/4 of NLOTH or HTDAAB and it doesn't matter, or can easily, easily be spun as not mattering. That's the really, really great thing about it, IMO. Without commercial pressure, they can just put whatever the fuck they want on there (remember the talk of instrumentals?)

The problem is though, if it drags, that pressure starts to mount again. So it really does have to land within this Xmas to end-of-tour period. If it doesn't land in there you can guarantee it will be held back and stripped for parts that can be built into the next proper album in four or five years time.

Please, please, please get this done.