Another album soon?? Songs of Ascent

[dan_smee]

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.

Just on the wave of it being the sister album to NLOTH will ensure it sells. Anyone who bought and enjoyed this album will be of the mind to check out the next one. The marketing has already taken care of itself, so theres no outlay, no promo tour, no U2overload prior to release. They are on tour for their recent disc, so people will know they are out there, and this one will definately sell no matter what

 

[purpleblackeye]

'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...

dude, don't you have anything positive to say? i notice all of your posts are about slamming the new songs...but in a totally smart ass fashion

 

[Dragonfave]

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.

If that were to happen, then we will see a Republican victory in the U.S. Presidential election.

 

[jphelmet]

well the title has certainly been around for awhile

i like the line above "pilgrim's lack of progress" the other reads "house of abraham"

these are from the book for nloth.

 

[dan_smee]

what does it say next to velvet, I am at work and can't get to my book atm

 

[jphelmet]

hard to make it out. velvet house?
below velvet it says "thank you ??? THE DAY"

 

[Gilead12]

I hope Thank You for the Day makes it.

Songs of Ascent =

 

[Pero]

why am i so sceptical??

 

[jphelmet]

why am i so sceptical??

because you have been a u2 fan for a while?

it you have followed them for any length of time, its totally ingrained by now. there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[MMP]

well the title has certainly been around for awhile

i like the line above "pilgrim's lack of progress" the other reads "house of abraham"

these are from the book for nloth.

Holy shit... that's some ugly handwriting.

 

[dan_smee]

because you have been a u2 fan for a while?

it you have followed them for any length of time, its totally ingrained by now. there is nothing you can do about it.

other than realise that they are nearly 50 and have more money than they could spend in the rest of their lives, but are still making us music.

Whatever we get from now is a total bonus, and one I am very glad to recieve

 

[Swan269]

other than realise that they are nearly 50 and have more money than they could spend in the rest of their lives, but are still making us music.

Whatever we get from now is a total bonus, and one I am very glad to recieve

^thank you

 

[jphelmet]

other than realise that they are nearly 50 and have more money than they could spend in the rest of their lives, but are still making us music.

Whatever we get from now is a total bonus, and one I am very glad to recieve

i agree, i didn't mean to sound like i am upset by how long it takes to make an album. its just if you have been a fan (like myself) for 20+ years, you have heard the 'we are going to put out another album fast' lots of times. u2's process is slow. they do huge tours (which i would rather have then fast turnarounds), and it takes a long time for them to get anything out. plus bono, is known to embellish just a tad.

all that said, i am hopeful for an album within a year.

 

[dan_smee]

i agree, i didn't mean to sound like i am upset by how long it takes to make an album. its just if you have been a fan (like myself) for 20+ years, you have heard the 'we are going to put out another album fast' lots of times. u2's process is slow. they do huge tours (which i would rather have then fast turnarounds), and it takes a long time for them to get anything out. plus bono, is known to embellish just a tad.

all that said, i am hopeful for an album within a year.

Sorry jphelmet, I wasn't directing it at you specifically, I just quoted you because it was the most relevant to the subject of my post. It was more a general statement to those who get shitty with how long it takes them.

It is definately frustrating how long it takes, but nothing we have the right to actually be angry about

 

[PowerSurge]

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.

I truly think that they did have the idea to release two albums after they decided to pass on the double album idea.....and that was a while ago.

 

[dan_smee]

I was shot down in a ball of flames a week or so ago for suggesting that the next album would have been done, and THAT was the reason for the delay, rather than getting NLOTH sorted. (while they wrote, and changed some things on NLOTH, I dont think that was the intention of the session, just that what they wrote fit more on NLOTH, and stuff from NLOTH went to SOA).

Like I said back then, I think it would be about 90% complete. All thats left is some mixing, maybe re-records of some bits, and possibly reworking of some tunes (ie winter).

Either way, they could theoretically have it completed by the time the tour starts, as after the promo stuff ends late march, they have 2 months before the tour

 

[eas]

I truly think that they did have the idea to release two albums after they decided to pass on the double album idea.....and that was a while ago.

Remember the first bit of news we got after Fez-working on an album and a Passesngers-like project? All makes sense now, even if it didn't to them back then.

 

[PowerSurge]

Remember the first bit of news we got after Fez-working on an album and a Passesngers-like project? All makes sense now, even if it didn't to them back then.

yes....good memory. I almost forgot about that.

I'm usually pretty skeptical about everything...but for some reason I totally believe that this second album is coming out mid tour. Think about it....they are much older, won't be able to tour like this very much, and can only have so many huge years ahead of them. It makes total sense to capitalize on the success of this album, and further propel the popularity of the tour by releasing another album mid tour and keeping their faces in the public eye.

 

[digitize]

It's all part of their evil master plan to dominate the world...

 

[eas]

yes....good memory. I almost forgot about that.

I'm usually pretty skeptical about everything...but for some reason I totally believe that this second album is coming out mid tour. Think about it....they are much older, won't be able to tour like this very much, and can only have so many huge years ahead of them. It makes total sense to capitalize on the success of this album, and further propel the popularity of the tour by releasing another album mid tour and keeping their faces in the public eye.

Yeah. I absolutely think that they decided to make this album a little something for everyone (not that its bland or uneven or anything) to cover their bases before the tour so that they could release a second more experimental work. Not that it would be a magnum opus or anything, but I do think they were doing a lot more interesting work ("experimental") than NLOTH hints at and they needed to figure out a way to release it.

Believe it or not I am actually enjoying NLOTH a LOT more knowing this stuff about a second album, it all makes more sense to me.

 

[cdirani]

yes....good memory. I almost forgot about that.

I'm usually pretty skeptical about everything...but for some reason I totally believe that this second album is coming out mid tour. Think about it....they are much older, won't be able to tour like this very much, and can only have so many huge years ahead of them. It makes total sense to capitalize on the success of this album, and further propel the popularity of the tour by releasing another album mid tour and keeping their faces in the public eye.

Yes, I remember that. And Edge said on that interview for Mojo in December that Bono's piano classes were helping to the "various projetcs" they were working at the time, which I think was NLOTH, The Spider-Man soundtrack and the Passengers-LIKE (Not Passengers vol 2, I thnk). So the idea was releasing an off-beat album was there since the begining. I think we won't get new songs as b-sides just because of that.

 

[zoocarolina]

If this is a Zooropa type album, release it early next year between legs of the tour so they can tour both or they wait until late 2010 and then not tour it, should be interesting!

 

[buzzkill27]

I was shot down in a ball of flames a week or so ago for suggesting that the next album would have been done, and THAT was the reason for the delay, rather than getting NLOTH sorted. (while they wrote, and changed some things on NLOTH, I dont think that was the intention of the session, just that what they wrote fit more on NLOTH, and stuff from NLOTH went to SOA).

Like I said back then, I think it would be about 90% complete. All thats left is some mixing, maybe re-records of some bits, and possibly reworking of some tunes (ie winter).

Either way, they could theoretically have it completed by the time the tour starts, as after the promo stuff ends late march, they have 2 months before the tour

And to think we've had some idiot reviewers and some fans say it's taken U2
5 years to put out music and this (NLOTH) is what they have to show for it....meanwhile Billboard mag was right with the late Dec. article about U2 having another album's worth of material left over plus you have Bono and Edge having written almost all of the music to the Spiderman play...hope that shuts up all the people who complain about U2's "lack of productivity"

 

[Niceman]

Maybe it only makes sense to do a mega-tour like Vertigo or Elevation every 4 or 5 years? A tour covering 2 albums is really the only way to keep the touring from preventing them releasing albums on a regular basis.. I mean, an album every 5 years!??!? I call that semi-retirement!

 

[DoctorMacPhisto]

So... stoked... two albums... one year... holy shit.

 

[lazarus]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet in this thread, but the deluxe book has a picture of a bulletin board with all the songs being worked on.

Tripoli and Chromium Chords (Fez--Being Born's working title) are listed separately, so we can strike down that BS about them being the same song.

Other titles listed are:

I Was Lost
Not As Yet
Diorama
Kingdom of Your Love

So if you include Winter, Every Breaking Wave and Tripoli, we're now up to seven songs that are at some level of completion.

I'd be very surprised if this quick follow up doesn't happen, especially when you have Larry talking about it, and Bono giving reporters an actual album title.

EDIT: Apparently, this is old news from yesterday. Well, maybe someone who came to the thread late like me will find it new.

 

[dan_smee]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet in this thread, but the deluxe book has a picture of a bulletin board with all the songs being worked on.

Tripoli and Chromium Chords (Fez--Being Born's working title) are listed separately, so we can strike down that BS about them being the same song.

Other titles listed are:

I Was Lost
Not As Yet
Diorama
Kingdom of Your Love

So if you include Winter, Every Breaking Wave and Tripoli, we're now up to seven songs that are at some level of completion.

I'd be very surprised if this quick follow up doesn't happen, especially when you have Larry talking about it, and Bono giving reporters an actual album title.

EDIT: Apparently, this is old news from yesterday. Well, maybe someone who came to the thread late like me will find it new.

It's all good. I have summarised my opinions in the proposed map of the album thread.

I Was Lost sounds like it was an early version of Unknown Caller.

Finally someone else onside about Tripoli!!! I have been having arguements for days about it.

 

[mikal]

I was shot down in a ball of flames a week or so ago for suggesting that the next album would have been done, and THAT was the reason for the delay, rather than getting NLOTH sorted. (while they wrote, and changed some things on NLOTH, I dont think that was the intention of the session, just that what they wrote fit more on NLOTH, and stuff from NLOTH went to SOA).

Like I said back then, I think it would be about 90% complete. All thats left is some mixing, maybe re-records of some bits, and possibly reworking of some tunes (ie winter).

Either way, they could theoretically have it completed by the time the tour starts, as after the promo stuff ends late march, they have 2 months before the tour

agreed

 

[nirniva]

I really don't think my heart could take another Leak Week this year.

Oh, mine could!
I came to the party a bit late...when did we hear that the title was Songs of Ascent? (Which acronyms out to SOA...I like it, I like it.)

 

[MMP]

Oh, mine could!
I came to the party a bit late...when did we hear that the title was Songs of Ascent? (Which acronyms out to SOA...I like it, I like it.)

Bono said it in this month's Rolling Stone.
He also said Every Breaking Wave is probably the first single.