Who here thinks U2's album is already finished?

[Screwtape2]

I'm still waiting for the promised ATYCLB part II myself...and I wouldn't mind if they had an absolutely great pop album that they tried the last two times.

We had ATYCLB part 2 though. It is called the 2006 Beach Clips.

 

[bathiu]

Ugh. God no.

!

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

My first impression on hearing news of the delay was that it was a smoke-screen.

Due to Radiohead's, Coldplay's, etc. more innovative method of releasing new material, it has put alot of pressure on U2 to not just deliver a great innovative album, but also to deliver it in an innovative way. If they just do the same thing they always do, big hype, typical CD release, they may start to look like an old dinosaur band.

With all the hype that the album was going to be released in November this year, maybe it still is actually going to be released in November, but they needed to throw us off the scent a bit, so they can drop it as a surprise...a la Radiohead style..

Maybe Im talking crap, Im really not sure, but I would be surprised if they weren't at least going to try and respond with their release in some sort of innovative way, they almost have to by now.

i would LOVE to see them do something along the lines of what Radiohead did but then will people accuse them of copying RH? IMO as long as Paul M is their manager (stuck in the past due to his connections with record companies and just being 'old school') they will not be doing anything of the sort unless it completely benefits the record company and lines his pockets.

If this were to happen, someone would have to call an ambulance cuz I would probably have a heart attack right then and there.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I would say that they are pretty much finished. My friends band had signed with a division of warner records. Their album has been finished and completely mixed down for about 4 months and the label is holding the release to January because of "competition". It is their first major release...yall might actually hear it on the radio. They are called "Last Perfect Thing" from New Jersey.

http://www.myspace.com/lastperfectthing

 

[jphelmet]

i would LOVE to see them do something along the lines of what Radiohead did but then will people accuse them of copying RH? IMO as long as Paul M is their manager (stuck in the past due to his connections with record companies and just being 'old school') they will not be doing anything of the sort unless it completely benefits the record company and lines his pockets.

i agree about Paul, but what if they release to itunes, and then a physical cd? then you get lots of people buying both. McG, would be all about getting paid for it twice.

when radiohead release the physical cd of in rainbows did it go to # 1?

 

[Irvine511]

don't know if this has been posted, but i think herein lies the reason for the delay:

Metallica's studio first album in more than five years, Death Magnetic, enters The Billboard 200 at #1. It's Metallica's fifth #1 album, a total topped by only one hard rock band in history. Led Zeppelin amassed seven #1 albums between Led Zeppelin II in 1969 and How The West Was Won in 2003. Van Halen is the only other hard rock band to land five #1 albums. The group, which like Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, topped the chart with five albums between 5150 in 1986 and Best Of Volume 1 in 1996.

Metallica surpasses these other top bands in two respects. Metallica is the first hard rock act to reach #1 with five consecutive #1 studio albums. Led Zeppelin and Van Halen each had four straight #1 studio sets. Also, Metallica is the top-selling hard rock band since Nielsen/SoundScan took over tracking for Billboard in May 1991. AC/DC is in second place. (Led Zeppelin is #41. Van Halen ranks #71.)

Death Magnetic posted first-week sales of 490,000. Impressively, the band ran up this total in just three days, between the release of the album on Friday and the close of the tracking period on Sunday. This is the fourth highest first-week sales tally so far in 2008, behind albums by Lil Wayne, Coldplay and Jonas Brothers. This is the heftiest first-week total for a metal-edged hard rock band since Tool's 10,000 Days bowed in May 2006 with sales of 564,000 copies.

Billboard's Keith Caulfield reports that Metallica is the first group to see five of its albums debut at #1 on The Billboard 200. Runners-up, with four albums that bowed at #1, are the Beatles, U2 and Dave Matthews Band.

how much you want to bet that U2 wants #5?

 

[Rob33]

listen at around 4:40...I never realized Lanois also specifically mentioned this transition being like JT to AB......this is really encouraging....it has to be

YouTube - Daniel Lanois Interview Part 1

 

[Muldfeld]

I was just curious...who here on this board really thinks the U2 album is actually finished? (recording...that is)

If Bono is actually to be believed about U2 writing 50 to 60 songs,is it possible the delay is figuring out what 11,12 or 13 songs to put on the album? ...for some reason(although I would love to see this) I don't think U2 is going to put out a double album.The Q magazine interview alluded to Edge "talking about trying to weave together a coherent collection of songs"
It is possible the supposed band disagreement that is holding the album up is just what songs to put on the album and what running order?

I'm not sure about the "we're still writing songs comment"

1.) If they've really written "50 to 60 songs" ...that is an enormous amount,you don't keep writing unless you're planning to put out 4 CD's of new music or something like that

2.) U2 from what I can see aren't in the studio...The Edge has been in Toronto and London...Bono has been in London and will be in New York later this month...Danny Lanois and Brian Eno are off doing their own things.

3.) The numerous amount of albums by semi-established to big name artists that were/are being released this fall...as someone said before U2 is bigger than any of them and I could never see any other artist affecting U2's sales but maybe there is truth to the fact that they want January to Feb. all to themselves,when all attention is on them and no one else.

4.) I know that HTDAAB was released in November 2004 but maybe this time U2 and management decided to really ramp up promotion for the album after the holidays not before...final mixing and mastering takes a little time so the article in the Irish Mirror could be correct about a January release.

If this were true, the band should just say that. It's really sad if they lie to us over something so petty, yet understandable if they were honest about it.

I choose to believe they are trying to come up with new material or re-work some of those songs.

Remember, when a band says they have 60 songs, they're never that good; most will be b-side material, unless they can take it to that next level. Radiohead was working on that many songs before In Rainbows was released, but their producer made the band focus on 16 songs because they were working on improving them all.

U2 does NOT have 60 amazing songs. I'd like them to pull off a few "Fast Cars", which was recorded on the last day of recording sessions, but easily has the best lyrics of the time.

I think maybe U2 wanted to do more work, but still set themselves a deadline of early next year to make them work faster and just release what they had if they didn't really improve on anything. I really hope they release the best and most genuine album in 15 years -- to rival Achtung Baby. They can do it!

 

[Muldfeld]

i agree about Paul, but what if they release to itunes, and then a physical cd? then you get lots of people buying both. McG, would be all about getting paid for it twice.

when radiohead release the physical cd of in rainbows did it go to # 1?

Yes, it did, even in America.

 

[Rob33]

don't know if this has been posted, but i think herein lies the reason for the delay:





how much you want to bet that U2 wants #5?

I guess...I really don't know...I'm just hoping that all this confusion about the delay and this album and all this bullshit....will one day be set straight by the band or someone close to the band...

 

[Zoots]

Metallica has blown U2 away with that statistic!

 

[Pop Artist]

i agree about Paul, but what if they release to itunes, and then a physical cd? then you get lots of people buying both. McG, would be all about getting paid for it twice.

when radiohead release the physical cd of in rainbows did it go to # 1?

Yup, it went to #1 in the US with 122,000 copies sold. The previous year, either the same week or one week later, the Dreamgirls soundtrack went #1 with just 66,000 copies. So U2 basically would be guaranteed #1 (barring another big name having the same idea) if they followed the same calendar.

 

[dan_smee]

Yeah and how many of those forgotten demos were early versions of the songs that do get released? When the band sits down and chooses songs I'm sure there are multiple versions of the same song. With ATYCLB, I'm sure that Always was in the pool of songs for album consideration. Same with Desert of Our Love and The Weather Girls. They are probably at the album consideration stage with all of these songs. I have to think that some members and producers are still fighting for certain songs to be released which would mean work is still being done on those tracks inside or outside the studio.

I think you'll find if you look at the lists that have been produced in other threads, there are many many songs that have fallen by the way side because new projects took over. And, fine, some songs may have been CONSIDERED for the album, but weren't put on, and subsequently forgotten until the re-release stage 20 years later. My point isn't disproved.

And can I ask, what the fuck is the song 'The Weather Girls'? If you are talking about the Joshua Tree documentary where they snatch the drums to the weather girls track for ISHFWILF, they are referring to a band. Hit wikipedia champ.

 

[BVS]

If you are talking about the Joshua Tree documentary where they snatch the drums to the weather girls track for ISHFWILF, they are referring to a band. Hit wikipedia champ.

Wrong. It was a song title...

 

[dan_smee]

Wrong. It was a song title...

when? and what proof is there of it. It is very clear in the documentary that they lifted the drums from a track by the weather girls band, and they laugh because they are embarrased about where the drums come from. If that is the only mention in U2 history of the weather girls, then it is not a song

 

[LemonMelon]

The song was called Weather Girls because of the drums. I've heard that title used outside of the Joshua Tree documentary.

 

[dan_smee]

The song was called Weather Girls because of the drums. I've heard that title used outside of the Joshua Tree documentary.

actually, all they say is that they lifted the drums from a weather girls track, because it was the only good part of the song. I've never seen this used outside the doco. If someone could point it out, then fine, but I think there has been a major misunderstanding.

 

[Screwtape2]

actually, all they say is that they lifted the drums from a weather girls track, because it was the only good part of the song. I've never seen this used outside the doco. If someone could point it out, then fine, but I think there has been a major misunderstanding.

The description features a quote from The Edge from The Joshua Tree remaster.

YouTube - U2 - Desert of our Love (Audio only)

 

[dan_smee]

im at work and can't watch youtube videos, can someone transcribe? I still think that u2 wouldn't be lame enough to call a song the weather girls (especially when there was a popular 80's band by that name)

 

[quiv]

since it's well known that the band's biggest disappointment with How to dismantle ... is that the songs don't add up to an album stronger than its parts I guess that they are just looking to add (well, replace) 1 maybe 2 songs to make it a more cohesive effort

They stated this?

 

[quiv]

Maybe Im talking crap, Im really not sure, but I would be surprised if they weren't at least going to try and respond with their release in some sort of innovative way, they almost have to by now.

Of course they will. Started with HTDAAB. That was an innovative release with the Special Edition. They've been innovators for a long time from sound to concerts to marketing..

 

[angelordevil]

i think it's finished. but they might not be happy with what they have. what i would love is basically another achtung baby/zooropa thing, where they put the first album out now, then the other one somewhat shortly after. wishful thinking, though.

I like this "wishful thinking" thing.

Like you, I think they may have the foundation of the album, but maybe not the peaks, the high points. In the grand style of U2 over-thinking everything, maybe they feel it lacks something...their definition of "magic." As mentioned, Eno is doing his own thing, and Lanois in on tour. Perhaps this window of time is something they've now given themselves to generate some inspiration...then, later they'll madly reconvene at the last minute to hammer out the final product.

They certainly aren't Neil Young or the White Stripes, however, in terms of getting things done.

 

[Screwtape2]

im at work and can't watch youtube videos, can someone transcribe? I still think that u2 wouldn't be lame enough to call a song the weather girls (especially when there was a popular 80's band by that name)

"Desert Of Our Love, aka Weather Girls, which ultimately became I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was the first breakthrough of the record. A mix of reggae and gospel rhythms it was never going to be an ordinary song. This is its earliest incarnation still showing its traditional roots, I played piano for the backing track. We held onto the drums, and maybe the bass, but everything else got replaced." -Edge

 

[Rob33]

I like this "wishful thinking" thing.

Like you, I think they may have the foundation of the album, but maybe not the peaks, the high points. In the grand style of U2 over-thinking everything, maybe they feel it lacks something...their definition of "magic." As mentioned, Eno is doing his own thing, and Lanois in on tour. Perhaps this window of time is something they've now given themselves to generate some inspiration...then, later they'll madly reconvene at the last minute to hammer out the final product.

They certainly aren't Neil Young or the White Stripes, however, in terms of getting things done.

I seriously doubt it has anything to do with this....this is sort of major stuff.....if they thought the entire album lacked U2 "magic," we wouldn't be seeing this album for a long long time.

 

[bono_man2002]

I'm still waiting for the promised ATYCLB part II myself...and I wouldn't mind if they had an absolutely great pop album that they tried the last two times.

Where did you disappear to in 2004/05/06?

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

Nah they probably had an album finished then decided to scrap some of the songs and restart over again much like they did in HTDAAB. IDK but anything is possible with U2

 

[Salome]

They stated this?

at least Bono has stated it
I think in U2 by U2 even
might have been elsewhere
but he thinks its very frustrating that album isn't more than the sum of its parts

 

[U2girl]

Where did you disappear to in 2004/05/06?

Nowhere. Bomb isn't "ATYCLB part II".

 

[shart1780]

It sorta makes sense, not really... but it's complete bullshit anyway...

Why?

I'd much rather have the band creating stuff that breaks the mold and challenges them as artist than worry about their music winning a grammy. Is art about people approving of it?

 

[last unicorn]

Well, on this board people obviously want to approve of U2's music, so U2 have to stay "relevant" in some way. Depends how you define "relevance", but I guess it's a little hypocritical to say U2 shouldn't seek the acceptance of the public, but instead should do everything to please certain die hard fans. I don't know, I'd rather see them as a universal band that does not cater to an elite.