U2 working with pop songwriter for new album

[Galeongirl]

So, basically, the 2 times U2 worked with pop songwriters, the pop songwriters got production credits, not writing credits, and we got:

In A Little While
I Know I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonite
Breathe

What's the problem again?

Problem located.


And let's not forget Wild Honey there. And Stuck in a Moment.

 

[rileybug]

I would rather have mediocre Bono written lyrics that include "kneel" at least twice than anything written by this guy.

Is Bono not confident in his lyric writing anymore? I have to wonder. I do recall a number of reviews of the last few albums that trashed his lyrics, so hmmm.

 

[corianderstem]

Who says this guy is writing anything for U2?

 

[U2DMfan]

Would be another example of a situation that could be cleared up easily had the band kept any kind of open dialogue with their fans. Instead, as always, bullshit fills the vacuum.

I've always thought Bono should have his own blog or something. Or maybe an updated Twitter for Bono or Paul or Edge or whatever...something. That's all I really mean. They have never really let us 'in' outside of blurbs to a sensationalist press.

 

[corianderstem]

It's not the band's fault that some media outlets will pounce on a tweet or two and call it "news."

God, I fucking hate Twitter.

 

[U2DMfan]

It's not the band's fault that some media outlets will pounce on a tweet or two and call it "news."

God, I fucking hate Twitter.

You could argue that it's partly their fault for not being more digital-media savvy. As a global pop culture force, they have to accept those norms, as frustrating as they are to some of us. I think social media is bullshit but I don't have a band that has a public persona and reputation to uphold.

The thing is, if this were printed in a newspaper and it were totally inaccurate, they would respond to it. And that's just the thing I am talking about.

 

[corianderstem]

I dunno. I see your point and do wish they were more communicative, but on the other hand, I can see why they would get exhausted just thinking about responding to every will.i.am, Danger Mouse and Harry that says "hey, I might be doing something with U2."

I figure they'll tell us something when there's something to tell.

 

[last unicorn]

They don't need social media. U2 should work in silence on their new music without having people spreading rumours on facebook or twitter. There are so many stories floating around, people are trying to connect themselves with U2 simply because they have met a band member. There have been so many stories surrounding possible new producers for the band. I won't believe anything or worry about anything unless I hear proof on a new album. And the idea of Bono not writing the band's lyrics is just ridiculous, IMO.

 

[Hollow Island]

That One Direction song is pretty good. If U2 want pop hits then maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get factory songwriters because they're better at it than U2 are. It's been a long time since U2 have written a good pop song.

Still, I wan an epic disaster! They'll probably end up with DM, Eno, and Lanois, but in the mean time I'm going to allow myself to get excited for one of the worst records ever made. Maybe even worse than the last Richard Ashcroft record!!

Richard Ashcroft - Born Again - YouTube

 

[Von Schloopen]

That Ashcroft record was horrible.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Ive been driving the clown car up and down the street again, v e r y s l o w l y to ensure the neighbors are pissed. At one point, when my schtick grew old, i flung open the door and jumped out onto the pavement. I rolled around on the hardtop with arms flailing around, giant clown shoes like skis bouncing end over end, and my giant tomato red Afro picking up pebbles and leaves as i rolled along.

The only problem, after all of this grand spectacle, is that i forgot to actually stop the clown car and put it into park. Therefore it continued to roll down the street while i was too busy trying to put on a show.

The kids on the street originally thought my pranks were funny, but once the clown car rolled up in their yard and ran over their bicycles and skateboards, they were no longer amused. Their parents, who have always appreciated me before, are now upset that the clown car crashed into their garage door and now they will be stuck at home until someone can come out and replace their broken garage door.

Surely my closest friends will come to my defense, as always, and argue that the neighbors were assholes. But i suspect that even some of my biggest fanboys and girls will secretly wonder to themselves if im getting a bit too old to try and pull off this clown shit.....10 or 15 years ago this would have been marvelous....and everyone would be having clown sex.

I dont know where im going with all of this. I mean, im sure you do, i just really dont know. I hope that for the sake of making the gravy, u2 isn't punching their own clowns with all of this mess.

 

[doctorwho]

Ive been driving the clown car up and down the street again, v e r y s l o w l y to ensure the neighbors are pissed. At one point, when my schtick grew old, i flung open the door and jumped out onto the pavement. I rolled around on the hardtop with arms flailing around, giant clown shoes like skis bouncing end over end, and my giant tomato red Afro picking up pebbles and leaves as i rolled along.

The only problem, after all of this grand spectacle, is that i forgot to actually stop the clown car and put it into park. Therefore it continued to roll down the street while i was too busy trying to put on a show.

The kids on the street originally thought my pranks were funny, but once the clown car rolled up in their yard and ran over their bicycles and skateboards, they were no longer amused. Their parents, who have always appreciated me before, are now upset that the clown car crashed into their garage door and now they will be stuck at home until someone can come out and replace their broken garage door.

Surely my closest friends will come to my defense, as always, and argue that the neighbors were assholes. But i suspect that even some of my biggest fanboys and girls will secretly wonder to themselves if im getting a bit too old to try and pull off this clown shit.....10 or 15 years ago this would have been marvelous....and everyone would be having clown sex.

I dont know where im going with all of this. I mean, im sure you do, i just really dont know. I hope that for the sake of making the gravy, u2 isn't punching their own clowns with all of this mess.

There's an analogy in there somewhere... for now, all I'm reading is that you are having clown sex with bikes while U2 punches you and throws you from a moving vehicle.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Carl Falk is a pop songwriter who wrote Hit Me Baby One More Time.

False.

Max Martin wrote "...Baby One More Time."

And there are probably only about fifteen or twenty U2 songs better than "...Baby One More Time."

Fucking brilliant tune, and one of the defining pop music moments of my lifetime.

 

[corianderstem]

That Max Martin wrote a shit-ton of awesome tunes.

I would honestly be interested if he were rumored to be connecting/working/bullshitting with U2. U2's U2-ness + Max Martin's pop genius ...... yes, please. Would love to see what that would sound like.

 

[LemonMelon]

The Sun is seriously plumbing the depths reporting trash like this.

!

 

[LemonMelon]

Also, I agree that Max Martin is a very solid songwriter. He's written a number of awesome hits.

However, strict pop sensibilities have net U2...shall we say...inconsistent results. I maintain that songwriting templates limit U2's inherent appeal as a four-piece with great charisma. Let them stretch out and experiment and the results speak for themselves (TUF, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby). As opposed to most musicians, hours spent in writing sessions actually seem to harm U2 more than anything.

 

[Von Schloopen]

Take a poke around youtube. A search for Carl Falk will land ya dozens of his techno tunes. Not my cup of tea mind you, but there is plenty of his music that isn't pop. If U2 are working with this dude, I'd guess he's not giving them chord changes and lyrics.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I you Sicy!



I haven't heard a song of theirs yet, but I don't listen to Top 40.

Pandora radio channel: Today's Hit Channel.

I like my sugar pop from time to time besides I hear them on my way into work in the morning with morning show I listen to.


I believe One Direction will be on SNL this weekend! Tune in.

Also, I love the Sun bringing life back to Interference. The panic is amusing.

The Wanted - Glad You Came - YouTube

 

[Von Schloopen]

Apparently, this guy, as reported by the sun as Carl Falk, isn't Carl Falk.

This is Carl Falk. Good work Sun. Good work.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Apparently, this guy, as reported by the sun as Carl Falk, isn't Carl Falk.

This is Carl Falk. Good work Sun. Good work.

This made me LOL. Another journalism fail. Awesome.

 

[Von Schloopen]

Now I want to know who the other guy is.

 

[LemonMelon]

He's best known to U2 faithful as "Fake Edge."

 

[Von Schloopen]

This made me LOL. Another journalism fail. Awesome.

Well, according to Carl Falk's twitter account, this is Carl Falk:

According to Carl Falk's wikipedia page, this is Carl Falk:

2 swedish dance producers named Carl Falk? What are the odds of that?

 

[LemonMelon]

That or his head got flattened by Paul McGuinness between shots

 

[LadySpinHead]

So maybe the guy who had the supposedly fake Brian Eno Twitter account last fall moved to impersonating Carl Falk? Because... Um... ???

 

[ryancoke71]

....as the U2 world turns....

 

[rjhbonovox]

!

Hey I never wrote that!

 

[DevilsShoes]

Would be another example of a situation that could be cleared up easily had the band kept any kind of open dialogue with their fans. Instead, as always, bullshit fills the vacuum.

I've always thought Bono should have his own blog or something. Or maybe an updated Twitter for Bono or Paul or Edge or whatever...something. That's all I really mean. They have never really let us 'in' outside of blurbs to a sensationalist press.

I agree, one of the seemingly very few good things about Twitter is the ability to quickly quash any false rumours doing the rounds and prevent situations like this occurring. The fact that this isn't yet an option for the band, I think, speaks to their desire to preseve some kind of mystique about them. They quite like the idea that they're a bit inaccessible. I'm not really interested in knowing what Bono has for breakfast, but being able to nip this in the bud pretty much straight away (if it is just newspaper nonsense) wouldn't be bad thing.

This idea of working with a pop songwriter might not mean disaster for the band though. Lyrically those sort of songs are incredibly hackneyed of course but very often, in melodic terms, they feel genuinely inventive and imaginative. Going one step further than LemonMelon I actually feel that U2's songwriting templates are not only starting to sound a little well-worn but are also restricting fresh creativity.

If you can fuse the melodic pop approach with U2's more mature sensibilities then you might actually have something. That's a big if though.

 

[Niceman]

Right on. I remember and REM interview where Mike Mills was talking about that. He basically said that if someone doesn't like their record, well that's too bad but they'll be putting one out the following year or a year after, and maybe they'll like that one.

By putting albums out so infrequently they become eras unto themselves, and that's unfortunate because the flaws are heightened dramatically.

This is a very important point.

 

[Niceman]

Report: U2 Working with Songwriter Carl Falk

Take a look at the two tweets. It seems this whole rumour is based on these two tweets.

He ran into Edge on a plane and now he's waiting to hear back from Bono.

Do you guys really fall that easy, or am I missing something?

This is what I'm thinking. Sounds to me like he wants to work with U2. That's all.