Maybe it's because I'm working on my new demo overtime these days but I've been dreaming more and more about music. Last night I had the dream to end all!
I was in a car, going somewhere. And somehow, some way, as most dreams are prone to do, next thing I know, I'm going up a flight of stairs that leads into...U2's studio. And over on the couch is Larry, reading the paper. Edge is at a recording consule with some older English guy. Sparky's nowhere to be seen. Bono comes up behind me, wraps an arm around my shoulder and smiles. "How's the new album comin'?" he asks me, leading me over to the couch opposite of Larry.
"It's coming along, alright. Having trouble cracking a couple of the tunes, trying to get to the core of what I wanna say."
Bono just nods, "I know the feeling, man."
I sit down on the couch. "I should ask you the same thing, how's the album coming? You have no idea how much we're dying for new U2, man!"
By now, Larry's looking up from his paper, aknowledging me. Edge is still hard at work at the consule, maybe mixing or something.
Bono reaches onto the coffee table in front of me and hands me a plain CD case. A photocopied CD cover is the first thing I see. No pictures, just words:
NEW U2 ALBUM ROUGH MIXES
1. All Because Of You
2. Original Of The Species
3. Native Son
4. One Step Closer To Knowing
5. Shiva
6. The Difference That It Makes
Now, I'm excited cos I have new U2 music in my hand. But I'm also pissed because 'The Difference That It Makes' is one of my new songs that I'm working on. I want to ask about this but I also want to hear the tunes.
Bono takes the CD case from my hands, removes the CD and gives me back the case. He walks over to a CD player. Larry speaks up, "Did you want me to help you out with the drums on your new album?"
"That'd be great if you could! I'd love to have you on there."
Larry nods, looks back at his paper. "I'll check with management about getting some time to get to New York and help you out." I'm dumbfounded and just thank him over and over.
Across the room, Bono looks up from a CD player, "Get ready for takeoff!" he says, eyes glaring maniaclly from behind his blue-green shades.
The room comes alive with this loud 'Fly' like guitar and 'All Because Of You' unfolds. It's a great rock song. The Who comparisons were so right! Simple, but elegant. Catchy chorus but not too poppy. Reminds me of 'Big Girls Are Best' mixed with 'Even Better'.
The songs ends and I'm speechless. But I don't have time cos the next song comes on. 'Original Of The Species' starts with this slippy guitar riff and then the song just exists around it. Bono's lyrics are playful but honest. Kind of sounded like 'New York' and 'Some Days Are Better..." meets 'Do You Feel Loved', guitars up a few notches. This song blew my mind.
'Native Son' moved like a freight train, just kicking and deadly. The whole time, I'm looking at different things - Larry's foot tapping to the tunes. Edge listening, I mean, really listening, to the songs, like he was looking for mistakes. Bono was in and out of the room.
'One Step Closer To Knowing'. An acoustic guitar, not sounding soft at all, comes on and Bono begins singing. I'm about to coment how Oasis it sounds (my other favorite group) when I remember something about Noel Gallagher helping out with this one. The rest of the band comes in and it's a poignant, beautiful song. The kind that makes my stomach flip over with sickjness, whishing I'd writen it!
Then came 'Shiva'. Never heard of this song (not even sure why my subconscious picked Shiva) but it is this startling riff and then Larry's drums come in, soundling like they're all alone in Madison Square Garden. Then the bass came in like a tidal wave. It was a hardcore version of 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses". Bono's voice sounded strong and confident. There were twinges of sitar-like sounds here and there.
Then Bono shut off the CD player. I looked at the case again, 'The Difference That It Makes', my tune!!! "And what's up with this last tune, Bono? The title's kind of familiar." I say wit ha sly smile.
Sheepishly Bono was walking back across the room. He mumbled something about it being a surprise. That the band didn't want me to know that they were trying to help me figure out what it was I wanted to do with that song.
I heard this beeping noise, over and over and over. EVerything became unfocused and I woke up to my wife's alarm clock going off. Everything was fresh in my mind. I leaned over and srcibbled down the track titles. Then my alarm off to the soothing sounds of Howard Stern and Artie Lang talking about some topless chick. But I kept thinking about that dream.
I'd like to say it was a premonition of what was to come (I've had those with U2 music before - Johnny Cash, some U2/Jazz club dream that resulted in 'Please', etc.) but it's probably just a combination of working on music for 7 to 10 hours a day for the last two days, but loving it. Either way, I've got new ideas to exploit for myself and hopefully, bring me One Step Closer To Knowing!
I was in a car, going somewhere. And somehow, some way, as most dreams are prone to do, next thing I know, I'm going up a flight of stairs that leads into...U2's studio. And over on the couch is Larry, reading the paper. Edge is at a recording consule with some older English guy. Sparky's nowhere to be seen. Bono comes up behind me, wraps an arm around my shoulder and smiles. "How's the new album comin'?" he asks me, leading me over to the couch opposite of Larry.
"It's coming along, alright. Having trouble cracking a couple of the tunes, trying to get to the core of what I wanna say."
Bono just nods, "I know the feeling, man."
I sit down on the couch. "I should ask you the same thing, how's the album coming? You have no idea how much we're dying for new U2, man!"
By now, Larry's looking up from his paper, aknowledging me. Edge is still hard at work at the consule, maybe mixing or something.
Bono reaches onto the coffee table in front of me and hands me a plain CD case. A photocopied CD cover is the first thing I see. No pictures, just words:
NEW U2 ALBUM ROUGH MIXES
1. All Because Of You
2. Original Of The Species
3. Native Son
4. One Step Closer To Knowing
5. Shiva
6. The Difference That It Makes
Now, I'm excited cos I have new U2 music in my hand. But I'm also pissed because 'The Difference That It Makes' is one of my new songs that I'm working on. I want to ask about this but I also want to hear the tunes.
Bono takes the CD case from my hands, removes the CD and gives me back the case. He walks over to a CD player. Larry speaks up, "Did you want me to help you out with the drums on your new album?"
"That'd be great if you could! I'd love to have you on there."
Larry nods, looks back at his paper. "I'll check with management about getting some time to get to New York and help you out." I'm dumbfounded and just thank him over and over.
Across the room, Bono looks up from a CD player, "Get ready for takeoff!" he says, eyes glaring maniaclly from behind his blue-green shades.
The room comes alive with this loud 'Fly' like guitar and 'All Because Of You' unfolds. It's a great rock song. The Who comparisons were so right! Simple, but elegant. Catchy chorus but not too poppy. Reminds me of 'Big Girls Are Best' mixed with 'Even Better'.
The songs ends and I'm speechless. But I don't have time cos the next song comes on. 'Original Of The Species' starts with this slippy guitar riff and then the song just exists around it. Bono's lyrics are playful but honest. Kind of sounded like 'New York' and 'Some Days Are Better..." meets 'Do You Feel Loved', guitars up a few notches. This song blew my mind.
'Native Son' moved like a freight train, just kicking and deadly. The whole time, I'm looking at different things - Larry's foot tapping to the tunes. Edge listening, I mean, really listening, to the songs, like he was looking for mistakes. Bono was in and out of the room.
'One Step Closer To Knowing'. An acoustic guitar, not sounding soft at all, comes on and Bono begins singing. I'm about to coment how Oasis it sounds (my other favorite group) when I remember something about Noel Gallagher helping out with this one. The rest of the band comes in and it's a poignant, beautiful song. The kind that makes my stomach flip over with sickjness, whishing I'd writen it!
Then came 'Shiva'. Never heard of this song (not even sure why my subconscious picked Shiva) but it is this startling riff and then Larry's drums come in, soundling like they're all alone in Madison Square Garden. Then the bass came in like a tidal wave. It was a hardcore version of 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses". Bono's voice sounded strong and confident. There were twinges of sitar-like sounds here and there.
Then Bono shut off the CD player. I looked at the case again, 'The Difference That It Makes', my tune!!! "And what's up with this last tune, Bono? The title's kind of familiar." I say wit ha sly smile.
Sheepishly Bono was walking back across the room. He mumbled something about it being a surprise. That the band didn't want me to know that they were trying to help me figure out what it was I wanted to do with that song.
I heard this beeping noise, over and over and over. EVerything became unfocused and I woke up to my wife's alarm clock going off. Everything was fresh in my mind. I leaned over and srcibbled down the track titles. Then my alarm off to the soothing sounds of Howard Stern and Artie Lang talking about some topless chick. But I kept thinking about that dream.
I'd like to say it was a premonition of what was to come (I've had those with U2 music before - Johnny Cash, some U2/Jazz club dream that resulted in 'Please', etc.) but it's probably just a combination of working on music for 7 to 10 hours a day for the last two days, but loving it. Either way, I've got new ideas to exploit for myself and hopefully, bring me One Step Closer To Knowing!
