Songs of Ascent - Part III

[mikal]

He also said that lanois called him to work with robert plant, but he had to turn it down because edge has just written a new song and wanted to go in the studio the same night to start working on it. The new album is technically ready, but the band are not happy with the people reaction over the new songs and so they want to reconsider some production aspects for the new songs, as well as throwing in a few newer ones.

Dallas has to turn down Robert freaking Plant to work on a new U2 song, SOA (it looks like Eno's taking over if Lanois's busy with the Plant album) is virtually ready and we're complaining ?

Dear U2...please don't ever listen to Interference. Thank you.

lol. i hear you. if this story is indeed true, this is probably the best news we could ask for!

 

[BGD75]

Dear U2:

For the love of Pete, please just make the music you want to make, and fuck 'em if they don't like it.

Love,

Cori

PS: And by 'em I mean "everybody else."

I am with you on this one!!! Now if someone could only get the message to them....

 

[subnet]

this just in: november 9, 2009, Terry Lawless is still at home

 

[mikal]

this just in: november 9, 2009, Terry Lawless is still at home

if only we can find out what he likes in his coffee.

 

[BVS]

Dear U2:

For the love of Pete, please just make the music you want to make, and fuck 'em if they don't like it.

Love,

Cori

PS: And by 'em I mean "everybody else."

Dear Cori,

For the love of Pete's wife, don't you know that interferencers know better than the band as to what kind of music U2 really wants to make?

Love,

BVS

PS: U2 wants and needs to be Radiohead.

 

[corianderstem]

I am with you on this one!!! Now if someone could only get the message to them....

I'm only a few hours from Vancouver - I'll make a trip over the border and deliver the message in person.

And then demand the band take me out for a fancy lunch to thank me for giving them such an important piece of information.

 

[bram]

If this fan story is true, I'm having a hard time understanding how this is bad/worrisome news. Edge just wrote a new song that he wanted to lay down ASAP in the studio? Brilliant. And it sounds like they are in the production tweaking stage for most of the songs. So unless you are determined to believe that this production tweaking is going to make these (unheard, mind you) songs worse, it sounds like a very promising scenario for getting another great album out in 6 months.

Also, keep in mind that U2 is now completely aware that their obsessive tweaking of Breathe, CT, and SUC didn't deliver a hit (radio or live).

 

[mikal]

If this fan story is true, I'm having a hard time understanding how this is bad/worrisome news. Edge just wrote a new song that he wanted to lay down ASAP in the studio? Brilliant. And it sounds like they are in the production tweaking stage for most of the songs. So unless you are determined to believe that this production tweaking is going to make these (unheard, mind you) songs worse, it sounds like a very promising scenario for getting another great album out in 6 months.

Also, keep in mind that U2 is now completely aware that their obsessive tweaking of Breathe, CT, and SUC didn't deliver a hit (radio or live).

this is a great point. according to the person that met Dallas, the uncertainty was about the production, not the cosmetic makeup of the songs itself.

 

[U2girl]

And finally he said that he's working on a new prototype guitar for the edge.

 

[BEAL]

this is good news if true, though i have my doubts

I remember a quote from a fan who met Dallas before HTDAAB was released. According to Dallas, Bono's guitar playing was going to shock people at how good it is/was. It allowed for Edge to go off and be even more creative.

Now that is just paraphrasing what i remember from like 5 years ago, but it was something along the lines of it being a big guitar record, and i especially remember the comment about Bono playing on the record.

Now obviously that changed, or those mixes were dropped. but let's just keep hope alive for what Dallas says is true.

It's also too bad the songs from NLOTH haven't won over the crowd. they're the best songs of the tour, minus UV.

But that's what you get when you play stadiums. a lot of casual fans

 

[nielsgov]

This is great news. (if it's true)
Why can't everyone just be a bit more positive about SOA and have a bit more confidence in the band.

 

[Irvine511]

But that's what you get when you play stadiums. a lot of casual fans

yup.

and when you want to fill those seats, you need something colossal playing on the TV to remind people that you're not dead yet.

 

[powerhour24]

Breathe got people going when I was there, the casuals might not have recognized the song, but they certainly recognized who was coming on stage, and the energy of the song. Boots might have made more sense to open with though if crowd-dancing is your only barometer.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Chris Martin of all people made an interesting observation on songs that work live, a good indication for the artist is to watch the exits in stadiums since they are illuminated. If the exits are full of people, the song isn't going over very well. Feel free to make a Coldplay joke about everyone heading to the exits now but I get what he's saying...

 

[kittykat416]

This is great news. (if it's true)
Why can't everyone just be a bit more positive about SOA and have a bit more confidence in the band.

Because in their quest for perfectionism, they have a tendancy to rework the life out of a song...

P.S. Dear U2: Kingdom Of Your Love is perfect the way it is - don't mess around with it before adding it to SOA!

 

[Morgoth321]

Chris Martin of all people made an interesting observation on songs that work live, a good indication for the artist is to watch the exits in stadiums since they are illuminated. If the exits are full of people, the song isn't going over very well. Feel free to make a Coldplay joke about everyone heading to the exits now but I get what he's saying...

That is a fair point, although it's also my perception that a lot of casual concert-goers (especially in stadiums) tend to treat the experience like a trip to the cinema. My view is - I've paid a lot of money to be there, so I'm going to savour every moment. I'm not going to get up and down every now and and again to go to the bar, to the toilet, for a smoke etc. But that's what plenty of people do, so if lots of people are heading for the exits, it's not necessarily because songs aren't 'working' live.

On a purely personal level, I have to say I was rather disappointed with NLOTH (the song) live. Firstly, I believe it would've made a great concert opener. Secondly, when I first heard the song (even as an MP3), it had this huge clattering guitar intro that I thought would sound immense live. But while it was good live, it just didn't seem as good as I'd hoped.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Chris Martin's tip is a hard one to entirely trust, because I would suggest that in a stadium setting there are a lot of fans who don't even give a song a chance to work.

At the Toronto shows, fans streamed for the beer lines after two bars of "Your Blue Room". Why? Because it wasn't Sunday Bloody Sunday or Beautiful Day. They didn't know it. How can you determine it doesn't work if you head for the exits before the singer completes the first verse?

Sadly, those are the songs most die-hard fans want to hear most.

And while I can appreciate that large groups like energy and high tempo, it's also the reason we get subjected to endless repeats of "Elevation" at shows instead of some truly galvanizing moments.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

during the Elevation Tour, i actually had to go to the bathroom during "Bad". i cant believe i just admitted to that, but it is true. Too much beer i suppose, but when you gotta go, you gotta go...

 

[mikal]

during the Elevation Tour, i actually had to go to the bathroom during "Bad". i cant believe i just admitted to that, but it is true. Too much beer i suppose, but when you gotta go, you gotta go...

lol, i specifically planned mine during "Pride" this year.

 

[Swan269]

^mysterious ways for me

 

[Niceman]

Do you people take bathroom breaks in the movies too? I mean, they only play for like 2 hours!?!!?!?

 

[mikal]

Do you people take bathroom breaks in the movies too? I mean, they only play for like 2 hours!?!!?!?

it's the booze.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Have you seen the size of a large coke at the theatre? I almost burst right there in my seat during the Dark Knight.

 

[Niceman]

Well, Dark Knight WAS about 17 1/2 hours long......

 

[mikal]

it's not a "going" problem. it's a "growing" problem!

 

[Niceman]

it's not a "going" problem. it's a "growing" problem!

It's not a "GOYB" problem, it's a "growing" problem.....

 

[subnet]

whoa

kinda off topic

i consumed 7 tallboys for night 2 at Rogers Centre. they have good beer on tap


this just in: terry lawless is at home today

 

[Rob33]

during the elevation tour, i actually had to go to the bathroom during "bad". I cant believe i just admitted to that, but it is true. Too much beer i suppose, but when you gotta go, you gotta go...

w..............t................f

 

[Niceman]

I guess I figure that I can drink anytime, when I'm at a U2 show I'm there to hear the music......

 

[powerhour24]

^Thank you!