No new U2 album in June

[Boom Cha!]

No new album in June? Why am I not surprised? 

Now let's wait and see if we actually get a new album at the end of the year.

[thetak111]

Ahead of the 2010 tour dates, Paul McGuinness has been talking to Rolling Stone about the chances of a new record this year.

'There certainly won't be an album before June,' he says. 'However before the end of the year is increasingly likely. What would be really quite interesting would be if some of that material were to be released onstage and on record between now and the fall.'

And with just a few weeks before the first 2010 dates, Edge drops some clues about the show: 'I can't imagine that we would come back and continue with that exact same stage show. I think we'll naturally want to develop and adapt it.'

This is getting me excited about new material. Have U2 ever played a new song on stage in the last 20 years? that would be awesome.

[U2-obsessed and proud]

Have U2 ever played a new song on stage in the last 20 years?

They played "We Love You" once on the Elevation Tour, but to go back a while, they played a few War songs before the album was released...they actually did this with October and TUF songs before the release of those albums as well.

U2 played The Saints are Coming and Window in the Skies on the final leg of Vertigo too

[Aqua]

Have U2 ever played a new song on stage in the last 20 years?

They played "We Love You" once on the Elevation Tour, but to go back a while, they played a few War songs before the album was released...they actually did this with October and TUF songs before the release of those albums as well.

U2 played The Saints are Coming and Window in the Skies on the final leg of Vertigo too

nice . though i think the last legs of vertigo were AFTER the release of those two songs... ?
ahh well.
seriously, I doubt they'd road test a new song.
what they might do (pure speculation) is when they decide to release the album
they will announce at a certain show that a new song will be played,
drum up a TON of interest -- and release that song as the first single from the new album that night/very soon after that show. i think that might help give the single a bit of a boost.. maybe .

[Dali]

It should be abundantly clear that they have aborted work on "Songs Of Ascent" by now. That means if they would consider it a finished album, they could put it out almost right away with the online distribution channels available these days. And then, they could press up a bunch of CDs to release a month later or so. Yet, they still lack confidence in their material. Or maybe it's just the label that does. Well, too bad, because I would have bought the album - the CD version that is.

But as there is no new album, I don't.

[Aqua]

It should be abundantly clear that they have aborted work on "Songs Of Ascent" by now. That means if they would consider it a finished album, they could put it out almost right away with the online distribution channels available these days. And then, they could press up a bunch of CDs to release a month later or so. Yet, they still lack confidence in their material. Or maybe it's just the label that does. Well, too bad, because I would have bought the album - the CD version that is.

But as there is no new album, I don't.

perhaps they've aborted work on SOA-- but it's "abundantly clear" that they are prepared to release new material soon. and they have plenty of it.

[Bundang Dave]

It should be abundantly clear that they have aborted work on "Songs Of Ascent" by now.

Because the band are famous for putting out their albums quickly? If it's not out after a year, like all their other albums, then they have "clearly" abandoned it. 

Only time will tell for sure.

[whitewave]

I agree SG- the word "increasingly" bothers me.  Honestly, from a PR spin standpoint that word shouts out to me saying he really has no clue when this will be released- if ever.
Honestly, everyone in the band apears to be working on their own side projects, so I am pretty much thinking that  SOA is actually DOA.  :-(  You  know, they are at a point in their career that they can do this, so whatever.  When they feel like putting something out there they will.

[Domenico of Lovetown]

I'm starting to think that SOA is indeed finished and they're debating how much to tinker with it.  If they had something ready to go, why release it now?  4th quarter releases tend to sell better anyway.  They'll gradually work some new songs into the setlists and Australasia will hear more of the new stuff than anyone later this fall.  It'll be just like with Zooropa.

[ElJayVee]

Why do they do this?!?!? 

They like toying with our emotions.

They're such teases! 

[Bundang Dave]

I'm starting to think that SOA is indeed finished and they're debating how much to tinker with it.  If they had something ready to go, why release it now?  4th quarter releases tend to sell better anyway.  They'll gradually work some new songs into the setlists and Australasia will hear more of the new stuff than anyone later this fall.  It'll be just like with Zooropa.

Yeah, it sounds like there'll be some kind of new material released with the Rosebowl DVD (Kingdom of Your Love, probably) to whet appetites for an October/November album release. Time will tell, though.

[Aqua]

I'm starting to think that SOA is indeed finished and they're debating how much to tinker with it.  If they had something ready to go, why release it now?  4th quarter releases tend to sell better anyway.  They'll gradually work some new songs into the setlists and Australasia will hear more of the new stuff than anyone later this fall.  It'll be just like with Zooropa.

i think that's a huge factor in their decision. I speculate that the album is pretty much done, but they want room to breathe/tinker with a few things here and there and stronger sales than nloth-- a december release would give them that.

[TheFlyLives]

But why release SOA so close to the Achtung remaster? It doesn't seem to click with their usual sales tactics, unless they've decided to try something new. They are probably weighing the sales pros and cons such as risk releasing SOA, which might only appeal to U2 fans, or stick with the Achtung remaster which might reach a wider audience.

[Domenico of Lovetown]

Only devoted fans buy those pricey remasters.  They easily could release both during the fall.

[shockdocta22]

My guess is that the not so great sales for NLOTH really hit them (i know about the market, but still they were not great)

I think they are going to be pushing for a Christmas/Holiday release because it guarantees more sales, a more extreme version of when they released Bomb.  I am guessing a late November, early December release