Do you think there will ever be a time when...

[2233]

Nope, but they make good stuff in trying to be the biggest. So don't care.

That's the thing, if their motivation is to be the biggest then sadly nothing else would drive them to work hard and be in studios. Making a U2 album is a very emotionally taxing effort for band. Plus artiste should always make an album they want to make, it's up to fans to deal with it.

I am sure one day they'll again make an album full of experimental parts but till that day patience is the only thing that will make it all beautiful.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

Nope. About as close as we have gotten was Zooropa, but that was in the middle of a tour, so the PR machine was already in fullgear anyway. As people have been mentioned before U2 haven't really changed their goals that much.

Anyone who says the U2 of 80s or 90s didn't crave attention as much as the U2 of the 00s wasn't there....

 

[the tourist]

Was U2 as attention-crazed in the 80s? I thought I read a Bono interview in Propaganda saying they released Rattle & Hum to push some attention away, because it was different than what people would be expecting.... *shrugs*

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

Was U2 as attention-crazed in the 80s? I thought I read a Bono interview in Propaganda saying they released Rattle & Hum to push some attention away, because it was different than what people would be expecting.... *shrugs*

Yeah I gotta say they were. The media push when the movie came out was huge. I mean it wasn't just a video of the tour they were putting out. It was a Major studio release, with everything that goes along with it. The official book of the movie , the Mary Hart interviews from the NY, London, LA premieres being shown on Entertainment tonight etc.

There was a huge backlash of U2 post-Rattle and hum and I'm really surprised that they're not going low-key until the new album comes out. Of course they have the last leg of the tour to finish, but putting the U2 by U2 book and the GH album out is gonna keep them in the public eye even more. Add all of that with Bonos high profile and I could see people being a little tired of them by the time they put a new album out in 2007, if that is when it comes out.

 

[Salome]

I think U2 is just making music for themselves
as much as some people like to think that ATYCLB is mainstream crap I honestly don't think it sounded like anything that was even remotely near the charts at that moment in time
U2 would also realise that - as this forum proves - you can'r predict what people want

so if they would do what you suggest we would get about the same album a couple of months later
they would definitely take the opportunity to spend a bitmore time perfecting the album

 

[U2FloridaFan]

U2 will give up trying to be the biggest band in the world and just make music for music's sake?

It's a shame the media picked up on that line that Bono used during the promotion for ATYCLB...cause Bono really don't use that line anymore...does he?

 

[tpsreports2424]

This will never happen..

 

[Clawgrabber]

what i want above all that chizip mentioned is:

i want U2 to release a new album where the FIRST SINGLE isn't TRACK 1.

Discotheque
Beautiful Day
Vertigo

it seems like the flow of any truly great album is dictated by its opening track. i want to hear an opening track that is written as such, like ZOO STATION or ZOOROPA, something written to set the tone and open of the sonic landscape, rather than "this is our first single"

I would even go so far as to include Where The Streets Have No Name in the same category (sure it was a single, but the THIRD single, and rarely does a song set the tone for an album as well as Streets)

A Sort Of Homecoming, anyone?

i want their next album to be:

1 OPENING TRACK
2
3
4
5
6
7 FIRST SINGLE
8
9
10
11

or something like that

track 3 or 7 would be the right spot for a first single, in my opinion, so as not to Front load or back load the album too much

and the other singles shouldn't follow or precede directly.

opening tracks are so important. While i feel Discotheque is the right choice for the first track of the album, i don't think it should have been the first single.

and while i think Vertigo SHOULD have been the first single from HTDAAB, COBL should have been the first track of the album.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Can't they not to try to cater to anyone? Just write their 11 best songs, and release it without worrying about the best way to maxizmize their profits/image/status?

Zip isn't that what they believe they're doing? I mean ATYCLB, and HTDAAB were based on that very thought process according to Bono. They're so MEGA now there is no going back. It'd be like the Stones trying to quietly release an album. No matter what, when or how they record music the Mega label will forever be attached to it.

I've said they are a juggernaut (someone else said it in this thread too) and once you get that train a 'rolling there's very little to stop it...good or bad.

 

[BVS]

Do you think there will ever be a time when...








online fans won't bitch?

Not in my lifetime.

 

[MrBrau1]

Just enjoy the art.

If you start trying to analyze the motives behind it you might not like what you find. Leave that to the indie dipshits.

 

[BVS]

Just enjoy the art.

If you start trying to analyze the motives behind it you might not like what you find. Leave that to the indie dipshits.

If you were a chick...

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

MrBrau1's problem is that he makes way too much sense and he doesn't think too hard...

 

[MrBrau1]

and i'd be quite a fugly chick.

 

[Chizip]

Zip isn't that what they believe they're doing? I mean ATYCLB, and HTDAAB were based on that very thought process according to Bono. They're so MEGA now there is no going back. It'd be like the Stones trying to quietly release an album. No matter what, when or how they record music the Mega label will forever be attached to it.

Not really. Both HTDAAB and ATYCLB were both released at exactly the right time to maximize Grammy appearances and peak holiday sales. Not to mention various deluxe and super deluxe versions of the albums to also help drive sales. It's almost like the plan it perfectly to sell the most amount of albums and win the most amount of grammies possible and then be able to say, "see, look how many albums we sold and how many grammys we won, we ARE the biggest in the world."

and while it is a great business move to do it that way, it would be nice if someday they can say, "we've already made all the money we need, accomplished all we've set out to, lets just write some songs and release it whenever we want. if it means costing us some sales and/or grammies because it wasn't released at the perfect holiday/grammy time and it wasn't marketed out the wazoo, then who cares, we made the cd we wanted to make and thats all that matters"

 

[ntalwar]

and while it is a great business move to do it that way, it would be nice if someday they can say, "we've already made all the money we need, accomplished all we've set out to, lets just write some songs and release it whenever we want. if it means costing us some sales and/or grammies because it wasn't released at the perfect holiday/grammy time and it wasn't marketed out the wazoo, then who cares, we made the cd we wanted to make and thats all that matters"

Universal Music probably has a lot of input on extra editions, release timing, maximizing sales, etc. They have a financial stake in decisions, and are a part of a publicly traded company and as such they have to maximize profits for the shareholders. We were reminded recently that a publisher can override U2 when HarperCollins canceled the deluxe book edition.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Oh man that's just a pessimistic point of view...but an understandable one at that.

I see your point, I'm just not sure that they're going to get out of that cycle anytime soon. Look at Eminem, his last 3 or 4 releases (including this latest one) have come out during this time period. The corporate machine pays no quarter to any artist, U2 included.

And for those who think that U2 can really, truly influence when their releases are scheduled, they probably don't have any influence at all. The record company can sit on their masters if they choose. U2 isn't as bold as say Zeppelin who literaly scared the crap out of their label. But hell, that said, they probably could hold out material in order to get a release date they prefer...

 

[BVS]

Not to mention various deluxe and super deluxe versions of the albums to also help drive sales.

Well to be fair, most bands are doing this these days. The invention of Napster and what not has forced record companies to add videos, screensavers, etc to deluxe editions to drive CD sales. U2 aren't the only ones doing this.

 

[VintagePunk]

Not really. Both HTDAAB and ATYCLB were both released at exactly the right time to maximize Grammy appearances and peak holiday sales. Not to mention various deluxe and super deluxe versions of the albums to also help drive sales. It's almost like the plan it perfectly to sell the most amount of albums and win the most amount of grammies possible and then be able to say, "see, look how many albums we sold and how many grammys we won, we ARE the biggest in the world."

and while it is a great business move to do it that way, it would be nice if someday they can say, "we've already made all the money we need, accomplished all we've set out to, lets just write some songs and release it whenever we want. if it means costing us some sales and/or grammies because it wasn't released at the perfect holiday/grammy time and it wasn't marketed out the wazoo, then who cares, we made the cd we wanted to make and thats all that matters"

Hypothetically, let's say that they are making the kind of music that they want, at the time, what they like, what pleases them as artists. I believe they are, but it seems that you have some doubt.

Anyway, this being the (hypothetical) case, what's wrong with them wanting as many people to hear it as possible, and releasing it at a time for optimal sales/publicity?

I have an interview on dvd where both Bono and Larry commented that (I'm paraphrasing) it's BS when artists say that they don't care about sales, or popularity with regard to their music, that it's inherent in every working artist that as many people hear, and hopefully enjoy, their music as possible. They're unabashedly honest about that, and I respect them for it. In fact, the exact end of Bono's quote is "as an artist, if you want [your music/art to be] a private experience, go buy a fucking potter's wheel."

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

VP

We speak the same language

 

[VintagePunk]

VP

We speak the same language

We do! And I believe it's called logic.

 

[Utoo]

I don't have a problem with them releasing at holiday time. If you're going to make an album anyway, then you may as well release it when the most people will buy it. It'd be different if it were the other way around---if they went into the studio & recorded some crap just to have something out by Christmas.

As for deluxe editions, as BVS said, it's pretty much the nature of the beast nowadays. Many of us audiophiles still like the real, tangible thing, but not even 100% of audiophiles buy real CDs anymore. There has to be something extra to make you buy the real thing instead of going to itunes.

U2 isn't as bold as say Zeppelin who literaly scared the crap out of their label.

That's because their manager was scary as shit. Paul McG may be a hardliner, but Zep's manager was frightening.

 

[dazzledbylight]

They obviously like the music they are putting out, the image they've become, end of story. Otherwise someLarryone would have quit the band by now.

*ahem*
















I think you've got it pretty close!



I happen to REALLY love most of what they've done with Bomb...ESP LIVE!

and they way they meshed SBS/WhenJohnny.... and BTBS/Rock the Casbash on 11/22 in NYC was. so. incredible! [my 4th show from Bklyn onward]

And : it would ALSO be very cool if they did something like you've suggest somedaY.


right now, i think Pla's got it.

If you think about it in one way..keep their riches and still getting more stuff for various business & Charity works- one-off- projects, and feeding long-term ones with cyclical income like interest off what ever millions & millions.

there may be more to this all in real long range than meets the eye. maybe .

 

[Earnie Shavers]

When we're talking about release timing, promotion, deluxe editions etc etc, I couldn't care less. If they want to maximise their sales and dollars, good for them. If there are suckers who will buy 3 versions of everything, good for them. If I don't care to or want to, good for me. I honestly do not care about this stuff. Want to stretch an album across two Christmases? Go for it. Grammies mean something to you? Cool. Want to appear on Entourage? Great. Does not faze me. The only thing that does is the 10-12 tracks on the album. And, as everyone is keenly aware I am sure, the quality of that is disappointing me these days.

What I think they need is a second avenue. I don't think U2 (in big bold bright lights) will again release something that strays too far from what people want/expect of U2 (in big bold bright lights). I think they'll protect that brand from now on in and won't throw a left field risk out there. U2 are not going to stray far from their current sound and style again. Quality could rise or fall, but where U2 are at now is where I believe they'll stay. I do think it would be a shame though if that's that. They are an incredibly creative and interesting band. No matter what style or sound they've tried, I believe they've hit it out of the park. If they are deliberately reigning themselves in, deliberately constraining themselves in some way at all, that is where the shame would be. If Edge is mucking around late one night and comes up with something, well, fucking odd, I hope one day again they do have an avenue for that because I don't think it will be U2 (in big bold bright lights). Another soundtrack, another side Passengers type project. Hopefully one day there is another avenue there, if they do indeed have that shit going on upstairs still, and I believe they would.

 

[angelordevil]

Ah I dream for the day where we'll just get 11 good songs some July, without the hype machine in full force.

Zooropa

Commercial Release July 5 / 6, 1993
Record Label Island Records
Top Chart Position US: 1, Canada: 1, UK: 1

TRACKLISTING

1. Zooropa
2. Babyface
3. Numb
4. Lemon
5. Stay (Faraway So Close!)
6. Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car
7. Some Days are Better than Others
8. The First Time
9. Dirty Day
10. The Wanderer

11. The Beep

 

[Michael Griffiths]

The music on ATYCLB is very anti-mainstream really. It's classic pop music, ala The Beatles and Beach Boys and Van Morrison and Otis Redding, just to name a few. I strongly believe they still make music for themselves, and it is the music they enjoy making. From what the band say, U2 songs take form quite organically without a pre set agenda. And there are many songs that they still write that aren't album songs:

Stateless
Smile
Never Let Me Go
Dancing Shoes
Falling at Your Feet

Just to name a few. The more obscure songs haven't really appeared on any U2 albums ever, with the exception of The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa (not including the hotly contended Passengers). But U2 have always found other ways to release songs they clearly enjoy making but feel wouldn't fit onto a U2 album.

As for U2 ever releasing the more obscure songs on a U2 album again -- I think I could see it when they're a lot older...maybe after a long hiatus.

 

[LMP]

and while it is a great business move to do it that way, it would be nice if someday they can say, "we've already made all the money we need, accomplished all we've set out to, lets just write some songs and release it whenever we want. if it means costing us some sales and/or grammies because it wasn't released at the perfect holiday/grammy time and it wasn't marketed out the wazoo, then who cares, we made the cd we wanted to make and thats all that matters"

Like R.E.M.?