It's time for some really long songs!

[GibsonGirl]

An Cat Dubh is 6:16 studio, and Into The Heart is an extension (seeing as the music doesn't stop). Therefore, along with Into The Heart (clocking in at 1:58), the total song is 8:14 on the album. Epic.

I think that depends on what copy of the album you have. On my album, An Cat Dubh and Into The Heart are linked together. I've seen them split apart on other versions of Boy.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Some random song atmospherics and bleeding into the following track would be great.

Heck if Bono's 'learnding piano' perhaps we could get an Abbey Road-esque song cycle for some of the album?

Well, one can always dream.

 

[phillyfan26]

Instead of song length, I think we need to hear The Edge do a few "true solos." I'd be interested to hear them because he is one of the most underrated guitarists of all-time.

 

[sue4u2]

Some random song atmospherics and bleeding into the following track would be great.

Well, one can always dream.

We're having the same dream

 

[vaz02]

Instead of song length, I think we need to hear The Edge do a few "true solos." I'd be interested to hear them because he is one of the most underrated guitarists of all-time.

yeah like some really rough all i want is you solo's that span 2 mins

 

[cobl04]

There are some very good long songs. Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell is perfection at nine minutes. I do not like Pink Floyd's 17 minute songs though.

 

[Canadiens1131]

There are some very good long songs. Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell is perfection at nine minutes. I do not like Pink Floyd's 17 minute songs though.

Echoes is about the greatest thing ever, though. I'm not an uber-Floydian but nothing compares to it, nothing. Stairway to Heaven is a saturday morning cartoon theme compared to it.

 

[ponkine]

Pink Floyd Echoes, Genesis Supper's Ready, Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick and Yes Close To The Edge and Gates Of Delirium are the best long pieces of music I've ever heard

but ... all they're classic and progressive music bands way different than U2 .

From U2 I'd love to hear an ALBUM again, rather than silly catchy poppy collection of disposable radio friendly songs as ATYCLB and HTDAAB. I don't understand why on earth Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite don't create and produce undescribable new sounds and boundaries as they did for the Peter Gabriel masterpieces as Peter Gabriel III, IV, So and Us !!!!!!

Listen to ATYCLB and HTDAAB now is a terribly boring experience, too much of the same predictable thing, nothing agressive, nothing provocative, nothing breaking new, just 2 40 minutes long CD's while you're driving to K-mart or whatever

Edge must start experimenting with new sounds and effects, rather than overusing his trademarks, the same thing with music songwriting... why not a concept album? why not a story? why not an ALBUM from the begining to the end as Dark Side Of The Moon, that kind of albums you must listen to them complete without skipping tracks ... and please don't say that HTDAAB is a concept album, GIVE ME A BREAK, The Wall is a concept album

peace

 

[AtomicBono]

Listen to ATYCLB and HTDAAB now is a terribly boring experience, too much of the same predictable thing, nothing agressive, nothing provocative, nothing breaking new, just 2 40 minutes long CD's while you're driving to K-mart or whatever

whoa dude, it takes you 80 minutes to get to the nearest K-Mart? That's fucking dedication, man. I mean, if I lived 80 minutes from K-Mart I'd just hit up a Wal-mart or Target or something. You should be in a K-Mart commercial!

I agree about the concept album thing. Or at least something that feels like an album as opposed to a collection of songs.

 

[bsp77]

Listen to ATYCLB and HTDAAB now is a terribly boring experience, too much of the same predictable thing, nothing agressive, nothing provocative, nothing breaking new, just 2 40 minutes long CD's while you're driving to K-mart or whatever

That sucks, you must have been jipped. My albums are more like 50 minutes. (54 if you count Fast Cars).

 

[GibsonGirl]

I'd love to hear a U2 concept album, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. I don't think Bono could concentrate for long enough to write a whole album that tells a story.

 

[Utoo]

I'd love to hear a U2 concept album, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. I don't think Bono could concentrate for long enough to write a whole album that tells a story.

I don't think we'll ever see such a thing. U2 are at their heart a live band, and even though there are examples of bands who can play a concept album on tour, I think it'd be tough for U2 to do. I'd be happy with a more cohesive theme----JT, AB, War, 3 of the best albums & three albums that have stylistic and even lyrical themes shared between the songs. Even though I like the Bomb, I will admit that the lack of such a theme is it's big fault. If they can come out with a cohesive, well-themed album, preferably with a return of some darker, edgier material, I think they'd have a goldmine.

 

[ntalwar]

I think concept albums are a bit passe now - they seemed bigger in the 70s and 80s. To me, HTDAAB is an "album" - the atomic bomb metaphor is present in most of the songs. Also, I don't know if the Grammy voters would give album of the year to something that wasn't really an "album".

 

[ponkine]

I don't know if the Grammy voters would give album of the year to something that wasn't really an "album".

Grammy voters have voted for Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Christina Aguilera ... need I continue the list?

Possibly the best album from all times - Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon - never won a Grammy and that Santana's crap won about 9-10 I think...

 

[ntalwar]

Grammy voters have voted for Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Christina Aguilera ... need I continue the list?

Possibly the best album from all times - Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon - never won a Grammy and that Santana's crap won about 9-10 I think...

I don't think I'd call Santana's Supernatural crap. It has great guitar, and was released a year before ATYCLB and is outselling it today on amazon.com.

Sure - the other artists you mentioned were nominated in different categories like Pop, Latin and they were probably the best in those categories. I didn't say the Grammies were perfect, but they are voted on by industry professionals such as musicians and producers. And they are better than crap awards like AMA and Billboard. It's the only music award show U2 attends regularly, I believe. So it must mean something.

The Grammy mention was a secondary point in my previous post anyway. It was mostly my opinion on HTDAAB.

 

[U2girl]

Pop fads winning Grammys doesn't take anything away from U2's wins. (Mili Vanilli also won and no one is mentioning that with JT or Zooropa wins)

I'd much rather like an album that is strong song-for-song than an album that will have a big theme. (which in itself doesn't mean anything except a unifying theme for the lyrics)
White album and Abbey Road were "song collections" and I don't see many people moaning about them.

 

[Salome]

and no one is mentioning that with JT or Zooropa wins)

hahaha, you've got to wonder about that yes

 

[vaz02]

Grammy voters have voted for Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Christina Aguilera ... need I continue the list?

Possibly the best album from all times - Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon - never won a Grammy and that Santana's crap won about 9-10 I think...

dont be such a melon , whats wrong with shakira and why did you feel the need to add her to that list?

santana's a great guitarist

 

[the tourist]

How about just making your own compilation of long songs?

Side 1

Zooropa
Ultraviolet
New Year's Day
An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart (make it a single track)
All I Want Is You

Side B

Where The Streets Have No Name
Heartland
So Cruel
Lemon
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

 

[shart1780]

Thr Grammys are for hacks. The people who win these things are horrible most of the time. Give me almost any year at the grammys, tell me what won best album and I can tell you a better album from the same year. The Grammys will ONLY give out awards to big selling artists. Artistic integrity has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[tuwie]

i like long live songs ;]

what IS u2's "stairway to heaven", btw?

 

[Miricale_Drug]

U2's stairway to heaven = bad

It wasn't a single yet every U2 fan knows it..and post live aid most ppl who aren't U2 fans. Streets was a minor single so i'm not sure that can count

 

[LemonMelon]

U2's stairway to heaven = bad

It wasn't a single yet every U2 fan knows it..and post live aid most ppl who aren't U2 fans. Streets was a minor single so i'm not sure that can count

I agree with that.

I wouldn't like for it to be U2's main "sound", but I'd love to have one U2 concept album to listen to. Then they can go back to making so-called "K-Mart song collections" or whatever.

 

[ponkine]

Actually it's a pretty usual thing that the band perform quite long numbers when they're recording an album, if you hear some demos, many of them are 6+ minutes long, but when they bring the songs to the final CD they leave all the experimentation back and they split the songs under the comfortable 3-4 radio hit formula

 

[shika]

Here comes a 22 minute jam. Edge will be using 2 different hand positions on the guitar for a total of 4 different note choices.

 

[mobvok]

Actually it's a pretty usual thing that the band perform quite long numbers when they're recording an album, if you hear some demos, many of them are 6+ minutes long, but when they bring the songs to the final CD they leave all the experimentation back and they split the songs under the comfortable 3-4 radio hit formula

Song length? I don't call that as a problem of U2.

AB
Under 4 min: 2

Zooropa:
Under 4 min: 1

Pop:
Under 4 min: 0

ATYLCB:
Under 4 min: 3

HTDAAB:
Under 4 min: 4

Hmm well actually looking at it it seems like more recently they've added 3 minute songs. The overwhelming majority though are between 4 to 6 minutes long, and I think that's a perfect length for a rock song.

 

[LemonMelon]

Song length? I don't call that as a problem of U2.

AB
Under 4 min: 2

Zooropa:
Under 4 min: 1

Pop:
Under 4 min: 0

ATYLCB:
Under 4 min: 3

HTDAAB:
Under 4 min: 4

Hmm well actually looking at it it seems like more recently they've added 3 minute songs. The overwhelming majority though are between 4 to 6 minutes long, and I think that's a perfect length for a rock song.

Good point. Agreed.

 

[ponkine]

See the trend my friend what we would expect for the next album? Even more 3 minutes-long commercials?