The Follow-up album

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

Let's think:

JT-One of U2's biggest hits (album wise). Crazy-ass tour. An album comes out of it (Rattle and Hum). The album is hailed by critcs as being "self-indulgent, etc."

AB-Absolutely enormous. Huge tour. Album comes out of it (Zooropa). Album isn't followed as much by U2 fans...a sort of 'leave' from traditional mainstream...

ATYCLB-Brings U2 back to the spotlight..on top of the world. 3 legs (and maybe more?) tour. Demand for tickets is huge. An album is rumoured (U2 claims they can't wait to get back in the studio).

But, I ask, due to the sort-of-unsuccesses (and don't flame me here...I LIKE both R&H and Zooropa), do you think if an album comes out of all this, out of the tour, it will follow the tracks of it's predecessors? Is it fordoomed?

 

[Foxxern]

Well, also consider that Zooropa and R&H were done fairly hastily. Both were at least partially written and recorded while the band was on tour, and both came out less than 19 months after their respective predecessors. I think U2 needs to head back into the studio and take some time to consider what will go on the next album. They shouldn't rush things and push this album out the door. They need to go clean up the songs that they have and that they want to put on the new album, and they need to make sure any new songs they've written actually fit on the album. If they put the same kind of thought into it as they put into JT, AB, or ATYCLB, then it will have a chance. As to whether or not it can live up to the commercial success of ATYCLB, I have my doubts. But I don't think the next album is doomed before it hits the stores.

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Change is the only constant

 

[U2girl]

well they said they wanted to go back into the studio quickly. if they have enough quality songs, a new album might come out in 2002 (maybe).

i'm very curious what this album will sound like. the B-sides of ATYCLB aren't helping us-Summer rain is acoustic, Always is rocking and Big girls are best is sort of experimental. personally, i think ATYCLB-ish structure is the way to go in the sense of concentrating on the songs.

as for commercial success-who knows? maybe not as big as ATYCLB, but surely with the new interest in U2, it will reach 10 million sales.