New album rumor from U2log...

[blueyedpoet]

is it just me or is anthony kedis THE SAME FUCKING AGE AS BONO.

I think Bono is two years older...I read Scar Tissue last month and I believe he was born in 1962 whereas Bono was born May 10, 1960 (24 years to the day before I was born).

 

[Salome]

Rick Rubin also worked with AC/DC

AC/DC wasn't impressed at all because instead of working with musical ideas Rubin expected the band to present him a couple of songs that he could work with

there's a world of difference between U2 and AC/DC but I do think they are alike in that they tend to go into a studio with ideas instead of with songs (compare U2 demos to the actual songs on the albums)


I am trying to make a point here
and that point is that even if Rick Rubin would have been responsible for producing the 10 best albums ever (which is far from true) there still is no way to be certain that the combination Rubin + U2 would (or would not) work



given the band's reluctance to work with different people over their 25+ years career I fidn it hard to imagine that bringing in someone new will haev a positive effect on them
it's not impossible, but I think of it as unlikely

 

[Blue Room]

I'm extremely skeptical we are going to see any kind of new material from U2 anytime soon. What is odd to me is that these "rumors" keep getting reported from the same "unofficial" source and you dont see it reported ANYWHERE else.

Second, even if true, I still dont see any new U2 material before fall of 2007 at the very earliest (I still say the new album will happen sometime in 2008). While a single is certainly a possibility I just dont see that happening UNLESS its tied to a movie soundtrack or some other type of compilation album. If U2.com starts reporting some of these details I will get a little more excited about it and think its a possibility. I guess we will know shortly, the time frame is within the next month according to the rumors U2log has been throwing out there. Funny though how now the time frame of their original rumor has already moved a month back.

 

[Aygo]

I am trying to make a point here
and that point is that even if Rick Rubin would have been responsible for producing the 10 best albums ever (which is far from true) there still is no way to be certain that the combination Rubin + U2 would (or would not) work

Trying out new things is never bad, especially at this point in their careers, look at what Rubin did with the Chili Peppers with Californication, By the Way, and Stadium Arcadium.
you're telling me you don't want to hear something like that?

I think that if they're going to work with Rick Rubin, that doesn't mean that the next gems will sound like the RHCP typical songs... Well, the last excerpts leaked in the web that the fans heard do not seem to go through that direction. And that does not necessarily mean that the collaboration is going to work. Rubin is no Eno, and we know that if Eno is the kind of guy that pushes the artist to improve their things, Rubin is the kind of man that if you suck he just cuts the thing by the root.

U2 trying to make a double-album when with just eleven songs they had stuff like One Step Closer and AMAAW?
I respect your POV but the difference is that the Peppers have stuff left in the tank and a little youth left. U2 isn't in the peak of thier music lifespan anymore. They can make great albums but not ones that are up there with TJT, AB and thier other classics.

I know plenty of people love the last two albums, and I know that in one sense they are both 10/10 albums, but they are most definitely safe, creatively narrow minded, retro active albums that sound like a band that has thrown the brake on and decided to move forward no more. It would be terrible for this band to end their career on a plateau, which I feel this is. One more push is all I ask, and I really am not sure they have the drive/desire/inspiration in them. Honestly, they are in a better position than ever before. Far better musicians than ever before. Bono has lyrical and thematic inspiration like never before. I do believe there's another Achtung/Joshua Tree in there, but I think they need someone else to inspire and drive it.

Then, Earnie is right. We, the hardcore fans may not have loved the band's last albums (well, as known I'm one of the praisers... ) but they were very well received by the general public in a different reaction to the 90's releasements. So, adding the band's actions and the incresement in their perfectionism and enjoyment in their work it means that they're in the best position to create whatever they want to ...and marketing well and carefully, it will (for sure) succeed.
Then, U2 and RHCP had different career growing up's. To RHCP, they've been working with the same producer since the breakthrough and they just had the big explosion in thr last years. U2 (despite working with a known group and sometimes known producers) has been in the big scene for 20 years, they already had a breakthrough, a succeded sound and image revolution and a big comeback full of worldwide top5 hits. So, both bands are not in the same position and their bets are different too.

 

[LemonMelon]

i think a couple of tracks for an ep is not out of the question

...No EP! Not now, not ever. I have no idea where this EP rumor came from, but it makes no sense at all, has no precedence, and quite frankly, would be a waste of creative energy.

 

[LemonMelon]

All but 4 U2 albums came out in the fall months and since JT tour, Lovetown aside, they love to start the tours in the spring months.


2007

 

[doctorwho]

I agree. U2 doesn't need a new direction they need a well-produced, complete album. The band needs someone who can push them towards a special album. What they need is Eno and Lanois to kick them back into shape musically. They need the scientist Brian Eno to show them how to make a complete record again.

HUH?

Wait, ATYCLB was produced by Eno and Lanois - yet most here complain about it. HTDAAB was very similar to ATYCLB (IMO), with some much needed slightly experimental twists. But the overall theme musically, lyrically and vocally were present.

Yet now U2 need to be "kicked back into shape" one album after working with Eno and Lanois? Worse, they need to be "back in shape" on an album that is similar in sound to their last and fairly recent Eno/Lanois album?

Worse still, Lanois did serve as more as a consulting producer on HTDAAB. In fact, it's because of him that the album was reproduced and released in 2004 instead of 2003!

So your point really makes ZERO sense.

As for the topic of this thread, when U2 actually confirms a release or we start seeing commercials or ads or whatnot, then I'll believe it.

 

[U2girl]

Worse still, Lanois did serve as more as a consulting producer on HTDAAB. In fact, it's because of him that the album was reproduced and released in 2004 instead of 2003!

Lanois apparently spent a week in 2003 in the studio. Far too little for him to give such major calls.

The fact is the band didn't like what came out with Thomas sessions and Adam and Larry were against going out with an album in 2003.

 

[LemonMelon]

Lanois apparently spent a week in 2003 in the studio. Far too little for him to give such major calls.

The fact is the band didn't like what came out with Thomas sessions and Adam and Larry were against going out with an album in 2003.

And I agree with Adam and Larry. Most of the demos from those sessions were scrappy and incomplete. What we got was far better.

I want Rick Rubin to whip these guys "into musical shape" (whatever that means ) not Eno and Lanois. I'm tired of them.

 

[doctorwho]

U2 trying to make a double-album when with just eleven songs they had stuff like One Step Closer and AMAAW?
I respect your POV but the difference is that the Peppers have stuff left in the tank and a little youth left. U2 isn't in the peak of thier music lifespan anymore. They can make great albums but not ones that are up there with TJT, AB and thier other classics.

AAAAAAHHHHH!!!

IMO, TJT is one of U2's *least* creative albums! All the songs flow right into each other (barring a few exceptions). It's basically one long album of Bono at his most operatic and preachy, Edge with echo in high gear and Adam doing simple bass lines (I have no Larry complaints on JT).

Yes, despite that, there is some brilliant music there. I won't deny this at all. JT is still the best album of 1987 and one of the best of the 80's. "Streets" is a classic for all time, IMO. One of my favorite U2 songs ever, "One Tree Hill" is there. And I love the idea of "Exit". "With or Without You" will always be a fan favorite "love song" (even though it really isn't a love song at all). But really, this album is hardly popping with original sounds and ideas.

So please don't tell me U2 are well past their "creative peak" because they aren't making TJT or AB any more.

I will agree U2 were a bit "safer" with the last two albums - but safe in the sense that they experimented with their own sound! Nothing wrong with a band actually sounding like themselves. The RHCP have done that for ages! The Beatles had a comparatively short span as a band, but just as their first few albums were similar, so were their last few. There's nothing wrong with a band experimenting with their signature sound.

That said, I too would want U2 to branch out some, and we were hearing it on HTDAAB with "Fast Cars" and "Love & Peace" and even "Vertigo"! And while "Mercy" was also a very U2-sounding song, it echoed of a rarely heard sound, which I think we all enjoyed.

If U2 can continue in this vein, I feel we will have something we all enjoy - some classic U2, yet some more innovative and creative U2. Can't ask for more!

 

[doctorwho]

Lanois apparently spent a week in 2003 in the studio. Far too little for him to give such major calls.

The fact is the band didn't like what came out with Thomas sessions and Adam and Larry were against going out with an album in 2003.

I think you REALLY under-estimate the impactof Lanois.

Yes, the band clearly didn't like the sound - but none of them were really saying this until Lanois came in. I think he was the one that really helped convince them of the weaknesses.

 

[LemonMelon]

U2 trying to make a double-album when with just eleven songs they had stuff like One Step Closer and AMAAW?
I respect your POV but the difference is that the Peppers have stuff left in the tank and a little youth left. U2 isn't in the peak of thier music lifespan anymore. They can make great albums but not ones that are up there with TJT, AB and thier other classics.

RHCP suck. End of story. Stadium Arcadium was so crappy and cluttered with filler that I couldn't even stand listening to it. Talk to me about them being something special when they cough up some talent.

And doctorwho, I don't understand any of your complaints against TJT. I think it's brilliant.

 

[lazarus]

While I'm afraid of Eno/Lanois helping the next album become another ATYCLB, let's not assume that the producers dictate the style and direction of the album. There's no doubt in my mind that the band wanted to go back to basics for the last two albums, and Eno/Lanois just serviced their request. My problem with ATYCLB does not rest with the album's production. Now the idea of spending more time writing and less recording is something that didn't help, but you can't blame it all on the producers.

If the band wants to try something different again, I still think Eno would be a great choice. If Lanois is there too, hopefully he won't be as resistant to change as he was during the AB sessions.

My ultimate choice would still be Nigel Godrich, who has helped bands like Radiohead explore new territory, while also making albums of restrained songwriting craft with Beck. I just read an interview with Thom Yorke about Godrich's assistance on his solo album, and he seems like a guy who pushes his artists as well as any other producer. Rick Rubin isn't the only guy who can whip someone into shape.

 

[U2girl]

I think calling in Lanois in the first place suggests they had second thoughts on Thomas material.

LemonMelon: I know!


As for RHCP...I find Californication and By the way quite accessible and mainstream. More than anything else I heard from them before, by far. But I guess that's not a crime for some bands.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

This thread is schizo...Rubin is as creative as Eno, just in a different vein. And are people really talking about Rubin making U2 sound like RHCPs? Did I read this correctly? One band does not make a producer and vice-a-versa. Rubin has produced some great rock records and some shite ones too, but his track record is pretty impressive nonetheless. I think that taking a chance with Rubin would bring out a much rawer sound from U2 that we haven't heard since "War" or even parts of "The Unforgettable Fire".

As for U2's loss of creativity and youth...and they'll never make songs a "great" as the late 90's.... That is comedy at it's finest.

 

[LemonMelon]

While I'm afraid of Eno/Lanois helping the next album become another ATYCLB, let's not assume that the producers dictate the style and direction of the album. There's no doubt in my mind that the band wanted to go back to basics for the last two albums, and Eno/Lanois just serviced their request. My problem with ATYCLB does not rest with the album's production. Now the idea of spending more time writing and less recording is something that didn't help, but you can't blame it all on the producers.

If the band wants to try something different again, I still think Eno would be a great choice. If Lanois is there too, hopefully he won't be as resistant to change as he was during the AB sessions.

My ultimate choice would still be Nigel Godrich, who has helped bands like Radiohead explore new territory, while also making albums of restrained songwriting craft with Beck. I just read an interview with Thom Yorke about Godrich's assistance on his solo album, and he seems like a guy who pushes his artists as well as any other producer. Rick Rubin isn't the only guy who can whip someone into shape.

I'm so glad Eno/Lanois won't help the band make another ATYCLB. I'm not sure if I could stomach that or not. What do you mean by "writing more than recording" as a negative? I thought the songs were always the most important part.

Cut Lanois at least. If it's only Edge/Eno/Flood like in the 90's, that could work. I like Nigel Godrich on a short-term basis, but he ultimately ruined Radiohead (who haven't made a good record since Kid A) and I'm afraid that his influence could lead down a bad road. McCartney's Godrich record was great, and I think his new one with Beck will be fantastic, but his sound doesn't work with every artist.

I think Rubin is a fascinating choice.

Originally posted by Reggie Thee Dog
As for U2's loss of creativity and youth...and they'll never make songs a "great" as the late 90's.... That is comedy at it's finest.

I know! Isn't it?

 

[Snowlock]

U2 don't tend to make the same mistakes twice. I don't see a switch in producers, Bono making defining statements about an album not released or a long layoff. If this is an album we're talking about here, I bet we see it January-March of 2007.

I do have two concerns;

1) I can't seem them launching another world tour after just completing one, nor can I see them not touring in support of this album.

2) Okay, the engineer is identified, but we haven't heard anything about a producer. The producer comes before the engineer. Unless they've decided to produce themselves? That would be interesting.

 

[U2girl]

No more Flood please unless he's only mixing.

I thought the band spent less time writing as Edge "made his homework" on ATYCLB and Bomb (as Adam put it) and brought in chords and melodies to work with.

 

[Tiger Edge]

Yes, I'm just saying, with their known affection for The Beatles, Bono's ego (biggest band in the world)...the biggest band in the world is recording in the biggest studios in the world to make the biggest album in the world, right?

It will look like they're deliberately challenging the Beatles at making a perfect album. Like they're saying "we're making music in their studio, we ARE as good as them". Just wait if they call out for George Martin to produce/mix...

Are you being serious?

I hope you don't think that Abbey Road Studios closed as soon as The Beatles decided to call it quits.
They've been central to many artists, post-Beatles, as well as a slew of extremely well made movie soundtracks. It's not a "Beatles studio."
Second, Bono isn't that big of an idiot to try and challenge his idols. If anything it's just a big nod to them, not a challenge. and that's it.

 

[ntalwar]

as well as a slew of extremely well made movie soundtracks. It's not a "Beatles studio.".

The soundtracks might be done there because it looks pretty massive - big enough to hold an orchestra. U2 could be using that studio/location to draw inspiration from, as they have done a bit in the past with albums .

 

[Tiger Edge]

orchestra.

I'd like an orchestra.

 

[YBORCITY]

 

[Iskra]

Some of you people must over-analyze your bowel movements.
good God.
They are using Abbey Road Studios because their normal space is unavailable and it is a quality studio.
jeez.

 

[xaviMF22]

I like Nigel Godrich on a short-term basis, but he ultimately ruined Radiohead (who haven't made a good record since Kid A) and I'm afraid that his influence could lead down a bad road.

On the topic of Nigel's role on the past 3 RH albums, I have some doubts that he deserves so much of the blame and credit that he gets for whatever it is that people like or don't like about Kid A/Amnesiac and HTTT. Nigel might have been responsible for some of the decisions about how those albums sounded, but ultimately he was doing mostly what Thom and the rest of the band wanted him to do

and As for Godrich causing the "experimental" nature of Kid A, I remember Thom describing the recording of Kid A and Amnesiac being the complete opposite to how Godrich wanted to work.

 

[ntalwar]

They are using Abbey Road Studios because their normal space is unavailable and it is a quality studio.
jeez.

So they will draw no inspiration for the album from the historic studio, just like they drew no inspiration from Slane Castle for UF.

There are tons of great studios out there.

 

[doctorwho]

Rumors are fun!

 

[U2dork]

What is odd to me is that these "rumors" keep getting reported from the same "unofficial" source and you dont see it reported ANYWHERE else.

So, Appleton Wisconson's Post Cresant newspaper keeps reporting rumors about U2's new album? ... 'cause it's their story that's the source of this rumor. I believe the way U2log works, (similar to atU2 and Interference's news forum) is people send them news items and they post and comment on their site. I don't think they're making up rumors out of thin air.


Anyway, I think some people are going a bit off the deep end in here. The article says they will be engineering songs for the next album, which only means they're going to do some recording so we know at some point (who the heck knows when it really will come out) there will be a new album. You're not getting a new album at the end of next month, people.


After breezing through this thread I have to say that this place just gets so darn weird sometimes...

 

[The John Tree]

a.) RHCP are great. Stadium Arcadium was beautiful.

b.) I doubt this rumor is true. Metallica has confirmed that Rubin will begin producing their album beginning this fall. And God knows U2 will not complete an entire album in the month of October and the boys from Metallica are notorious for being workhorses, so it's doubtful that Rubin will be able to split his time between the two.

 

[U2DMfan]

If U2 don't step up their game or at least toss us a curveball, then I don't think it matters one bit who's producing.

They've either learned the lessons of the past and don't want to repeat them. Or they've learned the lessons of the past and really like winning Grammies.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Are you being serious?

I hope you don't think that Abbey Road Studios closed as soon as The Beatles decided to call it quits.
They've been central to many artists, post-Beatles, as well as a slew of extremely well made movie soundtracks. It's not a "Beatles studio."
Second, Bono isn't that big of an idiot to try and challenge his idols. If anything it's just a big nod to them, not a challenge. and that's it.

Exactly! The Beatles weren't the only musicians to make albums at Abbey Road. Honestly, if it weren't for the album title of the same name, most music fans probably wouldn't even care about Abbey Road.

But no, certain people around this forum will continue to invent new things for other people to complain about.