OFFICIAL - New Album Delayed Until 2009

[Bottle Bono]

"It's been fun, it's been maddening... there have been injuries and recoveries, no babies born that I know of, but this one [album] is nearly ready for the new year of 2009.... I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found?"

 

[U2girl]

Daniel Lanois said two months ago they wrapped the album.
And HE'S the main producer.
Ask yourself what changed.

"rubbish"

It's probably more like McGuiness and the corporation wanted a November release but for some reason the band said no. They need more songs, as Bono's comments suggest.

 

[U2girl]

ETA: and the album earnie was referring to was HTDAAB. A large populace of interference is split: a lot of people like the Chris Thomas Bomb better than the Steve Lillywhite Bomb, and think the additional time in the studio killed the raw, spontaneous energy of Vertigo, All Because of You, and others, which were released through the digital box-set.

Yeah, the "it has to be better because it's not released" argument. Bomb is actually more loved here than, say, ATYCLB.

What exactly is the "Chris Thomas" Bomb ? We never got that tracklisting, and most songs got on the "Lillywhite" Bomb with only arrangement changes.

 

[SecretFly]

It's probably more like McGuiness and the corporation wanted a November release but for some reason the band said no. They need more songs, as Bono's comments suggest.

More songs is good But too be honest I wasn't overly impressed with the leaked songs but that could be due to the sound quality. Maybe we can expect a double album or two albums in two years. Who knows. All I want is great songs that shit all over Bomb.

 

[U2girl]

Someone ran into Adam in Dublin 2 years ago and mentioned interference and asked Adam if he was aware of it. He responded "Intereference? Oh, of course".
They know the site. They're on it right now.

LOL, Edge said the same thing once...but later a fan asked him on tour, he went pretty much "huh?"

I don't doubt the band is aware of the existence of this site, but they do not visit themselves. Come on.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Lets be honest, the band cannot win can they? they release it in November and a section on fans go on about it all being for the money, they decide to leave it a couple of extra months, spend some more time in the studio and the other section on fans turn around and say they wanted the album in November!,

Also, if the band done spend that long in the studio people complain, if they spend quite a while in the studio, people again complain.

 

[U2girl]

Right. November 2009 IS 5 years from November 2004. People, February 2009 is not gonna happen. November 2009. HOLIDAY $ALE$!!!!

Right. Assumption all the way ftw.

‘But what we’re about now is of the same order as the transition that took us
from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby.’ Technically the main cause for that transition was the mega backlash for Rattle and Hum (and a backlash will probably come once this will NOT be U2's best ever album). Not really an endorsement, Bono.

 

[vaz02]

Something must of really gone wrong, i dont believe this songwriting stuff. Word on the street a few months ago was Oct / Nov.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Why do people always have to assume something is wrong?

 

[last unicorn]

Why do people always have to assume something is wrong?

Because that's their life philosophy. You expect negative things, negative things will happen.

 

[vaz02]

Why do people always have to assume something is wrong?

Because Bono is a lying son of a bitch and producers and the manager told us to expect november and october for album release.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Because Bono is a lying son of a bitch and producers and the manager told us to expect november and october for album release.

Am sorry but i have seen nothing official stating a November or October release? its all very well the producer saying it etc, but who's to say he never got things wrong? and in actual fact there was alot more to do than he thought?

 

[vaz02]

He's a producer of X amount of years, he's on the ground floor. Im quite sure he knows what needs doing.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Ok fair enough, but it still could be been him that changed his mind about what needs doing etc?

and who did he tell the album was nearly finished?

 

[U2Fan101]

Okay, I’ll play along and dress it down a little seeing as you obviously don’t think that way about the Bomb. I think it’s fair to say that even it’s biggest fans around here generally acknowledge that it’s overcooked. That they probably spent too much time on it, worked it over one too many times. That in itself is no criticism of the songs on the album. I am a massive, massive, massive Pop fan but I am more than happy to acknowledge that it’s mix is terrible and that there are extremely obvious editing mistakes in there too. They needed that extra month. I think with the Bomb they did the same to the opposite extreme. They should have let it go earlier. They undercooked Pop and overcooked the Bomb.

We know that with Pop their mistake was due to the Popmart tour booking. We know with the Bomb that they had a near complete album in 2003, and scrapped it based on a belief that – essentially - it was not commercially viable enough, and went about re-working those songs to within an inch of their lives. I’m just saying, I doubt this situation now is all a fine and dandy “oh but we just love working on this album, we never want the working to end”. I’d bet they’re either not happy with what they have, or they’ve got cold feet over it’s general sound or direction.

As others have said, they’ve spent a while talking up how much they have, how great it is, and how ridiculously exciting the new direction and sound is. I reckon they’ve got cold feet, or some of them do, and they’re now going to dismantle this bomb too.

Excellent response. I couldn't have said it better myself, especially your view on Pop and HTDAAB.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Earnie sorry but how can they be getting cold feat when Bono has now very publicy said they are changing direction again?

jeesus this board has become so cynical that its almost and anti-U2 board rather than a fan board.

 

[PowerSurge]

2009 Delay = Release of Double Album???

Anyone?

 

[vaz02]

Fans are and always should and will be the harshest critics.

 

[last unicorn]

We know with the Bomb that they had a near complete album in 2003, and scrapped it based on a belief that – essentially - it was not commercially viable enough, and went about re-working those songs to within an inch of their lives.

Well actually we don't know this, some speculate about it, but I don't remember the band coming out saying something along those lines. It's what some fans want to believe. I don't think we really know how the album would have sounded if they released it in 2003. Fans would have complained about it anyway. It's the same with the unreleased songs and alternative versions: fans whine because they're not on the album, but if they were, there would be complaints as well. Sometimes it seems U2 can't win. I don't know why it always has to be a worst case scenario.

 

[LastNameonEarth]

Why do people always have to assume something is wrong?

I just like to prepare myself. If I take Bono's word that they are releasing in 2009 because they're working out a Joshua Tree-Achtung Baby transition, my head would explode with excitement. So I bring myself back down to Earth by reminding myself that the "Joshua Tree" album this time is HTDAAB, which means the bar is set pretty low. And then I factor in Danny Lanois saying the album was done and everyone was happy with it back in June/July, and then I rationally conclude that there must be something wrong. Even if the band have decided there's more material they can include to make the album more special, what's wrong is that they are no longer satisfied with the finished product.

With regard to what people have been posting about Larry's influence, I wonder if he might do what Phil Collins did to Genesis - leave and embark on a successful solo singing career!?! Or drive Bono to set up his own band on the side, like what Meg White did to Jack.

 

[luna_lovegood]

Okay, I’ll play along and dress it down a little seeing as you obviously don’t think that way about the Bomb. I think it’s fair to say that even it’s biggest fans around here generally acknowledge that it’s overcooked. That they probably spent too much time on it, worked it over one too many times. That in itself is no criticism of the songs on the album. I am a massive, massive, massive Pop fan but I am more than happy to acknowledge that it’s mix is terrible and that there are extremely obvious editing mistakes in there too. They needed that extra month. I think with the Bomb they did the same to the opposite extreme. They should have let it go earlier. They undercooked Pop and overcooked the Bomb.

We know that with Pop their mistake was due to the Popmart tour booking. We know with the Bomb that they had a near complete album in 2003, and scrapped it based on a belief that – essentially - it was not commercially viable enough, and went about re-working those songs to within an inch of their lives. I’m just saying, I doubt this situation now is all a fine and dandy “oh but we just love working on this album, we never want the working to end”. I’d bet they’re either not happy with what they have, or they’ve got cold feet over it’s general sound or direction.

As others have said, they’ve spent a while talking up how much they have, how great it is, and how ridiculously exciting the new direction and sound is. I reckon they’ve got cold feet, or some of them do, and they’re now going to dismantle this bomb too.

Unfortunately, I kind of agree ...

 

[luna_lovegood]

Earnie sorry but how can they be getting cold feat when Bono has now very publicy said they are changing direction again?

jeesus this board has become so cynical that its almost and anti-U2 board rather than a fan board.

U2's biggest fans are always going to be their biggest cynics!

We're up close and personal with their best and their worst!

 

[ramblin rose]

Well actually we don't know this, some speculate about it, but I don't remember the band coming out saying something along those lines. It's what some fans want to believe. I don't think we really know how the album would have sounded if they released it in 2003. Fans would have complained about it anyway. It's the same with the unreleased songs and alternative versions: fans whine because they're not on the album, but if they were, there would be complaints as well. Sometimes it seems U2 can't win. I don't know why it always has to be a worst case scenario.

If I have time today at work I'll find the quotes where I believe it was Bono or Edge who said they were just about finished when Larry and Adam said it didn't feel right, they called in Steve Lillywhite and started to rework the songs. I think there are even quotes from Steve Lillywhite along the same vein.

Who knows, maybe it was Steve Lillywhite who listened to this final product and put some doubt in the bands minds. Whatever it was, I don't believe for a second it's what Bono is saying in that u2.com piece. They filmed a video in Cadiz for Christ sake. That cost money. They had to have been planning on releasing a single to go with it. They were much further along this time then they were for HTDAAB when they got cold feet.

And today u2.com decides to post up a compilation piece posting all of the Adam videos in sequence.

 

[U2girl]

"We know with the Bomb that they had a near complete album in 2003, and scrapped it based on a belief that – essentially - it was not commercially viable enough" yet the facts are a tad different.

2003 - Larry (and presumably Adam since he sided with him) : "Not good enough", and Lillywhite: "You need more songs". You know you dont' have something good, let alone great, when two band members and your most senior producers (you think Lanois approved of the album in that brief 2003 meeting?) call for more time and more/better songs. Break out the alternate mixes, throw in Mercy and Fast cars and Smile all you want - there's still none of that apparent "missed greatness".

 

[KUEFC09U2]

If I have time today at work I'll find the quotes where I believe it was Bono or Edge who said they were just about finished when Larry and Adam said it didn't feel right, they called in Steve Lillywhite and started to rework the songs. I think there are even quotes from Steve Lillywhite along the same vein.

Who knows, maybe it was Steve Lillywhite who listened to this final product and put some doubt in the bands minds. Whatever it was, I don't believe for a second it's what Bono is saying in that u2.com piece. They filmed a video in Cadiz for Christ sake. That cost money. They had to have been planning on releasing a single to go with it. They were much further along this time then they were for HTDAAB when they got cold feet.

And today u2.com decides to post up a compilation piece posting all of the Adam videos in sequence.

But again where is the offcial statement from U2 saying that they where shooting a video for a new song? there wasnt one,

 

[U2girl]

Well, they did use Corbijn, even if none of the band members were at the shoot itself.

 

[mama cass]

"...but this one is nearly ready for the new year of 2009..."

would this suggest an early January release then perhaps??

 

[U2girl]

That line caught my eye too, just now.

 

[U2girl]

Add to that his talk of something new "very early next year".

‘I’m always the one who underestimates how easy it is to simply 'put out the songs now', if it was just up to me they’d be out already!

So this time it's Bono vs everyone else ?

 

[ramblin rose]

Add to that his talk of something new "very early next year".

‘I’m always the one who underestimates how easy it is to simply 'put out the songs now', if it was just up to me they’d be out already!

So this time it's Bono vs everyone else ?

Maybe you're right, maybe I'm being too hard on Bono. It seems Edge for sure has been noncommital throughout this whole album process regarding any release date.