Originally posted by popmarter:Having 9 producer's is a bit alarming are U2 that insecure they need so many to put out a decent album? Why couldn't Edge along with Lillywhite have just produced it because one of their regrets with Pop was too many chef's spoiled the broth .Having made so much money over the years has allowed them to bring in all these hit makers even a pub band would knock out something as good with those guys at the helm but overall the album is not on a par with JT or AB time will tell how it ranks among the rest of their records .I'd love to know how much they spent on hiring all these guys along with the other studio engineers and technicians you'd be lucky to get some change out of 10 million IMO.
Other than writing a great song and getting in a gigantic hit movie in a memorable scene, a hit is not happening for U2. I have a better chance of a date with ten supermodels, and I actually like normal looking women, lol.
If he were a little younger, Rik Ocasick from The Cars did a good job with Weezer, and I know I spelled it wrong! But no matter who produces, let it be someone older than 35. Ryan Teddy Bear Tedder has talent, but his production does not fit U2 at all. SOI is a disjointed mess. If it was an album by a new artist, it would be a nice try, a nice place to start out, but for U2 it was bland, pandering for a younger audience, and alienated a lot of the older audience. Many of my friends couldn't listen to it at all.
So the songwriting has to be the first focus, and having a seasoned, veteran producer who still can be open to experimentation without chasing hits, or horrible trend following. Would it be so wrong for The Edge to hang out with Keith Richards without the drugs, and just plug up an old amp and just play without all the expected effects? I don't want a whole U2 album like that, but sometimes I want to hear my favorite band just play some rock on a few tracks.