U2 - No Line On The Horizon

[RobMoney$]

Set to be released on 27 February 2009 in the Republic of Ireland, 2 March 2009 in the rest of Europe, and a day later in the U.S.

U2 originally began work on a new studio album in 2006 with Rick Rubin, although material from those sessions will not be a part of No Line on the Horizon. The band has collaborated with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois from 2007-2008 for the album, allowing them to be involved in the songwriting process. The album was originally planned for release in November 2008, but the band had written approximately 50-60 songs and wished to continue writing.

Bono said "We're gonna continue to be a band, but maybe the rock will have to go; maybe the rock has to get a lot harder. But whatever it is, it's not gonna stay where it is." In a December 2007 interview, Bono said the new album would include trance influences and a "dancefloor shock," saying that "There's some trance influences. But there's some very hardcore guitar coming out of The Edge. Real molten metal. It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either."

The album has been described as "hand-played but it's also electro." Bono has been quoted as saying that the sessions show a real departure from the themes of the last two albums, with "trance influences". Producer Daniel Lanois has said the album will push the limits of the sound arena much like Achtung Baby years earlier.

According to Interscope, No Line on the Horizon will be released in 5 different formats:

Standard jewel case - with album CD and 24 page booklet
LP vinyl - limited edition with 2 black vinyl discs, gatefold sleeve, and a 16 page booklet
Digipak format - limited edition with album CD, 36 page colour booklet and fold out poster. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.
Magazine format - limited edition with album CD, with 60 page magazine. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.
Box format - limited edition bespoke box containing digipak format album CD, DVD of Anton Corbijn's exclusive film, 64 page hardback book, plus a fold out poster.

Yeah, I can't wait for this, and for the tour.

[kaiser soze]

This might be interesting for the "experimental" side of it....even though I enjoy techno, house, and jungle, I hate 99.9% of trance.

I still enjoy their sound circa pre-Zooropa more so than their more current releases

[Lyman Zerga]

i like their experimental stuff even more than the typical u2 sound aka what kaiser said

[rirv]

War, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby!

After those four albums it's all patchy for me, with the odd good song here and there. When you get Bono talking about pushing the edge on dance music you just know it's going to be painful, although Lanois and Eno might just about to keep them in check.

[RobMoney$]

In early December, Rolling Stone traveled to London to visit U2 in the studio as Bono and Co. worked on the upcoming No Line on the Horizon. The journey was as spellbinding and energizing as you might imagine, and you'll be able to read all about it when our new issue hits newsstands on Wednesday, January 7th. To tide you over, here's a track-by-track preview of 10 choice songs (and you can dig deeper into all our U2 coverage in our archive):

"Get On Your Boots"
The likely first single, this blazing, fuzzed-out rocker picks up where "Vertigo" left off. "It started just with me playing and Larry drumming," the Edge recalls. "And we took it from there."

"Stand Up Comedy"
Another hard rock tune, powered by an unexpectedly slinky groove and a riff that lands between the Beatles' "Come Together" and Led Zep's "Heartbreaker." Edge recently hung out with Jimmy Page and Jack White for the upcoming documentary It Might Get Loud, and their penchant for blues-based rock rubbed off: "I was just fascinated with seeing how Jimmy played those riffs so simply, and with Jack as well," he says.

"Crazy Tonight"
"It's kind of like this album's 'Beautiful Day' — it has that kind of joy to it," Bono says. With the refrain "I know I'll go crazy/If I don't go crazy tonight," it's the band's most unabashed pop tune since "Sweetest Thing."

"Unknown Caller"
This midtempo track could have fit on All That You Can't Leave Behind. "The idea is that the narrator is in an altered state, and his phone starts talking to him," says the Edge.

"Tripoli"
This strikingly experimental song lurches between disparate styles, including near-operatic choral music, Zooropa-style electronics, and churning arena rock.

"Cedars of Lebanon"
"On this album, you can feel what is going on in the world at the window, scratching at the windowpane," says Bono, who sings this atmospheric ballad from the point of view of a war correspondent.

"Magnificent"
"Only love can leave such a mark," Bono roars on what sounds like an instant U2 anthem. Will.i.am has already done what Bono calls "the most extraordinary" remix of the tune.

"Moment of Surrender"
This seven-minute-long track is one of the album's most ambitious, merging a Joshua Tree-style gospel feel with a hypnotically loping bass line and a syncopated beat.

"Every Breaking Wave"
A swelling soul-pop song, with bright synth sounds influenced by OMD and, Bono says, "early electronica." "You don't hear indie bands doing blue-eyed soul [like this]," he adds.

"No Line on the Horizon"
The title track's relentless groove began as a group improvisation. "It's very raw and very to the point," says the Edge. "It's like rock & roll 2009."
[From Issue 1071 — January 22, 2009]


http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25328725/u2_break_down_no_line_on_the_horizon

You know, I know another band that has an album due to drop sometime in '09.
It'd be nice to get some insight like this from the Beasties.

[RobMoney$]

War, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby!

After those four albums it's all patchy for me, with the odd good song here and there. When you get Bono talking about pushing the edge on dance music you just know it's going to be painful, although Lanois and Eno might just about to keep them in check.

I hear ya. Zooropa and even Pop were an unwelcome departure from the U2 most people had come to know. They definetly went back to their more classic format in (2000) All That You Can't Leave Behind, and (2004) How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Both are outstanding, classic U2 albums.

The "trance" and "experimental" terms being thrown around aren't worrying me at all. Steve Lillywhite recently commented that he thought it could be their best album yet.

[RobMoney$]

Shit's bangin.

[yeahwho]

They sure are tearin' up the Ed Sullivan theater this week... xlnt TV.

[yeahwho]

These Letterman performances have been stellar, last nights nod to the Ramones at the end of Beautiful Day is just spot on

Letterman Show 3/5/09 (http://lateshow.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/video_player/index/php/979638.phtml)

[RobMoney$]

Bono has much manlove for the Ramones. I heard him pay homage to them many times like that in concert. I saw them do "I Remember You" in NYC at Irving Plaza. It was epic.

Here's the closest thing I could find on youtube to the version I heard Bono do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFmCKNw2B3c&feature=related


BTW, the manlove was mutual. Joey Ramone had much love for U2 as well.

from Joey Ramone's Wiki:


Joey Ramone died of lymphoma at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on April 15, 2001, after suffering from the illness for over seven years. This contributed to a fall he had in 2000 that ultimately proved to be fatal. Memorials followed from his fans and musicians he had influenced.
He was listening to the song "In A Little While" by U2 when he died.This was during U2's Elevation Tour, and from that point on during shows Bono would introduce the song as a tune that was originally about a lovestruck hangover but that Joey turned it into a gospel song.

[Lyman Zerga]

without ramones there wouldnt be u2 but fuck the ramones anyway

[Randetica]

http://360.u2.com/

i cant believe i didnt listen to the whole thing yet

sounds good to me but no way it sounds u2 untypical

pop is still my #1