Originally posted by notcomingdown:Seems like since Pop, every U2 album has been a reaction to the one before it. Pop was by their standards, poor selling, so they did their big "back to basics" record. ATYCLB was a huge hit so they followed it up with a similar record. HTDAAB did well, but seemed like there were complaints about U2 stagnating so we got the more experimental NLOTH.That album is being thrown in with Pop as a dissappointment especially in the States. Every time I read about it, the fact it has not sold a million is one of the first things mentioned. So I wouldn't be shocked if SOA was an attempt to be more popular than artistic. I think ATYCLB is one of their worst, and NLOTH and Pop rank among their best, so I would love to be wrong.
Originally posted by dieder:U2 will release a new album in early 2011 called 'Songs of Ascent" manager Paul McGuinness has revealed.
Speaking to the IrishTimes McGuinness said “I would expect a new U2 album sooner than anybody thinks. I would guess early 2011 before the next leg of the American tour which starts in May,”
He said several songs from the new album have already been released, including 'Mercy', 'Every Breaking Wave', and 'Boys Fall from the Sky'. The album has been given the title 'Songs of Ascent'.
He also defended sales figures for No Line on the Horizon , which he claimed had held up “remarkably well” despite many stories saying the album was a flop and a comment by producer Steve Lillywhite that it did not work.
Lillywhite later disputed the accuracy of the comments .
It sold “roughly” five million copies McGuinness revealed.
Their 2004 album 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' had sold twice that number.
The promotion of the album was badly disrupted when Bono hurt his back in May, was operated on and was sidelined causing the cancelation of the tour
http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/amyandrews_gossipgirl/songs-of-ascent-new-u2-album-will-come-out-early-2011-says-manager-105147339.html
Originally posted by dieder:U2 will release a new album in early 2011 called 'Songs of Ascent" manager Paul McGuinness has revealed.
Speaking to the IrishTimes McGuinness said “I would expect a new U2 album sooner than anybody thinks. I would guess early 2011 before the next leg of the American tour which starts in May,”
He said several songs from the new album have already been released, including 'Mercy', 'Every Breaking Wave', and 'Boys Fall from the Sky'. The album has been given the title 'Songs of Ascent'.
He also defended sales figures for No Line on the Horizon , which he claimed had held up “remarkably well” despite many stories saying the album was a flop and a comment by producer Steve Lillywhite that it did not work.
Lillywhite later disputed the accuracy of the comments .
It sold “roughly” five million copies McGuinness revealed.
Their 2004 album 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' had sold twice that number.
The promotion of the album was badly disrupted when Bono hurt his back in May, was operated on and was sidelined causing the cancelation of the tour
http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/amyandrews_gossipgirl/songs-of-ascent-new-u2-album-will-come-out-early-2011-says-manager-105147339.html
Originally posted by LikeASong:Too many time to make and release the album means too much production and over-cooking of the songs...
we all know Mercy already. And will it be the Mercy we know from HTDAAB or with changed lyrics which was peformed live during the European Tour ? Originally posted by Stu:On the flipside, had it been rush released, it could have just felt like an after thought type of release with not alot of substance.
Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]
The "substance" of the album/EP/whatever depends on the quality of the songs it contains. And the quality does not neccesarely depends on time. The quality on the Zooropa songs (written and recorded in a few months, between legs and concerts) is widely admitted superior to the quality on the HTDAAB songs (written and recorded in a +3 years gap).
I don't think that "rushing" the release of the EP/album/whatever is a bad thing - I'd say it's even positive.
) but no worries, just a matter of taste 
Originally posted by LikeASong:My opinion is the opposite (I said HTDAAB by the way
They've only come back since 2009 I think/feel. And that's why I prefer a 90's-ish release a la Zooropa than a 00's-ish one