New album talk - Album coming SOON to a galaxy near you!!!

[Von Schloopen]

Like what was said, the end of 360 had to become a greatest hits legacy kinda approach. The old standbys. Madonna did not flinch. She performed a ton of new stuff and very very little of straight up oldies. Curious to what would have happened if u2 had done that .

Nothing would have changed. The early 360 shows were pretty much sold out. Just like the later dates.

This here never happened: "Ohh good, they stopped opening with 'Breathe'? They're not playing 'No Line On The Horizon'? They're playing 'The Fly'? Now I'll go see them."

 

[allbecauseofu2]

nothing beats a setlist party on this board.

 

[DoctorGonzo]

I still think Breathe should've been the lead single of NLOTH. It has the catchiness and happy feeling most hits have. Sure as hell would've beaten Boots.

I found and still find "Breathe" to be anything but catchy. It's a meandering song. The 2009 Boston gig did a great job of reenforcing that.

It aspires to be so much more than it is, but falls into that "When I Look at the World" style banality.

 

[Von Schloopen]

I can think of many a thing that beat sitting at a computer complaining about songs played to people 1,200 miles away.

 

[LemonMelon]

I can think of many a thing that beat sitting at a computer complaining about songs played to people 1,200 miles away.

Maybe that's all the happiness he knows.

 

[Von Schloopen]

Or, that's all the happiness he needs. To each his own. It's a strange, strange world. Lord knows I've got mine.

Pretzels & peanut butter. Holy shit.

 

[trevgreg]

Like what was said, the end of 360 had to become a greatest hits legacy kinda approach. The old standbys. Madonna did not flinch. She performed a ton of new stuff and very very little of straight up oldies. Curious to what would have happened if u2 had done that .

I'm sure it would've been a sight to see 60 people "talking" along to Cedars of Lebanon in the entire stadium.

They played the 7 songs off of the album that they probably would've gotten away with in a live setting. If they kept the four that they dropped by the time the July 2011 shows came around, people would be complaining about how they "weren't changing it up" regardless. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

its a double edged sword. the crowd isn't reacting to the new songs so lets drop some of them. But when you drop new songs to play old songs, one could say oh hey I guess the band doesn't really believe in the new album either, look how fast they dropped back to their old hits. They make it a joke. Its just a excuse to tour. nobody cares about new stuff right? But shouldn't you give the fans what they want? didn't they make you who are you?

 

[mama cass]

But shouldn't you give the fans what they want? didn't they make you who are you?

wtf?

 

[nathan1977]

its a double edged sword. the crowd isn't reacting to the new songs so lets drop some of them. But when you drop new songs to play old songs, one could say oh hey I guess the band doesn't really believe in the new album either, look how fast they dropped back to their old hits. They make it a joke. Its just a excuse to tour. nobody cares about new stuff right? But shouldn't you give the fans what they want? didn't they make you who are you?

It's tough. When you're thinking about a live show the way U2 does -- like a Broadway show, with a beginning/middle/end -- the songs must also fit a narrative. ZooTV is the best example of this -- those first eight songs in the set were not just a defiant throw-down to the audience, they made sense in terms of a coherent narrative. In fact, I would argue those songs almost *only* make sense in that narrative -- certainly Zoo Station, The Fly, and Tryin to Throw don't hold up outside of the narrative. (Zoo Station only lived on in the Zoocore portion of Vertigo, and The Fly has seen limited play also, because the character doesn't make much sense outside that narrative.)

The songs for NLOTH -- rooted as they were in other characters and other stories, but also in the context of an album that didn't quite know what it was -- didn't necessarily fit the tour's narrative, so they became easy to ditch. Whereas with Zoo TV, if the audience didn't respond to the songs, there wasn't exactly a Plan B. NLOTH was ultimately birthed in an identity crisis, and I think that reflected itself in the tour. I loved 360, but it became less about an album/mission/statement/whatever, and more about the band themselves. In that context, songs matter less on their own merit, and more about what makes the crowd respond -- and in that context, hits are more important. I actually think they were brave by pulling out MLK/Scarlet/Zooropa/UF -- they certainly didn't need to. They could have made it just a greatest hits tour, but they still tried to throw some spanners in for those of us who wanted to be surprised.

 

[mama cass]

i dunno about anyone else, but when i go to a gig, i go to see the band perform, excited about what they're going to throw our way, and if i hear a special song then i'm extra happy

i guess the band can easily figure out which songs work in a live setting or not and that's their call - this whole "But shouldn't you give the fans what they want? didn't they make you who are you?" sense of entitlement is ridiculous

 

[mama cass]

Ah how easily we forget.

U2 is different and even the least avid U2 fan will admit it. The sound, the fire, the energy when on stage. Now I hear be more like Bowie and they will never be the biggest band in the world again. Laughable.

When that first single hits your speakers and they found "it" you will remember what made you love U2 in the first place. No one has "it" like U2. No Bowie, no arcade fire, no one. The last album was missing that and anyone denying it is in denial. The good news is the realize they didn't like where they ended up. The proof is in how quickly those songs got dropped from sets and how few made it past multiple legs. If you don't think these guys will blow it up and risk it all you haven't been paying attention. Something big is coming. Bono is not going on a stage again without some serious ammunition. He knows the end of the 360 tour, though enjoyable, had to rely on the backbone of prior work. When U2 hits the stage next time I expect an onslaught no band could match.

Don't let the bastards grind you down

Godspeed

can't disagree with that

 

[allbecauseofu2]

sorry meant to say made you who you are. And im just saying their are people who feel that way. You know sometimes, that certain songs on certain tours are not gonna survive past that tour. Yea that's interesting about if the zoo tv thing didn't get over. I don't know what they do if they had to drop a lot of those songs. Like you said its tough. You can please the casual fan by just playing stuff they know. But look weak to the hardcore fan that wants a old album cut or a new album cut. They leave saying oh they play nothing but tired old hits and nothing risky. What a bunch of cowards!.While casual fan leaves happy . oh u2 was great this and that, they played everything I know. I think at times they have found a balance . proly toward the end of 360 it was more greatest hits kinda thing. The theme of the show was we are u2 and we have all these hits. I proly have to believe u2 would flinch before Madonna does . If the next tour u2 finds the new songs are only getting lukewarm reception they will retreat to old territory . They would be disappointed but I can't see them letting crowds go home unhappy. Madonna won't let another human being dictate to her how her show needs to be. you wanted to hear open your heart?? well too fucking bad.

 

[mama cass]

sorry meant to say made you who you are. And im just saying their are people who feel that way.

yeah i understand what you meant, but, i'm sorry, i think that's preposterous - that kind of thinking drives me nuts!

 

[allbecauseofu2]

well what can I say? that line of thinking is out there. The band has the right to do what they want . Its not like the fans can sue them because they did something they didn't like. However , the fan also doesn't have to buy the albums, or go the shows. They can also go to show and walk out or boo if they want to. Its not like the band can sue the fans for not getting on board. Its cause and effect. A band has to somehow find that balance. I would assume you think Madonna should be praised for putting on the show as she saw fit. And I saw u2 on a early leg of 360, and even then it just seemed they weren't 100% behind the new songs. I enjoyed it, but I could sense a lull in the crowd. but u2 also didn't display full confidence sometimes in the new songs. And if you don't believe in what your doing on stage then the crowd will pick up on that.

 

[LPU2]

I found and still find "Breathe" to be anything but catchy. It's a meandering song. The 2009 Boston gig did a great job of reenforcing that.

It aspires to be so much more than it is, but falls into that "When I Look at the World" style banality.

Breathe from the beach clips was gorgeous...seriously thought it could be one of the best things they'd ever done.

When I heard the album version I was crushed. This has happened many times with songs I've had the chance to hear before the final version. Hands that Built America is another. U2's biggest problem is they'll take the soul of a great song and work it and work it and work it until the soul's no longer there.

 

[mikal]

Breathe from the beach clips was gorgeous...seriously thought it could be one of the best things they'd ever done.

When I heard the album version I was crushed. This has happened many times with songs I've had the chance to hear before the final version. Hands that Built America is another. U2's biggest problem is they'll take the soul of a great song and work it and work it and work it until the soul's no longer there.

That's how I felt about Magnificent. If we get any beach clips this time around I'm not listening to them.

 

[djerdap]

The main problem with beach clips is that the "sound" was so bad and muffled one left a lot of things to one's imagination. Hence the final products sounding underwhelming to many people who have listened to those clips.

 

[mama cass]

honestly, i couldn't make out a whole lot from those beach clips - i actually have no memory of them apart from the waves and talking!

 

[Tim Wallach]

So basically it sounds like we're saying that if U2 could only take the songs they have and reduce the volume to a low rumble and dub in waves, wind and some inane chatter, we'd have that masterpiece?

I'm off to call Electric Lady.

 

[chork]

Breathe from the beach clips was gorgeous...seriously thought it could be one of the best things they'd ever done.

When I heard the album version I was crushed. This has happened many times with songs I've had the chance to hear before the final version. Hands that Built America is another. U2's biggest problem is they'll take the soul of a great song and work it and work it and work it until the soul's no longer there.

And that right there is why I have always, always successfully fought temptation and resisted listening to any leaks.

The first time I hear something new, I want it to to be the way the band intended it to sound.

 

[gvox]

I skipped the beach clips. I listened to the ones from before HTDAAB tho. Or were those the beach clips? I forget, to be honest...there were some set of clips that were so muddied that they weren't really worth listening to imo.

 

[jajanee]

Found this link through a pretty reliable dutch music site. Does anybody know if Roger Friedman is reliable?

Bono, U2 Preparing First New Album Since 2009 for Spring 2014 (Exclusive)
By Roger Friedman (showbiz411)

Really? Will it be five years since U2 released a new album? That’s indeed the story. I can tell you that Bono, Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are planning a new album for early spring 2014. And it will be the first since “No Line on the Horizon,” a so-so effort (sorry) compared to the group’s many thrilling and classic recordings.
“No Line” was released in 2009. Bono was on David Letterman last week and said that everyone basically had to be patient and wait for a great album. But I am told that the album is pretty much in place and that work has commenced on art, videos, and other related items. When U2 comes with a release now, it has to have all its ducks in order.
What was the group doing all this time? Well, they made zillions touring. And of course there was “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark.”
U2 will be welcomed back by the music industry with parades and fireworks.

 

[vaz02]

That article tells us nothing. This chap has just copied everything anyone would suspect

 

[Reg McGowan]

Is this the first video of band on studio for the new album?

After watching the clip a few times, I assume they are doing overdubs on one of the new songs. Usually during this process, musicians will often look at a computer screen or laptop to see the lyrics. It could be anything or it could very well be some vocal overdubs for one of the songs...Pretty Exciting that they're singing in French too. They must have listened to a lot of French bands and music in Nice last summer and got inspired...Can't wait to hear the Dang thing !

 

[Hollow Island]

I don't know why but I got it crossed my mind yesterday while drifting off that the new album will sound like a cross between Zooropa and War.

 

[vaz02]

How cool would it be to have a single with foreign lyrics? Uno, dos, tres.........

 

[BloodRedSky2k5]

I think they were just improvising in that clip. The YouTube link posted on @U2 from U2br.com says the it is improvisation. The guy who recorded the clip, JR, is a French artist who helped them with the performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday earlier this year. I think they were just singing in French because he was there.

 

[Dragonfave]

https://twitter.com/ThatEricAlper/status/385434397346111488

Bono says a new U2 album will be released when God tells them to. I'm hearing Spring '14 as cover art + videos worked on now.

Report from Showbiz yesterday also heard the same thing.

 

[gvox]

After watching the clip a few times, I assume they are doing overdubs on one of the new songs. Usually during this process, musicians will often look at a computer screen or laptop to see the lyrics. It could be anything or it could very well be some vocal overdubs for one of the songs...Pretty Exciting that they're singing in French too.

I would highly doubt those are actual vocal takes to be used as overdubs. Almost certainly real overdubs would be recorded individually in a booth..notably, without some goof goin "niice..niice" or whatever in the background lol

They're just messing around there