Songs Of Experience - General album discussions

Originally posted by hamman:[..]
I think you dont get it. They dont need to try and sound like anything other than U2. They dont need special producers to make them sound fresh. They should just ve themselves. Its worked out just fine so far.

Originally posted by MattG:[..]
The opinions here are sort of all over the place - we want U2 to go back to a classic sound, even though the producers that worked on those albums have still been around for the last few albums that haven't been as good.

We don't want them to work with Ryan Tedder, even though he's one of the biggest producers in alternative music, and worked with them on Songs of Experience.

You guys just want a good U2 album - it'll be born out of lightning in a bottle, or it'll just be on par with all the output of the last decade. The only thing to do is trust them and wait. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesnt.

Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:There hasn't ever really been a time when U2 were 'just U2' without totally relying on producers - not from the beginning. If they hadn't had Steve Lillywhite basically leading them on the way, Boy would literally never have been made. It's been that way ever since - the band look to sources outside the four of them to point out directions they could not come up with on their own. And that's ok. It lets them change in some ways while retaining the same core.

I feel like if the band had to do all the production and deciding what directions to go without outside sources producing them, things would be much worse off. I can't see that not taking a toll on their creativity, or their chemistry - they would feel like they had to change at a more basic level of themselves, rather than letting a producer help mould what they are into different forms made out of the same stuff.

Originally posted by ahn1991:So why are we so against U2 working with producers again? Also, why do we want U2 to just sound like U2 and also experiment with new sounds? Do we as a fanbase even know what we want? Do we even want this album to get released?

Originally posted by cesar_garza01:Except that they always needed special producers. They had to bring Eno and Lanois to push themselves and find a new sound that could not be obtained without them. Then later they needed Flood, Howie B. for their 90's experimentation. They brought many ideas to the table, just like what Danger Mouse and Ryan Tedder are doing now.

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Man this thread has gotten into the weeds.

Anyone saying "U2 should just be U2" and/or "U2 don't need producers":

You haven't done your homework. U2 has needed producers since day one. You can blame their punk roots for that. Unless you want U2 to go back to writing songs like Magic Carpet and Pete the Chop (like they ever would anyway), you need to check yourself. U2 hasn't written (for an album) without a producer closeby since Boy, and even then those songs were transformed by Steve Lillywhite.

"U2 should just be U2"? Okay, which one? Either way, the sound you refer to was helped by a producer with a fresh take.

I can't even believe I'm having to defend U2 of all bands of wanting/needing a producer to experiment and stay current. What band have you been listening to? There's nothing wrong with U2 writing 80% of a song and then having others come in to critique and help them to spice it up. A good example is One. Seen From The Sky Down? Edge had the two chord progressions, Daniel Lanois (producer) told him to put them in succession, voila. Daniel Lanois came up with the main guitar riff too.

Originally posted by blueeyedboy:[..]
When I say U2 should be U2, what I mean is they should do exactly what they do and have done. That's what I mean. Keep pushing forward and staying stimulated. Nothing more, nothing less. Squeeze all they can out of a producer to get where they want to be. Whoever works; young, old or ancient. Look, they scrapped Rick Rubin because he wasnt taking them where they wanted to be. They recruited some young dynamos and unleashed something they were at the same time proud of and refreshed by.

I cant believe I'm defending myself. I've always defended their process. It always works in the end. And it stays fresh, even when it's not. If that makes sensemmm