The new album's gonna be Fantastic!

[cypress]

ATYCLB was hailed by many critics as their 3rd masterpiece. HTDAAB, on the other hand, got good reviews. Not great, not bad, but good, sometimes mediocre. If U2 continues with this radio-pop back-to-basics approach next album, chances are there will be backlash. If U2 shifts direction now instead of completing the trilogy, they could avoid the backlash. But we'll see. Chances are no matter what U2 does next record I'll love it, and of course they'll gain new fans and lose some other fans. It happens every record.

I disagree with the critics. I thought ATYCLB was good but I think Bomb is better, edgier and a deeper album. I do not think ATYCLB was a "masterpiece" but I think Bomb is, indeed, this band's 3rd masterpiece.

I expect the next album to go in another direction. Bomb was kind of an improvement and an expansion of what they started on ATYCLB and I believe they've taken this sound to its logical conclusion. Indeed, we've already seen some turns towards another direction within Bomb, especially "Love and Peace".

U2 is capable of so much. The only thing that I do know about any new U2 album is that I don't know what it will sound like. It's one of the great gifts U2 has given us.

 

[U2DMfan]

The day U2 gets too bluesy is the day the band will spontaniously combust. See for yourselves, it almost happened with the Rattle and Hum era.

(Apologies to R&H fans)

I absolutely agree with this.

Look, we all know what the sound of the next album will be.
I think some believe in a fairy tale land where U2 gets in a time machine and forgets all about the horror of losing commercial value.

It will be ATYCLB>HTDAAB>the new one, just a progression of that sound, maybe slightly more interesting, but it's going to have the basic mix (mid tempos/ballads/rockers etc), even POP and Achtung had the basic mix, and it's going to be centered on songs rather than musical ideas but hopefully with more musical ideas incorporated into the songs.

Basically ATYCLB part III only better than the first two, you'd hope. Keep in mind it's the same thing as saying POP is Achtung part 3, they aren't the same albums, of course but there is a creative vein there that is consistent.

 

[Lancemc]

ATYCLB part III is perfectly fine with me. Seeing as how ATYCLB is a better album than both POP and HTDAAB.

 

[Zoots]

Seeing as how ATYCLB is a better album than both POP and HTDAAB.

ATYCLB better than Pop? That's like saying Let It Be is better than fucking Revolver!

 

[GibsonGirl]

ATYCLB part III is perfectly fine with me. Seeing as how ATYCLB is a better album than both POP and HTDAAB.

Mac, you know I love you, but I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you on that one. Pop wipes its feet on ATYCLB and HTDAAB has ATYCLB for breakfast.

 

[U2girl]

In one of the recent interviews, Edge was talking about how he has lots of riffs to be used, and, more interestingly, something about being interested in innovations.
(I'm guessing some effects/guitar sounds to be explored?)

I think after the "U2 goes pop" on ATYCLB and the real "back to the roots" record - they know they'll only get away with it once - with HTDAAB, they could be interested in less straightforward songwriting/sound. (Mercy, Fast cars - also note the different style of lyrics from anything else on the last two albums).
I could also see them going for a more direct rock album (what Vertigo, All because of you and Love and peace hint at).
I'd like to see fresh producers not to get stuck in the same sounds...

I wonder if Bono's activism will get a bigger role in the lyrics - a unifying theme might help in the "whole being better than the parts" scheme he was talking about. When they announced the title of the album for Bomb, I was sure it would have Africa activism all over it, yet as far as I can tell Crumbs is the only song so far directly inspired by that.

We'll see.

 

[Lancemc]

*Listening to Beautiful Day right now* Nope. There is just no way anything on Pop or HTDAAB can make me feel like this song does. The same can be said for a lot of other songs on ATYCLB too though, Walk On, Kite, In a Little While, When I look at the World...

Personally, ATYCLB stirs up so many good feelings and beautiful melodies it makes my heart sing. It's just that neither of the other two albums can do this to me. Plus, I do think the songs and theme function more strongly as an album than Pop and HTDAAB as well.

 

[LMP]

ATYCLB is better if you don't want to dig deep in the stuff of Pop and whatnot

it's easier on the ears, like what Lancemc said

Theme-wise though, I feel Pop is much stronger

 

[macfesto]

hrmm...new stuff always tastes good

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

ATYCLB better than Pop? That's like saying Let It Be is better than fucking Revolver!

Thats a somewhat excessive comparison. Pop is hardly U2's equivalent to Revolver.

 

[namkcuR]

Mac, you know I love you, but I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you on that one. Pop wipes its feet on ATYCLB and HTDAAB has ATYCLB for breakfast.

I agree Pop > ATYCLB, but I most certainly do NOT agree that Bomb > ATYCLB.

ATYCLB >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bomb

 

[Lancemc]

I agree Pop > ATYCLB, but I most certainly do NOT agree that Bomb > ATYCLB.

ATYCLB >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bomb

At least we agree on one thing then.

 

[thelaj]

Maybe U2 just thought "hey, we can't make another crazy album after Pop because no-one will buy it. Lets get back into the public's consciousness and then let it rip again in a few years"

Thus they made ATYCLB, a nice record easy to get into, get some new U2 fans and the 80s fans back on board.

Then, extend that theme with HTDAAB but with glimpses of a new experimental sound, the massive Vertigo tour reminding everyone just how relevant they still are.

A lot of people following these past 5 years will be eager to see what U2 produce. Even if Bomb sales are lower than ATYCLB, I think general U2 interest is higher as well as them being percieved as "cooler".

 

[TWlLlGHT]

fuck yeah

 

[*sofia*]

I posted this somewhere else, but I'll repeat:

I hope that the talk about the new album won't be something like "the best thing they have ever done" or something else Bono is gonna start saying again. I think that he praised the bomb's greatness a bit too much, because if he promotes it as the best thing ever, people will be disappointed, no matter what the album is like. Nothing lives up to those kind of expectations..

Really, nothing. Bono talks too much!