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

[Irvine511]

Nobody much liked them after the Apple debacle. Probably good they slip out of public consciousness and only meaningfully resurface with celebrations of their consensus two best albums.

The SOS stuff — book and show and movie — really is for the fans, not for everyone.

But I want a new album and tour as much as anyone, and I saw both Sphere and SOS. And both were obviously of high quality, if not resetting the bar (yet again) in terms of what’s possible in live performance (Sphere).

But yes, they need new music, for themselves as much as us. They are not the Stones or Billy Joel.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Don't hate on Billy Joel

 

[Irvine511]

Don't hate on Billy Joel

I’m not! He feels no need to make new music and hasn’t for decades. Good on him for knowing who he is and delivering what the people in the tri-state area want.

Bono still dreams of writing songs to be raptured by.

 

[MattD]

I’m not! He feels no need to make new music and hasn’t for decades. Good on him for knowing who he is and delivering what the people in the tri-state area want.

Bono still dreams of writing songs to be raptured by.

And regardless of the criticism of latter albums, he/they still can deliver a few cherished songs on every album. Much of Experience is justifiably derided for the chart baiting nonsense but Love Is All We Have Left and The Little Things are top top songs. Lyrically, performatively, it's all there - it has that introspective nature that the best U2 songs have. Production wise its good - Bono's voice isn't pressed right up against your ear and has a bit of distance and nice reverb to it, allowing it to sit with the instrumentation rather than smother it (a criticism of most modern day chart acts).

 

[mikal]

I liked Boots when it came out. Now I think it's ok as a one off, definitely not a lead single. The guitar tones are top notch. The lyrics are stupid but the vocal pattern during the chorus is really good and different for the band, so I respect that.

Stand Up Comedy is the worst song they ever recorded, partly because they deleted the release of their album by 2 months because they actually thought they had a hit on their hands when they actually had a banger of a song called For Your Love that they overcooked and turned into a steaming pile of shiit.

 

[MattD]

I liked Boots when it came out. Now I think it's ok as a one off, definitely not a lead single. The guitar tones are top notch. The lyrics are stupid but the vocal pattern during the chorus is really good and different for the band, so I respect that.

Stand Up Comedy is the worst song they ever recorded, partly because they deleted the release of their album by 2 months because they actually thought they had a hit on their hands when they actually had a banger of a song called For Your Love that they overcooked and turned into a steaming pile of shiit.

Is that the original version of SUC? Is it available to hear anywhere?

As a frustrated Danny Lanois said about the tinkering, 'this album was finished ages ago'. It should have been released on the intended release of October 2008.

 

[mikal]

Is that the original version of SUC? Is it available to hear anywhere?

As a frustrated Danny Lanois said about the tinkering, 'this album was finished ages ago'. It should have been released on the intended release of October 2008.

There used to be one on YouTube, but I can't find it anymore. What's funny is that I listen to it so much leading up to the album because I thought it was going to be on there that I permanently have it in my head.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Stand Up Comedy was my favorite song on the album on first listen. Which is a bit frightening in retrospect.

I agree with Mikal that the frame of a banger is there - but it's overdone. I don't think it's the worst song they've ever recorded. I don't even think it's the worst song on the album. Alas - it was a blown opportunity. It has a solid, funky groove to it, but the lyrics are horse ****. There's a lot of that on No Line.

If Pop was Bono's best album (IMO), No Line was his worst. He flat out ruined multiple songs with bad lyrics. Looking at you, Unknown Caller.

 

[DeVaul]

As a frustrated Danny Lanois said about the tinkering, 'this album was finished ages ago'. It should have been released on the intended release of October 2008.

My favorite quote around that album was from Brian Eno, regarding the band’s desire to tinker with the one-take Moment of Surrender: “These ****ing guys, they're supposed to be so spiritual—they don't spot a miracle when it hits them in the face.”

And I’ll take the god-in-the-machine group chants of Unknown Caller over “sexy boots!” any day.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

My favorite quote around that album was from Brian Eno, regarding the band’s desire to tinker with the one-take Moment of Surrender: “These ****ing guys, they're supposed to be so spiritual—they don't spot a miracle when it hits them in the face.”

And I’ll take the god-in-the-machine group chants of Unknown Caller over “sexy boots!” any day.

Why do we need to choose? They're both turds

 

[PookaMacP]

And regardless of the criticism of latter albums, he/they still can deliver a few cherished songs on every album. Much of Experience is justifiably derided for the chart baiting nonsense but Love Is All We Have Left and The Little Things are top top songs. Lyrically, performatively, it's all there - it has that introspective nature that the best U2 songs have. Production wise its good - Bono's voice isn't pressed right up against your ear and has a bit of distance and nice reverb to it, allowing it to sit with the instrumentation rather than smother it (a criticism of most modern day chart acts).

Agree. No coincidence, I suspect, that both songs had a significant contribution from Andy Barlow.

 

[2861U2]

I was a fan of Stand Up Comedy in 2009, and I’m a fan in 2025. I love the “DNA lotto” line. No, the lyrics aren’t deep, but I think they’re fun, in the way Elevation or Playboy Mansion are fun.

It’s better than Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Boots, and White As Snow.

 

[ascender_RS]

2017 - Joshua Tree 30th tour
2018 - Songs of Experience album + tour
2019 - additional JT30 tour dates
2020 - entire world shuts down, nobody tours
2021 - nobody does **** for first half of the year, Bono pretends to be a lion singing with a hedgehog in a fake Sphere
2022 - Bono's book is released, one man show starts in November
2023 - Songs of Surrender is released, A Sort of Homecoming released, more Bono solo shows, Atmos Achtung Baby mix released, Sphere shows begin
2024 - more Sphere shows, Bomb remaster and reissue released with fully produced b-sides and outtakes
2025 - lazy bastards barely did anything. Bono released a film. what wankers.
2026 - likely album and possible tour

so, like, they HAVE been fairly busy in that time. 3 years of touring, a residency and a solo tour, plus an album, a bunch of reissues, a book, a few movies and an elaborate re-recording of 40 old songs.

When you put it like that....

I thought they could have just taken the AB show out on the road with Bram for 12 months given they'd rehearsed, the visuals were there (albeit probably needed a tweak)... but if that would have been 2024 - 2025 then a new album wouldn't be on the cards for 2026 I guess.

Like you say, we've had lots of content in the last few years, but I just felt SoS was a bit of a missed opportunity to maybe release some new songs as part-of, or instead-of that project.

At least we're going to get a new music and tour within 18 months or so.

 

[ascender_RS]

I still can't fathom why Edge hasn't wanted to do more soundtrack work in the breaks. I've always thought his approach to music would be a great fit for scoring stuff.

 

[DeVaul]

It’s better than Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Boots, and White As Snow.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

When you put it like that....

I thought they could have just taken the AB show out on the road with Bram for 12 months given they'd rehearsed, the visuals were there (albeit probably needed a tweak)... but if that would have been 2024 - 2025 then a new album wouldn't be on the cards for 2026 I guess.

Like you say, we've had lots of content in the last few years, but I just felt SoS was a bit of a missed opportunity to maybe release some new songs as part-of, or instead-of that project.

At least we're going to get a new music and tour within 18 months or so.

the visuals for Sphere were created specifically for Sphere. U2 traveled with an 8K screen on JT30. Sphere is 16k. So they'd not only have to scale the visuals down for size, but also resolution. I don't know enough about that to attest as to how hard or easy that might be, but i think it's more complicated than just "a tweak."

SOS was recorded largely during COVID when the band was separated. They have never been a band to record separately - nor have they been a band that comes with fully fleshed out songs to the recording process. It's just now how they've ever worked, for better or worse. So they put that out alongside Bono's book because it fit, and was used as the backing track to the audiobook.

Now you have Larry and his medical issues - which would further hold up any recording.

I agree that it would have been nice to put out a few songs along the way - maybe an EP. and i think I remember hearing that they had considered that at some point - but you never know with the stuff that comes out of Bono's mouth as to what's actually a possibility.

If we assume Larry was fully healed and ready to go by the second half of 2024 - that would mean it's been a year of recording. If they're almost wrapped (as the latest rumors state) and the plan is to put it out in 2026? Honestly it's the shortest recording period they've used since probably the 80s. It just seems drawn out because of a whole lot of extenuating circumstances. It also makes me think that a lot of this material was previously recorded - or recorded with, say, drum machines while Larry was recovering and then they went back to re-record it once he was healthy - and that most of the work that has been done has been figuring out the full direction. We've heard "guitar heavy" and we've heard "Irish sci-fi." We have Eno, and we have Jackknife Lee. I'm sure they're taking some of the tracks from each and seeing how they work together. I just hope they don't No Line this ****.

I feel like they have an end game in mind here - and that they've been waiting on Larry to execute it. Perhaps even telling Larry to get the surgery when he did in order to be ready for a big 50th anniversary blow out, followed by a graceful bow out.

 

[DeVaul]

If we assume Larry was fully healed and ready to go by the second half of 2024 - that would mean it's been a year of recording. If they're almost wrapped (as the latest rumors state) and the plan is to put it out in 2026? Honestly it's the shortest recording period they've used since probably the 80s. It just seems drawn out because of a whole lot of extenuating circumstances.

Good take. Not to mention how many things they have they recorded and simply not released in the last 20 years. Probably another album’s worth of material, maybe more.

I feel like they have an end game in mind here - and that they've been waiting on Larry to execute it. Perhaps even telling Larry to get the surgery when he did in order to be ready for a big 50th anniversary blow out, followed by a graceful bow out.

Everyone in the band lies (ssssh, it’s ok Adam, I didn’t mean you), but didn’t Larry say something about wanting to be able to play for a long time? Between that and statements about missing the band, Bono’s statements about everyone needing to want it, maybe they’ve got a bit more fuel in the tank than we think.

 

[ascender_RS]

I do think you're right about the Larry thing @Headache in a Suitcase, there's no way the band don't have an exit planned and as we've all said, it feels like we're reaching the end of the road in more ways than one.

For me, it's whether this new album and tour is, or becomes, that final farewell thing. Or is it a precursor to something else which will come along the line shortly after.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

There was a significantly, infinitely better No Line album somewhere right there in front of them. Check the gorgeous short burst of the faster Unknown Caller, for example (then immediately slowed to 'plodding').

 

[DeVaul]

There was a significantly, infinitely better No Line album somewhere right there in front of them. Check the gorgeous short burst of the faster Unknown Caller, for example (then immediately slowed to 'plodding').

But where’s the top-line melody?!?

 

[dan_smee]

I’m going to spray some responses to the general chat I’ve missed in the last few days:

I’ll admit to liking Boots at first in a personal level, but I distinctly remember listening to the leak with my wife, who wasn’t a big fan at the time. She says (somewhat frustratedly) “well here’s another popular hit to start an album”. I remember saying “Nup. It’s not there. There’s something missing. It’s playful with a straight face. You call pull off earnest nonsense.”

SUC - has always sucked. I don’t remember thinking For Your Love was much different/better. I often wonder how much they watered that album down, or if the band rethought things because Eno/Lanois weren’t seeing that the magic wasn’t there.

End game - has to be this. What I don’t understand is the weight of material they would have recorded and ready to go - why was this not packaged into something “the lost tapes” or something to tide them over. They are holding SOA. This will be their last album. Bet the house. So this new one is like a kickoff to a birthday celebration, and then SOA is the farewell. We have Rubin, RedOne, several started projects since 2002 with various producers. Give the tapes to old mate Fish Out of Water and tell him to build a cohesive sounding lost tapes mix, drop it in 2024. These guys!!!

 

[Registered Dude]

I’m going to spray some responses to the general chat I’ve missed in the last few days:

I’ll admit to liking Boots at first in a personal level, but I distinctly remember listening to the leak with my wife, who wasn’t a big fan at the time. She says (somewhat frustratedly) “well here’s another popular hit to start an album”. I remember saying “Nup. It’s not there. There’s something missing. It’s playful with a straight face. You call pull off earnest nonsense.”

SUC - has always sucked. I don’t remember thinking For Your Love was much different/better. I often wonder how much they watered that album down, or if the band rethought things because Eno/Lanois weren’t seeing that the magic wasn’t there.

End game - has to be this. What I don’t understand is the weight of material they would have recorded and ready to go - why was this not packaged into something “the lost tapes” or something to tide them over. They are holding SOA. This will be their last album. Bet the house. So this new one is like a kickoff to a birthday celebration, and then SOA is the farewell. We have Rubin, RedOne, several started projects since 2002 with various producers. Give the tapes to old mate Fish Out of Water and tell him to build a cohesive sounding lost tapes mix, drop it in 2024. These guys!!!

Great post.

It’s telling that they haven’t worked with Daniel Lanois since No Line. I wonder if there’s a bit of bitterness there. I remember he spoke of the sessions with a lot of passion at the time.

So maybe bitterness for the album that never was, the one that existed before they brought in folks like Lillywhite and Will I Am. I bet it sounded cohesive at the very least. But without Big U2 Songs? Or radio friendly hooks.

Definitely a major curiosity of my fandom. Hope we hear it at some point.

 

[Irvine511]

I believe the band was upset that Lanois wasn’t watching enough Battlestar Galactica, and that led to the rift.

 

[AndrewCowley]

8+ years in between albums being spun as the shortest period in between albums since the 80s. This place is hysterically funny at times.

 

[ascender_RS]

What I don’t understand is the weight of material they would have recorded and ready to go - why was this not packaged into something “the lost tapes” or something to tide them over. They are holding SOA. This will be their last album. Bet the house. So this new one is like a kickoff to a birthday celebration, and then SOA is the farewell. We have Rubin, RedOne, several started projects since 2002 with various producers. Give the tapes to old mate Fish Out of Water and tell him to build a cohesive sounding lost tapes mix, drop it in 2024. These guys!!!

The other thing about this is that they're not the Beatles and their core audience is aging with them. If they want to do something with all this stuff, you'd have to think they are running out of time to release it to a captive audience who will also buy the expensive boxsets to go with it.

Like you've said, there must be a decent amount of material available from the aborted projects alone.

I'd also forgotten about Songs of Ascent. I wonder if that's something which really is finished and they could release without tinkering and maybe mid-tour or something if this is the last hurrah.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

8+ years in between albums being spun as the shortest period in between albums since the 80s. This place is hysterically funny at times.

Hi.

That's not what I said whatsoever.

I said they had the shortest, full band recording session. Which of it clocks in at a year and a half for a new album? Yea, it would be.

I also then followed it up by saying that it likely means that they're working on songs that they worked on songs they had already begun without Larry.

Hilarious, I know.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

I think there’s a decent possibility that this upcoming album is Songs of Ascent.

There’s working with Brian Eno again, who strikes me as the person they’d want to work with on SoA, considering the concept originated out of sessions with him in the first place. I could also imagine the sci-fi/Irish folk elements being an appropriate expression of the spiritual themes (presumably) explored by an album with that title/theme. Could also be why they backed down from the rock album, which Bono said a couple of years ago that he wanted to release before Songs of Ascent. Maybe they’ve decided to skip ahead straight to SoA.

There’s also the fact that they seem to have recorded this album in record time (as Headache pointed out); I wonder if they’re were able to do this as they weren’t starting from scratch, but taking demos from the NLOTH sessions, plus whatever progress they’d made on them since then (I imagine Bono and Edge could have done a lot of work on them during the pandemic/Larry’s surgeries).

I also wonder if they’re uncertain of how many albums - and importantly, world tours - they have left in them, given recent health issues. That, coupled with next year being the 50th anniversary, could mean they consider this the right time to release their swan song.

In any case, it really does feel like Songs of Ascent is a real album (if only in concept), but is being deliberately withheld. Whilst promoting his autobiography, Bono said something like Songs of Ascent was completed, but not ready for release, and that he wanted to release the rock album first - which sounds like what they would plan of they had a final album in mind. Also, considering the finality of a concept like Ascent, it sounds so appropriate to go out on that note.

Also, one final (pedantic) note: we’ve had Songs of Innocence, Experience, and Surrender. Releasing an album now with a non-‘songs of’ title, only to then go back to ‘songs of’ with SoA, might be unlikely?

 

[pacemaker]

They could also just retitle SoA to something less tied into the Songs… era. No one really knows or cares or remembers about the title Songs of Ascent outside of, well, probably here. It has such a presence here in our hive mind as THE GREAT UNRELEASED ALBUM, but maybe its place is in the vaults with the early versions of Pop and NLOTH. Maybe they’ll release the rock album AND Ascent. It seems they’ve been focusing on song craft and concept craft, when maybe they should just focus on one or the other.

As for them winding down, I hope they’ve gotten all of the Look To The Past stuff out of their system and can treat their 50th anniversary and subsequent album(s)/tour as the beginning of the final chapter, and write it as they go along. I’d like to see them ride off into the sunset instead of circle the nostalgia drain. Release the obligatory reissues and retrospectives as ancillary supplements and curios to pad out their (hopeful) victory lap, then open the vaults as they truly wind down to keep them in the public consciousness.

 

[2861U2]

Also, one final (pedantic) note: we’ve had Songs of Innocence, Experience, and Surrender. Releasing an album now with a non-‘songs of’ title, only to then go back to ‘songs of’ with SoA, might be unlikely?

I've thought about that too. Having a "normal" album title sandwiched between "Songs of" titles might be odd. Which is why, if SOA is the final album, I'd be fine just calling it Ascent or Ascension. Still gets the concept across, but without the clunky title.

 

[dan_smee]

Why not just call it ‘Ascent’. Imagine them releasing a late career meditative, experimental, artistically driven work that starts with such a simple and evocative name? After decades of Bono throwing syllables in where they don’t belong, there’s power in the things he doesn’t say and the silences he doesn’t fill. Just ‘Ascent’.

I hope they DONT drop the nostalgia either. I hope there are several more Reassemble/Kindergarten style releases in their future where they actually do recapture original intents from early sketches for all of their albums if possible. Give us something raw and unpolished. It’s the most inspired original work they’ve released bar Little Things since City of Blinding Lights.