The next U2 album will be harder edged than ATYCLB, but don't expect to hear The White Stripes or The Vines when you hit play on that marvelous first day of release. What you will hear are simple, yet intricate guitar riffs - and trust me, *cool* riffs - which will be high in the mix. You'll hear Adam on this record, too - but nothing too complicated. This will be a great, high energy record. There will be ballads, too, but the album will be nicely balanced, not bogged down. Also, on this record, you'll find U2's new gift for the "tune" firmly established. Simple tunes. Tunes that rock. It may not be the most innovative U2 record of all time, but it will have some experimentation, and a couple tracks that will blow you away. This will be the next logical conclusion of E-Storm. This is where U2 have been heading all along, but this won't be the last album.
Highlights will include:
* 'Original of the Species'
* 'All Because of You'
* 'One Step Closer To Knowing'
* 'Full Metal Jacket' (provisonally titled)
This album might have the most songs of any U2 release thus far, with a total of 12 or 14 tracks (you didn't think they were going to keep all those ATYCLB b-sides to themselves, did you?). Luckily, many of the ATYCLB "b-sides" are really first rate tracks that didn't fit into the intended vision of ATYCLB. A few of them will fit on this record, though.
I gaurantee that once you hear some of these new songs, you'll be ecstatic.
U2 will be spending the next few months on and off in the studio, working on new songs that haven't even been written yet. They should be finished recording by August. Expect the album in November, 2003. Trust me: this album will deliver.
Just my opinion, of course.