SOE
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U2 - Songs Of Experience (2017)
 Tracks: 14
  1. Originally posted by bpt3:Not surprising, but still a little disappointing that it might be another six months yet.

    Now I'm thinking back to how it went with another couple albums released in March in the past.

    NLOTH was March, with 360 kicking off at end of June...

    Pop was March, and then PopMart started already in April - though we know the story of how the tour was booked ahead of time. Though U2 vowed to never do that again, it is outside the realm of possibility that a new leg of an already-existing tour could start already in Spring 2017, immediately following SOE? Even if they didn't feel totally comfortable with playing the new songs yet, it's not like this is a brand new tour...right?
    I'd guess they'd begin rehearsing Feb-Mar.
  2. I'd gladly take a spring tour if they plan to maybe begin rehearsals in Feb.-Mar. already, before the album release. The only thing that would be disheartening at this point is to have them wait until April to release the album...and then wait eight months until the tour resumes, like with SOI in Seltember 2014 and the I & E finally mid May of 2015. I guess in hindsight that was best due to Bono's bike crash but I'll admit to being spoiled and not wanting to wait that long between album and tour again!
  3. I guess the question is how much is 'unfinished'? Do they have maybe 7-8 songs that they know are on the album, and are looking for the remaining 2-5 to fill it out? Have they reached the point where it's 'oh this song should have this verse instead' or are they scrapping what's already been done?

    Soooo frustrating!
  4. I don't care, even if the new material is 3/4 as good as SOI and the tour is as good as it was. They often made the right choice. And it gives me some time to save
  5. I am so spoiled by being a Prince fan all these years. Sure he had no idea what songs to release, and probably has around 300 songs better than the worst 100 he ever released, which is mind boggling in itself. But Prince knew something most artists don't: You simply keep writing and recording. Most artists might be prolific when they are young, but most artists it seems think there is some crazy crazy rule that states:

    YOU MUST MUST MUST BE IN A CYCLE OF
    1. MAKE ALBUM
    2. TOUR
    3. REST
    4. WRITE NEW SONGS
    5. MAKE NEW ALBUM
    6. TOUR
    7. REPEAT 1-6 UNTIL AGE 40, THEN WRITE LESS AND LESS.

    Seriously, too many bands and solo artists get stuck in this cycle, and then end up with writer's block. I've suffered from writer's block, but since I can't perform, and nobody seems to like my songs, it doesn't matter, but I am so sad that Aerosmith got in this rut, and pretty much has only 2 albums since Nine Lives came out in 1996. With U2, I started to become scared when it seemed they kept trying to work on songs from way back. Leaving Mercy off a true album is not the crime of the century, but the original demo is better than so many songs...it makes no sense. U2 have not made this mistake too often, so there is an interesting contrast to Prince, who has put out tons more great songs, but a ridiculous amount of weaker material.

    And back to the point, I really wish U2 had not started to follow this rule, and just worked on songwriting no matter who was going to produce, regardless if they were on tour, and just to be inspired to write. I try to never stop writing, but again, I'm nobody...but at this point, U2 are not going to be prolific, and are not going to likely release more than 40-50 more songs in their career....but I'd be happy if they just empty the vaults warts and all. They seem over concerned with how the material is judged. Elton John likely has 400 or more unreleased songs...I bet a bunch of them are great.
  6. Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:I guess the question is how much is 'unfinished'? Do they have maybe 7-8 songs that they know are on the album, and are looking for the remaining 2-5 to fill it out? Have they reached the point where it's 'oh this song should have this verse instead' or are they scrapping what's already been done?

    Soooo frustrating!
    Never know with them. They could have put 1 new song together and decided to scrap everything and build 9 new songs around it. that's how the U2 bus rolls...
  7. Originally posted by dieder:I don't care, even if the new material is 3/4 as good as SOI and the tour is as good as it was. They often made the right choice. And it gives me some time to save
    Yes! +1
  8. Well, The Best Thing is supposed to appear soon.

    But that report could be out of date now and they'll wait until the new year.
  9. Originally posted by pleasegone:I am so spoiled by being a Prince fan all these years. Sure he had no idea what songs to release, and probably has around 300 songs better than the worst 100 he ever released, which is mind boggling in itself. But Prince knew something most artists don't: You simply keep writing and recording. Most artists might be prolific when they are young, but most artists it seems think there is some crazy crazy rule that states:

    YOU MUST MUST MUST BE IN A CYCLE OF
    1. MAKE ALBUM
    2. TOUR
    3. REST
    4. WRITE NEW SONGS
    5. MAKE NEW ALBUM
    6. TOUR
    7. REPEAT 1-6 UNTIL AGE 40, THEN WRITE LESS AND LESS.

    Seriously, too many bands and solo artists get stuck in this cycle, and then end up with writer's block. I've suffered from writer's block, but since I can't perform, and nobody seems to like my songs, it doesn't matter, but I am so sad that Aerosmith got in this rut, and pretty much has only 2 albums since Nine Lives came out in 1996. With U2, I started to become scared when it seemed they kept trying to work on songs from way back. Leaving Mercy off a true album is not the crime of the century, but the original demo is better than so many songs...it makes no sense. U2 have not made this mistake too often, so there is an interesting contrast to Prince, who has put out tons more great songs, but a ridiculous amount of weaker material.

    And back to the point, I really wish U2 had not started to follow this rule, and just worked on songwriting no matter who was going to produce, regardless if they were on tour, and just to be inspired to write. I try to never stop writing, but again, I'm nobody...but at this point, U2 are not going to be prolific, and are not going to likely release more than 40-50 more songs in their career....but I'd be happy if they just empty the vaults warts and all. They seem over concerned with how the material is judged. Elton John likely has 400 or more unreleased songs...I bet a bunch of them are great.
    I don't think they ever stop writing. They just have a meticulous way of recording. Always have. It got more meticulous as they got big enough to dictate their own schedule and not record company schedule. I think they just get in a process where one new idea takes them in a direction that makes the previous songs irrelevant (in their eyes) and they tend to go back to the drawing board.
  10. Maybe the backlash after SOI from geeks and planet Twitter has made them rethink their release tactics because I'm sure they wouldn't want another situation where the music gets lost in the debate of privacy invasion and musical terrorism,however I wouldn't be surprised if a new song or two is dropped before the year's out.
  11. I'm definitely a member of the 'release everything' club. look at David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young. Bob Dylan. They've all released probably 30+ albums and I don't think anybody really rates every album but along with the odd masterpiece where every track is exceptional, there's usually a good song or two from each album whether that be commercially or a hidden gem for the 'real' fans. I know u2 do things there own way but in the time they've been going they must have ditched some seriously good tracks or over did certain songs (mercy being a great example, the outtake was much better than the live version).
  12. Originally posted by deanallison:I'm definitely a member of the 'release everything' club. look at David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young. Bob Dylan. They've all released probably 30+ albums and I don't think anybody really rates every album but along with the odd masterpiece where every track is exceptional, there's usually a good song or two from each album whether that be commercially or a hidden gem for the 'real' fans. I know u2 do things there own way but in the time they've been going they must have ditched some seriously good tracks or over did certain songs (mercy being a great example, the outtake was much better than the live version).
    Look at all of the JT b-sides. A full album of gems in their own right.
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.