MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
Songs For The Kitchen should be the name of the new album
New Album Discussion 1 - Songs of..... - Unreasonable guitar album
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Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
new album talk around 14:00 - "sound of a room is what we're going for"
pacemaker
Refugee
Hopefully they’re going for the sound of a Blue Room.
The John Tree
War Child
I hate the “sound of a room” talk. I feel like we’ve heard that before.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
Bono Has Another Story to Tell
The U2 frontman spent the past few years reexamining his life and career. Now he’s back with new projects, new music—and a fresh sense of urgency to change the world.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
What the?
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Don't give them any ideas.
Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
trenchcoats and short men dont mix
The John Tree
War Child
Excellent article.
Bad sign for America: Bono’s no longer talking about America as an idea. Now it’s “Europe is a thought that needs to become a feeling.” There’s our new sound byte.
Though this concerns me: “Did I play you that song the last time we spoke? It was in my head—‘Freedom Is a Feeling.’ ”
Ooph.
Bad sign for America: Bono’s no longer talking about America as an idea. Now it’s “Europe is a thought that needs to become a feeling.” There’s our new sound byte.
Though this concerns me: “Did I play you that song the last time we spoke? It was in my head—‘Freedom Is a Feeling.’ ”
Ooph.
JamietheEdgefan
Refugee
Great article (and I’m actually a fan of Bono’s vampire look). Interesting bit of insight into the new album here:Bono Has Another Story to Tell
The U2 frontman spent the past few years reexamining his life and career. Now he’s back with new projects, new music—and a fresh sense of urgency to change the world.www.esquire.com
View attachment 24103
“They are working with Brian Eno again—the superproducer behind The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and Zooropa. And, as he was during the writing of 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, Bono is currently consumed by a desire to return to the essentials. Referencing the earlier collection, he says, “The most important line on that album is ‘I’m not afraid of anything in this world / There’s nothing you can throw at me that I haven’t already heard.’ ” Bono wrote the song thinking of his good friend Michael Hutchence, frontman of INXS, who died by suicide in 1997. He sees it now as a fraught exploration of the male perspective. “That’s really on my mind at the moment,” he admits.”
This kind of thematic focus in the lyrics could be really powerful. I’ve loved the theme of ATYCLB more and more as I’ve gotten older, to the point that I think I might consider it the most powerful concept of any U2 album (or it at least resonates with me the most these days). Will be really interested to see where this goes, if it explores something personal, vulnerable and heartbreakingly bittersweet. Hopefully not all of the album ends up being about how ‘Freedom is a Feeling” (which I’m already assuming is this albums ‘American Soul’).
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Some habits started early...
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
I thought the freedom is a feeeeeling part was oh no cringe too
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
How about Songs For Someone Playing Golf With A Cane In Their Empty Pool In Eze?
The John Tree
War Child
I’m convinced Gavin Friday lurks here and set a timebomb for the fat Bono jokes to come back.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Given the clip that’s out there from Kimmel, and Bono’s understandable anger at USAID and Pepfar cuts, there’s a real reason to tour next year. Do those European stadiums in the summer, then barnstorm the US in the fall in the lead up to midterms, focusing on how his bipartisan accomplishments have been demolished by billionaires which allows Bono to stay above easy partisanship.
He’s also got to do something about that hair.
But otherwise, he’s sounding good, seems engaged and motivated.
He’s also got to do something about that hair.
But otherwise, he’s sounding good, seems engaged and motivated.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
For how absolutely stunning Eve looks when she’s in full glam, you’d think she could lend out one of her team to help her da.
super fly guy
New Yorker
I thought it was a scent like the top of new born babies head?
Achtung Ya'll
War Child
I've come around to ATYCLB as I've gotten older too. In my 20s I was disappointed in it as a follow up to the 90s U2. But as I've gotten older and nearing 50, I feel like I appreciate the catharsis of it as they may have felt it back when they made it. Sort of like a quiet Sunday when you finally feel better after a vicious hangover.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Supplier
david
ONE love, blood, life
There's a quiet dignity and restraint to a lot of All That You Can't Leave Behind, a very reflective and meditative album. The theme of grace runs throughout it, whether it be the surrender to grace or the struggle to embrace it through troubled times (or ability to, as Beautiful Day shows). It's a brilliant thematic unifier for the album (e.g. you can connect apparently dissimilar songs like Elevation and the closing track as one's about spiritual rejuvenation and the ecstasy and peace that it provides) that deals with grown up issues that Bono was tackling as an adult. There's a lot of mourning (Stuck In A Moment), loss (Beautiful Day) and disillusionment (When I Look At The World) on it which also grounds its message - the hardships in life that makes the idea of 'grace' a struggle, so it doesn't idealise or sentimentalise it like some naff Christian rock band. It's so much more nuanced and subtle in its thematic cohesion than most give credit for, creating an album that is realistic but hopeful.
And there is the problem of U2. Bono was still at the top of his game lyrically, seemingly knowing the difference between subtlety and outright sloganeering. He didn't deal so heavily in platitudes or cliches - something I fear he hasn't dropped with that embarrassing 'Freedom Is A Feeling' taster. True art doesn't answer definitively for you but should provide an openness that makes you question or see things in a different way. It should be impressionistic. He did this brilliantly enough throughout most of U2, but I can only imagine that a lack of inspiration and introspection has led him to the bluntest of cliches recently.
Everyone talks about Eno in terms of the sonic qualities and structures he can bring to the band, but lyrically he had a massive influence on Bono. He refused to allow Bono to rewrite much of The Unforgettable Fire album, to everyone's benefit, and wasn't keen on 'there ain't nothing like the real thing' before he instructed Bono to make it more ironic and turn it into Even Better Than The Real Thing.
I'd hope Eno's influence extends to this if he is working on the new album. Because given his past form with the band, he would surely wretch at hearing something as shallow and inept as 'Freedom Is A Feeling'....
Which makes me doubt whether he's actually working on the new album. All these articles suggest they are, but much of it are writers referencing old quotes rather than directly reflecting what is being discussed in the interview (Esquire interview case in point). Along with Freedom Is A Feeling, and their desire to make songs for the kitchen, songs for the speedway, the garage, songs to make up to, songs to break up to..... well it all sounds like we're on the track to a blunt, shallow and bland Jacknife Lee led MOR mush.
And there is the problem of U2. Bono was still at the top of his game lyrically, seemingly knowing the difference between subtlety and outright sloganeering. He didn't deal so heavily in platitudes or cliches - something I fear he hasn't dropped with that embarrassing 'Freedom Is A Feeling' taster. True art doesn't answer definitively for you but should provide an openness that makes you question or see things in a different way. It should be impressionistic. He did this brilliantly enough throughout most of U2, but I can only imagine that a lack of inspiration and introspection has led him to the bluntest of cliches recently.
Everyone talks about Eno in terms of the sonic qualities and structures he can bring to the band, but lyrically he had a massive influence on Bono. He refused to allow Bono to rewrite much of The Unforgettable Fire album, to everyone's benefit, and wasn't keen on 'there ain't nothing like the real thing' before he instructed Bono to make it more ironic and turn it into Even Better Than The Real Thing.
I'd hope Eno's influence extends to this if he is working on the new album. Because given his past form with the band, he would surely wretch at hearing something as shallow and inept as 'Freedom Is A Feeling'....
Which makes me doubt whether he's actually working on the new album. All these articles suggest they are, but much of it are writers referencing old quotes rather than directly reflecting what is being discussed in the interview (Esquire interview case in point). Along with Freedom Is A Feeling, and their desire to make songs for the kitchen, songs for the speedway, the garage, songs to make up to, songs to break up to..... well it all sounds like we're on the track to a blunt, shallow and bland Jacknife Lee led MOR mush.
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DancingBrft
The Fly
it’s interesting to me when we hear once again about “going back to the essentials” and how it’s reminiscent of ATYCLB, for me, that’s a concern. I know a lot of you love ATYCLB and for many it was a gateway album so I appreciate it for all of that, for me, it was the first U2 album that fell flat, did not hit at all. To me, just MHO, it sounds, for the first time, like U2 “trying to make a U2 record”, instead of just writing and creating whatever came out. It sounds nothing like any other U2 music, they didn’t “go back” to anything they did before, so it was different for them. It just struck me so odd being with Eno and Lanois that the songs just felt kind of generic to me. Lyrically too, this is where all of our favorite cliches started. It was so huge though, I think THEY think it’s greater than it really is. Or maybe I’m completely wrong about it, wouldn’t be the first time!
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
I think this is a smart paragraph, and it’s exactly why I love them and why they are an object of ridicule. If you grew up giving a shit, too, and you didn’t want to be “cool” then they were the band for you.
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trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Not really, as people like us will read most or all of the interviews. If it was a much smaller band, we’d be lucky to have one to overanalyze - and certainly a fraction of the hyperbole.
Songwriter translation of “four guys in the room”: We’ve worked on a bunch of songs over the past few years and played around with some good ideas, but don’t have a dozen songs we’re happy with yet. So we’re bringing Eno in to refine a few things and help us come up with some new ideas, while the four of us hunker down and try to finish this thing. If we can reduce these ideas to ones that sound good with the four of us playing them - which is the essence of the band that consists of a singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer - and probably re-record any older songs with this new sense of fervor while using that same motivation to write a few more, then that’s our goal.
Or something like that.
Songwriter translation of “four guys in the room”: We’ve worked on a bunch of songs over the past few years and played around with some good ideas, but don’t have a dozen songs we’re happy with yet. So we’re bringing Eno in to refine a few things and help us come up with some new ideas, while the four of us hunker down and try to finish this thing. If we can reduce these ideas to ones that sound good with the four of us playing them - which is the essence of the band that consists of a singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer - and probably re-record any older songs with this new sense of fervor while using that same motivation to write a few more, then that’s our goal.
Or something like that.
I
Lol they’ve been saying this for like 2 decades
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