New Album Discussion 1 - Songs of..... - Unreasonable guitar album

[ascender_RS]

So assuming an album is late 2025, are there any tenuous "anniversary" dates next year which might mean they do a re-release of some sort to keep the money coming in?

There were obviously no albums released in 2025, so could they do something with one of the lesser ones.... or just one of the ones they don't like all, like Pop? They could even cobble something together for Rattle & Hum with the amount of stuff that was filmed up to Lovetown.

 

[mikal]

So assuming an album is late 2025, are there any tenuous "anniversary" dates next year which might mean they do a re-release of some sort to keep the money coming in?

There were obviously no albums released in 2025, so could they do something with one of the lesser ones.... or just one of the ones they don't like all, like Pop? They could even cobble something together for Rattle & Hum with the amount of stuff that was filmed up to Lovetown.

Passengers 30 year edition, just to piss off Larry.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

my assumption is that if they are touring in 2026 that they would release an album in the second half of 2025.

plenty of things to release in the meantime... there's bono's solo show on netflix which is supposed to release at some point. i wouldn't rule our a Sphere show release to HBO or streaming eventually - once they're done selling dozens of tickets to each show at the actual venue.

 

[vertigo2024]

6 CD Passengers Box Set: November 2025

 

[Hewson]

once they're done selling dozens of tickets to each show at the actual venue.

 

[The John Tree]

U2’s Larry Mullen Jr on his dyscalculia: Counting bars is like climbing Everest

The Irish musician revealed that he cannot count or add because of the learning difficulty.

www.times-series.co.uk

He (Larry) revealed the group are currently writing new material and doing some initial recording and hopes they will tour at some point in 2026.

“I don’t think it will be what we normally do. I would hope it would be something different”, he said.

“But I’m excited to get back in some capacity.”

I'm not reading much into this. If they tour, I expect Larry to be there full-time. I also don't think any sort of plans are fleshed out. I think Larry's just wishfully thinking out loud - I'm sure he'd love the idea of a residency model in various cities where they don't have to travel as much, similar to the SOI tour. I'm just taking this quote as "we're planning a tour for 2026, and hopefully it'll be something different than a typical arena/stadium run because the travel is a killer, but I don't call the shots around here."

 

[super fly guy]

So,the rock album is dead. Long live sci fi folk music,do these guys ever stick with an idea??

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i don't think anything is truly dead and/or alive. it's all mush until they get closer to a release anyways.

 

[vaz020202]

Anyone else seen the recent clip of OOTS? Edge looks so different back then, not a video I have seen before.

Hopefully more of these ‘making of’ clips surface

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

i don't think anything is truly dead and/or alive. it's all mush until they get closer to a release anyways.

Agreed.

They worked with Danger Mouse for ~3 years (2010-2013), then got Ryan Tedder to focus everything for the home run, and we got SoI within a year.

They worked with Ryan Tedder and Andy Barlow from 2014-2016, then got Littlewhite in to bring it all together as SoE in 2017.

I could imagine they’re in a similar position now, where they have an album, but it’s lacking focus/direction/an overarching sound/narrative, and the ‘side projects’ mentioned by Edge are all part of figuring out who they want to bring in for that final stage, to focus things for a release in late 2025/early 2026.

Edge had already played down the idea of a full on AC/DC style rock album anyway, saying only that what they’re working on puts guitar at the forefront - that’s probably entirely compatible with, say, a sci-fi Irish folk element. Lillywhite recently said the Joshua Tree captured the ‘sound of America’, and Achtung Baby was the ‘sound of Berlin’ (and how NLOTH tried and failed to be the ‘sound of Fez’). Perhaps the next album will take all the work so far, and hone it into the ‘sound of Irish (sci-fi) folk’, or another sound created through one of the other ‘side projects’.

 

[JWR1992]

U2 should lock themselves up in a castle with Brain Eno and Daniel Lanois and get to work on writing the next Unforgettable Fire. Atmospheric guitars and abstract song writing would be niceeeeee

 

[cobl04]

Tim, the Indigenous bloke who played didgeridoo on Kite on the 2006 leg of Vertigo, just told me over LinkedIn he's heard the band are touring here in 2025.

 

[monkeyskin]

That'll be the Achtung Baby 34 residency then.

 

[cobl04]

U2 UV 34 Live From Sydney Star City Casino

 

[monkeyskin]

You joke but that's really convenient for me.

Even better would be LoveTown again. And if they're not willing to put the rehearsal in for a real setlist rotation, I wouldn't be against them bringing touring musicians on stage with them. They've already played with Bram who appeared to jolt a bit more life into the Vegas shows, why not get a second guitarist who can play a few more? Edge can either play rhythm or some Ed O'Brien-style ambience for a few.

 

[cobl04]

I'd pay a lot of money to hear Running to Stand Still / Hallelujah / Dirty Old Town.

That would go off in Australia. People are still so fond of Rattle & Hum and Lovetown here.

 

[lazarus]

Anyone else seen the recent clip of OOTS? Edge looks so different back then, not a video I have seen before.

Agreed. Between the album cover for Re-assemble and that video, it seems like he was toying with the idea of going hatless for that album cycle. Maybe he was inspired by the "newborn baby's head" line in Miracle Drug.

But I guess he got cold feet (scalp?) because by the time the Vertigo video came out and the album photos were released, he was Back To Beanie.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well they released the album in New York in November. It gets chilly

 

[trevgreg]

I'm not reading much into this. If they tour, I expect Larry to be there full-time. I also don't think any sort of plans are fleshed out. I think Larry's just wishfully thinking out loud - I'm sure he'd love the idea of a residency model in various cities where they don't have to travel as much, similar to the SOI tour. I'm just taking this quote as "we're planning a tour for 2026, and hopefully it'll be something different than a typical arena/stadium run because the travel is a killer, but I don't call the shots around here."

That's exactly how I took it here too. Considering how some of the "older" acts have already tried doing the 'multiple nights in said venue or city' deal post-pandemic, I can see where that might be appealing to him.

Edge had already played down the idea of a full on AC/DC style rock album anyway, saying only that what they’re working on puts guitar at the forefront - that’s probably entirely compatible with, say, a sci-fi Irish folk element. Lillywhite recently said the Joshua Tree captured the ‘sound of America’, and Achtung Baby was the ‘sound of Berlin’ (and how NLOTH tried and failed to be the ‘sound of Fez’). Perhaps the next album will take all the work so far, and hone it into the ‘sound of Irish (sci-fi) folk’, or another sound created through one of the other ‘side projects’.

Honestly, the changes in descriptions for the material isn't really surprising to me. Especially if there is a plethora of song ideas to pick from each go-around, which I would think is the case here. I was sort of reminded of that when I saw the "U2 at the BBC" episode on Prime again a few weeks ago, where the band said NLOTH came out of 60 song ideas they had to choose from. Even if they're just generally speaking about close-to-complete songs or ideas in general, that's a lot of ways to go about making an album!

I wouldn't be surprised if every album cycle, they go from thinking at some point that they'll have a more "rock"-centered album, to a more (insert-genre) piece and so forth. It's never really clear until you finish off the songs anyway. That and maybe some instrumentals can remind you of "punk rock on Venus" with its ferocity or distorted sound, then you actually have to mix it properly to the other instruments or try writing a decent melody over it, and people think you're b'sing anyway! In the end, nothing's really sacred until you mix and master a thing somewhere in the middle, I guess.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This was from a few days back but only seeing it now



Think that's the first confirmation that the original rumors that the show was going to take place in Washington Square Park were true.

 

[The John Tree]

This was from a few days back but only seeing it now



Think that's the first confirmation that the original rumors that the show was going to take place in Washington Square Park were true.

I will always appreciate Adam’s delivery here.

 

[PookaMacP]

I will always appreciate Adam’s delivery here.

"trying not to fall off the truck" ;-)

 

[Rich79]

"As always, the songs are the boss" is all too true. I historically tend to get frustrated by the way they talk about album progress (I think most of us do), because there is some point when you know what direction it's going and why be coy about it; BUT, it is also very true that you can set out trying to make a very specific sound and either A. end up sounding like something totally different or B. finding that that direction doesn't actually result in any solid material to be used. I think in this case, it's probably a mixture of both and they really are looking for what the foundation is going to be.

My fear is all this means is we'll end up with yet another "mixed bag" selection of songs that they pretend have some sort of cohesion, rather than having them all fall under the same sonic umbrella, having a similar theme, and sounding like they came from the same set of writing sessions like they were so good at in the pre-bomb days. I can't be all that mad, because we'll still get a handful of great songs; but I think we're just seeing more signs of their ability to turn out another classic-caliber album being part of a distant past.

I'm not yet sold on the "just release what you've got" randomness of EPs/Singles/etc. philosophy, but I'm almost there because 8 years (assuming 2025) for a new album that may not have that "album feel" doesn't keep me terribly excited (but it's not about me, is it?)

 

[DeVaul]

I'm not yet sold on the "just release what you've got" randomness of EPs/Singles/etc. philosophy, but I'm almost there

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

from u2songs

The band have notified Universal Music that they are working towards having the next U2 album finished soon, but not before the final quarter of 2025. This notification is done so the label can start to prepare plans for an album launch. The album is likely a year off or more, at this point, but there is a lot of work to be done before an album and tour are officially scheduled.

if this is true - that means they're aiming for an October to December release - which checks out with their mind numbingly old fashioned way of releasing albums.

single september, album october, tickets on sale in november/december - tour starts in the spring. rinse repeat.

i'm not counting on it - but i would love if they did a small run of promo shows at Sphere before starting the tour.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

this by far gets me the most excited...

“Right now there’s a bunch of projects in line, there’s a new U2 album that we are working on, that’s what we are working on with Adam and Larry. There’s a kind of mad sci-fi Irish folk project that Bono and I are working on. Various different solo recordings, that we have no idea where they will go. And don’t need to at this point. We’re enjoying the opportunity to just create. We can think about where these songs belong after the fact. It’s all for us a part of the curiosity that’s always driven us, I don’t think that’s ever going to let up.”

2024-11-23: The Edge tells Radio-Canada: “We are working a lot on new songs at the moment. We did a couple of weeks with Larry and Adam a month ago. We’re going to do a couple of weeks with them in three weeks. But also Bono and I are also working on some side projects, that could end up being part of the U2 album, we’re not sure yet. We’re calling it a sci-fi-folk record. We’re working with some really fantastic Irish traditional musicians. It’s really the groundwork for where things will go next for us. I think we got fascinated with the intimacy that the Sphere venue allowed us because of the sound system. Literally things that we’d never consider to do in the live context, were suddenly possible and we really revelled in that kind of simple arrangement. We’ll see. But we’re having so much fun. We’re writing so much material. And we’re just excited to see where it leads us. The songs are always the boss.”

2024-11-23: The Edge tells O Globo that some of these collaborators include Cormac Begley, Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Dermot Sheedy. Begley plays the concertina, Mac Con Iomaire plays fiddle, and Sheedy is on bodhrán. Colm Mac Con Iomaire joined Bono and The Edge for the A Sort of Homecoming special, where they performed U2 songs with other Irish artists and Jacknife Lee and Kate Ellis.

i feel like this will either result in a) a more irish feel to the next U2 record, which would be awesome... or b) bono and the edge go on an irish folk side project kick, possibly with some shows at Sphere.

 

[super fly guy]

from u2songs



if this is true - that means they're aiming for an October to December release - which checks out with their mind numbingly old fashioned way of releasing albums.

single september, album october, tickets on sale in november/december - tour starts in the spring. rinse repeat.

i'm not counting on it - but i would love if they did a small run of promo shows at Sphere before starting the tour.

No more sphere please,what about us Europeans? Some promo shows here would be great.

 

[BEAL]

Getting lost in the music....

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

No more sphere please,what about us Europeans? Some promo shows here would be great.

Ok. And they can't do both?

 

[DeVaul]

No more sphere please,what about us Europeans? Some promo shows here would be great.

Should’ve approved London Sphere.
U2 only plays orbs now.