New album: Spring 2008

[bsp77]

(I thought Love you like mad was from Bomb recording?)

No, it is ATYCLB. Smile and Mercy are the only leftovers from HTDAAB that we have heard (unless you count the alternates).

 

[Irvine511]

i think they're going to crap out the flip side of Zooropa this spring -- where Zooropa was spacey this will be 10 rock songs, with maybe a ballad or two, songs that will kick hard and sound great in the stadiums they'll be playing next summer, and that will finally complete the back-to-basics trilogy, and they'll return to Dublin in the autumn of 2006 and plot their final trilogy.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i think they're going to crap out the flip side of Zooropa this spring -- where Zooropa was spacey this will be 10 rock songs, with maybe a ballad or two, songs that will kick hard and sound great in the stadiums they'll be playing next summer, and that will finally complete the back-to-basics trilogy, and they'll return to Dublin in the autumn of 2006 and plot their final trilogy.

that actually makes a lot of sense...

 

[phanan]

i think they're going to crap out the flip side of Zooropa this spring -- where Zooropa was spacey this will be 10 rock songs, with maybe a ballad or two, songs that will kick hard and sound great in the stadiums they'll be playing next summer, and that will finally complete the back-to-basics trilogy, and they'll return to Dublin in the autumn of 2006 and plot their final trilogy.

I'll go for that.

 

[rjhbonovox]

i think they're going to crap out the flip side of Zooropa this spring -- where Zooropa was spacey this will be 10 rock songs, with maybe a ballad or two, songs that will kick hard and sound great in the stadiums they'll be playing next summer, and that will finally complete the back-to-basics trilogy, and they'll return to Dublin in the autumn of 2006 and plot their final trilogy.

I think u must have just stepped into the Twilight Zone. This U2 and Zooropa U2 are no longer connected, they are as far apart as Genius and Ringo Starr are. They will never release an album as diverse as that, can you imagine U2 of today doing something like Numb???? Mmmm me neither, and also an album where they only release one single off it like they did for Zooropa that being Stay. I don't think so!

 

[clipper699]

Maybe they'll assume another name, and release a collection of ambient songs and inscrutable harmonic noises that correspond beautifully to an unmade intellectual figment of a movie. A soundtrack. Yeah, that's the big idea.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

now seriously i don't think they'll do a Zooropa like thing... They're too perfectionist to do such a thing. (althought I would love an album like that)

So my guess... hm, november 14th chicago dvd, next year milano dvd so... probably 2007. sorry

 

[Earnie Shavers]

and also an album where they only release one single off it like they did for Zooropa that being Stay. I don't think so!

See, you make a good point then ruin it with a dumb comment. Along with stay there was also Numb and Lemon.

 

[Irvine511]

I think u must have just stepped into the Twilight Zone. This U2 and Zooropa U2 are no longer connected, they are as far apart as Genius and Ringo Starr are. They will never release an album as diverse as that, can you imagine U2 of today doing something like Numb???? Mmmm me neither, and also an album where they only release one single off it like they did for Zooropa that being Stay. I don't think so!

oh ye of little faith.

also, and while i like Zooropa, just because it's weird doesn't mean it's good. "stay" is easily the best song off that album, followed by "the wanderer," and both are the least wacky songs on the album.

i said "the flip side of Zooropa" -- an album that will be what Zooropa would have been had they not taken a left turn and gone all spacey. the spring 2006 album will have 10 "kiss me, kill me" type songs. it will be out in May, during their break from their stadium dates in Australia, Japan, South America and before they conclude a sort of "victory lap" through stadium markets in Europe and No America. they'll holiday through the fall of 2006 and then begin recording in Dublin in January of 2007, new album fall of 2008, and then a 2009 tour.

 

[bsp77]

oh ye of little faith.

also, and while i like Zooropa, just because it's weird doesn't mean it's good. "stay" is easily the best song off that album, followed by "the wanderer," and both are the least wacky songs on the album.

i said "the flip side of Zooropa" -- an album that will be what Zooropa would have been had they not taken a left turn and gone all spacey. the spring 2006 album will have 10 "kiss me, kill me" type songs. it will be out in May, during their break from their stadium dates in Australia, Japan, South America and before they conclude a sort of "victory lap" through stadium markets in Europe and No America. they'll holiday through the fall of 2006 and then begin recording in Dublin in January of 2007, new album fall of 2008, and then a 2009 tour.

This is exactly what I am hoping for.

Of course I doubt it will happen but it is possible.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

oh ye of little faith.

also, and while i like Zooropa, just because it's weird doesn't mean it's good. "stay" is easily the best song off that album, followed by "the wanderer," and both are the least wacky songs on the album.

i said "the flip side of Zooropa" -- an album that will be what Zooropa would have been had they not taken a left turn and gone all spacey. the spring 2006 album will have 10 "kiss me, kill me" type songs. it will be out in May, during their break from their stadium dates in Australia, Japan, South America and before they conclude a sort of "victory lap" through stadium markets in Europe and No America. they'll holiday through the fall of 2006 and then begin recording in Dublin in January of 2007, new album fall of 2008, and then a 2009 tour.

you, sir, are a genius

 

[Irvine511]

you, sir, are a genius

i know. if only the band knew that.

if only they knew that, way up in section 415 last night, i was plotting the rest of their career.

perhaps they'll notice when i'm sitting closer tonight?



however, i have no idea what the "final" trilogy will look like -- i really do think they have 4 albums left, which is a lot, and i think they'll continue to tour though perhaps in a different manner and tone and tempo.

still, if Mick and Bruce can be high energy into their 50s and 60s, why not Bono?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

because bono spends half his time running around with jeffrey sachs

 

[Chizip]

the wanderer is one of the least wacky songs on zooropa? it's the only U2 song that doesn't have Bono or the Edge on lead vocals, and the music is like something from a nintendo game.

I don't think there is any way we see an album in the spring. remember, they has almost a 6 month break between legs on the ZooTV tour for them to get in the studio and do something. the longest break they have had during the Vertigo tour was 2 weeks, and they used it to go on vacation. This leg ends in December, and the rumors of another leg are for March, that would give them 2 months, there is no way they could get something done in that short of time. Even if they could, they aren't in the stage of their career that they'd want to, they have different priorities these days, especially Bono.

I don't think I really buy the whole triliogy theory either. I mean are October and War really that similiar? How about The Unforgettbale Fire and Rattle and Hum? Eh, I think people read too much into the trilogies. I really don't think the band sits down and plans 3 albums to make a trilogy. I think after Rattle and Hum they got critcised in the press, and they realized they had to go in another direction. Same with after Pop.

Anyway, my prediciton is fall of 2008. They have the Milan DVD they can release in fall of 2006, the Box set of Red Rocks/ZooTv/Popmart for fall of 2007, and new album fall of 2008.

 

[t8thgr8]

the wanderer is one of the least wacky songs on zooropa? it's the only U2 song that doesn't have Bono or the Edge on lead vocals, and the music is like something from a nintendo game.

I don't think there is any way we see an album in the spring. remember, they has almost a 6 month break between legs on the ZooTV tour for them to get in the studio and do something. the longest break they have had during the Vertigo tour was 2 weeks, and they used it to go on vacation. This leg ends in December, and the rumors of another leg are for March, that would give them 2 months, there is no way they could get something done in that short of time. Even if they could, they aren't in the stage of their career that they'd want to, they have different priorities these days, especially Bono.

I don't think I really buy the whole triliogy theory either. I mean are October and War really that similiar? How about The Unforgettbale Fire and Rattle and Hum? Eh, I think people read too much into the trilogies. I really don't think the band sits down and plans 3 albums to make a trilogy. I think after Rattle and Hum they got critcised in the press, and they realized they had to go in another direction. Same with after Pop.

Anyway, my prediciton is fall of 2008. They have the Milan DVD they can release in fall of 2006, the Box set of Red Rocks/ZooTv/Popmart for fall of 2007, and new album fall of 2008.

See, the problem with this prediction conflicts with he band's desire to be the greatest ever.

What kind of band in their mid 40's puts out their 12th studio album a year and a half after their 11th and in the middle of a tour?

The greatest band ever.

Can you imagine the praise theyd get if the album is actually 10 hold me thrill mes? I think they can and should do it.

I think they should put a huge raw scar on the public's perception of them.

 

[rjhbonovox]

See, you make a good point then ruin it with a dumb comment. Along with stay there was also Numb and Lemon.

Numb and Lemon were not released as singles in the UK. Check your facts!

To elaborate further, Numb was released to the Radio stations in the UK but never officially released as a single ( I have a promo only Radio release CD of this). Also Lemon was not released as a single in the UK either, I have an Australian released single version of this which has 4 mixes of the song Lemon. The only OFFICIAL UK single off Zooropa in the UK was Stay in December 1993 with a double A side with "I've got you under my skin" with Bono and Frank Sinatra Duet also on the cd single was 2 versions remix of Lemon. On the other CD release of Stay was Slow Dancing, Bullet The Blue Sky Live and Love is Blindness live from RDS Dublin 1993. FACT!

 

[Chizip]

See, the problem with this prediction conflicts with he band's desire to be the greatest ever.

What kind of band in their mid 40's puts out their 12th studio album a year and a half after their 11th and in the middle of a tour?

The greatest band ever.

Can you imagine the praise theyd get if the album is actually 10 hold me thrill mes? I think they can and should do it.

I think they should put a huge raw scar on the public's perception of them.

the band's desire to be the greatest ever is what leads to such a long time between albums. they spend so much time trying to perfect their albums, especially after Pop. U2 started with the whole reclaiming the title of world's greatest band around the time of ATYLCB, and they had said they wanted a quick follow up to capitalize on the success of that album, yet 3 years later we get HTDAAB.

there is no way they are able to release an album in the middle of this tour, there is just not enough time, unless the next leg doesn't start until next fall or something.

i agree it would be awesome if they did, but i really really cant see it happening.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the only way it could happen is if the reason why it took so long to put the first album out in the first place was because they had a second album waiting in the wings, ready to go with just a quick polish up.

i don't see it happening, but it would kick some mighty ass if it did.

 

[U2girl]

Well wasn't there talk how the band had recorded another album in the Bomb sessions, planned to quickly follow the (then planned) Fall 2003 Bomb?

I think a lot will depend on this tour's length. If the rumours about US/Europe next year are true, I can't imagine them doing that without at least some kind of EP, if not an album.
Also, if they finish by March/April with the tour, they can start working in the summer/early fall next year. Album in 2007, and another one in 2010 before the next Best of.

 

[U2DMfan]

So the question is, minus the album tracks and minus the b-sides and such that are going nowhere, how many songs realistically could they have sitting around just waiting for more work?

It could be as few as 10 or as many as 30. Some more finished than others, for sure. Who knows how many? I am not sure Bono or Edge could answer with conviction, because is a cool bass riff and a cool drum track, really a song? Well it depends on how you look at it, I guess.

A finished song is a deceptive term with U2, because the only time it is really a finished song is when the band is done working on it, and as we have seen, even then they tend to go back and tweak them.

How many songs like Levitate are sitting around, not good enough to make HTDAAB at the time, and for the next go around maybe they still can't bang it into shape. So really that song was useless to the whole process, ultimately. It's possible they could have 10 songs done right now and either never use them on an album, completely reshape them or if they really wanted to, they could release them.

Does anyone really think there is some magical secret album sitting on the shelves with this band? The band that surely wants the biggest album they can get? I think they put their 11 or 12 best tracks (in their view) on HTDAAB and the others just simply weren't good enough at the time for the band as a whole.

Maybe 'Treason' is Edge's favorite track, but Bono or Adam didn't think it was worth a damn at the time, so they have to go back and rework it to appease the whole.

I thought it was interesting watching Metallica's 'Some Kind of Monster' when they are trying to pick tracks for the album. They literally had like 18 or 19 finished songs. The band only signed off on 4 of them as a whole. So they had to go back and rework the ones that were "close". That to me, is probably similar to what happens with U2, on every record. And on HTDAAB is was probably even more contentious.

That's not to say they don't have the quality material right now, I certainly don't know, but my guess is whatever they have right now, they will want to work on quite a bit more before they go across the universe to promote the hell out of the thing.

 

[Chizip]

doesn't anybody remember this?

There's been some talk of U2 continuing their Vertigo tour after their last scheduled date on Dec. 19 in Portland.

But U2 guitarist the Edge told The Sun in a Canadian newspaper exclusive at the Air Canada Centre last weekend that nothing's been decided.

"At a certain point, we're going to have to get back and start thinking about the next record," said the 44-year-old guitarist, whose band plays the third of their four sold-out shows tonight at the ACC.

The Edge says he does write on the road but he's not as focused as when he's in one place.

"I do, but for every 10 songs I write there's probably only one that will end up going anywhere," he said.

"To start really getting into the material for the next record, it's going to take a lot of time off the road. There's a couple of things that I've done that I hear (and think), 'That's special, that's going to make the next record,' but I'd still need some time off, I think, to make a great U2 record."

"To start really getting into the material for the next record, it's going to take a lot of time off the road. "

this does not sound to me like they have a secret album waiting in the wings to release anytime soon.

 

[U2girl]

So the question is, minus the album tracks and minus the b-sides and such that are going nowhere, how many songs realistically could they have sitting around just waiting for more work?

I don't know but let's look at ATYCLB: Ground beneath her feet and Stateless (Falling at your feet too? Or is that a Bono/Daniel Lanois song?), 11 album songs, Summer rain, Always, Love and peace, Original, Levitate, Flower child, Love you like mad, Are you gonna wait forever.

That's 21 songs from those sessions and if I remember right they had 24 songs to pick from for the Bomb. Electrical Storm, Hands...,11 songs made the album, Mercy, Fast cars, Smile. They have said they left out the most rocking songs on both of these albums. Northern star and Treason have been mentioned.

I don't know how developed the songs are or what they as a whole think about them but I have seen more talk about new work this time than after ATYCLB. Consider also that they need more material for the third Best of.

Most of U2's albums - particulary in the 90s and onwards - take a long time. What's more interesting IMO about that Edge interview is that, virtually mid-tour, he's even thinking about a new album.

 

[the tourist]

Why does everyone seem to think there is going to be a surprise fourth leg? I think we're through in December. And an album in August.

 

[Axver]

Why does everyone seem to think there is going to be a surprise fourth leg? I think we're through in December. And an album in August.

Because the rumours in the touring industry are favouring U2 coming down here in either January or March. We've some long threads going on the tour dates forum, and the long and short of it is that U2 are trying very hard to come here in March and have backup dates for January booked, and before anyone says it, it's not too late for an announcement - just look at how the US first leg was announced in late January and began on 28 March!

 

[MrBrau1]

U2 recorded all their albums in August of 1980. They're all done. They're just spacing out the releases over 27 years.

 

[nathan1977]

Ya, I know what you mean, real punk rock from venus! Edge really is on fire on Northern Star

Dude, what are you talking about? It's just Mercy over and over. The Trance Dub, the Perfecto Mix, the Exit Wound 360 degrees of Kevin Bacon mix....

 

[nathan1977]

I don't think I really buy the whole triliogy theory either. I mean are October and War really that similiar? How about The Unforgettbale Fire and Rattle and Hum? Eh, I think people read too much into the trilogies. I really don't think the band sits down and plans 3 albums to make a trilogy. I think after Rattle and Hum they got critcised in the press, and they realized they had to go in another direction. Same with after Pop.

Funny -- was just thinking about this. The prevailing idea for a long time was that U2 did duologies --- therefore, you could dissect their career according to a mood change every two albums. A straightforward, up-front album, followed by a "cleaning-house" type of album. Thus: Boy/October, War/UABRS, Unforgettable Fire/WWIA, Joshua Tree/R&H, AB/Zoo. The only album that doesn't really fit the mold is Pop, because for better or worse the band realized that way was financial suicide. But ATYCLB and HTDAAB certainly fit into that rubric.

So it certainly seems that they'd want to make some kind of a departure for their next album.

Question: are we considering "Live from Boston," "Live from Love Town", "Unreleased and Rare", and "Early Demos" -- the iTunes tracks -- albums? Because if so, we've actually gotten FOUR ALBUMS from U2 over the past year. U2 certainly weren't cooling their heels during the three years it took to make HTDAAB. But unless they're planning another release like the iTunes box (it certainly seems like they're going to up their DVD releases over the next year or so, which could slow them down), we could conceivably see something new sooner.

Or perhaps, rather than a whole album of new material, just do an EP of bits and bobs (Northern Star, Mercy, Treason) that are still hanging around the studio.

Edit - but I certainly agree with the prevailing wisdom that we see Irvine step up and manage their career.

 

[knox]

Nathan--I've heard Mercy, and heard of Northern Star, but what's Treason?

 

[U2DMfan]

Treason is the Dr. Dre track which he either mixed or produced or some shit. My guess, he twisted a knob.

 

[AtomicBono]

Dude, what are you talking about? It's just Mercy over and over. The Trance Dub, the Perfecto Mix, the Exit Wound 360 degrees of Kevin Bacon mix....

mercy...

MY DAD LOOKS LIKE KEVIN BACON.