....
Ok maybe no one did, but I heard/read 'u2' and 'new album' in the same sentence and that's reason enough to pop a word or two down at my favorite site.
The anticipation is reaching a boiling point it seems and I couldn't agree more with it. However, news seems to be trickling down in drips and drops and we're left with wonderings. So let me wonder you this:
In my humble and always-right opinion, the heartbeat of the U2 sound is in Adam Clayton's hands. Sure Bono's bombastic and Larry telephontastic, but U2 songs are U2 songs because they're driven by four people in one direction (or in Achtung's case, in four directions), not guitar oriented like metal-veined proper rock or focused on vocals like idolesque proper pop. They got more in common with jazz in that sense methinks.
And Edge has gone on record to say that he feels that he plays rythym guitar and Adam, lead bass because his playing is so prevelant and influential to the music. How many other bands do you listen to where you can ignore the rest, listen to the bass and still enjoy the songs?
But for some reason, I get the FEELING that this album will be Adam's. Sure they say they're studying Hendrix drumstyle and Bono's occasionally marching with the Lonely Hearts Club (by which I'm referring to the Beatles, not the Republicans. Yesss! Burned Bush, High five!) and...uh...Edge is doing something with distortion. But, see, I got me a feeling. Maybe it's all this talk about Mr. Mysterious Way's mojo. Maybe its the way he's smiling at me from the U2start banner. I don't know but I'll prove you all wrong (even though no one's disagreeing with me yet).
Watchu think? Who's going to be the driving force behind this next one?
And U2 + innovation = Influence, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever comes of the new album, you can bet start up bands will be copying it years from now. What kind of innovation are we going to see? Judging from the Fez trip and all the interviews since, I sincerely doubt that U2 will be releasing any middle-eastern sounding tracks just yet but are rather more interested in breaking common song structure.
Watchu think? What kind of innovation can we expect?
And lastly, Eno and Lanois are not producing the album but rather song writing. Eno's approach to music seems to be more atmospheric and much more studio based so it's interesting to see him take an approach with the instruments themselves than their soundwaves. This is the man who brought us Bad. And the man who has deconstructed and reconstructed Coldplay (Did I personally see him breathing life into Chris Martin's body? Maybe...)
Lanois is an experienced songwriter more interested in melody and feeling then innovation and a welcome contrast to Eno's mad science approach. This is the man who brought us One.
Where am I getting at? I'm getting there. See, I have read in a lot places and even here somewhere that with U2 coming off the success of ATYCLB and HTDAAB and U23D, they're beginning to get relaxed and lazy and this next album won't be as important without that sense of NEEDING it to 'survive' as they had before. I couldn't disagree more.
After War, U2 had a following and a sound that could have made them HUGE but chose to take massive risk of intrusting their up and coming status in Brian Eno, a man who at the time was writing music to birdnames (its in U2byU2, I swear). That led them to the Unforgettable Fire. After the Joshua Tree, U2 proved with Rattle & Hum that they had a firm understanding of the 'Lost Americana' sound. Forget the movie, the songs were solid with Angel of Harlem, Desire, AIWIY, Heartland, etc. They could have followed the American midwest into deeper territory but pulled themselves in Berlin instead where we got the madness of Achtung, Zooropa and Pop.
Here they are today with the sucess of top world status and they're going to throw out another left turn? That's the beauty of being a U2 fan in that we have NO IDEA what's coming. And inviting Eno and Lanois into the band's songwriting process, producing with one of the world's greatest producers and going back to influences from a time when music was on a shap innovative climb.....we're in for the something that might just MAYBE eclipse the legendary Achtung....
Watchu think?
Oh and Happy New Year
