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When U2 were younger, it was a lot different: I guess lots of what they wrote got out... I believe today they write as much as always, but they only put out what they think it´s gonna give them a certain status and a certain success...

blink

13 years

everytime I see this thread I get excited. 99% of the time nothings going on, then I get depressed

RattleandHum1988

13 years

The band have families they want to grow old with now. Back then they were trying their hardest to be the biggest band in the world, once they reached that they probably realized they could slow down a bit and relax, and have a life outside the music.

iTim

13 years

I wouldn't say families were the key reason for slowing down. Bono still spends a lot of time campaigning and featuring publicly. I guess as they've gotten older, there isn't the desire to fill the time off with music. Still, at the rate Bono/The Edge talk about new songs etc, you'd think there'd actually be some new stuff coming out at slightly more regular intervals.

Back in the day their music tended to get better and better until it hit the golden period between Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Now everything tends to get based by both fans and media alike.

iTim

13 years

I wasn't moaning earlier by the way, just showing how it's slowed down. What we must be grateful for is the fact tours are getting longer and this is what we as U2 fans love most about the band.

JuJuman

13 years

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Somehow I doubt that most of those songs we heard last year will be on the new album.

Stingray won't - It's not even a song really, it's just 2 sections without vocals, and it was used as an opener. They don't even play it anymore, or mention it in interviews or anything.

Glastonbury won't - The song was written to be played at Glastonbury, and they didn't play it. They stopped playing it at their concerts and they didn't play it at the gig it was meant for. Doubt this will ever see the light of day again.

Mercy won't - It was already released on Wide Awake In Europe, and they know all of the fans already have a version of it besides that. I think it'll always remain a b-side leftover from the Bomb days, and I don't think they'd dig it up to use it on a new album.

Kingdom won't - Again, just used as an opener over the PA, and they stopped using it altogether now. (I think? I haven't listened to a bootleg in a while (trying to avoid them a bit before my shows))

Winter won't - This song will be jsut like The Hands That Built America. Used in a movie, not for an album.

I'd honestly be surprsied and a bit disappointed if U2 used all of these songs on a new album. I'd rather hear them come up with something totally new. Some of these songs aren't really full "songs" either (Stringray, Kingdom). Plus we've already heard Winter and Mercy in a recorded version.

What we HAVEN'T heard recorded, and what seem to be full songs, are North Star and Every Breaking Wave. Those songs are brilliant, and I'd love to hear what U2 does with them. Saw Transformers last night, and the little bits of North Star in the movie sounded really awesome. I'm looking forward to hearing a new album full of kickass new U2 songs.

Not to be a damper, I do like those songs listed above, but I feel like U2 has way better songs put in a satchel somewhere that they'll be writing and recording soon enough.