This gives me great hope

[Diemen]

Taken from a very interesting interview with the band from Q Magazine. Bono, referring to the studio work for the new album:

"You know," he decides, arching an eyebrow, "we've got a great opportunity here. They're playing us on the radio again."

To me, this suggests that maybe U2 isn't quite satisfied with a safer-tamer version of rock and roll that so many here are worried U2 might fall into. It's like "now that we've got the media's ears again, let's turn em on their heads and give em another surprise!"

At least that's what I hope - that they're not quite through fucking up the mainstream.

 

[SkeeK]

Hmmmmm. Mwahahahaha

Well who knows what it really means or what will really happen, but i do like that implication

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

At least that's what I hope - that they're not quite through fucking up the mainstream.

oooh, i hope so too

 

[Swan269]

I like that observation of that quote...did Numb get any radio time after the release of Achtung?

 

[SkeeK]

I heard tons of Numb on the radio.. it consistently topped the top 6 at 6 on our hits station here. But from what I gather that wasn't the case everywhere.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

I heard tons of Numb on the radio.. it consistently topped the top 6 at 6 on our hits station here. But from what I gather that wasn't the case everywhere.

I remember it shooting straight up to #1 *really* fast on Much Music. It was the coolest thing at the time since, well, Achtung Baby.

 

[wertsie]

Not only that, but the video for "Numb" was constantly on MTV!

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Not only that, but the video for "Numb" was constantly on MTV!

Yes, same on Much Music (in case some of you Americans don't know what Much Music is - our version of MTV, except we still play videos )

 

[wertsie]

Yes, same on Much Music (in case some of you Americans don't know what Much Music is - our version of MTV, except we still play videos )

Yeah, I know! A few years ago I went to Sault Ste. Marie (Canada) and we watched MuchMusic in our hotel room. I was impressed.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Yeah, I know! A few years ago I went to Sault Ste. Marie (Canada) and we watched MuchMusic in our hotel room. I was impressed.

tee hee

 

[david]

Numb was a radio and video hit, but Lemon was the song that radio avoided. I could see why though, I guess fat lady Bono didn't appeal to the mainstream. I remember in high school we were watching the weekly school wrap up on the classrom tv. Well, someone in the audio/visual dept used Lemon for the wrap up, and when it came on, people laughed at the song.

 

[Popmartijn]

Hello,

I haven't read the Q interview yet (I think the magazine will hit the shops here in the Netherlands next week or so), but I think it's a very exciting quote. This is also in line with what Bono said in the last Propaganda issue (the post-Elevation one).

How do you feel, in retrospect, about All That You Can't Leave Behind?
I think the only thing that suffered is that we might have lost a little bit of extraordinariness, in an attempt to be stripped down and rigorous to song structures. Because part of what U2 is is the sonic experimentation, and the risk-taking. I guess we might have over-compensated, because we were coming back from a decade of that.

Sounds very promising for the future!

C ya!

Marty

 

[Diemen]

How do you feel, in retrospect, about All That You Can't Leave Behind?
I think the only thing that suffered is that we might have lost a little bit of extraordinariness, in an attempt to be stripped down and rigorous to song structures. Because part of what U2 is is the sonic experimentation, and the risk-taking. I guess we might have over-compensated, because we were coming back from a decade of that.

Now that quote definitely gets my hopes up! That he says it plain out that he recognizes they weren't as experimental as he wanted to be shows such great promise for this next record.

Fall '03 needs to hurry up and get here.

 

[Bonofire]

Now that quote definitely gets my hopes up! That he says it plain out that he recognizes they weren't as experimental as he wanted to be shows such great promise for this next record.

Fall '03 needs to hurry up and get here.

That scares me. What do you want by 'experiment?' Weird stuff? Rap? Country? Arabian music? I just hope they don't do something crazy just to prove they are 'taking chances' and mess themselves up. I shudder to think. They should really stick to what they do best and not try to prove anything. They have nothing left to prove to anyone.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

That scares me. What do you want by 'experiment?' Weird stuff? Rap? Country? Arabian music? I just hope they don't do something crazy just to prove they are 'taking chances' and mess themselves up. I shudder to think. They should really stick to what they do best and not try to prove anything. They have nothing left to prove to anyone.

Did they ever have anything to prove to anyone else other than themselves? I don't think it's really ever been a question of trying to prove to other people how good they are, for U2. I believe it's always been about an inner challenge and inner growth for the band. I'm beginning to believe more and more that perception is blind.

 

[*BOOMCHAA!*]

fucking up the mainstream

Ahhh......one of my favorite phrases

 

[UltravioletU2]

I like the idea of U2 going just a little more right wing in their new music. Good quotes!

As one of those who does not classify ATYCLB as one of their better albums, it thrills me to no end to hear they thought it was a tad "plain".

 

[The Wanderer]

do people still think that U2 doesn't care what other people think? why else would they have done a complete 180 after Pop? why would they disassociate themselves from much of their 90s music now? have they honestly come to the conclusion that collectively their music from the 90s is inferior to their 80s and 00s music? if so, why exactly have they come to that conclusion, it's all very vague (except the part about them not selling as many records and concert tickets), and so is this what motivates them, to redeem themselves? are they embarassed over their artistic failure???

as far as them doing something unique with their current darlings of mainstream status, I can guarantee they wont release a song like "the fly" or "lemon" as a single ever again

 

[Cowgirl]

bonofire..i think u know very well that experimental doesn't mean rap or country music.
sticking to what they do best? in my view, this is making great on the edge music which they really didn't achieve with the last album. just my opinion of course, im sure yours is different.
but this whole idea of sticking with the same old formula is kinda frightening to me because thats NEVER been what U2 are about.

I just really hope they don't forget who they are and do continue to live by that rule they set for themselves long ago.

 

[Saracene]

do people still think that U2 doesn't care what other people think? why else would they have done a complete 180 after Pop? why would they disassociate themselves from much of their 90s music now? have they honestly come to the conclusion that collectively their music from the 90s is inferior to their 80s and 00s music? if so, why exactly have they come to that conclusion, it's all very vague (except the part about them not selling as many records and concert tickets), and so is this what motivates them, to redeem themselves? are they embarassed over their artistic failure???

I bet that people were saying exactly the same thing you're saying now back when U2 did a complete 180 after Rattle'n'Hum: why oh why would they disassociate themselves from their 80s music, do they think it all sucks, are they ashamed of their earnest, heart-on-the-sleeve stance, etc., etc. When the most likely thing was, they got bored with that decade and wanted to do something else, and it makes sense for the same thing to happen again yet another decade later.

I also wonder what exactly do people mean when they talk about how they'd like U2 to get "experimental" again. If it means writing songs like "The Fly" or "Lemon", it makes no sense whatsoever, because in that case they'd be writing something that sounded like what U2 have already done ten years ago.

 

[wertsie]

bonofire..i think u know very well that experimental doesn't mean rap or country music.
sticking to what they do best? in my view, this is making great on the edge music which they really didn't achieve with the last album. just my opinion of course, im sure yours is different.
but this whole idea of sticking with the same old formula is kinda frightening to me because thats NEVER been what U2 are about.

I just really hope they don't forget who they are and do continue to live by that rule they set for themselves long ago.

 

[Salome]

I just really hope they don't forget who they are and do continue to live by that rule they set for themselves long ago.

are you saying U2 broke their own rules with ATYCLB?

[while answering this question please keep in mind that this subject has already brought me near the edge of sanity and long sleepless nights filled with tears]

 

[pinkfloyd]

very good Q interview , indeed , great A new Hope " godammit " ..

 

[little boy blue]

sticking to what they do best? in my view, this is making great on the edge music which they really didn't achieve with the last album.

Yes!

I think they have to plug the Guitair back in and let him go wild! Or, stop erasing him from the finished work.

That being said, they are still the best thing going.

 

[Salome]

I think that if U2 "plugs the guitar back in" that would be a compromise to mainstream rock and I would booh everything they do beyond ATYCLB

just because I'm a sarcastic bastard and my taste is the right one