Lillywhite Sessions

[dsmith2904]

I was listening to an interview on NPR.org with Exzene Cervenka when I saw a suggested interview in the box for Steve Lillywhite talking about producing "If I Should Fall from Grace with God." I listened to it and it was great because Steve is great. The interview is from this morning and he said he was at the studio but didn't want to say much more.

The interview came from a show called World Cafe that I've not heard because it comes from Pennsylvania. They regularly interview Steve about albums he's produced or that he likes. He also talked about "War" a month ago and it's a great interview as well. He talks briefly about his history with the band and how some of the songs came together.

This is all part of a series called The Lillywhite Sessions that was announced in May and has been going on since June. I will definitely need to catch the stream of this again.

 

[Rob33]

I'm confused...Steve Lillywhite was interviewed this morning from the studio working on the U2 album?

 

[Muldfeld]

I'm confused...Steve Lillywhite was interviewed this morning from the studio working on the U2 album?

That seems right. Just click on what the first poster has underlined. The beginning of the Pogues interview has him calling in from Dublin, as he's putting finishing touches on the new U2 album.

 

[Rob33]

Ah...cool, thanks

It's too bad he was so brief...

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

WHY????

I don't get it, U2 don't need 3 Procucers to make an album, it will be the same as the last album, it will mess up their first thought and end up being a commercial album!

 

[last unicorn]

I don't think Steve plays a very big role in the production of the new album. As far as I've heard, he's only doing some "mixing". The album seems more like an Eno/Lanois production to me.

 

[rihannsu]

WHY????

I don't get it, U2 don't need 3 Procucers to make an album, it will be the same as the last album, it will mess up their first thought and end up being a commercial album!

Eno and Lanois were more seen as collaborators on this project. Lillywhite has come in at the end to put the final thing together. It is entirely possible that Eno and Lanois will be credited as songwriters instead of producers and that Lillywhite would be the credited producer. We won't know for sure until the liner notes come out.

Dana

 

[Nate Dogg]

Lillywhite came in to mix a little album called The Joshua Tree, too, after it was produced by Eno/Lanois.

 

[rihannsu]

As the band says they often bring Lillywhite in at the end when everyone else is strung out on the project and has no objectivity. He comes in with fresh ears and reinvigorates the prosess.

Dana

 

[Rob33]

Eno and Lanois were more seen as collaborators on this project. Lillywhite has come in at the end to put the final thing together. It is entirely possible that Eno and Lanois will be credited as songwriters instead of producers and that Lillywhite would be the credited producer. We won't know for sure until the liner notes come out.

Dana

Well in the interview he say something like "helping them out towards the end of the album." I doubt that's enough to get the producer role...maybe so, but it doesn't seem like it to me.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Nah, he gets credit for mixing songs...he mixed Joshua Tree...I think Achtung Baby and even ATYCLB......he's there to provide fresh ears, and maybe take an abstract song and make it a 'little' more mainstream.

 

[Rob33]

Nah, he gets credit for mixing songs...he mixed Joshua Tree...I think Achtung Baby and even ATYCLB......he's there to provide fresh ears, and maybe take an abstract song and make it a 'little' more mainstream.

Oh I'm sure he'll get credit somewhere on the album. I'm just saying I can't see him getting credit for producing the album...and I hope he doesn't make anything more mainstream. ray:

On second thought, why would he even do that? That would be so stupid....why take something abstract and different and transform it into something more normal and common....that would be absolutely the dumbest thing he could do for U2.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

They have always used Lillywhite, if the album turns out to be crap I don't think you can blame him

 

[rihannsu]

I'm just saying no one can say for sure at this point how anyone will be credited. Who knows, maybe the band will list themselves as producers? U2's producers have always functioned more as collaborators the traditional producers anyway. I've read many comments from industry people saying that the way U2 works in the studio is like no one else. In the end the titles are just a way to divy up the money and the honors and since Eno got his panties in a twist over not getting song writing credit on ATYCLB he'll probably get song writing credit instead of producer credit. As McGuiness said their contribution was always reflected in the percentage they got for producing rather than the words on the liner notes and that both a producing credit and a songwriting credit would have had Eno making more money than the band and that was not going to happen.

Lanois has said producer on this album but he has also said that the creative input has really been no different than on previous albums. Since they record everything that they do at every stage of the process the traditional role of producer is really pretty meaningless in the U2 camp and always has been. Which may be why the Rubin sessions didn't really go any further. Maybe he is not as participatory as U2 likes their "producers" to be.

Dana

 

[gweeps]

Great unfinished DMB album.

 

[ultraviolet_j]

Great unfinished DMB album.

I agree...much better than "Busted Stuff".