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

[ascender_RS]

A little birdie told me L and B are on the outs, and that's what the whole thing is abouts.

The birdie also told me that L has signed on for one final world tour. After which B, E and possibly A will continue on.

The birdie was also drunk, so hey, could be total bullshit.

It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone would it?

I still find the timing of Larry's surgery and recovery weird given how the last tour finished at the end of 2018 and you'd assume that would be when he was feeling the effects of it the most and a good time to deal with it.

Or there could be nothing at all in it and it will all be happy families with a new album and tour planned for the next couple of years.

It's very interesting with the benefit of hindsight to see how things have changed since Paul McG left and all of the mis-steps, lack of a plan and attention to detail. I've been listening to the excellent U2-Y podcast recently and in the last episode he was saying that when P McG left, the direct connection to the band went and for SOI he found himself on conference calls with loads of people discussing the art direction rather than just with the small inner circle of the band.

 

[dan_smee]

They thought the Vegas show was going to be titled SOS Baby.

They guessed that Larry was in because the fake U2 they brought to Columbia included a Larry - which was information a lot of people had.

They had the release date in 2022 wrong by, oh, 5 months.

He's a fan. A fan who knows other fans, some of whom get inside info from time to time. Some members here are more informed. They just don't have their own "news" site.

Generally sure - he does a really good job. But he's not an insider.

Yeah, but what I’m saying is that all of those things are things the band could have been planning on at one point and then changed because… u2. The November date for the book, chapter names and companion album were all first shared by them, and then they noted the date change to March before November 10 hit and long before u2 announced it.

Not arguing that it’s perfect, but saying the wrongness isn’t necessarily just an indicator that they aren’t connected, it’s also an indicator of U2s indecision and flip flopping.

 

[dan_smee]

It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone would it?



I still find the timing of Larry's surgery and recovery weird given how the last tour finished at the end of 2018 and you'd assume that would be when he was feeling the effects of it the most and a good time to deal with it.



Or there could be nothing at all in it and it will all be happy families with a new album and tour planned for the next couple of years.



It's very interesting with the benefit of hindsight to see how things have changed since Paul McG left and all of the mis-steps, lack of a plan and attention to detail. I've been listening to the excellent U2-Y podcast recently and in the last episode he was saying that when P McG left, the direct connection to the band went and for SOI he found himself on conference calls with loads of people discussing the art direction rather than just with the small inner circle of the band.

End of 2019. JT30 in aus, nz and Asia.

And then covid happened and health services were kinda busy.

 

[ascender_RS]

End of 2019. JT30 in aus, nz and Asia.

And then covid happened and health services were kinda busy.

Ah of course, I'd forgotten all about the JT30 tour!

Yeah, but they'll have access to the best healthcare services in the world. Was just thinking out loud - they're so secretive about everything that its all speculative. Interesting to hear about the drunken chat Headache had though.

And yes, we all know how unpredictable U2 are!

 

[BEAL]

I hope Larry is ok

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Many of my chats are drunken

 

[dan_smee]

Yeah - headache doesn’t bullshit about info when he has tips - and he is a trustworthy source for tips.

I’m not doubting that either, I just think there’s a few broader bits of context here, and rumours would swirl even within the tighter U2 circles. Beyond that, I’m sure Larry has quit the band or had the shits with Bono or the others many times over the last 47 years.

 

[dan_smee]

Headache in a suitcase - just the tips

 

[DeVaul]

Headache in a suitcase - just the tips

It was my understanding that we had agreed to the Sphere as a ball-deep experience.

 

[DaveC]

more sex puns? this place can never take anything spheriously.

 

[Registered Dude]

more sex puns? this place can never take anything spheriously.

Sex? More like a circle-jerk

 

[Javin]

I remember an interview a few years back where Larry said that Bono would be the only person that could really hurt him, and that he would be fine & able to deal with it. I think they have an unbreakable bond forged from their early years & dealing with loss of family.

Aaron from U2songs said that Larry went to two of Bono's book tour events & that all the band flew to France after the funeral of Sinead O'Connor. In a seperate tweet he was also very excited about what is ahead for U2 post Vegas

 

[BEAL]

Since we’re all just guessing

Even tho Larry is a grump, and appears the least to care if U2 keeps going….seeing the band go on without you has to feel weird.

Maybe he really didn’t want them to do Vegas without him. Maybe the band felt Larry could get his surgical work done sooner and therefore put the others in this tough spot.

U2 have done something not many other bands have ever done, survive each other for their entire adult lives.

Think about how many bands have broken up over such petty differences, injuries, substance abuse, and in some cases death.

U2 have avoided that for 40 years. Was bound to catch up.

I still hope they have one more great album in them. A final send off (please don’t call it Songs of…) and then let everyone do their thing.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I remember an interview a few years back where Larry said that Bono would be the only person that could really hurt him, and that he would be fine & able to deal with it. I think they have an unbreakable bond forged from their early years & dealing with loss of family.

Aaron from U2songs said that Larry went to two of Bono's book tour events & that all the band flew to France after the funeral of Sinead O'Connor. In a seperate tweet he was also very excited about what is ahead for U2 post Vegas

If Larry were at the funeral somebody would have gotten a photo.

The band has been seen in public many times of late... always just the 3.

 

[Sickly Vulpine]

I remember an interview a few years back where Larry said that Bono would be the only person that could really hurt him, and that he would be fine & able to deal with it. I think they have an unbreakable bond forged from their early years & dealing with loss of family.

Aaron from U2songs said that Larry went to two of Bono's book tour events & that all the band flew to France after the funeral of Sinead O'Connor. In a seperate tweet he was also very excited about what is ahead for U2 post Vegas

I believe that quote from Larry came from their VH1: Legends episode. The “Legends” program was done for artists who were seen as significant contributors to music, and a cut above your basic “Behind The Music” artist(Henry Rollins, Leif Garrett) and also included episodes for the likes of Bowie, Springsteen, The Who etc.. You are right, the quote was in relation to them both losing their mothers early on, and how Bono helped Larry out by being a steady and supportive presence during the early years. Whether Larry still feels that way, nearly a quarter of a century since they taped interviews for that episode, is anyone’s guess.

 

[Registered Dude]

I'm pretty sure that had social media existed in the 1980s and 90s we'd have had the same discussion about Larry's future with the band at least 5 times.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'm pretty sure that had social media existed in the 1980s and 90s we'd have had the same discussion about Larry's future with the band at least 5 times.

I think that's pretty fair

 

[MattD]

Does the band really care anymore? Larry potentially going might just sum up the lack of energetic vibes and creative drive in the band.

As much as he speaks a good game, crap like American Soul is surely not the sound of a man bursting with creativity and energy...

Unless that energy is middle aged divorcee wearing open shirt and medallion trying to chat up younger ladies. Cliched lyrics, ‘yer dad rocking out’ imagery and cringe worthy ‘yee ha, let’s rawk’ guitar riffs. Guarantee they listen to Kid Rock now and think ‘now that’s music!’. Because that’s U2’s vibe now. What ever happened to the esoteric and atmospheric band of years gone by? Surely those qualities are not limited to a younger band. If anything, their old records sound wiser and more mature than the naff rock they serve up these days.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i would happily place a wager with you that U2 don't listen to Kid Rock.

 

[mikal]

Does the band really care anymore? Larry potentially going might just sum up the lack of energetic vibes and creative drive in the band.

As much as he speaks a good game, crap like American Soul is surely not the sound of a man bursting with creativity and energy...

Unless that energy is middle aged divorcee wearing open shirt and medallion trying to chat up younger ladies. Cliched lyrics, ‘yer dad rocking out’ imagery and cringe worthy ‘yee ha, let’s rawk’ guitar riffs. Guarantee they listen to Kid Rock now and think ‘now that’s music!’. Because that’s U2’s vibe now. What ever happened to the esoteric and atmospheric band of years gone by? Surely those qualities are not limited to a younger band. If anything, their old records sound wiser and more mature than the naff rock they serve up these days.

This is natural. It is very hard for a band to match their musical creativity of their first 2 decades of existence. We are lucky to have experienced peak U2 as long as we did. And it's all about perspective. I was first very disappointed by NLOTH, and then I realized that they lost "it", and that's ok. There are still some really good gems and moments from their last 15 years, but to think we're ever going to get peak U2 again is unrealistic.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/20...NsUEO5QAf8UZlV6DD2bBK-RUCXSKLcx7IEHT8RxT6Sv4Q


adam talks about larry in this interview.

 

[super fly guy]

Took from U2songs.com.

Adam appeared on the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio today to talk about the Elephant in the Room movement for mental health.

He also spoke about the performances at the Sphere: "The whole band and the audience are going to be very sad and miss Larry. But I think he’s doing what Larry does and that’s taking his health very responsibly and he wants to come back, he wants to be able to have a long career and continue his drumming so he’s taking care of those injuries.

"He's very much behind the idea of us going on stage with Bram I’m sure for Larry it’s a difficult moment to know that your band are going on stage and you’re not with them but sometimes life deals these things and there was a time a few years ago when Bono couldn’t perform with us, so Bruce Springsteen stepped in which was quite a strange one and Chris Martin did a turn as well.”

More of the interview, including an audio feed is here: https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/0829/1402311-adam-clayton/

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I did say the birdie was drunk.

 

[BEAL]

What exactly is the health issue again? His wrists and/or back?

 

[Irvine511]

I wouldn’t expect Adam to say anything other than what he just said. They doesn’t mean it isn’t true, but it’s what would be said no matter the situation.

I also think Larry maybe a grump, but he’s probably also not particularly thrilled with many decisions U2/Bono & Edge has/have made since 2010, along with many of us … Spider-Man, iTunes, the inarguable (but overstated) decline in overall album quality and a lessening of their overall historic stature in rock music. (They’re fine, of course, but some of the shine is gone.)

Maybe he blames Bono for all/most/much of that.

And he’s probably a pain in general.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I wouldn’t expect Adam to say anything other than what he just said. They doesn’t mean it isn’t true, but it’s what would be said no matter the situation.

I also think Larry maybe a grump, but he’s probably also not particularly thrilled with many decisions U2/Bono & Edge has/have made since 2010, along with many of us … Spider-Man, iTunes, the inarguable (but overstated) decline in overall album quality and a lessening of their overall historic stature in rock music. (They’re fine, of course, but some of the shine is gone.)

Maybe he blames Bono for all/most/much of that.

And he’s probably a pain in general.

That was my take as well after hearing it.

I wouldn't expect him to say "yea, Larry hates Bono so he's not playing" on a random radio interview about a mental health initiative.

 

[DeVaul]

I also think Larry maybe a grump, but he’s probably also not particularly thrilled with many decisions U2/Bono & Edge has/have made since 2010, along with many of us … Spider-Man, iTunes, the inarguable (but overstated) decline in overall album quality and a lessening of their overall historic stature in rock music.
…

Maybe he blames Bono for all/most/much of that.

Don’t we all?

 

[Irvine511]

Don’t we all?

I blame Bono for so much.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I weighed myself today and blamed Bono afterwards

 

[DeVaul]

I weighed myself today

Headache doing an even darker version of Hurt.