Who here thinks U2's album is already finished?

[shart1780]

I'm talking about not catering to anyone but themselves. I think that when Bono says relevant he means relevant to the mainstream.

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

I think they were more than a hint; they were a 3rd of the record. And probably the strongest songs on the album. Why else would Bono be blaring them?
I'm not saying they were good or bad, but I think they had definite character to them.

But again: who knows?

-maybe the album is done and they're waiting until they'll be more the center of attention instead of competing with other bands (unlikely imo)
-maybe it was done and they decided to rework some of the songs (possible)
-maybe the album wasn't close to being done even though people on the inside were saying otherwise (also possible)
-maybe they really are writing some amazing stuff that's way better than they already came up with (for me I find this one hard to believe, but I will hope)

True. I'm not sure what to make of the beach clips. They did sound to me although totally different as to what U2 have been up to of late

I have a feeling we'll never know the real reason why the delay. I hope the later is the reason too. One thing I did notice with these new tunes is that Edge seems to be more upfront in the tunes. And that's a good thing!

I'm ready U2.....amaze me.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

i think they are just fucking with us and its actually coming out in november
orrr
they are waiting till 2009 to show up coldplay

 

[david]

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?

How many U2 albums debuted at #1 on US charts in a row ? I know ATYCLB failed to debut at #1. I know Joshua Tree had a peak position of #1 but I don't know if it actually debuted at #1.

 

[buzzkill27]

How many U2 albums debuted at #1 on US charts in a row ? I know ATYCLB failed to debut at #1. I know Joshua Tree had a peak position of #1 but I don't know if it actually debuted at #1.

Believe it or not Achtung Baby was the album that failed to make it's debut at #1 ....the album did hit #1 two weeks later.
U2 from what I understand has 4 consecutive debut #1 albums in the U.S.

U2 started their run with 1.)Zooropa,2.)Pop,3.)ATCLYB (IT DID DEBUT AT #1) and 4.)HTDAAB...when the new album comes out next year(early 2009,I hope) and debuts at #1......... U2 will join Metallica as the only artists to debut with 5 consecutive # 1 albums

One thing to note,I know some people are probably saying what about "The Best of 1990-2000" and "U2 18 singles" but I honestly don't think compilation albums are included in the statistics...I could be wrong,someone with more inside knowledge might be able to set the record straight

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

U2 started their run with 1.)Zooropa,2.)Pop,3.)ATCLYB (IT DID DEBUT AT #1) and 4.)HTDAAB...when the new album comes out next year(early 2009,I hope) and debuts at #1......... U2 will join Metallica as the only artists to debut with 5 consecutive # 1 albums

Really......ATYCLB debuted at #1? I could've sworn that Outkast beat U2 for the top spot with their CD 'Stankonia'....I'll have to double check...

 

[buzzkill27]

Really......ATYCLB debuted at #1? I could've sworn that Outkast beat U2 for the top spot with their CD 'Stankonia'....I'll have to double check...

You know I totally forgot that...I think you're right and I'm probably wrong,sorry 'bout that....I guess Billboard does count compilation albums then.

 

[david]

ATYCLB debuted at #3 on the US charts.

 

[david]

off topic, but i look at this Number-one albums of 1983 (U.S - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)

the #1 spot on the US charts in 1983 was dominated by Michael Jackson and The Police.

I saw that when I was looking at U2's chart history

 

[Salome]

I'm talking about not catering to anyone but themselves.

I think no one would disagree with that sentiment
some people don't seem to be able to believe the band really wants to go direction A when they feel they should go direction B though

 

[U2girl]

Edge said recently some of the Rubin sessions survived...maybe they're trying to reconcile that with the Eno/Lanois songs.
Still, why would they write more songs if that's the case ?

 

[Popmartijn]

ATYCLB debuted at #3 on the US charts.

Jay-Z and Outkast debuted higher that week. U2 did have the highest first-week sales of their carreer until then (420.000 copies IIRC), but it was not enough to beat the first week sales of the other 2 acts.

 

[buzzkill27]

Jay-Z and Outkast debuted higher that week. U2 did have the highest first-week sales of their carreer until then (420.000 copies IIRC), but it was not enough to beat the first week sales of the other 2 acts.

Times change though...I know for a fact if all those artists mentioned(Jay-Z,Outkast and U2) were to release an album next Mon./Tues. U2 would beat them in first week sales hands down

 

[buzzkill27]

Edge said recently some of the Rubin sessions survived...maybe they're trying to reconcile that with the Eno/Lanois songs.
Still, why would they write more songs if that's the case ?

Excellent point...why write more songs unless you're coming up with a double album...or a 2nd album to follow a year after the first one is released.

 

[LemonMelon]

or a 2nd album to follow a year after the first one is released.

I think this is likely. A true double album though? No fucking way. Maybe, while they're at it, U2 will embark on a world tour with Metallica. Hey, Lars wants it to happen.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

With the whole remastering thing with bonus cd's going on either I am seeing a double album or I am not seeing one at all. I cant decide.

 

[gareth brown]

i'd like to think they're just playing us for mugs and are saying it's delayed before suddenly releasing it through iTunes with them selling their souls to another iTunes silhouette ad then a physical release a week or two later after all the hype's been drummed up and so on...but it probably won't happen. It'd be NICE though...i remember thinking Radiohead were going to take ages and so little word on anything then BAM, in Rainbows. Ah well..

 

[ndmaxfield]

i'd like to think they're just playing us for mugs and are saying it's delayed before suddenly releasing it through iTunes with them selling their souls to another iTunes silhouette ad then a physical release a week or two later after all the hype's been drummed up and so on...but it probably won't happen. It'd be NICE though...i remember thinking Radiohead were going to take ages and so little word on anything then BAM, in Rainbows. Ah well..

And there was a certain luster to In Rainbows that (I feel) gets lost when an album is hyped months and months out. This is similar to how I stumbled on Pop. I knew Pop was coming out, but I hadn't heard much, and then - bam - a local radio station in Tampa played it in its entirety late one night before the release, and it was magical! I hope you're right, and U2 does release "out of the blue."

 

[gareth brown]

yeah exactly. but anyway, i don't get why everyone's assuming it's GOING TO BE a double album or multiple releases.

it's a nice thing to hope for but i mean, bands write tons of shit that doesn't make it. just because they said they wrote 50-60 songs doesn't mean that's 50-60 songs all up to Joshua Tree/Achtung Baby standard some will obviously be held back for the next album or something, maybe later even, or an EP
i don't know because i'm not in their studio with them.

But it's almost certain that along the way, a lot of these "50-60" songs have been scrapped since they're just not that good or held for later so they can finish working on them it's not like we're going to get them all in one or two spaced out chunks

 

[bram]

yeah exactly. but anyway, i don't get why everyone's assuming it's GOING TO BE a double album or multiple releases.

it's a nice thing to hope for but i mean, bands write tons of shit that doesn't make it. just because they said they wrote 50-60 songs doesn't mean that's 50-60 songs all up to Joshua Tree/Achtung Baby standard some will obviously be held back for the next album or something, maybe later even, or an EP
i don't know because i'm not in their studio with them.

But it's almost certain that along the way, a lot of these "50-60" songs have been scrapped since they're just not that good or held for later so they can finish working on them it's not like we're going to get them all in one or two spaced out chunks

Not only is it unlikely they will release a double-album, it is about as likely as them releasing a hip-hop album. It will not happen.

 

[Moser]

Not only is it unlikely they will release a double-album, it is about as likely as them releasing a hip-hop album. It will not happen.

I hope U2 releases a hip-hop double album just to suit you (just kidding)!

With all seriousness though, I don't think the double album idea is too far-fetched.

 

[U2girl]

I wouldn't mind something quick (an EP?) in January or the Spring, especially if they really plan to delay the album until the next Fall.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I wouldn't mind something quick (an EP?) in January or the Spring, especially if they really plan to delay the album until the next Fall.

and what have you read that says the album is due next fall? Are you basing this just on the fact that they have been releasing in the fall for better album sales (holiday season) and that Paul M. is a greedy bastard (j/k).

 

[U2girl]

"If" they plan to release it then. For all we know the songwriting may continue well into the next year.

 

[Popmartijn]

Times change though...I know for a fact if all those artists mentioned(Jay-Z,Outkast and U2) were to release an album next Mon./Tues. U2 would beat them in first week sales hands down

Would U2 beat them? I'm not sure about that. I thought that the last time Jay-Z (last year) and OutKast (three(?) years ago) released albums, they still had massive sales. I'm not sure U2 can get those figures in today's market.

 

[mrex]

Not sure if it was mentioned in the last few pages...but didn't McG or someone say in the spring that U2 would have some sort of "new music download site" of their own? Or they were working on a more modern approach to getting the album into peoples' hands? Maybe this is the delay. If U2 is creating it's own private version of iTunes, it there would be lots of legal/tech issues to deal with.

 

[intedomine]

Depends on what the boys are doing at the moment. If Bono's parading around AmericA as he does preaching about AfricA or something, I reckon the album is probably finished, and they'll either spring a surprise digital release prior to Xmas (ala Bloc Partay and R-hed), or wait until 2009 hits so they can make it "their year".

All depends on what the guys are doing at the moment. I'm sure they'd probably want Xmas off from recording, so they'd be unlikely to still be doing any recording then, and I assume the mixing would be done by then as well.

 

[buzzkill27]

Would U2 beat them? I'm not sure about that. I thought that the last time Jay-Z (last year) and OutKast (three(?) years ago) released albums, they still had massive sales. I'm not sure U2 can get those figures in today's market.

HTDAAB sold 840,000 copies in its first week in the U.S.

almost all rap artists do not have a long shelf life....I'm pretty confident in saying U2 would cream both of them

 

[buzzkill27]

Depends on what the boys are doing at the moment. If Bono's parading around AmericA as he does preaching about AfricA or something, I reckon the album is probably finished, and they'll either spring a surprise digital release prior to Xmas (ala Bloc Partay and R-hed), or wait until 2009 hits so they can make it "their year".

All depends on what the guys are doing at the moment. I'm sure they'd probably want Xmas off from recording, so they'd be unlikely to still be doing any recording then, and I assume the mixing would be done by then as well.

That's exactly what Bono is doing... he's meeting Palin in New York this Wed. while he's in town for the Bill Clinton related conferences...it's good to see all this "writing" that's going on...I know Bono is in studio less than the others...but the more I see him prancing around the globe,the more I am convinced that this album has been or is just about wrapped and the only thing going on is maybe Edge possibly tweaking some of the songs himself before they are mastered.Possibly due to personal or scheduling reasons(i.e. Bono's commitments) U2 decided to hold off until early next year.

 

[LemonMelon]

That's exactly what Bono is doing... he's meeting Palin in New York this Wed. while he's in town for the Bill Clinton related conferences...it's good to see all this "writing" that's going on...I know Bono is in studio less than the others...but the more I see him prancing around the globe,the more I am convinced that this album has been or is just about wrapped and the only thing going on is maybe Edge possibly tweaking some of the songs himself before they are mastered.Possibly due to personal or scheduling reasons(i.e. Bono's commitments) U2 decided to hold off until early next year.

I hope you're right. I'd rather them push it back because of a few necessary tweaks than for them to push it back because they feel like mining a songwriting vein on the moon.