**The Offical U2 Fan Thread**

[Neenie]

Ah, another fan! Nice ta see ya Janine.

Hugs to indigo tree

 

[Axver]

I love the popheart EP please from 1997 the live version of where the streets have no name blows my mind

I so need that!

But yesterday I got a heap of mp3-sourced live material off my friend - we're talking 17-03-82, 05-02-85, 30-09-97 here - and I'm getting even more off him tonight. Hooray!

 

[Neenie]

New U2 album is coming


BonoTalks New Album

"Bullet The Blue Sky" Bono tells Uncut how U2 have gone "punk rock" on the French Riveira.

U2 have completed the main recording sessions for their next album, scheduled for release early in 2004, at a secret studio on the French Riveira. Guitarist The Edge summed up the new record, as yet untitled, as "raw rock'n'roll....a band in its primary colours of guitar, bass, drums, voice and a lot of vitality and energy"

Speaking exclusively to Uncut, Bono goes a step further, describing the album as "punk rock made on Venus", dominated by guitars that go up to "Number 11". He confirms the album will continue in the classic-rock vein of 2000's Grammy winning All That You Can't Leave Behind, and that U2's usual production team of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno have been replaced by studio veteran Chris Thomas.

"He worked on The White Album", says Bono. "He made Never Mind the Bollocks and Dark Side of the Moon. And the first four Roxy Music records that are really hard to get your head round, I think he's on three of them. But we particularly wanted him to work on the guitar sound. It's a guitar-driven record. It's got a lot of big, big tunes. You know? Remember tunes?"

Bono insists the break with Lanois and Eno is purely for musical reasons. "They.....um, they don't really like the loud music. Heh heh! Eno's not on it, but Daniel's coming in to play - his tour's ending in Dublin and I think he's going to sit in, as we musos say. I'd love Brian to be on it because Brian was on those Roxy Music records too, we shouldn't forget. And it is otherworldly - its kind of punk rock made on Venus rather than Mars."

Holding album sessions on the Meditteranean, Bono claims, was designed to stimulate creative inspiration. "We've tried pretty much everything to make it feel like it's not a studio that we're working in," he says.

According to Bono, the new album will be dominated by The Edge's guitar. "it's made by a man who is really sick of the sight of his singer shaking hands with dodgy politicians," he quips. "When you've got as much spleen and suffused rage as The Edge has, I think Number 11 was the only way to go.

"People forget just how extraordinary a guitar player he is," Bono continues. "Everybody else is just replaying the blues again and again, it's just Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. But this is someone who, in the colour spectrum, [bold]owns[/bold] a few colours. In the same way as great musicians like Miles Davis, or great guitar players like Sterling Morrison - there are great guitar players who [bold]own[/bold] something."

But a guitar sound is not all the Edge owns, Uncut adds mischievously. He also owns a mansion, a hotel, a nightclub....

"Yes," Bono replies, "and he's slowly burning them all down."

Stephen Dalton

-- Uncut

 

[ps139]

Ok Im definitely buying this album. I like the Spinal Tap number 11 reference too .

 

[sad astronaut]

No, please tell us.

It's a reference to the cover of Zooropa, where it has a crude drawing of a face that looks like it has on an astronaut helmet.

 

[Axver]

I always saw that as a child's face ... can anyone tell me where else that picture appears, in slightly different form?

And I love all this news about the new album ... I'm addicted to the new album forum on the Interference MB (my favourite U2 MB). I'm predicting a release around Saint Patrick's Day, personally.

 

[Neenie]

I always saw that as a child's face ... can anyone tell me where else that picture appears, in slightly different form?

And I love all this news about the new album ... I'm addicted to the new album forum on the Interference MB (my favourite U2 MB). I'm predicting a release around Saint Patrick's Day, personally.

Hi Axver

I don't know where else that child's face appears. Do you?

Anyway have you seen the rattle and hum outtakes? I just found them on a U2 FTP site and I'm currently downloading them, it's really cool! I just bought rattle and hum a month ago, and now the outtakes, it shows bono being taken to hospital, and shows various Joshua tree concerts with good quality picture, And shows the band rehearsing the song "Bad" at the start, anyway just thought you would be interested. And I found a really good version of "one" and put it on my sound file.

 

[Axver]

I don't know where else that child's face appears. Do you?

Indeed I do. Next time you go to play Achtung Baby, take a closer look to the face that appears on the actual CD. It bears a striking resemblance to the one on the cover of Zooropa.

Anyway have you seen the rattle and hum outtakes? I just found them on a U2 FTP site and I'm currently downloading them, it's really cool!

Oh, I hear they're brilliant, but never seen them myself. What FTP did you find them on?

And I found a really good version of "one" and put it on my sound file.

Ooo, shall listen. I'm in love with the Popmart Sarajevo performance.

 

[Neenie]

Hi Axver, your right it is on the Achtung Baby Album, I have seen it so many times but never noticed it.
To answer your Question the FTP site I got them off is http://www.relivetheconcert.com/main/home.asp it's on the u2 video's section you can get on it for free but takes forever to get on, so I subscribed to the site to get unlimited access. There is another u2 ftp site I sometimes get on http://www.u2central.com/ it has heaps of U2 stuff, you Can browse free but have to pay to download . I downloaded the Popmart Sarajevo performance a while ago and it's really good except he had a bad voice.

 

[Axver]

Ah yes, I've been to relivetheconcert.com before, got an mp3 of Bad on the RAH video from there. Wonderful site, but as you say, takes forever to get on, and I simply can't currently afford to pay for a subscribe. But I have heaps of time over the holidays so once I get my highspeed 'net connection in a few days, I'll just sit there, wait until I finally get on, and then go on a downloading spree.

About Popmart Sarajevo, I absolutely adore it - apart from Bologna, 2 May 1985, it's my favourite boot - and I think Bono having a bad voice is more than made up for by the overflowing passion. I actually like the part during New Year's Day where Bono's voice gives out and he stops singing, because you can hear what Edge plays, and I love listening to the Edge. He's a musical god. Anyone who can play electric, acoustic, bass, and slide guitar, keyboard/piano, that thing before the guitar on Tomorrow, write quality lyrics, and sing backing and lead vocals all by the age of 22 has to be a musical god.

 

[Axver]

Oh, and can you tell me what concert that performance of One is from?

 

[Neenie]

Oh, and can you tell me what concert that performance of One is from?

That version of "one" is from the war child concert 9-12-1995 with Pavarotti’s orchestra it sounds excellent doesn't it? Do you like it?

My favorite part of the Sarajevo concert is at the end of "please" it sounds really emotional. And the Sarajevo song itself. I got the slane DVD a couple of day's ago and also got a rare master copy of the Unforgettable Fire Album. I really have been spending 2 much on U2 stuff these holiday's I need to stop, oh well..

 

[Neenie]

Sexy U2 pic

 

[Axver]

Oh wow, great version of One. Bono sounds in fine form, and I like it with the orchestra. I want to get the one from this year's Special Olympics Opening Ceremony, where they played with some orchestra. I have Pride from that concert, but not One.

On Sarajevo, I love the start of Even Better Than The Real Thing: "Viva Sarajevo! F the past, kiss the future! Viva Sarajevo! Viva!", the performances of Mofo, Discotheque, and One are the best I've heard, and it's neat to hear Miss Sarajevo live.

Wow, a master copy of UF? That's very cool. I wish I could find stuff like that ...

And Slane is so brilliant, isn't it? Best Angel Of Harlem in my opinion.

 

[Axver]

I am about to make a declaration.

I just watched the Slane DVD louder than anything I've ever heard in my life, and my findings are: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE U2 GO HOME: SLANE CASTLE 2001 THEN GET IT NOW!

U2 rocks my world! What a way to usher in 2004, with Slane (New Year's Day!) cranked up LOUD! The sound nearly knocked me over and I think I'm half-deaf! What speakers we have!

*runs from the room in a hyper fanladish manner*

 

[indigo tree]

Hugs to indigo tree

*hugs back* I hope everything is okay between us after my rant in the sex before marriage thread.

I didn't end up asking for Slane for Christmas... I don't know why, guess I didn't wanna bother my dad....
But next time I have 15 bucks or so saved you can bet I'll have it.
We have a rather nice sound system here at home, and I have blasted U2 on it. Its incredible. Its the way they are meant to be heard.

 

[Neenie]

*hugs back* I hope everything is okay between us after my rant in the sex before marriage thread.

I didn't end up asking for Slane for Christmas... I don't know why, guess I didn't wanna bother my dad....
But next time I have 15 bucks or so saved you can bet I'll have it.
We have a rather nice sound system here at home, and I have blasted U2 on it. Its incredible. Its the way they are meant to be heard.

That’s O.K no worries! I was being a bit too cheeky ...

You really need to get slane it's awesome! My favorite part is the transition between "All I want is you" and "Where the streets have no name" I have been listening to "new year’s day" at slane castle today .
I also like Mysterious ways as well when Bono had his daughter Memphis Eve dancing on stage it was really cute, But i wish they put it in with the rest of the concert. I kind of like their older concerts though because Bono's voice started to break around 1999-2000 and I haven't heard him sing in the opera voice since then.
But anyway I often wonder if they will do stadiums or Arenas on the next tour? I hope they do something Like ZOO TV or Popmart again.

BTW Indigo tree I really like your avatar. it's cute! Where’s it from?

 

[Axver]

I adore that performance of Mysterious Ways! Possibly the best I've heard, and Bullet is right up there with the legendary one from Stockholm, 11 June 1992. I too wish it was in the normal concert, but I've ripped the entire concert onto mp3 audio, put it into my playlist where it should be (between Streets and Pride), and it sounds right.

True, Bono's voice has been on the decline, but I think the lowest point was the Popmart tour. It'll never be what it was back in the 1980s. But the thing is, he's wrecked it in two main ways;

1. Smoking never helped. He's now down to just three cigarettes a week and hopefully he'll be able to fully quit soon.
2. Oversinging. In the early days - especially The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, and Lovetown tours - he would sing notes four or five times in one song that opera singers only sing once a MONTH. So let's say he did that in five songs, giving us 25 notes. Ten concerts a month, that's singing a note that should only be sung once a month TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TIMES. And that's being VERY conservative. The fact he's still got any voice at all - and the wonderful performance during the transition between All I Want Is You and Where The Streets Have No Name at Slane - proves he's got a fantastic voice, if not the best voice ever. Remember, this man never had singing lessons until after the Lovetown tour when he started having problems with his voice. (I have heard he had some lessons before the War album, but they obviously didn't help him a lot)

Interesting facts for you all;

- Edge used to make guitars.
- Adam is a completely self-taught bassist and never had lessons until before the Pop album, which he had in an effort to improve his skills even more.
- Larry was born on Halloween.
- At the 6 August 2001 concert in Antwerp, U2 made up a song called We Love You, a birthday song for Edge (his birthday is 08-08-61), completely on the spot. If you want an mp3 of it, contact me on MSN or AIM.

 

[Bayhawks83]

So, how would everyone rank U2's CDs (not including Best Ofs or bootlegs)?

1. Under A Blood Red Sky
2. Boy
3. October
4. The Unforgettable Fire
5. The Joshua Tree
6. Pop
7. War
8. Achtung Baby
9. Wide Awake In America
10. Zooropa
11. All That You Can't Leave Behind
12. Rattle And Hum

Apart from number 1, that list is prone to constant change, although it's usually Boy or The Unforgettable Fire at number two. I guess that chart gives away that I particularly love early U2.

Can't wait for the new album. Can't wait at all.

1. boy
2. october
3. war

 

[indigo tree]

That’s O.K no worries! I was being a bit too cheeky ...

No worries, then. Good.

BTW Indigo tree I really like your avatar. it's cute! Where’s it from?

It's Koda in a scene from the movie Brother Bear.

1. Smoking never helped. He's now down to just three cigarettes a week and hopefully he'll be able to fully quit soon.

Hmm...I thought he had quite once before, but then started back up again...

Those are some pretty interesting facts you got there. Goes to show these boys are masters at their trade.

And hey Bayhawk!