Is there an album on the horizon? (AKA New Album Speculation)

[Earnie Shavers]

Eh - demanding apologies and whatnot? Silly. It's really just a sausage factory moment - you don't want to know what really goes on behind here. Its not about false promises or any silly shit like that. It's just an unfortunate moment of seeing that they are as much a brand who release products as they are a band who create music. The ugly suggestion is that they are, in fact, more brand than band.

In terms of who does and doesn't champion this sort of thing vs who is more conservative, there's a cartoon character type personality thing that says Bono is the big force, Larry is the big restrainer. But who knows?

Bono always appears that way likely just because he's the natural sales guy and hype man in the band, but then over the past decade, he seems to be the most fixated on commercial competition as being seemingly the only reason for U2 even existing anymore. For all his apparent love of the material, it might well be him leading the "WAIT! I dunno... I want our next album to be HUGE!" without a care at all for its own creative or artistic merits.

And remember, its Larry who always seems to want a damn good reason for going out on tour, and seemingly the main champion of 'keeping it real'. It could well be him leading the charge along the lines of "This has become just a fucking Greatest Hits tour! What's the fucking point in that? I could be at my fucking home doing whatever the fuck it is I do when I'm not on fucking stage! Fuck Bono! Who gives a fucking fuck about the fucking Grammys! I fucking hate going to the fucking Grammys! What are we in a fucking band for anyway? I just want to record and release fucking good music and then put on a fucking good show in support of the fucking good music. You and your fucking 'biggest fucking band in the fucking world!' FUCK IT!"

Dark horses: Edge and Adam.

 

[Irvine511]

Adam is the only sane band member left who appears to have any perspective and doesn't take it all so personally.

 

[powerhour24]

how can they seriously leave everyone hanging after all this? And how can they seriously end the biggest tour of all time in MONCTON?!?!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

What is a Moncton and why am I not asleep yet?

 

[PhilsFan]

Jesus, people are actually surprised/angry.

Do you know who this is? This is U2.

 

[MikeyJB]

They are probably sick of each other, sick of the tour, sick of Spiderman, and just want Moncton to arrive and be over with. Adam probably wants some time with his 'surprise' kid. The only thing that stops me from being really disappointed in the band is the fact that they are doing Glastonbury, which in my eyes is one of the riskiest/edgiest moves they've made in a good few years.

 

[powerhour24]

I'm not surprised they can't decide what to release or stop tinkering in time, but I'm certainly surprised by Moncton being the end of 360. Perhaps they'll get it together for a fall release and do a Euro-jaunt in summer 2012, it's a slim hope but there were rumors of 360's crew being told to be ready to go into 2012. That said, with the AB remaster perfectly timed for this fall, that's probably the only release we'll see.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Jesus, people are actually surprised/angry.

Do you know who this is? This is U2.

.

 

[paulrg]

I thought they had more ambition. I thought they'd keep the tour going to go for the world's first billion dollar tour record and smash the Rolling Stone's prior record into the ground. I thought they would use the opportunity of playing across the US (and on into Europe) to promote a new album as soon as it is released.

Most importantly the bands manager told us there would be an album, and it seems as though he never told Edge or else I would have expected a guy of Edge's pedigree to apologise.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Adam is the only sane band member left who appears to have any perspective and doesn't take it all so personally.

Adam's PA just tells him when the car is coming to take him somewhere, and then he decides on what he's going to wear. And... that's about it.

 

[Marien]

I'm disappointed, I think they are making a mistake and I can understand why Bono doesn't want to be the spokesman in the latest months, but it would be good for us if we were able to keep perspective: it's only rock'n roll, I like it, but it's only rock'n roll.

 

[paulrg]

And I thought they were desperate to prove all the naysayers wrong who told them you can't be rock stars when you pass 50. All the talk about making their best stuff yet, still to reach their peak. Well U2 - can we at least hear some of Kilimanjaro whilst you're still climbing up Everest?

 

[Sanchez]

What a joke!!! The only album that will be released this year is U2 Duals? WTF??? All this talk of new material, muliple albums in the works, McGuinness saying that a release should occur before the NA tour begins and now they don't know what they want to do?

I bet the Spider-Man fiasco played a part in it! I shouldn't be surprised by this but it's getting annoying with the false hope that the band keep feeding us.

With all this time they have now, why don't they fix the EPIC FAIL happening on U2.com?
It's a joke and charging people $50 for crap news and shit releases.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

Can't be lack of material. Worst thing you can do is claim you have bucketloads in that case, throws the spotlight on it. Especially when you haven't had less than a 3.5 year gap between albums in like 20 years. There's no expectation until they create it

I personally think it is the pressure they felt after NLOTH. They thought it was a flop and feel like people will say they're irrelevant if the next album isn't a barn burner.

Unfortunately, I don;t think they'e realised that worrying in that way forces them into repeating their errors. IE If we don't learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.

You might be right, I really do not know. But I suspect that they do not have as much material as they say they do. Of course, it is just an opinion/feeling.

They are supposed to have lots of leftovers from ATYCLB, lots from HTDAAB and lots from NLOTH, and we haven't seen much of it - not even b-sides.

I agree that it would be a mistake to claim you have "bucketloads", when you don't. But I suspect that mistake has already been done. Because they haven't showed that they do have bucketloads. And to claim they have bucketloads when it is not the case, is (for the audience) equivalent to having bucketloads, let everyone know about it and not release it.

 

[paulrg]

I just feel a great sense of complacency around the whole outfit - got a bit too big for its own good - with all these corporate types that have come into the mix who probably decide everything by focus groups and committee when you actually need a good dictator to provide direction.

 

[lazarus]

Is there anyone who has already seen a 360 show that has tickets for another one and is still excited?

I'm definitely looking into selling the ones I have for the two Los Angeles shows.

Fuck this band. How anyone can defend this pathetic display of indecision is beyond me.

 

[PhilsFan]

Hold on, guys, I'll bet they're just being really coy and secretive!

 

[Steved1998]

When I saw the explosion of posts at first I was like but then I was like


Some thoughts:

The way they're always chasing hits reminds me of the fat balding mid 50 year old who gets his ear pierced and a sports car because he wants to hold onto his youth. Just let it go.

They're burying material they just recorded with one of the hottest producers today because they don't know which way to go?

I hope they revamp the setlist for the American tour this summer, I really don't want to see the same show I saw 2 years ago.

I don't know what else to say this is disappointing, but not unexpected.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Is there anyone who has already seen a 360 show that has tickets for another one and is still excited?

I'm definitely looking into selling the ones I have for the two Los Angeles shows.

Fuck this band. How anyone can defend this pathetic display of indecision is beyond me.

Lol. Seems a bit drastic.

 

[stealthboy]

Is there anyone who has already seen a 360 show that has tickets for another one and is still excited?

I'm definitely looking into selling the ones I have for the two Los Angeles shows.

Fuck this band. How anyone can defend this pathetic display of indecision is beyond me.

To be honest this has kinda put a whole damper on the last four shows I'll be going to. ... *sigh*

/if you have so much material and not sure about 'direction' release a goddamn EP

 

[BVS]

Where's the petition?

 

[KUEFC09U2]

So hang on people have "had enough of this band" just because they are doing what U2 has always done apart from Zooropa?

wow, am i dissapointed? of course i am everything looked as if there would be a new album to enjoy by May, but am i going to stop liking the band just because they decide they arent going to release an album at that time? am i bollocks,

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I mean I'm young enough where this is the only form of U2 I know. Doesn't surprise me, not mad, still extremely excited for the shows.

Glad they're not releasing a quickie.

 

[powerhour24]

I actually can understand what's going on, as daring and creative as they could be, at this point they've garnered fans from so many divergent eras and achieved such mainstream success that their worries about pleasing them all have gotten the best of them more than ever. Combine that with starting and stopping work on new music several times over the past 2 years and they're left with a lot to choose from and what they perceive to be the weight of daunting expectations. I was hoping the burying if SoA in favor of a more crowd focused album would be their last hurrah at worrying about everyone and from here on out they'd realize they have a hardcore set of fans, and enough mainstream clout to do whatever they want for the rest of their career, and just go with their gut. Who knows if they'll ever come to that place if they can't just get that BIG U2 ALBUM out there soon.

As for 360 this summer laz, yes I'm excited, they are still a premiere live band, and it's been almost 2 years since they were here and with this delay and the need for a new tour for future albums, who knows when they'll be back again, and they are my favorite band so I'll take what I can get from them live for now.

 

[loner]

Maybe you all should go away for a while and you know,dream it all up again and come back when new album is out. I don't get it,there was 5 years between the last 2 albums but now all of a sudden everybody is going crazy about new album coming out after the tour. Maybe they really are'nt ready to put it out yet,with so much shit going on with spidey and tour scedual being messed up etc. Maybe they want to be 100% sure about new stuff and awoid putting someting out and get endless whining about songs being poor and weak blah blah blah... sorry,end of rant.Dont'hate me!

 

[Marien]

Is there anyone who has already seen a 360 show that has tickets for another one and is still excited?

I'm definitely looking into selling the ones I have for the two Los Angeles shows.

Fuck this band. How anyone can defend this pathetic display of indecision is beyond me.

Why is it? don't you like their music anymore? Come on, you'd regret it if you did (although I'm sure you aren't being that serious about it). They are making a mistake, but if I could travel to US, I would try to attend any shows I could, they are still putting on the best live show.

 

[paulrg]

Maybe you all should go away for a while and you know,dream it all up again and come back when new album is out. I don't get it,there was 5 years between the last 2 albums but now all of a sudden everybody is going crazy about new album coming out after the tour. Maybe they really are'nt ready to put it out yet,with so much shit going on with spidey and tour scedual being messed up etc. Maybe they want to be 100% sure about new stuff and awoid putting someting out and get endless whining about songs being poor and weak blah blah blah... sorry,end of rant.Dont'hate me!

Would have no problem at all with all of this except the manager said there would be a new album this spring FFS!

 

[BEAL]

So hang on people have "had enough of this band" just because they are doing what U2 has always done apart from Zooropa?

wow, am i dissapointed? of course i am everything looked as if there would be a new album to enjoy by May, but am i going to stop liking the band just because they decide they arent going to release an album at that time? am i bollocks,

I think if you put it in terms of a relationship, then yes people have had enough. Most of us have put a lot of $$$ into this band. Subscriptions to a website that is poorly run and prone to mistakes (the ticket fiasco) and compared to other bands websites and goodies, U2 really doesn't even compare.

So here we are looking around and seeing that there are other options out there, but we keep sticking with this relationship because of the past. Because they can be soooooo good to us with the music or live shows. I know they haven't promised us anything, but to keep teasing the hardcore fans with "loads of songs, we want to get this music out there NOW", only to constantly get the same BS excuse.

I think most of us fans are tired of being told something great, and not living up to it.

I would love to go to the Mnpls show, but not if it's the same damn show I have on DVD, and considering I'll probably have to go through a scalper.

So yes, even though U2 is doing what U2 does, there's a point where some of us won't accept that anymore.

 

[powerhour24]

Yes Paul, but there was also to be a new album last fall and last June, and late 2009, so none of the recent promises should have held much weight, we were all just being hopeful is all.

 

[paulrg]

Yes Paul, but there was also to be a new album last fall and last June, and late 2009, so none of the recent promises should have held much weight, we were all just being hopeful is all.

I know, but usually McGuinness is on the money with his comments. And all the previous dates which amounted to nothing that you mention kind of destroy trust - sounds dramatic but that is how I feel right now.