1. Alan Cross also reported on a gathering in Toronto for radio people prior to the U2 show:

    There was a quiet private gathering of radio people ahead of Friday’s U2 show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Bono, the Edge and Adam each dropped in on their own to do some schmoozing and to answer some questions. As usual, they were fun, affable and extremely polite–not to mention very complimentary about all things Canadian.
    This is one in a series of listening events we have heard about happening at various locations across North America in recent weeks. We’ve been told that The Edge and Adam Clayton were present at one of these radio sessions in Philadelphia, and that Bono was present at a similar session in another location. For those early events we are told they were previewing tracks from Songs of Experience for label executives and radio personalities. We are told they played five to six songs in the earlier sessions, and in Toronto they may have played as many as eight songs from the new album. Sounds to us like the new album is done, and knowing how fast things can change in the USA after the delays due to the election, U2 may push through to get this album out soon after this current tour ends.

    Adam Clayton recently told Variety:

    [Songs of Experience] has been ready to go for awhile, because it didn’t require a lot of surgery, so to speak — it was a little bit of cosmetic surgery. So we said, “We could put this record out this year, or we could celebrate ‘The Joshua Tree’ and put out the [new] record when all that’s done, and then plan a tour around it and all the things that go along with a new album.” The only spoiler is that ‘The Joshua Tree’ tour has been an enormous, runaway success and we just keep adding dates. So the answer to your question is, [“Songs of Experience”] is ready to go, but at this point I’m not sure when it’s going to go because the tour is still up and running.
    We’ve shared some recent rumours that have been shared with us that the album, Songs of Experience, will be ready and will be released for December 1, 2017. Not only is that a Friday, but it is also World AIDS Day, and there may be a bigger plan to tie the album into that. We’ve also been told that there would be two singles in advance, one to mark the start of the European leg of the tour next month, and another one in September just after the third leg begins. We have, however, received a conflicting report that the July single may have been pushed back to September instead. We will continue to update as we have more information. All of the rumours have suggested the new single will not be the new song that U2 is playing live in concert, but will be a different track from the album. Until such time that any of this is confirmed please remember that this is all rumour. But it is shared with us from sources which have been reliable in the past.

    From U2songs.com
  2. Originally posted by dieder:Alan Cross also reported on a gathering in Toronto for radio people prior to the U2 show:

    There was a quiet private gathering of radio people ahead of Friday’s U2 show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Bono, the Edge and Adam each dropped in on their own to do some schmoozing and to answer some questions. As usual, they were fun, affable and extremely polite–not to mention very complimentary about all things Canadian.
    This is one in a series of listening events we have heard about happening at various locations across North America in recent weeks. We’ve been told that The Edge and Adam Clayton were present at one of these radio sessions in Philadelphia, and that Bono was present at a similar session in another location. For those early events we are told they were previewing tracks from Songs of Experience for label executives and radio personalities. We are told they played five to six songs in the earlier sessions, and in Toronto they may have played as many as eight songs from the new album. Sounds to us like the new album is done, and knowing how fast things can change in the USA after the delays due to the election, U2 may push through to get this album out soon after this current tour ends.

    Adam Clayton recently told Variety:

    [Songs of Experience] has been ready to go for awhile, because it didn’t require a lot of surgery, so to speak — it was a little bit of cosmetic surgery. So we said, “We could put this record out this year, or we could celebrate ‘The Joshua Tree’ and put out the [new] record when all that’s done, and then plan a tour around it and all the things that go along with a new album.” The only spoiler is that ‘The Joshua Tree’ tour has been an enormous, runaway success and we just keep adding dates. So the answer to your question is, [“Songs of Experience”] is ready to go, but at this point I’m not sure when it’s going to go because the tour is still up and running.
    We’ve shared some recent rumours that have been shared with us that the album, Songs of Experience, will be ready and will be released for December 1, 2017. Not only is that a Friday, but it is also World AIDS Day, and there may be a bigger plan to tie the album into that. We’ve also been told that there would be two singles in advance, one to mark the start of the European leg of the tour next month, and another one in September just after the third leg begins. We have, however, received a conflicting report that the July single may have been pushed back to September instead. We will continue to update as we have more information. All of the rumours have suggested the new single will not be the new song that U2 is playing live in concert, but will be a different track from the album. Until such time that any of this is confirmed please remember that this is all rumour. But it is shared with us from sources which have been reliable in the past.

    From U2songs.com
    Like the sound of that, I can't explain how much I'm desperate for some new material. I'm not particularly bothered about the rumour on the single whether it's july or September I can live with but please give us the album in December, it will make it one of the best u2 years for me personally and I'm sure a lot of others getting to attend TJT tour and also having an album to round the year of before more than likely having a tour to look forward to for next year.
  3. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    Like the sound of that, I can't explain how much I'm desperate for some new material. I'm not particularly bothered about the rumour on the single whether it's july or September I can live with but please give us the album in December, it will make it one of the best u2 years for me personally and I'm sure a lot of others getting to attend TJT tour and also having an album to round the year of before more than likely having a tour to look forward to for next year.
    Gimme July AND September!

    Best Thing for the summer and Little Things for the fall?
  4. Is that song still kicking around in rumours or was the last thing anyone heard of it that live performance still?

    (Referring to the best thing)
  5. Originally posted by dieder:Alan Cross also reported on a gathering in Toronto for radio people prior to the U2 show:

    There was a quiet private gathering of radio people ahead of Friday’s U2 show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Bono, the Edge and Adam each dropped in on their own to do some schmoozing and to answer some questions. As usual, they were fun, affable and extremely polite–not to mention very complimentary about all things Canadian.
    This is one in a series of listening events we have heard about happening at various locations across North America in recent weeks. We’ve been told that The Edge and Adam Clayton were present at one of these radio sessions in Philadelphia, and that Bono was present at a similar session in another location. For those early events we are told they were previewing tracks from Songs of Experience for label executives and radio personalities. We are told they played five to six songs in the earlier sessions, and in Toronto they may have played as many as eight songs from the new album. Sounds to us like the new album is done, and knowing how fast things can change in the USA after the delays due to the election, U2 may push through to get this album out soon after this current tour ends.

    Adam Clayton recently told Variety:

    [Songs of Experience] has been ready to go for awhile, because it didn’t require a lot of surgery, so to speak — it was a little bit of cosmetic surgery. So we said, “We could put this record out this year, or we could celebrate ‘The Joshua Tree’ and put out the [new] record when all that’s done, and then plan a tour around it and all the things that go along with a new album.” The only spoiler is that ‘The Joshua Tree’ tour has been an enormous, runaway success and we just keep adding dates. So the answer to your question is, [“Songs of Experience”] is ready to go, but at this point I’m not sure when it’s going to go because the tour is still up and running.
    We’ve shared some recent rumours that have been shared with us that the album, Songs of Experience, will be ready and will be released for December 1, 2017. Not only is that a Friday, but it is also World AIDS Day, and there may be a bigger plan to tie the album into that. We’ve also been told that there would be two singles in advance, one to mark the start of the European leg of the tour next month, and another one in September just after the third leg begins. We have, however, received a conflicting report that the July single may have been pushed back to September instead. We will continue to update as we have more information. All of the rumours have suggested the new single will not be the new song that U2 is playing live in concert, but will be a different track from the album. Until such time that any of this is confirmed please remember that this is all rumour. But it is shared with us from sources which have been reliable in the past.

    From U2songs.com
    Same information as we've previously heard regarding SOE being done for a while and how it didn't require major changes after the election as many people assumed. The idea to tie the album to World AIDS Day is new, but also not surprising considering the band's immense involvement with various organizations dedicated to combat AIDS. The bit about singles is interesting, but ultimately the equivalent of talking about when appetizers come out with respect to the main meal.
  6. There was a story before the tour launched about a guy who said he influenced the title and that it would be a single.
  7. I wouldn't be surprised if The Best Thing becomes a single. It already has at least one official remixed version to its name.
  8. IMO, it already has the potential to be a way bigger single than anything off of Songs of Innocence and No Line on the Horizon, so that's good. They shouldn't shy away from making their version of it pretty dancey either. That live version just begs to be grooved to. I wouldn't want that to go away.
  9. Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]
    Same information as we've previously heard regarding SOE being done for a while and how it didn't require major changes after the election as many people assumed. The idea to tie the album to World AIDS Day is new, but also not surprising considering the band's immense involvement with various organizations dedicated to combat AIDS. The bit about singles is interesting, but ultimately the equivalent of talking about when appetizers come out with respect to the main meal.
  10. Back in 1993 they didn't say: "Yea, we have a record good to go, but this tour is going on so well, so we have to hold it back..." Zooropa was released when it was finished. To have a record and to hold it back for a year (or two), since there is already a plan for the tour is...well... as un-rock'n'roll as it can be. But yeah, that's the way it is. I am looking forward to the record, and the tour, and the JT concerts I will attend, but there is really zero spontaneity in the whole process. Of course, there are big money in touring and we don't live in the sixties...
  11. Originally posted by Happy24:Back in 1993 they didn't say: "Yea, we have a record good to go, but this tour is going on so well, so we have to hold it back..." Zooropa was released when it was finished. To have a record and to hold it back for a year (or two), since there is already a plan for the tour is...well... as un-rock'n'roll as it can be. But yeah, that's the way it is. I am looking forward to the record, and the tour, and the JT concerts I will attend, but there is really zero spontaneity in the whole process. Of course, there are big money in touring and we don't live in the sixties...
    It's not really the same thing. Zooropa was an extension of Achtung Baby and ZooTV as one big campaign. Songs of Experience has nothing to do with the current tour, which is basically promoting a 30-year old album. If they released the album now it would be weird if they didn't play a bunch of songs from it on the current tour, but that would be weird because the focus of the tour is already The Joshua Tree.
  12. Just caught this interview. Start at 2 minutes in... Hmmmm.