New Album Discussion

[U2girl]

He said that Winter needed more work. He was just mad that they dropped it to keep working on shit like Crazy Tonight.

MOS might not have been a hugely successful lead single, but it would have earned them a lot more respect. Certainly wouldn't have come off like Vertigo Part II. And probably would have been more representative of the album.

Passengers is a great album. It's not filled with verse-chorus-verse songs; that doesn't make it a misstep. The whole point of it was to convey atmospheres for (mostly) fictional films and it did that well.

They would get a lot of flak for that "U2 does Coldplay" faux string intro. And stay as far away as possible from that Edge automaton sound...

Respect ? Maybe a wink from Pitchfork and the like...but not at all something you'd need as a lead single after the longest break of your career.

U2 can do some things very well. Certain other things not so much - they should just let Eno handle atmospherics on his own next time.

 

[mama cass]

Me, too. I can totally connect to the more existentialistic themes on Pop and I do like the darkness on it. There are times in my life where I can relate to these themes perfectly. There is a lot of real depth there.

 

[mama cass]

Miracle Drug wasn't a great song just because of Edges singing but the over all sound and theme. The lyrics are a bit "cheesy" at parts ( top of a new born baby's head!). However, they are not nearly as awful as the following lyrics:


Jesus, I'm waiting here boss
I know you're looking out for us
But maybe your hands aren't free
Your father, He made the world in seven
He's in charge of heaven
Will you put in a word in for me

He calls Jesus boss? I'm guessing only to force a rhyme with "us". And the whole, "your father is in charge of heaven"....to me sounds like a lyric a child would write. I get that there is love for this song but it is soooooo bad that I just don't get it.

But as you said... To each their own!

i adore these lyrics, they work beautifully with the song and the delivery is perfection

i love the song, it's like it's from the perspective of pure desperation in a dark quiet, maybe, resigned way, like somebody at the end themselves in a way...

 

[BloodRedSky2k5]

Bono's often talked about how he thinks Christians have maken Jesus out to be a friend of ours rather than the figure of worship. I think he wants, in these lyrics, to create a distance between himself and Jesus and God.

 

[chrissybaby]

i adore these lyrics, they work beautifully with the song and the delivery is perfection

i love the song, it's like it's from the perspective of pure desperation in a dark quiet, maybe, resigned way, like somebody at the end themselves in a way...

Agree, they are meant to be child like and regressive, almost mantra like.

Pop is so far ahead of anything post 2000 for me, that I find it tough to even do a compare/contrast.

 

[Rachel D.]

I just watched the live stream of Steve Averill (one of U2's graphic designers) talking at the U2 Conference. Someone in the audience asked him if he's working on the next album's artwork or if he's heard the new songs. He said they're meeting with the band next week.



EDIT: http://www.atu2.com/news/steve-averill-meeting-soon-to-discuss-album-design-with-u2.html

 

[purpleoscar]

Well that's it. New album this year!

 

[Super Yo]

That's a definitive prove the album is really advanced.

 

[Super Yo]

Double post.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Ah, shit, there was a stream of that? Would've loved to heat that. I'm a designer, add U2 to that and

 

[trojanchick99]

Holy fuck that's great news!

 

[lazarus]

Since when is Wake up dead man about Bono's mother ? It's the obligatory conversation with God type of song U2 often writes at the end of an album. (Grace, Yahweh, Cedars, The Wanderer, 40...)

Jesus
Were you just around the corner?
Did you think to try and warn her?
Or are you working on something new?
If there's an order
In all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more

Not sure who else "her" would be. This is one of the saddest, most moving verses he's ever written.

Respect ? Maybe a wink from Pitchfork and the like...but not at all something you'd need as a lead single after the longest break of your career.

Not talking about indie cred here. Moment Of Surrender was regarded by many (including Eno and the band themselves) to be the standout track on the album, and of their late period. It's not a desperate attempt to woo young people and would have made a much stronger artistic statement.


Are you ever right about anything?

 

[purpleoscar]

Jesus
Were you just around the corner?
Did you think to try and warn her?
Or are you working on something new?
If there's and order
In all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more

Not sure who else "her" would be. This is one of the saddest, most moving verses he's ever written.

Jeez I thought it was about a prostitute on the corner.

 

[Rachel D.]

Ah, shit, there was a stream of that? Would've loved to heat that. I'm a designer, add U2 to that and

It was really interesting. He talked about each of their album covers and even showed some never-before-seen alternate HTDAAB covers. They were pretty goofy and an alternate title was "How are You?" I'm sure it will be available to watch later.

 

[LadySpinHead]

I'll keep an eye out for it. And I would have liked to hear that, not heat that. Damn autocorrect.

 

[lov12113]

What's more expressive of loss of faith than Wake Up Dead Man? The songs that you mention are all extensions of the same theme; with the speaker's loss of faith in God, he also loses faith in the possibility of transcendent meaning, and all that's left is consumerism, alienation, and exploitation, and destructive sex. He's "looking for baby Jesus in the trash." The other songs that seem not to are mostly illustrative of the universe the speaker finds without faith- hoping for a world without sorrow or shame in the playboy mansion and so on.

Think about all the crying out that the speaker does in this record- to God, his mother, Jesus, a first lover, a present lover, to conspicuous consumption; the whole thing is a record of a man who is dying to believe in a meaningful universe and just can't. It's a very thematically cohesive record, and although one could argue about the production, it's a very good sonic representation of the themes of the album. It's a difficult record to listen to because these are difficult things to think about and experience.

'Fraid I gotta disagree with you here. In U2 by U2, Bono specifically addresses the "loss of faith" question and says he did not lose his faith at any point during the 90's or at all. He said that a lot of people asked him if he had lost his faith, especially during the 90's era. He said he did not, BUT he was willing to question things and question God. He said the closest moment to losing his faith occurred around the ATYCLB era, when Michael Huchence committed suicide. But, he said even then he never lost his faith, but questioned God and questioned things. According to the Christian tradition, questioning God and getting frustrated and upset with God and life is a part of one's faith. It is even essential to one's faith because it is a real human response to this messed up world. There are plenty of examples of the "great" or "famous" believers throughout history getting angry with God, questioning God, and questioning life, and plenty examples in the Bible of the same (i.e. the entire books of Job and Ecclesiastes for example, Peter in the Gospels, David in the Psalms).

So, Bono's lyrics on Pop reflect a dissalusioned, questioning, frustrated person, wrestling with God, his faith, and the world. That is not losing one's faith. When you lose your faith, you quit wrestling with God because you don't care.

 

[lazarus]

Perhaps Bono didn't personally lose faith, but the album is certainly examining various people at the end of their respective ropes. Call it "questioning things", doubt, or whatever but it's all cut from the same thematic cloth.

 

[lov12113]

Perhaps Bono didn't personally lose faith, but the album is certainly examining various people at the end of their respective ropes. Call it "questioning things", doubt, or whatever but it's all cut from the same thematic cloth.

Yes, being at the end of your rope is def. a theme on that record and in a lot of other songs on other U2 records as well (Drowning Man, Peace on Earth, etc). If anything, Bono is more willing to go there than a lot of believers. I would argue that makes him a very genuine person because we all have moments on this planet when we, too, question things, doubt, get pissed off, wonder where God is when something terrible happens. Bono is ok with putting that out there. To me, that shows a genuineness, a realness, in Bono's faith that invites us to question with him, or acknowledge that it isn't easy to have faith while living in this screwed up world.

 

[lov12113]

I just watched the live stream of Steve Averill (one of U2's graphic designers) talking at the U2 Conference. Someone in the audience asked him if he's working on the next album's artwork or if he's heard the new songs. He said they're meeting with the band next week.



EDIT: Steve Averill: Meeting Soon To Discuss Album Design With U2

It is sounding more and more like a new U2 album is coming sooner rather than later

 

[jeevey]

'Fraid I gotta disagree with you here. In U2 by U2, Bono specifically addresses the "loss of faith" question and says he did not lose his faith at any point during the 90's or at all. He said that a lot of people asked him if he had lost his faith, especially during the 90's era. He said he did not, BUT he was willing to question things and question God. He said the closest moment to losing his faith occurred around the ATYCLB era, when Michael Huchence committed suicide. But, he said even then he never lost his faith, but questioned God and questioned things. According to the Christian tradition, questioning God and getting frustrated and upset with God and life is a part of one's faith. It is even essential to one's faith because it is a real human response to this messed up world. There are plenty of examples of the "great" or "famous" believers throughout history getting angry with God, questioning God, and questioning life, and plenty examples in the Bible of the same (i.e. the entire books of Job and Ecclesiastes for example, Peter in the Gospels, David in the Psalms).

So, Bono's lyrics on Pop reflect a dissalusioned, questioning, frustrated person, wrestling with God, his faith, and the world. That is not losing one's faith. When you lose your faith, you quit wrestling with God because you don't care.

I can see how a person who ended up retaining their faith would perceive "loss of faith" as derogatory or negative. Frankly I think Bono's comments (which I'm familiar with) sound a little defensive and not very convincing. "Hey, guys, I didn't lose my faith, I was just, you know.... going through a really hard time."

One way or another, the speaker in the songs is looking at the possibility of an unredeemed world and wondering if he can live in it. We could probably call it loss of confidence with less stigma, but regardless, the speaker is deeply shaken and questioning everything.

Also keep in mind that the voice of poem/lyric is not identical to the author, and authorial intention is not the last word on the meaning of a piece. Sometimes as a writer you end up expressing things that you weren't consciously aware of. Just because the speaker of the song expresses an emotional experience doesn't mean Bono had an identical experience.

Anyone else think this idea of the lyrical themes of Pop deserves its own thread? It's fascinating, but the news of the graphic designer almost got buried today.

 

[last unicorn]

Also keep in mind that the voice of poem/lyric is not identical to the author, and authorial intention is not the last word on the meaning of a piece. Sometimes as a writer you end up expressing things that you weren't consciously aware of. Just because the speaker of the song expresses an emotional experience doesn't mean Bono had an identical experience.

Preach it! It should be told to everyone and anyone who thinks that the Poetic Self is automatically the personal Self of its author. I consider song lyrics mainly poetical and my perception of U2 and Bono's lyrics is, most of the time, the same. A good poet and lyricist can be emphatic and write about themes that don't necessarily represent their own experience.

 

[U2girl]

Jesus
Were you just around the corner?
Did you think to try and warn her?
Or are you working on something new?
If there's an order
In all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more

Not sure who else "her" would be. This is one of the saddest, most moving verses he's ever written.




Not talking about indie cred here. Moment Of Surrender was regarded by many (including Eno and the band themselves) to be the standout track on the album, and of their late period. It's not a desperate attempt to woo young people and would have made a much stronger artistic statement.


Are you ever right about anything?

Based on one word, Wake up dead man is about Bono's mother ?
"Her" could be the "she" from Last night on earth for all we know.

Wake up dead man fits with the God conversation song U2 often likes to put last on their album. Even if you put it along with the theme of materialism/consumer society indigtment/loss of faith, there's Gone. Mortality song, like Kite.

No one doubted MOS as a quality song and its artistic merit. The issue is whether it's a good single. Lead single after the longest break between U2 albums no less. I think it's not. I think it would tank. Evidently, U2 agreed. I would love the alternate universe where MOS gets a fair chance as a single by the outside world beyond U2 fans (and isn't chopped down by the radio), but it's not happening. Magnificent would be the only choice.

 

[dazzledbylight]

U2 must really hate The Who

I like ABOY.

And I am a Who Fan who's seen them in their their last
Power Pop incarnation ,The Filmore East playing Tommy, the
Whos Next Tour where I took photos from the front row,
the origianal Quadrophrenia Tour etc

They loved the way The Who mixed fierce and gentle music together...often in the same song.
that was from a interview done during their Marque Club gigs before they toured The States first time but not published till the Spring of '80.


"We knew the world was ready to receive the heirs to The Who. All we had to do was to keep doing what we were doing and we would become the biggest band since Led Zeppelin, without a doubt. But something just didn't feel right. We felt we had more dimension than just the next big anything, we had something unique to offer. The innovation was what would suffer if we went down the standard rock route. We were looking for another feeling."

—Bono, on The Unforgettable Fire's new direction.[1]

 

[dazzledbylight]

Ah, shit, there was a stream of that? Would've loved to heat that. I'm a designer, add U2 to that and

cool! I was a Graphic Desinger :and old-timey Paste-up & Mechanicals person years back.

I had a dream about 3-4 we4eks ago that I had designed the new Album cover!

 

[TheEdge1987]

Woop, good news from Steve. I think in the past he has said that he normally meets with the band quite early in the process but it should be good news that the band are regrouping with him shortly!

 

[gweeps]

It certainly tries to adress loss of faith/consumer obsessed culture.

However, about half of the songs don't deal with the topic. DYFL, Mofo, SATS, Velvet dress, Please and Wake up dead man.

Yes they fit. Dig deeper into the lyrics. Much of them revolve around trying to find your solace in an uncertain world. Generally, Please is encouraging, Mofo is mourning, Staring at the Sun is determination, Do You Feel Loved is questioning and If You Wear That Velvet Dress is comforting.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Jesus
Were you just around the corner?
Did you think to try and warn her?
Or are you working on something new?
If there's an order
In all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more

Not sure who else "her" would be. This is one of the saddest, most moving verses he's ever written.




Not talking about indie cred here. Moment Of Surrender was regarded by many (including Eno and the band themselves) to be the standout track on the album, and of their late period. It's not a desperate attempt to woo young people and would have made a much stronger artistic statement.


Are you ever right about anything?

Hi Laz.

I think I remeber reading at the time of its release that the "her" in WUDM was a reference to a woman (no woman in particular) who unknowingly is meters away from a rapist or a murderer, yet God chooses to let the attacker to get her. Can't remember where I read it but it may have been a Q interview or something like that.
That said, Bono's lyrics are certainly fit for multiple interpretations.

 

[mama cass]

Hi Laz.

I think I remeber reading at the time of its release that the "her" in WUDM was a reference to a woman (no woman in particular) who unknowingly is meters away from a rapist or a murderer, yet God chooses to let the attacker to get her. Can't remember where I read it but it may have been a Q interview or something like that.
That said, Bono's lyrics are certainly fit for multiple interpretations.

wow that's interesting! for some weird reason, i always pictured it in my head as a woman about to get hit by a car or something...

 

[jeevey]

New thread to discuss Pop. http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/pop-themes-215484.html#post7656896

Many thanks to a certain someone for refraining from the use of the phrase "donkey balls" for... gosh, it must be like 3 days already. I already put it in the other thread for you, so you don't need to make an appearance just to drop it. Pop haters are welcome to the discussion though!

 

[digitize]

Thanks for making that new thread.