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  1. Originally posted by stj0691Glad to see U2 working on a new album. From what I've heard, it should be great. We know Bono's voice hasn't gone away, especially after hearing some tracks off of Across the Universe and the Union Chapel show. Which reminds me, if U2 does intend to start touring their new album, is Bono going to be singing some Beatles cover songs to advertise ATU? It could happen. I can see Bono singing I am the Walrus or Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds live, giving the songs U2's special touch. Who knows? The songs could be even better than the real thing.

    Anyway, being a new U2 fan, I can't help but notice a pattern in U2's work. Correct me if I am wrong, but the studio album order goes from Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop, ATYCLB, and HTDAAB. 11 beautiful albums, to the U2 hardcore fan. The pattern I see is that after U2 released one of their best albums, JT, they released a film about a year later (R&H). HTDAAB came out in 04, but the Vertigo tour did end at the end of 2006. The new film, U2 3D, came out a year later after the end of the Vertigo tour. After Rattle and Hum, we got to hear another masterpiece, Achtung Baby, which was described as innovative. U2 then went through their experimental phase in the 90s, which may have caused some U2 fans to ponder as to what were they doing. However as a live band they didn't disappoint.

    Back to topic matters

    This new album should be great. They were listening to some Hendrix material, especially the drumming. I just a short while ago had a Hendrix phase, in which I concentrated on hearing some Hendrix stuff because of the Who's influence on Jimi (I am a Who fan). I heard Mitchell drum, he was good. TJHE's instruments sound on their songs is balanced, more as a band, much like U2. I see people freaking out at the mention of collarboration. To me that only means they (Eno and Lanois) are helping out with the album. Why not? The Who had Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert give them the idea of a rock story, which influenced Pete Townshend to write Tommy. That was an album that defined that era's sound. This new album is said to be innovative. Hopefully it's not another Passenjers like album, because there will not be a tour if it is.

    Also I see that the album will be innovative. So I'm guessing U2 has come up with a new sound too.

    To me, all of this news reminds me of Achtung Baby. That album was innovative, hinted rock origins, and was a commercial success. However, that was their first stab at innovation, and the band nearly broke up. Thank God for "One". Their next attempts at innovation didn't do so well. Zooropa captured supposedly what was the Zoo TV sound (but was more European in some reviews) and Pop's material was so far off U2 had strayed from their roots. Then we got ATYCLB, where U2 had gone to their roots. HTDAAB was similar in sound as well.

    So we're getting an experimental album, to thought. In the 60s, pshycodelia influenced a lot of music, but at its beginning was innovative. With this album and U2's popularity, could we get a sound that could influnce a generation of music? So here is what I see. We got JT, R&H, and AB in that order. JT and AB were commercially successful while R&H was seen as not so good. I see the next pattern as HTDAAB, U2 3D, and the new album. HTDAAB was a masterpiece, U2 3D isn't getting much attention, and I hope this new album follows suit.


    Fuck me. That's one hell of a first post. Welcome

    Some nice points there. (You're right about the album order BTW).

    The only counter arguments I have are 2:-

    1) The album's usually come in sets of three in terms of their sound :-
    (a) Boy, October, War (with War arguably the best of these 3)
    (b) The UF, JT, R&H (the album). (With JT nearly always considered the best of these 3)
    (c) Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop (well, obviously AB is the best of these)
    (d) ATYCLB, HTDAAB, >>>>>>>>>>

    So, if the pattern continues, the sound won't be that different to the last 2. And Bono spouts a lot of shit at this point in a new album's genesis.

    2) U23D is getting a lot of attention. It was even reviewed in my generic film magazine. And the reviews are almost all positive (very). Rattle and Dung on the other hand got largely negative reviews and they were forced to 'go away and dream it all up again' (apologies if the quote is not 100% accurate). So there is no real force to make them change this time unlike when they did AB. U2 are sitting pretty and almost unchallenged as the behemoth rock act of the modern age. No-one comes close to longevity, back catalogue and continued relevance + sales and chart success,let alone the live act (ok, Muse challenge them there).

    What do you think.

    And if you would like to spare the time, please pop over here and say hello to everyone. You seem like someone the forum would like to meet:-

    welcome to u2start y'all

  2. Originally posted by djrlewis[..]

    Fuck me. That's one hell of a first post. Welcome

    Some nice points there. (You're right about the album order BTW).

    The only counter arguments I have are 2:-

    1) The album's usually come in sets of three in terms of their sound :-
    (a) Boy, October, War (with War arguably the best of these 3)
    (b) The UF, JT, R&H (the album). (With JT nearly always considered the best of these 3)
    (c) Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop (well, obviously AB is the best of these)
    (d) ATYCLB, HTDAAB, >>>>>>>>>>

    So, if the pattern continues, the sound won't be that different to the last 2. And Bono spouts a lot of shit at this point in a new album's genesis.

    2) U23D is getting a lot of attention. It was even reviewed in my generic film magazine. And the reviews are almost all positive (very). Rattle and Dung on the other hand got largely negative reviews and they were forced to 'go away and dream it all up again' (apologies if the quote is not 100% accurate). So there is no real force to make them change this time unlike when they did AB. U2 are sitting pretty and almost unchallenged as the behemoth rock act of the modern age. No-one comes close to longevity, back catalogue and continued relevance + sales and chart success,let alone the live act (ok, Muse challenge them there).

    What do you think.

    And if you would like to spare the time, please pop over here and say hello to everyone. You seem like someone the forum would like to meet:-

    welcome to u2start y'all




    ammm yea. I agree. Maybe they are bored sitting at the top unchallenged and want to take the game elsewhere and have a stab at reinventing again. I suppose it's all down to the ego's. Are they happy at the top or do they want to work their way to the top all over again?
  3. Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

    ammm yea. I agree. Maybe they are bored sitting at the top unchallenged and want to take the game elsewhere and have a stab at reinventing again. I suppose it's all down to the ego's. Are they happy at the top or do they want to work their way to the top all over again?


    I really hope it's the latter. I really like HTDAAB but it doesn't touch AB for me, or even Pop if I'm in the right mood. I could do with a change.
  4. Originally posted by djrlewis[..]

    I really hope it's the latter. I really like HTDAAB but it doesn't touch AB for me, or even Pop if I'm in the right mood. I could do with a change.


    Bomb is too safe. They kept things inside the closet, they knew how to keep the ball rolling from Leave Behind which is fully understandable and smart but also a little boring on the other. Who knows what will happen.
  5. Originally posted by stj0691
    They were listening to some Hendrix material, especially the drumming. I just a short while ago had a Hendrix phase, in which I concentrated on hearing some Hendrix stuff because of the Who's influence on Jimi (I am a Who fan). I heard Mitchell drum, he was good. TJHE's instruments sound on their songs is balanced, more as a band, much like U2.


    Edge sounding like Hendrix would most likely be the best sound I have or ever will hear in my lifetime. I certainly hope the entire album isn't complete "distortion" as described for "No Line on the Horizon."
  6. i can't wait for the new album!!
  7. Did some say....rmann83?

    ....

    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
  8. Wow....didn't realize I wrote so much. And all that with very little relevance to the topic title

    Did ya miss me U2start?
  9. Originally posted by rmann83Wow....didn't realize I wrote so much. And all that with very little relevance to the topic title

    Did ya miss me U2start?


    wow rmann, no matter how long your posts are, they're always great...I enjoy every bit of them!
    Hey! How have you been?! Last time I saw you around was that other great post of yours saying goodbye for a while, it was amazing!

    Anyways, about Adam...I can agree with that, we have that interview of Bono saying that Adam's on fire (that's how he described it) and that when Adam goes like this, he really moves the band...so I'm hoping here...
  10. I just see what comes...
  11. Originally posted by MWSAHI just see what comes...


    Yep

    But nice post rmann, seriously Very good.
  12. Fantastic post, rmann!

    A lot of Croatian U2 fans I speak to everyday think that U2's next album will make trilogy with ATYCLB and Bomb.

    I just don't agree with them. Neither fans, neither critics would salute to that idea. Because, last two albums were like volcanoes of emotions, but there wasn't any experimentation in them.

    Now look at the facts we know: they've been in Fez and they're working with Lanois And Eno. Every time they went to some non-Irish or France territory they made album with completely innovative sound (JTree - America, AB - Berlin, Pop - Miami [originally they wanted Cuba]).

    I believe album will be full of heavy, dark melodies, and Adam will rock. : )))))
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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.