NLOTH: General discussion thread

Originally posted by drewhiggins:[..]

Some new stuff I've thought about, with aussie's comment leading:

It is sounding similar, but the RS article points more closely towards it. If I went by Q's description, it would be something like Elvis Presley and America. It is a long song, and sounds very atmospheric and melodic.

The typeface font used in the Q Magazine...someone over at Interference or atu2 wondered if it's the same typeface the tour and album will use. And when exactly is U2.com meant to relaunch, with the new layout and new features - March isn't that early; when a single is due to drop, maybe?

The band are talking more and more about Pop than they did during the last two albums. I wonder if they're finally beginning to realise Pop and Popmart were not all that bad, and a lot of fans, a few important critics and others see it as actually something innovative and ahead of the times, unlike the last two albums, which sounded completely backwards and past their use-by dates.

It seems every song is going to be an epic. If that's so, it's going to be a story and actually be cohesive. With a lot of the songs covering the war theme, I wonder whether you'll piece together a story about the war and current crises.

Originally posted by Ali709:[..]

The way I had understood it, the 150 BPM was the new last day version of No Line itself.

Originally posted by vanquish:
I wonder amidst this new talk of pop songs, if the album will give as another Beautiful Day, though I doubt that they can again capture the public consciousness like they did with BD.

Originally posted by aussiemofo:[..]


On Moment of Surrender, that Q description could just as easily fit the feelings I have about Mercy. And just the titles are kind of in tune with one another. They both refer to a sense of reconciliation or resolution but maybe I'm reading into too much.

On the website, I predict it will be relaunched when the new single hits. It's gonna look kind of stupid if it's released and the website's still got that god-awful black and red 'Bomb' colour scheme. I'm sure they've already got it all ready to go, they're just waiting for lift-off.

On your last point, I've just got really good feelings about this one. The descriptions really excite me, the seven-minute epic, the funky, electronic references (nostalgic feelings of Zooropa and Pop) - they're all good signs in my book. But I'm forever the optimist when it comes to U2. Their only stinker IMO was October and that 28 years ago!

Originally posted by aussiemofo:[..]

Why?

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

What do you mean why? BD was arguably their greatest success in the past 10 years.

I personally think Mercy, in its leaked form or anything resembling it has been laid to rest for the new album, we might see it in 20 years time with the HTDAAB Anniversary Remasters though.

It seems all of the songs are from the past 1-2 years, certainly from the reports of them having 50-60 songs (or ideas) you would assume they wouldn't have to develop old, unused material.

But I think some of the songs will resemble Mercy in parts, especially the first couple of verses (not lyrics, but structure/rhythm etc.) I don't think we'll see the chorus reprised as it was very HTDAAB. The songs with similarities are probably going to be Moment of Surrender or Magnifiicent judging from the Q info.

On your last point, I've just got really good feelings about this one. The descriptions really excite me, the seven-minute epic, the funky, electronic references (nostalgic feelings of Zooropa and Pop) - they're all good signs in my book. But I'm forever the optimist when it comes to U2. Their only stinker IMO was October and that was 28 years ago!

I wonder amidst this new talk of pop songs, if the album will give as another Beautiful Day, though I doubt that they can again capture the public consciousness like they did with BD.

Originally posted by drewhiggins:
I think we're going to the future but staying true to modern and traditonal at the same time. A collection with a consistent theme and experimental ideas, which no rock band has done yet? We'll see. I remain optimistic from someone else's listening and reporting - and the media is usually full of tripe.

Things like phones texting random instructions, birdsounds and electronic sounds with rock? Sounds like something only U2 could come up with. Sadly, only a handful of bands are still coming up with new ideas and themes - a lot of it has been lost over the last 20 years, and I think this could contend, if what we're hearing is to be believed, as one of the true top four U2 albums.

Originally posted by drewhigginsIf music is truly great, people want to hear it. And it doesn't matter if you've been away for two or ten years or seventeen years.

Originally posted by aussiemofo:[..]

I certainly hope so. Sounds like you're still staying true to your 'concept album' prediction. I'd love an album that is tied together by one over-arching theme from track 1 to track 12. They're very hard to find these days. My favourite non-U2 albums of recent times are The Killers (Hot Fuss), Kings of Leon (Because of the Times), The Bloc Party (Silent Alarm) and the Arcade Fire (Funeral). Out of this bunch I'd say only Arcade Fire have managed an "album" in a truly unified, thematic sense. The rest just happen to be a collection of good songs.


[..]

Originally posted by drewhiggins:[..]

So, you know who I was referring to in that seventeen-year part?

Originally posted by aussiemofo:[..]

Not gunners?