Steve Averill Q & A - 2 seperate Albums and re-issue of the complete backcatalogue?

[light]

Steve Averill Q & A: 2 separate Albums and re-issue of the complete backcatalogue?

Source: http://www.zootopia.de/

Steve Averill said at the Q & A U2 graphics exhibition called 'Stealing Hearts from a Traveling Show'
that U2 have two projects at the moment. A project similar to the Passengers that won't be a U2 album where Eno and Lanois will be equal collaborators and a new full U2 project.

Steve also said he has to deliver the new JT 20th Anniversary Edition designs by Tuesday. He also went on to say that he is looking forward to re-visiting all of the back catalogue albums for future re-issues.

 

[Dorian Gray]

whoa...

 

[MrBrau1]

awesome.

 

[PookaMacP]

Whoa indeed. Thanks for the news.

If true, then the Passengers styled project needed necessarily be a Christmas release (since it's not likely to be as huge a seller and likely to be a bit devoid of singles) and could come out early next year, before releasing the U2 album 'proper' later in 2008 (a la MDH and ATYCLB).

Funny, but I think that of the two projects I'll be looking forward to the Eno-Lanois collaboration a lot more. I wonder too if they're wrestling at all with the idea of releasing it as a U2 record as they did with Passengers (see Eno's diaries) and if it has just gone too left-field for that.

The great news is that they seem to have hit a really rich vein of form if they have enough material for two records.

 

[roy]

So how does this square with Lanois previous comments? i.e.

"So you think the next U2 record is well under way ?
Even before we got to Morocco we had chosen eleven that could be a U2 record and my advice was to work on those eleven, not to fall into the temptation of making more and more material… but we did end up making more material so there you go! "

 

[martha]

So how does this square with Lanois previous comments? i.e.

"So you think the next U2 record is well under way ?
Even before we got to Morocco we had chosen eleven that could be a U2 record and my advice was to work on those eleven, not to fall into the temptation of making more and more material… but we did end up making more material so there you go! "

Whether Passengers is a U2 album or npt isn't clear, so maybe it's one of those.

Either way, I'm 'cited!!

 

[light]

Averill ist usually involved from an early stage but even he does not know for sure what U2 will put out eventually.

 

[Peterrrrr]

I don't hope that the Morocco sessions turn out to be an Passanger album.
I want U2 to do a new experiement album and tour with these songs. I also want U2(in that name) to be known as experiement band. If it turns out to be an Passanger album, there are big chances that the new U2 album will be a safe play just like the two last albums.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Wonderful and somewhat unexpected news, though I would prefer two U2 albums rather than a Passengers one to go with just one (mainly for reasons Peterrrrr mentioned). They could just title that one "with a little help from some pals" and still file it under U2.

 

[Aygo]

Yeah, I don't like the idea too of having another album under the Passengers (or something similar) name. That project can be named something like U2, Daniel Lanois & Brian Eno, simply, and ti give more relevance to the album title than to the credited artists/band itself.
If not, the "real" U2 album has the risk of being seen as less experimental and to push U2's image even more in the play-safe image.

 

[MrBrau1]

If not, the "real" U2 album has the risk of being seen as less experimental and to push U2's image even more in the play-safe image.

Music is music. "Miss Sarajevo" is no less beautiful because it was created by "Passengers."

 

[Dorian Gray]

Music is music. "Miss Sarajevo" is no less beautiful because it was created by "Passengers."

thank you

this should, but wont, end any debate over this issue

 

[sony]

wow fantastic news...and re-issues of other albums,,AB Thanls for the news.....

 

[Salome]

the more music the better
can't say I care what name they use

well I'd like them to use my name so that I could take them to court and make some money out of it

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

just tell me they'll be touring by 2009 and i'll be happy

 

[U2girl]

Wow...where did this come from ?

So the Morocco stuff isn't even a U2 album ? Are they going with Rubin after all for the U2 material ?

 

[martha]

the more music the better
can't say I care what name they use

Yep. Just get it to my ears, whetever it's called.

 

[U2girl]

I just hope this doesn't mean the Eno/Lanois "Passengers part II" isn't coming in 2008 and the regular U2 album isn't delayed by 2009.

 

[U2girl]

Wonderful and somewhat unexpected news, though I would prefer two U2 albums rather than a Passengers one to go with just one (mainly for reasons Peterrrrr mentioned). They could just title that one "with a little help from some pals" and still file it under U2.

Well, I'm guessing the U2+friends material is so much unlike U2 they don't want to release it under "U2". I wonder if that music will make it onto the next U2 tour...

 

[Popmartijn]

well I'd like them to use my name so that I could take them to court and make some money out of it

Have you already sued that Dutch band?

 

[roy]

I just hope this doesn't mean the Eno/Lanois "Passengers part II" isn't coming in 2008 and the regular U2 album isn't delayed by 2009.

Alas, I think this could very well be the case.

 

[Aygo]

Music is music. "Miss Sarajevo" is no less beautiful because it was created by "Passengers."

Read my post again. I didn't make any association of experimentation to beauty. And I didn't say I don't like the Passengers album.

I'm talking about marketing strategies counting on the image that the 2000's left on the general public.

 

[The_acrobat]

just tell me they'll be touring by 2009 and i'll be happy

My thoughts exactly. Put out all the side projects you want, as long as there is an album released in time for a 2009 tour. That's all I want.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

As long as it doesnt interfere with the new album and push touring off. Then rock on.
Otherwise I'll be quite upset.

 

[shart1780]

IF this is true, which I'm still skeptical of, and this is like a Passengers Pt. 2 it will be a dream come true for me. Good grief I never in my wildest ddreams thought I'd hear of anything like this comng again. Did they lock Larry in the closet or what?

I hope they saved some creativity for their next big album, though.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Music is music. "Miss Sarajevo" is no less beautiful because it was created by "Passengers."

Exactly, neither is "Your Blue Room" – I'm looking forward to new sounds. How you call this – U2 and/or Passengers Vol. II – is the point, I've never ever cared about at all ...

 

[Earnie Shavers]

If this is true, it's easily the greatest U2 related news in the past.... I don't know how long.

 

[ahittle]

Wow. An early 08 Passengers release and a Christmas U2 release would work just fine on my calendar. I'll go ahead and pencil that in...

I consider the first Passengers record a U2 record and have it filed as such. It might be a tragedy that U2 feel pressure to be a commercially successful and viable band, but it is the rare artist that has another identity under which to record.

So, if they have to experiment with Passengers, I'm down. Who knows, maybe an older U2 that grows weary of touring releases more Passengers material down the road. Maybe even the Passengers brand would eclipse U2 as the money machine winds down. I would love for "U2" to feel comfortable being nutty, but as long as the material comes out, I'm excited.

Viva la Passengers.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I don't think it would be that bizarre or nutty or left field. The original Passengers was recorded in a post-Zooropa mindset. It was 20 notches left field of Zooropa, and Zooropa is another 40 notches left field of Atomic Bomb. I can't see them releasing two albums at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't, at this stage, even want any possible Passengers2 to be that far into the left field. If - IF - the desired direction of the new U2 album, or at least - regardless of any shift in sound - the desired place it lands on the spectrum, is for another in the vein of ATYCLB/Atomic Bomb, then all I'd love is for another avenue for the band, be it Passengers2 or a full film soundtrack or whatever, that allows them to swim a little out into the depths again.

I'm talking about stuff like Stateless or Ground Beneath Her Feet, which, if recorded today would not stand a chance of fighting themselves onto a tracklist of a U2 album. If U2 albums must be what U2 albums are these days, so be it, yay for more Elevation and Original of the Species and Window in the Skies - which are fine in their own place. What really does get me excited about this news is not the chance of U2 swimming off on some adventure to the ends of the earth again, as per Passengers1, but just letting us hear whats going on in their heads when they're not splashing around in the shallows trying desperately to create these little nuggets of catchy pop. Remember - left field in comparison to Atomic Bomb is just letting a song meander a bit, or allowing a little subtle musicianship to tell some of the story, or lyrics aimed at people over the age of 13. My guess is that even Mercy was cut because it still had the potential to be roped in from this longer meandering thing into a 3-4 minute hookfest, so was left for another day. Mercy is not exactly experimental or left field....

 

[dr. zooeuss]

- I'm guessing 99% of us have seen the Fez outtake from the Lanois film, but just in case:

http://www.u2place.com/newsdett.asp?idN=3114

It makes sense to me that in separate sessions with 1) Lanois//Eno and 2) Rubin they'd be going in different directions, but as neither session concluded with "finished" material, obviously each will see more work.

I just watched a great documentary from 2006 where Paul McGuiness was saying part of the reason U2've been successful is that they take the time needed to make music they can be proud of.

Following that logic, they may well revisit the Morocco material with Lanois & Eno and release it as Passengers II (or some other name) in 2008. I'd expect it to be more "left field" than atyclb and htdaab, but based on the video clip, it seems more influenced by Middle Eastern music than techno and electronica, which probably won't make it seem as dramatic a departure.

After that release, I figure they'll get back with Rubin and release the next U2 album sometime in 09, with another tour. (Don't forget the Spiderman musical will have to have it's own breathing room somewhere between now and 2009 as well).

So by the time the 2009 album and tour come around, they'll have one pseudo-experimental record, one musical and one studio album... by virtue of their being who they are, their sound and image will have changed (probably somewhat significantly) by then, though i doubt even they could predict how at this point in time.