Originally posted by bpt3:[..]
Absolutely yes to all of this.
I only hope that the whole "innovative album release" strategy they teased us with a couple years ago for SOE pans out somehow. Even after some of the backlash to the Apple "gift", I can't imagine U2 going back to a more traditional album release strategy.
And speaking of Pop, if SOE is a mixture of EDM like "The Best Thing" and the heavier stuff we heard from that studio session that Adam posted online a while back, I will be very happy.
I know a lot of people hated the sound of that "Best Thing" recording that the DJ played live, but I can't help but feel like that's the attitude that turned people away from Pop.
I'd LOVE to have a new U2 single come out and not even realize it's them until Bono starts singing. U2 needs to shed the "Dad rock" sound and do something modern, without sounding like they're trying too hard to sound modern. People don't like the synths in the chorus of California - guess what, THAT'S sounding modern without trying too hard. I was so sad to hear them leave that out in live performances of the tune.
Fuck, I'll just come out and say that Edge should take a page out of his own book when he worked on Zooropa. Play a lot less guitar (especially guitar that sounds a lot like his sound) and pick up the synth. Edge's songwriting shouldn't be relegated to an instrument where he's sort of explored all of his avenues. And if you disagree, just listen to pretty much everything after Pop, where he's just continued to retread old ground over and over. Don't get me wrong, I love his guitar work and it HAS been great, but they need to shake it up. We need an album opener like Zoo Station where you're not even sure that it IS a guitar, or something...