Fortitude

1) Volcano 2) Iris 3) Raised by Wolves 4) Cedarwood Rd 5) Sleep like a baby

I think it gets an 8 out of 10 from me. This album is a grower - the more I listen to it, the more I like it! There is always something else to take notice off with each listen. I have one small criticism and that's the track sequence - This Is Where You Can Find Me Now - should be the second song. Other than that, it's great. The stand-out songs for me are: Volcano, Iris, Cedarwood Road, Sleep Like a Baby Tonight and The Troubles. Songs of Innocence has to be now in my top five U2 albums - in my opinion, it's the best they've released since Pop, maybe even Achtung Baby. What I'm loving more is that this set of songs complements their first three albums so well, particularly War, so I'm hoping for 3 or 4 songs off War played on the next tour. Given the subject matter of some of the songs, I'd also like to see Please as a regular feature in the setlist on the tour. Songs of Innocence will translate very well live, so I think the band will be able to play at least half of the album on the next tour. If the next album, Songs of Experience, is released before the new tour starts, who knows - the entire setlist could be mostly new material - now that really would be something! Oh and just quietly... well not so quietly... ADAM CLAYTON YOU ROCK!!! YOU ARE THE STAR OF THIS ALBUM!!! (Maybe a bass solo should be a feature on the next tour????)

Yeah, you know, I'd like to say that I'm sad about this news, but sad is the wrong word. I have been following U2 since 1988. I was even born on the same day in 1978 that the band changed its name to U2! These guys have played a large part in recording the soundtrack of my life. I think what I feel at the moment is disappointment and some anger to be honest. We have been waiting patiently for 5 YEARS!! For the past 6-12 months the band has been saying that the new album would be out by late 2013.... which then slipped to mid-2014 - all 4 of them were saying this! Edge has recently said they have "6 or 7 songs" with Danger Mouse. Bono has said they are working on 2 albums at the same time! Well if you haven't got enough material for a full album, then just release the Danger Mouse material on an EP now for goodness sake guys. You don't have to tour it! We just want to hear some new U2 songs. Release another EP towards the end of this year with another 4 or 5 songs produced by someone else. Maybe even release another EP in the first half of 2015 and then announce a World tour - probably your "Farewell Tour". You can play the best songs off the 3 EPs and all your greatest hits along with them. U2 - if you are now only really focused on the money, if you guys have become so obsessed with maintaining your 'legacy' that you are blinded by it, if you've run out of ideas, if you can't put an album of 10-12 songs together over 5 YEARS, then there is clearly something wrong. And remember your self-professed rule of the band - 2 crap albums in a row and you call it quits. NLOTH was crap, we all kinda know it deep down - the fact that you were only playing 3 or 4 songs from it live by the end of the 360 tour was very telling. Maybe to avoid breaking the rule, you should just release EPs for now until you can get your sh*t together. Anyways, on that rather sour note, I best be off.

I think the new album has been ready for several months. They're just taking their time trying to get the marketing campaign that will go with it sorted out - and maybe trying to figure out how they'll play the songs live. Since they apparently have used "Danger Mouse" to produce the album, it kinda hints that the new album could be more electronic then previous albums - U2 want to make dance/pop music and it annoys them to no end that they haven't really been able to do that well to date. I have also wondered whether or not U2 have tried to re-produce the Pop album with Danger Mouse as well (in prep to re-release it and play more songs off that on the next tour to complement their new material). I dunno, I think U2 have to really go out on a limb with the next album - take some big risks, try to remain relevant, get at least one or two new songs played on the radio - but also maintain this image that they have developed for themselves as being innovaters in modern music - none of the calculated, contrived "safe" risks that they took with NLOTH because it simply didn't work - they were only playing 3 or 4 songs from that album live at the end of the 360 tour. All I ask for is an album that hangs together well and truly shows U2 as themselves (who U2 actually want to be, not what the record company is telling them they should be). Remember Bono's quote from the PopMart tour - "If it keeps us interested then it aint gonna be bullshit for you." I hope they follow their own advice. I would love to see U2 play arenas here in Australia because they haven't done that since 1989 here. Playing arenas would also give the band a little more freedom to showcase some rarer songs and bring back some golden oldies (stadium shows are really only conducive to playing greatest hits songs really).

You guys forgot to include some songs of ATYCLB - only two of those songs were on 1990-2000. Next best of should be 2001-2010 and probably include the following: 1. City of Blinding Lights 2. Vertigo 3. Sometimes you can't make it on your own 4. Elevation (Tombraider Mix) 5. Get on your boots 6. New song (I reckon it will be Every Breaking Wave) 7. Magnificent 8. Walk On 9. All because of you 10 Kite They might put one other new song on there hopefully. I'd like to see Breathe make it on there too.

I would bet that whatever it was they recorded recently will be put on yet another "best of" album that will be released just in time for Christmas later this year. I hope they prove me wrong and pleasantly surprise me with a brand new album before the end of 2012, but I very much doubt that will happen. To be honest, I'd prefer U2 to release their next studio album with no fanfare or hype - I want them to take everyone (and us) completely by surprise.

*na i aint sayin she a goldigga uh but she aint messin wit no broke*

Does the new bass send a signal ??? Dance/groove??

I read somewhere that Bono was having an extended holiday in South America and going to Rio as well. Maybe the band should record their new album in South America? Some Spanish flamenco and latin american beat influences would be most welcome in my opinion!

Pop is still the second most played album in my collection (after Achtung Baby). I have always loved it! It's the most musically diverse album U2 has ever made and it sounds fresher today than it did in 1997. I have friends who hate U2 but actually don't mind the Pop album - probably because it is the most 'out there' thing the band has ever done (well, apart from Passengers, but I digress). I see people are making comparisons between Pop and NLOTH but I care little for those arguments. To be blunt NLOTH sucked. It was not an innovative album, they (and Brian Eno) regurgitated stuff they'd done before - most of the songs on it could easily have been found on ALTCLB or HTDAAB - it's just they were lightly veiled with tricks from Eno to try and hide the fact. On the next tour, I'd like to see an acoustic medley somewhere in the middle of the show - with If You Wear that Velvet Dress/Staring at the Sun/If God Will Send His Angels. Then they can launch into that kickass version of Discotheque that they played a few times on the Vertigo tour. Well one can dream out loud!!

[quote name='bflorendo wrote: Fortitude wrote: bflorendo']I saw them at the Sydney Entertainment Center during their Love Town tour. We had to evacuate. That was the best live version of Hawkmoon 269! They need to revive it. I remember several dates were postponed due to Bono have some sort of throat problems. I just spent Christmas/NY holidays in the Philippines. There is a ton of U2 fans out there, and they'll do anything to see them, if they do go there. I'm surprised they haven't performed there, but at the same time, I understand why. Just dealing with logistics of moving their production from island to island, around Asia, as well as the amount of security it involves. They now have a venue(SM Mall of Asia grounds) that can support that size production. However, the threat of terrorism and kidnappings (Abu-Sayaf...Al-Queada supporters) are always an issue. Trying to do business anywhere in the Philippines is a challenging and a rock tour would probably be a logistical nightmare. The Philippine government taxes you for everything!! If it was an arena tour though, it could be done I think. You are right that U2 are VERY popular in the Philippines - they play their 80s songs (and a few of the 2000s) hits there all the time on radio. Terrorism could happen in any of the countries U2 tour but could be managed in Manila - it's the southern islands, particularly Mindanao that are extremely dangerous at the moment. Or the front gate of my grandparents' house...in Quezon City. Gee really? That's terrible. I was living/working in Makati last year when a bus was blown up there. It happens, but I don't think it is insurmountable to U2 playing in the Philippines. They still play in NYC, London and Madrid and all of those cities had massive terrorism incidents in the past decade (way beyond anything of the capability of those in the Philippines).

If you wear that velvet dress - no competition.

You know that could work mate. There are a few bands that have been touring recently playing one of their old albums in its entirety with a few additional extras thrown in. In some ways I'm on the same wavelength as you with my thinking that they could strip back their sound and go a bit punk again - if it doesn't work, at least it will round off their career ending where they started!

[quote name='pain_18_ wrote: Fortitude']Every Breaking Wave is the only song that had potential - all the rest, including the hugely over-rated Mercy, are nothing more than b-sides. Options for the next sound direction: (i) Strip the sound down - similar to the more abrasive sound of the War album - get rid of all the pretty tricks and swirling echoes from Eno - Edge has to be prominent and not underplay like he did on NLOTH - include some other instruments like trumpet, sax, violin on some songs. World tour in arenas. (ii) Californian-punk oriented, maybe include a soft metal song (or two) - faster tempos, heavier guitar, keep Adam's groovy bass lines in places. World tour in arenas - Would give them opportunity to play at more music festivals. (iii) Jazz-oriented - include bursts of piano/keyboard, sax, flute - Bono can show off his new-found vocal style more, funky Clayton bass lines and experimental drum patterns from Larry - maybe a few duets with artists like Norah Jones, Sting, Kylie Minogue, k.d. Lang. Would not necessarily be an album that is toured on a grand World-wide scale. (iv) Passengers II - not to be released as a U2 album - completely experimental with a mix of different styles (alternative rock a.k.a. Radiohead-like, jazz, ambient, dance, techno, R&B, flamenco, middle eastern, tribal, SE Asian) - would not be toured. Personally, I like option 2 or 3 as they represent things U2 haven't really done too much in the past. Option 2 would let them come back harder hitting and allow them to capitalise on the growing frustration and anger out there in Gen Y (and X) with the way the governments/economies of the Western World are heading - they can push a wider social justice agenda than just focusing on Africa. Option 3 would be completely unexpected and could either be really well received and demonstrate U2 are still willing to take risks and push themselves into new directions, OR, it could backfire completely and push them more towards the irrelevance Bono keeps banging on about - but if you look at their previous flirtations with jazz (e.g. Two shots of happy, one shot of sad, Please, Angel of Harlem, Bono's duet with Frank S I've got you under my skin), I think it could actually kick butt. In my Opinion it will be none of the above..and WHAT THE FECK is up with Kylie mInogue? Are you crazy??? Frank Sinatra CAN'T even BE mentioned in the same text with that B***H...!! Thanks for your opinion, but it's just that, an opinion. Kylie's voice would compliment Bono's, especially in a jazz number - she and Bono have sang together live before. Just throwing ideas out there - the band are giving me the impression they have no clue what they want to do next. Sydney Entertainment Centre 12 November 2006 (on a night in between U2 stadium shows)

Boy: A Day Without Me October: Jerusalem War: The Refugee The Unforgettable Fire: Elvis Presley & America (the most hideous song they've ever recorded) The Joshua Tree: Trip through your wires Rattle and Hum: Love rescue me Achtung Baby: Trying to throw your arms around the World Zooropa: The Wanderer Pop: Miami All That You Can't Leave Behind: Wild Honey (eegad, what the hell were they thinking with this crap?) How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: One step closer No Line on the Horizon: Kill all of them, but if I have to pick my most hated, Crazy Tonight.