Recording of new album.

[bronzefloor]

Sorry if there is already a thread for this. I am new to this forum and do not use forums much anyway.

In the vain hope U2 or someone who influences U2 actually reads this. Please record tracks that are not laden with religious imagery, references to the problems in the world, imagery about the sun, the moon, day, night. Try something new. I like the songs which have lyrics in the third person. Release a 'dance' album. You can do it online. Releasing a few tracks is not a bad idea. The time of the ten to twelve song album is over. The way tracks are recorded and published has changed. Nothing wrong with releasing a collection of songs with twenty songs in it. It may give you the opportunity to tell a story a better. Your albums are so formulaic now. There's always a song about God and your relationship with him, one about strife somewhere in the world, one about personal struggle (probably about how you deal with being a rockstars). I appreciate you want to grab the zeitgeist as well but that is boring. Do something experimental. Write about the loneliness of someone on the ISS. Someone who lived years ago. An ordinary person too not some person of historical importance. Listen to Achtung Baby! again. A body of work about relationships could be good and written in the third person. Maybe you have all become too content! But you can write about other people. Not one song has to be an anthem filler you've got enough of those. Right I'm off now. More may be added in the future. Feel free to state what you think.

[zootv]

I don't like the dance album idea and on NLOTH, Bono did a lot of writing in the third person and for me, I just couldn't make a connection with many of the songs. I prefer when Bono writes from a more personal standpoint. I think that' the essence of U2 and when he does write that way, they are at their finest.

[Canadanne]

on NLOTH, Bono did a lot of writing in the third person and for me, I just couldn't make a connection with many of the songs. I prefer when Bono writes from a more personal standpoint.

I was going to say the same thing. I *was* getting a little bit tired of Bono always writing about his father or the issues in Africa, but it's so much worse when he tries writing from a random stranger's viewpoint - the emotion isn't real and I just don't know or care who I'm supposed to be listening to. That's why their cover of Fortunate Son doesn't work for me (there's no passion when Bono is singing about someone else's rage). I had the same problem with much of NLOTH.

I would like to hear some more dancey stuff, though, and considering how long we have to wait between albums these days, I would definitely encourage them to release a few standalone tracks! And yes, please tone down the overtly religious lyrics - the subtle, ambiguous ones are best.

[codeguy]

Not sure I want a new dance album, but I do think a different format.

I think U2 should do a story-based album. They have never done that, and it worked well for Green Day, I think U2 could do it even better. An album that told a story, from beginning to end, without traditional songwriting structures. Bono is a good storyteller, witness until the End of the World or the McPhisto character. It would be a way for U2 to break out of the mold and do something not formulaic.

[goldtoad]

Sorry if there is already a thread for this. I am new to this forum and do not use forums much anyway.

In the vain hope U2 or someone who influences U2 actually reads this. Please record tracks that are not laden with religious imagery, references to the problems in the world, imagery about the sun, the moon, day, night. Try something new. I like the songs which have lyrics in the third person. Release a 'dance' album. You can do it online. Releasing a few tracks is not a bad idea. The time of the ten to twelve song album is over. The way tracks are recorded and published has changed. Nothing wrong with releasing a collection of songs with twenty songs in it. It may give you the opportunity to tell a story a better. Your albums are so formulaic now. There's always a song about God and your relationship with him, one about strife somewhere in the world, one about personal struggle (probably about how you deal with being a rockstars). I appreciate you want to grab the zeitgeist as well but that is boring. Do something experimental. Write about the loneliness of someone on the ISS. Someone who lived years ago. An ordinary person too not some person of historical importance. Listen to Achtung Baby! again. A body of work about relationships could be good and written in the third person. Maybe you have all become too content! But you can write about other people. Not one song has to be an anthem filler you've got enough of those. Right I'm off now. More may be added in the future. Feel free to state what you think.

 
* I agree that U2 should rethink the 10 - 12 song album as the primary way to release their music. They should consider releasing a series of mini-albums (5 - 7 songs) which would allow them to be more experimental.  * Bono does not write as many songs about the problems in the world as people think, but it seems like more because he is so vocal in public.  * I do agree that it's time for Bono to change the song writing formula that he used the last three albums. Spirituality will always be a part of U2's music and that's one of the reasons that U2 is my favorite band, but I do think it is time for Bono to be more abstract with his lyrics like he was in the 90's.

[marvgadgie]

A series of low key releases, as unlikely as it is, would be great. A few four or five track "EP"s. A dance one, a rock one, a whatever one ... just give us some new U2!

[So Cruel]

Well, if you don't want spirituality in your music then you picked the wrong band. I think Bono should write what is in his heart and that's why religious imagery is heard throughout U2's songs. You mentioned Achtung Baby and if you look closely about half the songs on that album have Christian imagery in them.

Last thing I'd want is for U2 to do a dance album. They are not a dance band, never have been and never will be. Bono should start hanging out with Keith Richards instead of Jay Z and Will I AM. They have a talent for writing emotional rock n roll and at 50 years old any dance songs they write would never be played on radio or in clubs anyways. Get back to what you do best, lock yourselves away for a few months and make a great rock album.

[OnlyU2]

Well, if you don't want spirituality in your music then you picked the wrong band. I think Bono should write what is in his heart and that's why religious imagery is heard throughout U2's songs. You mentioned Achtung Baby and if you look closely about half the songs on that album have Christian imagery in them.

Last thing I'd want is for U2 to do a dance album. They are not a dance band, never have been and never will be. Bono should start hanging out with Keith Richards instead of Jay Z and Will I AM. They have a talent for writing emotional rock n roll and at 50 years old any dance songs they write would never be played on radio or in clubs anyways. Get back to what you do best, lock yourselves away for a few months and make a great rock album.

This!  100% agreed. 

[Canadanne]

U2 can't do dance music?? What about all the great remixes in the '90s? The Perfecto Mix of EBTTRT charted higher than the album version! And the Redanka remix of Crazy Tonight was such a highlight of the 360° tour.

[So Cruel]

U2 can't do dance music?? What about all the great remixes in the '90s? The Perfecto Mix of EBTTRT charted higher than the album version! And the Redanka remix of Crazy Tonight was such a highlight of the 360° tour.

Those were remixs done by DJ's, when the songs were written they weren't dance songs

[Canadanne]

Those were remixs done by DJ's, when the songs were written they weren't dance songs

If you're not counting that stuff, and saying they have never done any dance music, then how do you know they couldn't do it...?

Personally I much preferred the remixes of various NLOTH tracks to the originals, so I wish they'd used those on the album instead - I might have really enjoyed it!

[Velvet Dress]

Well, if you don't want spirituality in your music then you picked the wrong band. I think Bono should write what is in his heart and that's why religious imagery is heard throughout U2's songs. You mentioned Achtung Baby and if you look closely about half the songs on that album have Christian imagery in them.

Yes.   I'm not a huge fan of the overt Christian motifs either, but I am a fan of Bono's sincerity.   People are saying he should be more 'personal' -- well, that's where it's at for him.   That's why I love October; and there are plenty of non-Christians and atheists who are fond of that album too.

If anything, the greater prominence of religious imagery on NLOTH was, for me, a good sign.   It showed U2 still aren't afraid of being unfashionable (at least to some degree).   I hope we see more of that and less of the Quest For Relevance.

[So Cruel]

Those were remixs done by DJ's, when the songs were written they weren't dance songs

If you're not counting that stuff, and saying they have never done any dance music, then how do you know they couldn't do it...?

Personally I much preferred the remixes of various NLOTH tracks to the originals, so I wish they'd used those on the album instead - I might have really enjoyed it!

Fair enough, but at the end of the day those are DJs interpretations of those songs, not U2's. I don't think U2 would want someone elses intrepretation of their music on their official album ahead of their own.

[Joan]

I think that an ARTist should always follow his heART because that is what he presents to the world. This is what makes him who he is and he should stick with that.                         

Of course all ARTists have their muses and thats ok. Bono sings with emotion and no one does that better and so he should stay with issues that are emotional triggers for him.         

You cannot please all the people all the time but if you please yourself then at least you are being honest with yourself. If you cannot be honest with yourself then you are in for a rude awakening someday.                                                                                               

The rest of the band are also so good because they also stick to what their hearts tell them!

[whitewave]

Put quite simply, if they did what you are asking they would not be U2. Please NO to the dance album idea,then they simply become one of the crowd trying to get high school age fans. Ugh.  Great bands do not that kind of thing-- they write from the heart. It is an artform for a reason.