Good news for U2 fans..

[u2roolz]

I don't believe The Edge at all.

Songs Of Ascent was supposed to be released at some point this year. Maybe they're working on those songs?

Furthermore, they have an unreleased album done with producer Rick Rubin. Maybe they're working on those songs?

 

Never trust Bono or The Edge when they talk about "making a new album".

[Analogman]

I don't believe The Edge at all.

Songs Of Ascent was supposed to be released at some point this year. Maybe they're working on those songs?

Furthermore, they have an unreleased album done with producer Rick Rubin. Maybe they're working on those songs?

 

Never trust Bono or The Edge when they talk about "making a new album".

 

Exactly -

 

Plus, I would rather they wait. I don't want another Zooropa.

[bleedorange]

Exactly -

 

Plus, I would rather they wait. I don't want another Zooropa.

 

I would love another Zooropa. Their last great album, IMO.

[Analogman]

I would love another Zooropa. Their last great album, IMO.

 

I've never heard anyone say that before.

 

I can handle the song Lemon - that is it. To me, the album is a piece of junk.

 

I suppose I have never got over the overwhelming disappointment I felt after hearing it for the first time.

[Moss]

Ugh, yeah. Even "Lemon" makes me pucker up. I would love to see them do something more folksy although I liked No Line quite a bit.

[bleedorange]

Oh well, different strokes, I guess. I think their '90s output far outpaces their 2000s output.

[Winston Legthigh]

I would love another Zooropa. Their last great album, IMO.

Agreed.

 

Zooropa, Lemon, Stay (faraway, so close) and The Wanderer are all great songs. The album is so solid and has aged very well.

 

Should have been made a double album with The Passengers project.

[Analogman]

I try to stay away from negative trips on here (try to) but, that and Pop almost made me quit buying their records. I think they are one of few bands whose new albums I am still willing to buy.

 

For me, U2 is the following:

 

Boy (1980)

October (1981)

 

War (1983)

Under a Blood Red Sky (1983)

The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

The Joshua Tree (1987)

Rattle and Hum (1988)

 

Achtung Baby (1991)

Zooropa (1993)

Pop (1997)

All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)

No Line on the Horizon (2009)

 

The rest I don't think measure up to that five year period. For those who prefer the other albums, I respect your preference.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Analogman

[Sir Stewart]

One thing I've learned is that U2 are really bad at describing their own music. The Edge calling something 'folk' means nothing to me.

[Doug C]

Count me among the Zooropa fans. I don't rank it with Analogman's Top 5 but it's close. I would add Achtung Baby to the Top 5 and drop Under A Blood Red Sky. Zooropa has some excellent songs throughout. All That You Can't... and How To Dismantle... are in the 2nd group with Zooropa and Under a Blood Red Sky. The rest have some great songs but are more uneven. But who knows for sure? It's subjective, after all. The only musical certainty is the awesomeness of John Wayne is Big Leggy.

[Winston Legthigh]

 

The rest I don't think measure up to that five year period. For those who prefer the other albums, I respect your preference.

I think I can mostly agree with that, but I wouldn't include Rattle & Hum amongst their best.

 

I didn't care for Achtung Baby, nor anything after Zooropa.

 

U2's Unforgettable Fire tour was the first concert I went to, and they've had a special spot in my heart since then.

Of their albums, I listen to Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa the most.

[Sir Stewart]

Zooropa was a hoot because by the time Achtung came out, it felt like we'd either be waiting forever for a new U2 album or that there wouldn't be any more U2 albums. Then in the middle of the Achtung whirlwind, they spit out another one while on the road, and it's weird, man. Weird! Loved it. Still do.

[Analogman]

Artificial Horizon

 

ARTIFICIAL HORIZON A limited edition release curated by the band, Artificial Horizon is presented in a customised, gatefold sleeve.

 

Running to 60 minutes, this triple-vinyl album features 13 tracks remixed by some of the world's leading DJs and producers.

 

Stretching from If God Will Send His Angels (from 1997's 'Pop') to Get On Your Boots (from 2009's 'No Line On The Horizon'), the set includes three never-before released tracks: I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Live U2360 Remix); City Of Blinding Lights (Hot Chip 2006 Remix); and Get On Your Boots (Fish Out Of Water Mix); as well as two tracks with very restricted previous release: 'Staring At The Sun (Brothers in Rhythm Ambient Mix) and Magnificent (Falke Radio Mix).

 

This triple-disc set is set to become a collectors must-have like its illustrious predecessor, 1995's 'Melon: Remixes for Propaganda'.

[u2roolz]

Wow!

 

That's just what I was looking for Bono. An album that's thrown in to make up for an overpriced fanclub. A remix album to be more precise.

A remix album that will be played once and then followed by a shrug of the shoulders and a placing of the remix album onto a pile of Pearl Jam Xmas singles that I never play.

 

Luckily, I don't belong to the U2 fanclub anymore. I'd prefer a dvd of rehearsal footage for the 360 tour. I know that the Pasadena Bowl show won't be coming on dvd until the tour is finished.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

They're also releasing it on "limited edition" vinyl that fanclub members get the first chance to buy and get a discount on. You know, not get for free, but get the chance to buy. Oh U2, what happened to you? I keep getting emails to rejoin, since my subscription has lapsed after four or five years. I did actually like a few of the live albums a few years back, but I haven't even listened to the last few. I only kept joining for presales, and I was so frustrated when their tour was so limited in the northeast last fall. The tickets I ended up buying I couldn't use because I couldn't miss work, and I had to sell them for less than face value. Then they expected me to buy a ticket in November for a show that's not happening until July. I'm on the academic job market--I had no idea in November where I was even going to be in July (and still don't). I really thought I wanted to see them one last time, since they were my favorite band from the time I was 12 until I started seriously listening to Wilco a few years ago, but between scheduling and the stagnant setlist, I don't really care to see this tour.

[Analogman]

It still amazes me that in the age of the iPod, vinyl record albums are so popular, and bands are releasing special vinyl (overpriced) packages.

[u2roolz]

They're also releasing it on "limited edition" vinyl that fanclub members get the first chance to buy and get a discount on. You know, not get for free, but get the chance to buy. Oh U2, what happened to you? I keep getting emails to rejoin, since my subscription has lapsed after four or five years. I did actually like a few of the live albums a few years back, but I haven't even listened to the last few. I only kept joining for presales, and I was so frustrated when their tour was so limited in the northeast last fall. The tickets I ended up buying I couldn't use because I couldn't miss work, and I had to sell them for less than face value. Then they expected me to buy a ticket in November for a show that's not happening until July. I'm on the academic job market--I had no idea in November where I was even going to be in July (and still don't). I really thought I wanted to see them one last time, since they were my favorite band from the time I was 12 until I started seriously listening to Wilco a few years ago, but between scheduling and the stagnant setlist, I don't really care to see this tour.

 

 

Have you been plugging into my thoughts and my life? lol

 

Ironically though I wasn't a member when U2 had the live cds which pissed me off. I always wanted a professional Zoo TV From Syndey cd. My bootleg sounds amazing but you can tell it's from a radio broadcast.

 

Then the other live cd was from the Vertigo tour I think.

 

FWIW, U2's opening acts for this year's tour:

 

Lenny Kravitz - Salt Lake City, Anaheim I, Anaheim II, Denver

The Fray - Oakland, Seattle, Edmonton

Interpol - Minneapolis, East Lansing, Toronto, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia

[Preferred B]

I don't really get what the big deal is about this release - or rather, what people are upset about. Granted, I only glanced over the email, but anyone can buy it, right? It's not just for fan club members; it's just that fan club gets a discount and first crack. And the price is $35 for the vinyl collection. That's not cheap, but it's not exorbitant. Is it? Anyway. I'm no longer a fan club member and have no intention of rejoining, and probably wouldn't buy this anyway. But it seems kind of neat, if you're into remixes. And U2 on vinyl.

[scribex6]

I guess it's always fashionable to bash U2 but I'm actually pretty pleased with the fan club on this tour especially after the problems with pre-sales on the last tour, and I've been a member since the 90s during the Propoganda days. I was able to get a pair of general admission tickets to two shows last fall and again this summer, the main reason I joined the club. It's almost impossible to get those GA tix in the general sale so for me it was worth it.

 

The two-disc rarities album they gave out last year was a nice bonus as it had a bunch of songs I was missing. I just got the remix CD so I've only listened to it once but it has some cool stuff on it as well.

 

However, I am annoyed that the East Coast gets Interpol as an opener and I'll have to sit through Lenny Kravitz.

[u2roolz]

I don't really get what the big deal is about this release - or rather, what people are upset about. Granted, I only glanced over the email, but anyone can buy it, right? It's not just for fan club members; it's just that fan club gets a discount and first crack. And the price is $35 for the vinyl collection. That's not cheap, but it's not exorbitant. Is it? Anyway. I'm no longer a fan club member and have no intention of rejoining, and probably wouldn't buy this anyway. But it seems kind of neat, if you're into remixes. And U2 on vinyl.

 

That's why I'm cold towards it. I'd much rather prefer something live. I missed the opportunity like I said when they did the Zoo TV & Vertigo Tour live cds through the fanclub a few years ago. It was on their "off" tour years and I tend to rejoin when they come around which seems to be every U.S. election year.

 

I rarely listened to the Melon remix cd from a decade or 2 ago.

 

Edit: Actually I forgot about the 2 cd set of rarities. That was nice.

[Analogman]

I don't really get what the big deal is about this release - or rather, what people are upset about. Granted, I only glanced over the email, but anyone can buy it, right? It's not just for fan club members; it's just that fan club gets a discount and first crack. And the price is $35 for the vinyl collection. That's not cheap, but it's not exorbitant. Is it? Anyway. I'm no longer a fan club member and have no intention of rejoining, and probably wouldn't buy this anyway. But it seems kind of neat, if you're into remixes. And U2 on vinyl.

 

But it is still ok to get upset here right?

 

They should have just put those tracks out there for anyone to grab.

 

Although there is a vinyl craze going on these days, how many U2 super fans (the people most likely to buy such a thing) have a record player?

[Preferred B]

Aren't they all old? Probably a lot.

[Sir Stewart]

Yeah I would think U2's fanbase probably parallels vinyl enthusiasts pretty well. An you can't DL vinyl.

 

When I read the email from U2 this morning, I actually paused to check myself, and concluded that no, I could not be less excited about this release.

 

The worst part to me is the hype that they inflate it with - "first remix album since (something called) Melon!" Big effin' deal.

[Analogman]

Interesting. Most people I know that are my age only listen to the radio, and nothing else. Of course, they are not music freaks. I have been listening to U2 since 1982 or so, but I am not buying some U2 vinyl remix album. Of course, I don't buy record albums (anymore).

 

There was an article a while back somewhere that talked about how some bands are putting out elaborate packages like that - cd and vinyl. I can't recall what the whole article was about though.

 

U2 does not need the cash - at least, not that I know of. Although, I read the last tour costs 6 figures a day to operate, so maybe they do need some money.

 

Daily costs of the production are approximately $750,000, not including the stage construction; the majority of this comes from truck rentals, transportation, and staff wages.

 

I think they should forget all that stuff, and go back to playing in theaters.

 

I would not but the Wilco vinyl deal either, even if I was still buying records. It's just not something I am apt to go after these days.

 

I think it is mainly the young hipster kids or whatever they are called these days who are buying new vinyl. So that is why bands, even old dinosaur bands are putting out vinyl.

 

I bet those records will be ripped into FLAC and Mp3 and up on the web for people to snag in no time flat.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Analogman

[scribex6]

I still don't get why anyone would get upset over something if they have no interest in it. If you don't want to join the fan club or listen to the remix CD that's cool. Don't pay for it.