New Album Discussion: Electric Lady Studios

[U2girl]

Well, the difference is that the band was providing a barrage of content via the stage show. As with ZooTV, there was a lot of choreographed material that prevented a lot of elasticity.

So when there's so much to absorb visually at and process (one could see several shows from ZooTV/Popmart and still see new things depending where you're looking), the setlists aren't as much of an issue.

When your stage show consists of a big screen for each band member? Yeah, you need to mix it up more and play from a larger well of songs.

They did manage to stuff Zooropa songs in the setlist mid-tour, yet chose to ignore everything pre-UF on the early legs on Zoo TV. I think the cause of the staticness on Popmart may be a part of consumer-obsessed culture they were taking shots at. A McSetlist for each town, if you will. The visuals aren't an obstacle to new material (see : 360).

U2 just isn't a jamming band that can toss out a new song when they feel like it, regardless of the incoming songs on the last two to three tours.

Realistically, what else can they pull out of the hat after Vertigo and 360 that would still surprise us ? Songs off Pop ? More B-sides in place of less played album songs ?

 

[powerhour24]

A tweet today from Firehouse Studios today in Pasadena places Danger Mouse there working on string arrangements for the next Broken Bells record..... plot might be thickening.

I'm all for more Broken Bells, but not if he's not done with U2 damn it! Though if he's not done with them it's probably on the band & their cold feet/busy schedules more than anything else.

 

[powerhour24]

In my original post I don't think I explained myself well enough or just because I don't really have any musical training I'm not saying it the right way. The best I could describe it as there was a "bounce back echo effect" especially at Gillette Stadium I'm not sure that I'm still saying it the right way and prolly cuz of my 46 year old ears but it just sounded off especially at that concert. That stadium has a pretty big open end and they were playing towards it, there's a large medical center and hotel right over the small stands there and you could hear the sound reverberating off of it. I prolly still am not making any sense but I must admit I do like the arena tour's sound better.

But I'm happy there's been some feedback to my post about it because I wondered maybe just my hearing or something or if anyone else thought this.

I was at the shows too, but I was right up in the front of the GA floor one night & in the Red Zone on the ground the next night, so I wasn't at a vantage point to be able to say if it was reverberating too much those nights, but I definitely experienced what you're saying later that week in NJ.

 

[YBORCITY]

I'm taking the tweet as they are done with the mixing with the album.... I guess maybe wishful thinking????

 

[Nick66]

I've been with you on most of your judgements of Elevation up til now, not exciting in set list and Bono's voice wasn't strong but there are so many X factors that push it farther than it would seem from bootlegs, but the last bit I can't agree with. NLOTH is about as earnest a modern rock record as you can find, and that album is much more loved around here.

It's not about lack of irony, or counterculture (ATYCLB is their most praised/successful album of this era with the masses) that puts NLOTH in higher regard. Hell, while U2 can put on a good show/use of irony like in their 90's stage shows, you're definitely a fan of the wrong band if that's what really impresses you, they are and have always been just about the most earnest and optimistic "rock stars" around both in personality and in music.

I don't necessarily disagree with this. I wasn't in any way comparing ATYCLB/Elevation to NLOTH/360. I don't think I even mentioned NLOTH, or even popularity or musical merit. I was comparing ATYCLB/Elevation to AB/ZOOTV and Pop/Popmart in terms of earnestness vs. irony.

 

[YBORCITY]

I was at the shows too, but I was right up in the front of the GA floor one night & in the Red Zone on the ground the next night, so I wasn't at a vantage point to be able to say if it was reverberating too much those nights, but I definitely experienced what you're saying later that week in NJ.

Oh now I see what your saying, I had seats at all of these shows at differing heights of the stadiums.

 

[Nick66]

For all the love that LoveTown gets around here, I think of Elevation as much the same sort of tour -- constantly rotating setlists (according to my iTunes playlist, there were at least 50 songs that rotated in and out at one point or another), a more shambling approach to the setlist overall as opposed to a strict and structured beginning/middle/end, and some incredible moments of passion and improvisation (bringing fans up onstage to play along, etc). Bono's voice was probably the thinnest it's ever been, but that was more than made up for by the enthusiasm of the crowd and the genuine joy the band seemed to have at playing together without a lot of embellishment. It was the sound of a band becoming a band again, and we were the richer for it.

My $.02.

Agree completely.

Loving the Elevation tour love around here.

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

Oh looks like I got in to the wrong forum! I thought I was in the new album discussion thread not the tour thread. Oops

 

[U2NativeSon]

I'm taking the tweet as they are done with the mixing with the album.... I guess maybe wishful thinking????

Pretty sure the album is finished, NYC was the last stop of mixing, it is in the mastering process now.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Nick, can your sources confirm that?

 

[subnet]

Someone in Santa Monica needs to see what Arnie Acosta is up to.

 

[Nick66]

Nick, can your sources confirm that?

That they've finishing mixing and are now mastering? Negative, no confirmation on that. But one of my sources is night diving off the coast of Palau right now and can't be reached.

I have confirmed a late fall release and arena tour next spring. Naturally this is subject to change.

 

[last unicorn]

Interesting tweet

https://twitter.com/johnjr44/status/343062053579259904

And interesting picture of Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam's head

 

[YBORCITY]

WTH is with Adams Head? Nice hair

 

[popacrobat]

Interesting tweet

https://twitter.com/johnjr44/status/343062053579259904

And interesting picture of Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam's head

atu2 ‏@atu2 41m
Thx RT @aidangshine: @atu2 they were on the RTE news as part of tribute to lady who has worked in the Olympia Theatre Dublin for many years

 

[dan_smee]

album announcement on Dublin TV?

 

[last unicorn]

Um no, it was a short tribute to an old Dublin lady who's selling beer in the bar of the Olympic Theatre.

I was also expecting some album news because you don't see the whole band on TV these days that often.

 

[namkcuR]

They did manage to stuff Zooropa songs in the setlist mid-tour, yet chose to ignore everything pre-UF on the early legs on Zoo TV. I think the cause of the staticness on Popmart may be a part of consumer-obsessed culture they were taking shots at. A McSetlist for each town, if you will. The visuals aren't an obstacle to new material (see : 360).

I think a more likely reason for that static-ness of the Popmart setlists is that after the rough start to the tour, where they didn't fully know how to play the Pop songs or use the technology yet, when they finally managed to figure out a set that they thought worked musically and visually and that had the impact they wanted it to have on the audience, they kind of just said, 'let's not fuck with it anymore'.

 

[gvox]

NYC was the last stop of mixing,

Right, even though the only legitimate sources we have so far have been quoted to say "nowhere near (done?) mixing"?

 

[popacrobat]

So the photographers at this Sunday Bloody Sunday acoustic shindig telling U2Log that the mixing is nowhere near done is a legitimate source?

 

[gvox]

So the photographers at this Sunday Bloody Sunday acoustic shindig telling U2Log that the mixing is nowhere near done is a legitimate source?

Well it's a hell of alot better than a 5 month old Billboard article and endless speculation, isn't it?

I mean, assuming that said photog is actively working on some sort of project with U2, they might - just might - have been talking to them?

 

[popacrobat]

Just because the Billboard article is outdated doesn't make a U2log tweet based on information from a photographer a legitimate source.

Kind of begging the question here.

 

[gvox]

Just because the Billboard article is outdated doesn't make a U2log tweet based on information from a photographer a legitimate source.

Kind of begging the question here.

If I quantify my statement with "remotely" or "possibly" legitimate, will you be happy?

Or have you got a more legitimate source other than speculation?

I'm merely repeating information that someone verifiably close the source claimed to be true. And its not a huge leap to expect that in the course of working with them that weekend, the photog may have been given that statement. It's not a huge leap at all. I repeated this quote in response to the completely unverifiable speculation by U2NativeSon "Pretty sure the album is finished, NYC was the last stop of mixing" who has no source, and to the point of me typing this sentence, has not provided any backup to his conclusion.

So, now that the context has been completely spelled out, is there anything more to add?

 

[chrissybaby]

Anyway, back to Popmart.

 

[mama cass]

it's almost like last week never happened!

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

I am surprised not much people are talking about the fact that Eno says he heard U2's new album and said it was very adventurous. At the very least that shows that the album is complete although mixing may not.

 

[popacrobat]

If I quantify my statement with "possibly" legitimate, will you be happy?

Or have you got a more legitimate source other than speculation?

it's a start.

 

[gvox]

I am surprised not much people are talking about the fact that Eno says he heard U2's new album and said it was very adventurous. At the very least that shows that the album is complete although mixing may not.

Great point! I had forgotten about that. It must be at some stage of mixing.

Certainly casts some doubt on the "not nearly done mixing" comment..

EDIT: actually, the direct quote used is "MIXING nowhere done, people." Credit to popacrobat for linking back to the direct quote.

Further context: A Tweet written by U2log a few lines before that one reads:

U2log.com ‏@U2log 31 May
Photographers shooting U2 tonight said U2 album is not done yet. "Nowhere near done."

https://twitter.com/U2log/status/340661653584617473

 

[popacrobat]

I am surprised not much people are talking about the fact that Eno says he heard U2's new album and said it was very adventurous. At the very least that shows that the album is complete although mixing may not.

I think you mean Lanois, unless there's something new where Eno made similar remarks.

But yeah, "Achtung Baby adventurism" is what is encouraging from Lanois' comments. Of course, he said that No Line was reinvention again -- and we all know what happened there: they went back and tinkered with it throughout fall 2008.

Hopefully the same thing doesn't happen late summer/fall '13. Definitely encouraging from Lanois though, and equally encouraging that they've been mixing the album.

Still think we're on track to hear at least one new song by mid Sept.

 

[popacrobat]

Certainly casts some doubt on the "not nearly mixing" comment..

No, the quote was that they're not nearly done mixing the album, not that they're not nearly mixing.

Come on, this is your legitimate source after all!

https://twitter.com/U2log/status/340674225113292800