There's no Way Rick Rubin is Producing U2

[soctheo]

Hey Guys:

I know some of you are getting excited with the prospect of Rick Rubin producing a full length u2 album but I highly doubt it will happen. He may produce a couple of songs or give some ad hoc advice but there's no way he's going to produce a full length u2 release. Here's why:

1> Rick Rubin works on multiple projects at one time. He would not give up a year or 18 months to work exclusively with u2. Between 2005 and 2006, he worked on the following albums:

2005: Fijación Oral / Oral Fixation - Shakira
2005: Make Believe - Weezer
2005: Out of Exile - Audioslave
2005: Mezmerize - System of a Down
2005: Hypnotize - System of a Down
2005: 12 Songs - Neil Diamond
2006: Christ Illusion - Slayer
2006: Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
2006: Taking the Long Way - Dixie Chicks
2006: American V: A Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash
2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake

How long would u2 put up with Rubin coming/going between various projects.

2> Rubin works exclusively in Los Angeles. He flew out for U2's Abbey Road session but unless Bono, Larry and Adam are willing to relocate to Los Angeles for a year, its not going to work (this would work for Edge who lives in California).

3> Rubin is not a hands on kind of producer like Lanois or Eno. His style is to give his opinion but not to actively get involved. He's a great arranger but cannot add any of the additional layers that U2 producers seem to add. That's why he can juggle producing so many bands at once. ACDC worked with him in the early 90's and hated the experience because Rubin was not hands on. U2 have always worked with hands on producers and would not last with Rubin on a full length release.

4> Rubin works quick. U2 at this point record at a snails pace.

Unless u2 work out the material ahead of time and fly out in short spurts to record with Rubin, I guess Eno/Lanois will be back for the next album.

Any thoughts?

 

[powerhour24]

Not all of those artists put out albums that quickly all the time either, you don't think it's (remotely) possible that with Rubin the process could speed up? Especially when they've been writing/recording on their own during the summer leading up to their sessions with Rubin?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the american recordings were made at the studio in johnny cash's house... not in a stuidio in LA.

rubin's rep is well known. it's not like the way he operates will be a surprise to u2. i don't think they want to be bogged down in a studio for years and years like they were with how to dismantle an atomic bomb and would prefer to get it all done at a much quicker rate.

and as for rubin leaving from time to time to work with other bands... what's the difference between that and bono leaving from time to time to meet with the president of east oommaboomwambe? who's more important... the producer or the singer?

bono goes off to meet with some politician, rubin goes and works with another band, bono comes back, here comes rubin.

and with the way modern technology works these days, it's not as if u2 can't be in the studio without rick for a few days and not be able to send what they've done to rick where ever he is on the globe digitaly to get some input.

 

[coemgen]

From what I've heard the U2 album is coming along quickly. At least quicker than others.

Plus, didn't the band say they're working with him?

 

[ahittle]

Produced by Rick Rubin/The Edge. I could see the methods being similar to the team effort on Zooropa. Rubin can come in here and there to clean up and for final mixdown.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Plus, didn't the band say they're working with him?

that is apparently an insignificant detail and should be ignored

 

[Hoodlem]

I agree that Rubin will probably not have much of a role on the next album.

 

[BVS]

2> Rubin works exclusively in Los Angeles. He flew out for U2's Abbey Road session but unless Bono, Larry and Adam are willing to relocate to Los Angeles for a year, its not going to work (this would work for Edge who lives in California).

3> Rubin is not a hands on kind of producer like Lanois or Eno. His style is to give his opinion but not to actively get involved.

I suggest research before making threads like this. For these two "facts" are completely wrong.

 

[Popmartijn]

Re: Re: There's no Way Rick Rubin is Producing U2

I suggest research before making threads like this. For these two "facts" are completely wrong.

The second one even both ways, as Brian Eno also isn't a 'hands on' producer. At least, not as explained here.

 

[soctheo]

Re: Re: There's no Way Rick Rubin is Producing U2

I suggest research before making threads like this. For these two "facts" are completely wrong.

I suggest when you have a comeback, you back it up with facts. Please refer to the following link and go down the list of albums produced by Rick Rubin over the last 10 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin

Almost all of these albums were recorded in Los Angeles (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Rage Against the Machine, Jay Z, Audioslave). + Velvet Revolver and Metallica are both recording with Rubin now in LA. Its no secret Rubin is based out of LA.

Also Rubin is a different kind of producer to Eno/Lanois. Go rent Funky Monks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is an inside look into the peppers recording blood sugar with Rubin. Rubin's style
is to help arrange the songs and provide feedback. Eno/Lanois are more hands on and add to sessions not only as producers but also as musicians.

 

[BVS]

Re: Re: Re: There's no Way Rick Rubin is Producing U2

Almost all of these albums were recorded in Los Angeles (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Rage Against the Machine, Jay Z, Audioslave). + Velvet Revolver and Metallica are both recording with Rubin now in LA. Its no secret Rubin is based out of LA.

"Almost all" and "exclusively" aren't the same, sorry.

Also Rubin is a different kind of producer to Eno/Lanois. Go rent Funky Monks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is an inside look into the peppers recording blood sugar with Rubin. Rubin's style
is to help arrange the songs and provide feedback. Eno/Lanois are more hands on and add to sessions not only as producers but also as musicians.

I've seen Funky Monks and that's part of the reason I'm perplexed by your comments. Well then I ask you this; what do you mean by "hands on"?

He's been known to book acoustic gigs for Johnny Cash, just him and his guitar, forcing him to do something he hasn't done for decades to get him in a different mindset. He's read through Keides' lyric book making him approach the band with 'Under the Bridge', something he said he would have never done without Rubin. He's made Diamond pick up a guitar and play on his own record, something he hasn't done for decades.

To me that's hands on. Just because he may not play on their albums doesn't mean he's not "hands on".

 

[ponkine]

I agree that Rubin will probably not have much of a role on the next album.

I really hope he WON'T work with U2 in the next U2 album

I'm still trying to fing what was his work on Window In The Skies, it sounds just like another U2 song in the noughties

 

[Dorian Gray]

but Rubin wants to work with U2... he's stated this himself.

 

[doctorwho]

I really hope he WON'T work with U2 in the next U2 album

I'm still trying to fing what was his work on Window In The Skies, it sounds just like another U2 song in the noughties

Which is far better than sounding like a U2 song from other eras.

Actually, changing is up to U2. Note that Eno/Lanois produced UF and JT, but they also produced AB. How much change was U2 and how much was forced upon them? Clearly U2 wanted to make the change with UF and again with AB. If U2 want to change again after HTDAAB, they will, just as they changed after "Pop".

So if U2 are still in the "noughties" frame of mind, then no producer will have them sound different.

 

[Aygo]

Well, I hope that if he works with the band on their next album, that the final thing doesn't come out as Saints did. The production job in that cover is really awful and disastrous...

 

[Blue Room]

From what I've heard the U2 album is coming along quickly. At least quicker than others.

Plus, didn't the band say they're working with him?

I have heard that from the band and "sources" in the know for every album since before Joshua Tree. Typically U2 ends up taking their time even when they set out to do it quickly.

The band said they were working with him for the 6 songs at Abbey Road, it was never confirmed or indicated he was the producer of the next full studio album. Still could happen, there is plenty of time. After all, the new album isnt coming until fall 2008! (just to clarify this is not pessimism, I'm joking and giving my opinion at the same time just in case any high school melonmorons are reading. I would actually prefer the new album hit in 2008, more time to save up money for the next tour! )

 

[shart1780]

what's the difference between that and bono leaving from time to time to meet with the president of east oommaboomwambe?

I'm offended. How dare you stereotype the name of a African country like that???

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'm offended. How dare you stereotype the name of a African country like that???

who's doing the stereotyping? did i say east oommaboomwambe was in africa? everyone knows it's off the eastern coast of antarctica...

please

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Re: Re: Re: There's no Way Rick Rubin is Producing U2

I suggest when you have a comeback, you back it up with facts. Please refer to the following link and go down the list of albums produced by Rick Rubin over the last 10 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin

Almost all of these albums were recorded in Los Angeles (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Rage Against the Machine, Jay Z, Audioslave). + Velvet Revolver and Metallica are both recording with Rubin now in LA. Its no secret Rubin is based out of LA.

Also Rubin is a different kind of producer to Eno/Lanois. Go rent Funky Monks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is an inside look into the peppers recording blood sugar with Rubin. Rubin's style
is to help arrange the songs and provide feedback. Eno/Lanois are more hands on and add to sessions not only as producers but also as musicians.

now maybe i'm just crazy, but i do believe the red hot chili peppers, weezer, rage/augioslave, velvet revolver and metallica are all based somewhere in california... thus making them going to LA as crazy as if U2 went to record in another part of ireland, or london, or some place else that's only a few hours away.

and jay-z recorded one song with rick rubin, not an entire album.

his early work, before splitting with def jam to form def american (later just american recordings) was done primarily, but not exclusviely, in new york city... where acts like run dmc, the beasties & ll cool j, low and behold, were from.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

who's doing the stereotyping? did i say east oommaboomwambe was in africa? everyone knows it's off the eastern coast of antarctica...

please

 

[LemonMelon]

I have heard that from the band and "sources" in the know for every album since before Joshua Tree. Typically U2 ends up taking their time even when they set out to do it quickly.

Yeah, but with HTDAAB (the most recent, and therefore most helpful example) that was because they threw out the album and started from scratch. I don't get what your point is for bringing up albums released before JT since all of those were released very quickly. Plus, this trend of studio perfectionism started after Pop. (Taking two years between U2 albums isn't so bad, after all...and yes, I am calling Passengers a U2 album)

The band said they were working with him for the 6 songs at Abbey Road, it was never confirmed or indicated he was the producer of the next full studio album. Still could happen, there is plenty of time. After all, the new album isnt coming until fall 2008! (just to clarify this is not pessimism, I'm joking and giving my opinion at the same time just in case any high school melonmorons are reading. I would actually prefer the new album hit in 2008, more time to save up money for the next tour! )

If he produces 6 songs on the album, he is going to get a large credit on the album. Basically, that means he produced around half the record, which is plenty enough to get a Rubin/??? production credit. So, it's already too late. Unless they choose to throw out the last 6 months of work, he has partly produced the new album.

Melonmoron? That was pretty lame.

OCTOBER 2007.

Sorry, I had to. It's a reflex now.

 

[AtomicBono]

I thought someone said in another thread that Rubin stated that he was putting off all other projects until he finished producing the new U2 album?

 

[Blue Room]

Yeah, but with HTDAAB (the most recent, and therefore most helpful example) that was because they threw out the album and started from scratch. I don't get what your point is for bringing up albums released before JT since all of those were released very quickly. Plus, this trend of studio perfectionism started after Pop. (Taking two years between U2 albums isn't so bad, after all...and yes, I am calling Passengers a U2 album)



If he produces 6 songs on the album, he is going to get a large credit on the album. Basically, that means he produced around half the record, which is plenty enough to get a Rubin/??? production credit. So, it's already too late. Unless they choose to throw out the last 6 months of work, he has partly produced the new album.

Melonmoron? That was pretty lame.

OCTOBER 2007.

Sorry, I had to. It's a reflex now.

First, you think everything I say is pessimism anyway because it doesnt fit what "you" would like to happen. So why do you even read it?

Second, read my damn post through for a change. I said since before Joshua Tree, as in the Joshua Tree album. It was due out in 1986 originally and there was all kinds of rumors they were going to put it out in the spring of 86. Also, I have followed this band since 1983. So YES, there have been rumors about how the band was going to put out an album super fast prior to almost every album since the JT. But please, feel free to continue to dissect everything I post without really reading it. Better yet, BLOCK me, please!

Third, 6 songs produced. One has been released already. So that is only 5, less than half an album and who says they use any of them. They could start over from scratch or only use a couple. They could also rework all of them. Wouldnt be the first time.

Fourth, I didnt even say Rubin wouldnt produce the album. I said it was never confirmed he would by him or the band. Edge even indicated there was nothing planned as to what was going to happen with the Abbey Road sessions. I think he could produce it, but I think its just as likely he may not.

 

[LemonMelon]

First, you think everything I say is pessimism anyway because it doesnt fit what "you" would like to happen. So why do you even read it?

Woah there tiger. I disagree with you often, but I wouldn't block you or completely ignore your posts. You have lots of intelligent things to say. I just don't always agree with you. It's fine.

Second, read my damn post through for a change.

I did. I always do. That's how I was able to respond as intelligently as I could.

I said since before Joshua Tree, as in the Joshua Tree album. It was due out in 1986 originally and there was all kinds of rumors they were going to put it out in the spring of 86. Also, I have followed this band since 1983. So YES, there have been rumors about how the band was going to put out an album super fast prior to almost every album since the JT.

I never doubted there were rumors. (though I am glad you brought it up, as I forgot about the JT rumors) I'm just wondering why you would bring it up when it has nothing to do with their current way of recording.

But please, feel free to continue to dissect everything I post without really reading it. Better yet, BLOCK me, please!

I wasn't attacking you. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was...

Third, 6 songs produced. One has been released already. So that is only 5, less than half an album and who says they use any of them. They could start over from scratch or only use a couple. They could also rework all of them. Wouldnt be the first time.

I hope they don't. That kind of recording kept us from getting Punk Rock From Venus back in 2003. I'd hate for them to throw out all of their work with a great producer. But they won't.

Fourth, I didnt even say Rubin wouldnt produce the album. I said it was never confirmed he would by him or the band. Edge even indicated there was nothing planned as to what was going to happen with the Abbey Road sessions. I think he could produce it, but I think its just as likely he may not.

I've never heard that quote. Now I feel like I'm in the dark.

 

[Blue Room]

Woah there tiger. I disagree with you often, but I wouldn't block you or completely ignore your posts. You have lots of intelligent things to say. I just don't always agree with you. It's fine.



I did. I always do. That's how I was able to respond as intelligently as I could.



I never doubted there were rumors. (though I am glad you brought it up, as I forgot about the JT rumors) I'm just wondering why you would bring it up when it has nothing to do with their current way of recording.



I wasn't attacking you. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was...



I hope they don't. That kind of recording kept us from getting Punk Rock From Venus back in 2003. I'd hate for them to throw out all of their work with a great producer. But they won't.


I've never heard that quote. Now I feel like I'm in the dark.

How on earth do you expect me to take it? Most of the time when I post something that I think will happen you respond (and you almost always do) with "typical pessimistic post by BR". Yeah, that is intelligent all right. Then recently you posted "how do you function". I have no problem with disagreement. But I thought that was way over the line. The thing that is the most ridiculous is the posts you call me pessimistic on are not. I really think the album will be out in 2008, most likely fall and I dont think of it as a bad thing. How is that pessimistic? Simply because you want it to be 2007? Pessimism would be if I was saying. The next album is going to be weak, U2 are headed in the wrong direction, the tour is going to be a flop. Thats pessimism.

Regarding how they are going to record the next album. U2 has done 6 songs in a slightly different way so far. When they go back into the studio they are just as likely to go back to the way they have done almost every other album over the last 20 years. So the way other albums were done does have relevence IMO. I have said this many times. U2 are creatures of habit. They go with what makes them feel comfortable or what they feel works more often than not. Could they do something different this time? Sure, but their history doesnt point to that trend at all IMO. Thats all I was pointing out.

Anyway, I'm done with it, this is taking the thread off topic.

 

[LemonMelon]

How on earth do you expect me to take it? Most of the time when I post something that I think will happen you respond (and you almost always do) with "typical pessimistic post by BR". Yeah, that is intelligent all right. Then recently you posted "how do you function". I have no problem with disagreement. But I thought that was way over the line. The thing that is the most ridiculous is the posts you call me pessimistic on are not. I really think the album will be out in 2008, most likely fall and I dont think of it as a bad thing. How is that pessimistic? Simply because you want it to be 2007? Pessimism would be if I was saying. The next album is going to be weak, U2 are headed in the wrong direction, the tour is going to be a flop. Thats pessimism.

I admit, I was wrong about calling you pessimistic on the issue of the album's release date. I think that fall 2008 is wrong, BUT there is precedence for it. It's happened before, and could just as easily happen again. I disagree, and I think there is a bit more evidence for the 2007 argument at this point in time, but calling you pessimistic was wrong. I'm sorry. I was completely kidding about the "how do you function?" line too. I just thought it was appropriate at the time.

Regarding how they are going to record the next album. U2 has done 6 songs in a slightly different way so far. When they go back into the studio they are just as likely to go back to the way they have done almost every other album over the last 20 years. So the way other albums were done does have relevence IMO. I have said this many times. U2 are creatures of habit. They go with what makes them feel comfortable or what they feel works more often than not. Could they do something different this time? Sure, but their history doesnt point to that trend at all IMO. Thats all I was pointing out.

Thank you for clarifying. Now my confusion has ceased.

Sorry for this little tryst, Mods. Let's get on topic again.

 

[david]

i am bookmarking this thread. i want to come back to it after rubin produces the next album.

 

[roy]

The band said they were working with him for the 6 songs at Abbey Road

Was it really as many as six? I could be wrong but I thought it was only three, two of which were Saints & WITS.

Can anyone confirm that it was as many as six?

 

[U2girl]

I heard 4 songs from McGuiness and 3 songs from Rubin.

Also: "We've been doing a lot of work with Rick, and at this point, it seems to be going very well, so my guess would be yes, he's going to be producing our new record," Edge said.

 

[runbyu1]

Quite the prophetic original post!

Quite the prophetic original post!

The third point about how differently U2 and Rick Rubin work turned out to be the biggest problem. The quotes from the band since then are nearly spot on with the original post:

"The Edge: I think had we finished the songs, it would have worked, but we sort of hadn’t really finished the songs. It’s typical for us, because it’s in the process of recording that we really do our writing. But we’d almost have to make a record with Brian [Eno] and Danny [Lanois] first, then go and re-record it with Rick Rubin. And we may do that. We did start material with Rick, which I still believe in. I would love to get back to that project at some point. I wouldn’t rule it out.

Adam Clayton: Rick was great; he was very focused and I was excited. The material was of a very high standard, but it sort of became clear that the things that we were interested in — in terms of, once we have a song, we’re interested in the atmospherics and the tones and the overdubs and the different stuff you can do with it — were things that Rick was not in the slightest bit interested in. He was interested in getting it from embryonic stage to a song that could be mixed and put on a record. And we’re almost the kind of band that goes, “Well, sure, you’ve got it to that point, but now how far can you push it?” He was committed to that process of getting it to that finished stage, and then at the point when we were kind of excited to push it further, that’s almost the point when he lost interest.

And I think initially, we had sort of said, “Well, you know, it’s gonna be interesting to do a sort of stripped-down, sort of Rick Rubin, back-to-basics kind of record,” and then as we as we kind of examined that it was like, “Well, all that would be doing is kind of making a kind of slightly better version of what we’ve already done.” And we just didn’t feel that the next record should be that.

I’m sure we’ll go back to those Rick Rubin tunes and that Rick Rubin session, but I guess we just thought, at the time, that wasn’t what we were interested in. We weren’t interested in redefining the basic U2. It would’ve been, you know, no overdubs — just band takes and here it is.

Larry Mullen Jr.: Simple as this, I’ve a huge fan of Rick, he’s a very nice man, an incredibly talented man, but we weren’t ready. He’s got very, very great skills but we are just slightly slow and we don’t learn quickly and we thought we were better than we actually were. So when we went in to record the songs, he was confused and so were we. He did a lot of work, but they weren’t right. And it’s nothing to do with him. At all. And it’s not his fault. It has been reported that he was dropped off the project and whatever — but that’s not true, it was more that we needed to have something to work off of, and that’s what Brian and Danny do."