New album in the works while in NZ and Australia

[Saracene]

The notion that U2's creativity was anywhere near as cravenly commercially driven by a desire to be popular then as it is now is the myth.

It still sounds a lot more believable to me than the notion that U2 just happened to have had massive hits in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Niceman]

It seems to me that most of the posters here see a dichotomy that U2 do not.
U2 have ALWAYS wanted to have the highest of artistic standards

and

U2 have always wanted to reach the largest number of people that they could.

Can something be popular AND great? Ask the Beatles. Ask Elvis. U2 grew up in a time when the best and the most popular were often thought to be the same thing. Now, most of us have grown up when the radio has been filled with crap.....but it wasn't always that way.

 

[powerhour24]

This is the band that had to be convinced to release WOWY as a single, one of their two biggest hits of all time, the rest of their TUF-R&H era hits, and AB for that matter run completely counter to their competition on the charts those years, perhaps they were quite adept at writing hit material, but that clearly wasn't the aim first and foremost, nor was it with Pop and Zooropa and a number of NLOTH tracks... those just didn't connect the same way.

 

[Popmart Shopper]

I like both the hits and their album filler songs as well as their B-Sides but I would like to see them go in a more experimental/electronic direction.For instance a song like If You Wear That Velvet Dress isn't neccessarily better than Beautiful Day it is just more unique sounding.Listen to that song in headphones at night in the moonlight(that gives it a great effect).Now if Velevet Dress was played on the radio as much as BD it would be played out and probably be somewhat monatmous.Personally I prefer Slug,Stateless,and Always Forever Now more than I do I Will Follow,All Because Of You,and Sunday Bloody Sunday(though these 3 would be considered more "radio friendly".So as much as I prefer a new direction or an album of NLOTH leftovers,even if U2 made another ALYCLB 0r HTDAAB I wouldn't get upset and not buy it.

 

[Niceman]

This is the band that had to be convinced to release WOWY as a single, one of their two biggest hits of all time, the rest of their TUF-R&H era hits, and AB for that matter run completely counter to their competition on the charts those years, perhaps they were quite adept at writing hit material, but that clearly wasn't the aim first and foremost, nor was it with Pop and Zooropa and a number of NLOTH tracks... those just didn't connect the same way.

It's the words "first and foremost" that make me suspect you still aren't getting it. U2 have always believed that being the best and being the most popular are the same thing. It's not that they put being popular ABOVE being the most artistic/adventurous/clever/passionate. They believe that the two goals go together.

They believe: If they are the most artistic/adventurous/clever/passionate they will also be the most popular.

They believe: If they are NOT the most popular, they suspect that they didn't really achieve their other goals either.

Was Shakespeare a great artist or popular? He was most popular when he was great.

 

[Saracene]

To me, U2's reaction to Pop's relative failure is evidence enough that the band did in fact care very much about having hits and commercial success when they were making the album. If the commercial side of things wasn't at least as important to them as the artistic one, they simply wouldn't have reacted the way they did - it's not like the band made ATYCLB just because, at a stroke of midnight, they suddenly turned into different people. It's easy enough to praise the pre-2000's U2 but thing is, until Pop they were never tested by a commercial failure. Yes their early records didn't set the charts on fire but there was also a certain freedom in that they had no huge success to maintain and live up to.

 

[U2girl]

Can you provide a source. As I haven't read the quotesd in a long time I may be wrong, but I don't think they ever mentioned what sort of album the DM album is...

I won't find it now, it was a few weeks ago...to be honest though, I also remember an article that said DM is making the oonts oonts album with them.

But we definitely have not seen any confirmation that DM is working on SOA...I don't think U2 would walk out on Eno/Lanois like that.

 

[U2girl]

It seems to me that most of the posters here see a dichotomy that U2 do not.
U2 have ALWAYS wanted to have the highest of artistic standards

and

U2 have always wanted to reach the largest number of people that they could.

Can something be popular AND great? Ask the Beatles. Ask Elvis.

And ask U2

The only myth here is U2 suddenly woke up in 2000 and sold out and wanted hits and the $$$.

 

[U2girl]

To be fair, they finished AB in Dublin after difficulties in the more 'exotic' recently reunited Berlin.

Oh the hype about Berlin/Hansa never stops on the internet...

 

[Niceman]

And ask U2

The only myth here is U2 suddenly woke up in 2000 and sold out and wanted hits and the $$$.

That's exactly my point! I vaguely remember an interview with Robbie Robertson after he had worked with them around 1987 when he said that he was kind of shocked by how ambitious the band were.

 

[Salome]

This is the band that had to be convinced to release WOWY as a single, one of their two biggest hits of all time, the rest of their TUF-R&H era hits, and AB for that matter run completely counter to their competition on the charts those years, perhaps they were quite adept at writing hit material, but that clearly wasn't the aim first and foremost, nor was it with Pop and Zooropa and a number of NLOTH tracks... those just didn't connect the same way.

perhaps they wrote With or Without You with the idea to write the biggest hit ever but just (wrongly) thought they had failed
the With or Without You story always did strike me as an odd example of why they didn't try to write a hit while all the info just suggest they weren't able to recognize it as a hit

about half of POP was U2 trying to write a hit
and while one can argue Numb, it seems Stay only served as Zooropa's hit single
as were Pride and I will follow back in the day

which is quite ok with me

 

[mikal]

this conversation is boring. we need news.

 

[purpleoscar]

It's easy enough to praise the pre-2000's U2 but thing is, until Pop they were never tested by a commercial failure. Yes their early records didn't set the charts on fire but there was also a certain freedom in that they had no huge success to maintain and live up to.

Agree. On this last album Adam mentioned that anxiety of competing against yourself. The question of why should there be another U2 album still is pertinent for them. It also makes sense why they continue to change in style because it's the only way to keep it fresh. The only way they can make another Achtung Baby is to not sound like it but change in a similar fashion so your brain wires differently when listening and you get that hair standing up in the back of your neck. Everyone wants to get that fresh experience over and over again.

 

[digitize]

this conversation is boring. we need news.

BBC News - China calls for emergency talks amid Korea crisis

 

[subnet]

The AB Hansa experience didnt really rub off on Snow Patrol, now did it?

 

[powerhour24]

I liked A Hundred Million Suns

 

[powerhour24]

And ask U2

The only myth here is U2 suddenly woke up in 2000 and sold out and wanted hits and the $$$.

I never said that, I know they've always wanted to reach the widest audience possible, or be on the biggest stage (though, that used to a be a figurative thing! ) but my point is, try and find a quote back in the day where the band talk about sales as it relates to their next musical direction the way we've heard in the past year or so, you can't deny there's a difference. There's also a complete disconnect with industry reality, let's be honest, yes they could have had stronger single reception on NLOTH, but it's still one of 2009's biggest albums simply on their pull, and they're having the biggest tour of all time using that pull as well, quit worrying about the sales, your core will always be there in spite of piracy or your age. If an album sold as well as the Bomb in 2010 it would be far and away the biggest album in years... times have changed.


I'm not worried about what they're doing with DangerMouse, I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't let the world hear Songs of Ascent, even just as a digital release, or as a repackaged version of NLOTH.

 

[coolian2]

BBC News - China calls for emergency talks amid Korea crisis

ha!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

But we definitely have not seen any confirmation that DM is working on SOA...I don't think U2 would walk out on Eno/Lanois like that.

I don't think they really divide their material that way. I don't think any material would be off the table, either for another major look with someone else, or carrying over mostly as is. I think only overall direction determines that sort of thing. I'd think any song, any riff, any chorus, any lyric would be forever fair game, always evolving. Only the extremes would be ruled out of any particular project. I mean, they drag stuff over from years ago, albums ago, all the time.

Using Every Breaking Wave as an example of a complete song - they seemed really confident with it when it was held over from No Line as the centrepiece for SoA. So confident and seemingly 'happy' with it, that you'd have to think it remains to be almost a certainty for whatever comes next. I don't think they would either (a) not give it another look with DM just because it was previously 'Eno/Lanois' material, or (b) if they are really happy with it as it is (was) in it's Eno/Lanois form, I don't that would rule it out of contention for a mostly DM produced album. I don't think they would have a problem with 'offending' Eno/Lanois by scrapping their version and going with a DM version, and I don't think they would have a problem 'offending' DM by nudging a track or two produced by others onto 'his' album. Their history shows they have no problem pillaging the past regardless of the who and what involved, and that they're not at all afraid of a mix of producers and thus sound and feel on any one album. I would not at all be surprised to find the 'DM album' is actually only about 80% exclusively him, in one way or another. Or that the material on it originated from all over the place, many other sessions with many other people. Same as with almost every other U2 album.

 

[iota]

If there's ever a band that tries to figure out their weaknesses and habits, and adjuct them to move forward, it's U2.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

Why the laugh?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I think he knows something we don't know.

 

[gvox]

A song called “A Freak Like Me Needs Company,” for the eight-stilettoed Arachne and her Furies to sing near the end of the show, was apparently less right. “I thought, and still do, that it would be a hit,” says Bono. “A percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance piece with a fantastic hook.

Did he just say "percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance piece"?? He did.

 

[nirniva]

Did he just say "percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance piece"?? He did.

Percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance pieces are the new punk rock from Venus.

 

[purpleoscar]

Oh the hype about Berlin/Hansa never stops on the internet...

Oh yeah didn't R.E.M. go there for their new album?

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

Percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance pieces are the new punk rock from Venus.

Why not Titan? or Europa? Or Io? Why did he said Venus?

Hell, why not HD 142 b or HD 1237 b?
"Our record sounds like it's coming from HD 1237 b, far away from our solar system!", that sounds so much cooler , Specially now with the Enterprise 360º

 

[gvox]

Percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance pieces are the new punk rock from Venus.

Assuming you're being sarcastic with your well past the worn out point joke, there's a HUGE difference between a sound bite like "punk rock from Venus" and "percussive eighties Paradise Garage dance pieces".

One is pure hyperbole and doesn't really have a reference point (ie what the hell IS punk rock from Venus, anyways?). The other is nod to a time, place and style of music most born before about..1980?..can easily identify and recall.

 

[U2girl]

I never said that, I know they've always wanted to reach the widest audience possible, or be on the biggest stage (though, that used to a be a figurative thing! ) but my point is, try and find a quote back in the day where the band talk about sales as it relates to their next musical direction the way we've heard in the past year or so, you can't deny there's a difference. There's also a complete disconnect with industry reality, let's be honest, yes they could have had stronger single reception on NLOTH, but it's still one of 2009's biggest albums simply on their pull, and they're having the biggest tour of all time using that pull as well, quit worrying about the sales, your core will always be there in spite of piracy or your age. If an album sold as well as the Bomb in 2010 it would be far and away the biggest album in years... times have changed.


I'm not worried about what they're doing with DangerMouse, I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't let the world hear Songs of Ascent, even just as a digital release, or as a repackaged version of NLOTH.

I remember quotes they were surprised/letdown by the Pop reception, from the Pop era. This is not new to U2.

And looking for a single isn't about sales per se...it's more about connecting to the non-U2-fanatic audiences (and likely some of the U2 audience that didn't care for their 90's output) that came with ATYCLB and Bomb but clearly not with NLOTH. BD and Vertigo worked as those songs...GOYB didn't. Just like years ago, the wide audence that came to JT because of songs like WOWY or I still haven't found... and the audience that came to AB because of One and MW...or the audience that came to Rattle and Hum because of Desire.

It is possible to have access to the masses AND make good, meaningful music.

 

[SeeLoganRun]

I'm gonna say this here just for the hell of it. I've thought for years about how awesome it would be if a major band recorded and mixed an entire album on an old four-track, then released it as a limited edition cassette with a xeroxed insert. Tape hiss and all. Then maybe a month later release it in other formats. U2 should do this.

 

[BVS]

I'm gonna say this here just for the hell of it. I've thought for years about how awesome it would be if a major band recorded and mixed an entire album on an old four-track, then released it as a limited edition cassette with a xeroxed insert. Tape hiss and all. Then maybe a month later release it in other formats. U2 should do this.

Great, I'd have to borrow my uncle's Impala just to listen to it...