U2 wants to rework early music
By Jason Szep Jason Szep – Thu Mar 12, 8:40 am ET
SOMERVILLE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Irish band U2 provided a prelude to its upcoming world tour with a brief private show on Wednesday for just 950 fans who got a chance to make news by asking the band some tough questions.
Among the revelations from the banter with the crowd: U2 is considering reworking and re-releasing some early work including its debut album, 1980's "Boy," which included U2's first big hit, "I Will Follow."
"I would love to sing that album again and finish that," said lead singer Bono. He said the band was rushed from the studio producing "Boy" because they "couldn't afford another hour."
"The early records, there's some beautiful songs that feel a little bit unfinished to us," he said.
Pressed on what he'd like to change, the Irish rocker singled out his "phony English accent" on "Boy."
The back-and-forth with the crowd in Boston's neighboring city of Somerville followed an energetic set of five songs from U2's new album, "No Line on the Horizon," which debuted at No. 1 in 30 countries, including the United States and Britain.
An early contender for biggest record of the year, "No Line" is being closely watched by a business seeking to reverse deep declines in album sales. It has been described as the band's most experimental album since 1991.
Mainstream critics have generally warmed to it. Rolling Stone calls it a "five-star masterpiece," and Mojo magazine gave it four stars. But influential music website Pitchfork describes it as "rather pitiful."
In the 95-year-old Somerville Theater -- a brick venue originally designed for stage shows and vaudeville -- U2 tested four of its new releases: "Get On Your Boots," "Magnificent," "Breathe" and "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Crazy Tonight."
The band ended the show, broadcast live on radio, with 2005 hit single "Vertigo."
FULL-COURT PROMOTION
In the past two weeks, U2 has played on the roof of the BBC in London, had a street temporarily named after it for a week in New York, and performed an unprecedented five-night engagement on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman."
Wednesday's show capped a three-night, syndicated-radio event across the United States that included one-hour interviews conducted in Los Angeles on Monday and Chicago on Tuesday.
About 2,000 people gathered outside the theater, held back by metal barricades and hoping to catch a glimpse of the band. Tickets to the free concert were distributed through radio station promotions and to guests selected by U2's label.
Asked which songs he would never tire of playing and which he never wanted to play again, guitarist The Edge said there were plenty of old U2 songs he's happy to avoid,
"There are so many U2 songs that I am quite happy not to play. But the thing is we still want to rewrite some of them, and who knows, we may at some point re-release a few of our early albums with a few changes," he said.
There were several other revelations from the Q&A session moderated by an MTV Networks reporter.
The Edge revealed that even his mother calls him "The Edge." Bass guitarist Adam Clayton took a shot at English rock star Sting, saying: "Sting's only problem is that he is too cool. He is too cool to be cool."
And drummer Larry Mullen Jr. said one of his most memorable onstage moments with the band was when a woman got up on stage and handcuffed herself to Bono's leg.
(Editing by Vicki Allen)
source: yahoo
13.3.09
Video
Exclusive: Behind U2's SPIN Cover Shoot
Watch intimate footage of Bono and the boys in Dublin. Plus: Get a sneak peek at our feature story!
By William Goodman 03.13.09 1:19 PM
Photographed for Spin by Takay / Click here for full size
Three decades, 12 studio albums, and 145 million copies sold have made U2 the biggest band in the world. And now the Irish quartet's latest release, No Line on the Horizon, is No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.
But how have Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. maintained their mojo for some 30 years? To answer that question, SPIN caught up with them for our May cover story.
Below, check out exclusive video from our Dublin photo shoot with the band, as they pose for our cameras before hitting the city's streets to interact with fans near their longtime headquarters.
Then check out SPIN's cover story, on newsstands next week, in which deputy editor Steve Kandell speaks with the band about what continues to spur them on.
One theory, according to the sometimes succinct Bono: "The fear of being crap is a great motivator."
Watch: spin
Exclusive: Behind U2's SPIN Cover Shoot
Watch intimate footage of Bono and the boys in Dublin. Plus: Get a sneak peek at our feature story!
By William Goodman 03.13.09 1:19 PM
Photographed for Spin by Takay / Click here for full size
Three decades, 12 studio albums, and 145 million copies sold have made U2 the biggest band in the world. And now the Irish quartet's latest release, No Line on the Horizon, is No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.
But how have Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. maintained their mojo for some 30 years? To answer that question, SPIN caught up with them for our May cover story.
Below, check out exclusive video from our Dublin photo shoot with the band, as they pose for our cameras before hitting the city's streets to interact with fans near their longtime headquarters.
Then check out SPIN's cover story, on newsstands next week, in which deputy editor Steve Kandell speaks with the band about what continues to spur them on.
One theory, according to the sometimes succinct Bono: "The fear of being crap is a great motivator."
Watch: spin
'This can't be normal, surely?'
13 March 2009
New York
Thursday, 5th March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show.
Started the day with another tour video system meeting (well, why not?) before heading to Letterman for our last day. I think it's safe to say that we all feel a little sad at finishing the run. Its been a good time, good people, nice corridors. Amongst today's extra-curricular activities was a meeting to decide on the tour artwork. They've signed off on the name of the tour, being simply 'U2360' to indicate the nature of the production, and as a break from the last couple of tours which were named after singles. The artwork features a silhouette of 'The Claw' (the stage design) which I'm quietly rather chuffed about.
U2 played 'Beautiful Day' on Letterman and then played 'Vertigo' just for the audience at the theatre, which was a great way to end - playing on the same stage that hosted so many iconic acts for the Ed Sullivan Show, not least The Beatles.
After the taping I slipped away to go and see Laurie Anderson perform a short set at the opening of an installation in SoHo. On the way there I was struck by the fact of having been in New York for nearly a week and never having left mid-town. In fact I'd never left 53rd / 54th streets, which goes some way to explaining the cabin fever which is descending. This is also being stoked by the terrifying prospect of a 5am alarm call for the Good Morning America appearance tomorrow. How can this be? We are creatures of the night. Mind you, I felt slightly better when I heard the backline guys have a 2.30am call in order to get all the gear there and set up. Can't see many of them going to bed tonight.
Friday, 6th March 2009
New York. Good Morning America.
Good god, the 5am alarm. I joined the stunned throng in the lobby at 6.01am and was delighted to find I wasn't the last for the six o'clock call.
We piled into vans ('get me in the van, get me in the van, get me in the van, van, meet me in the van') and headed out to the Bronx and the campus of Fordham University. Good Morning America was broadcasting their breakfast show live from Fordham, with the programme being built around a live performance from U2. As we rolled into campus the sun was just rising above the trees, which has to be a first for arriving at a gig.
The university campus is beautiful and all very Harry Potter, with a big central green. A stage had been built on the steps of the building facing said green and, even at this unholy hour, a couple of thousand students were out on the lawn (very clearly still up from Thursday night.) There were lights and cameras by the shed-load, so Tom, our video director, and I went to find the video truck and the show's TV director. Being a daylight show I was pretty relaxed about it all and on meeting the director had complete confidence that he'd make it look good.
We had been given the use of a couple of rooms, so made ourselves at home. It's a beautiful place and quite grand in a faux-gothic sort of a way. It'd be easy to feel learned in a place like this. Lots of people were milling around, I was introduced to a couple of people from Blackberry who are going to be working with us on the tour, so hopefully between us we'll dream up some fun things to do.
The band, astonishingly, were in great form, all dressed up and ready to go. By sharp contrast, we the staff were all halfway out of our minds and barely awake, but surfing the energy of it. A few of us decided to watch proceedings on the TV in the principle's office, as there was so little space in the video truck. The actual stage was right outside the window, so we had it coming at us from all angles, with a fifteen second delay between the live performance and the broadcast which was very strange indeed.
Good Morning America had been broadcasting to the nation for an hour or so when U2 took the stage. The ripped into Boots, Magnificent and Crazy, all of which went to plan and the kids, of course, loved it. There was then a break for commercials and some other features, during which I'm sure U2 would have preferred to just keep playing, but given that these other show items were being broadcast from right next to the stage this wasn't an option. In the principle's office we kept watching, and the programme moved on to an item featuring celebrity chef Mario Batali making spaghetti carbonara in the open air. I don't own a TV (ironically) so am unused to the onslaught of American breakfast television, but this struck me as utterly surreal. U2 play three songs, then a large bearded man in sunglasses makes spaghetti outdoors, by the side of the stage, at eight o'clock in the morning. In sunglasses. This can't be normal, surely?
After the spaghetti incident, U2 were interviewed on stage then closed the broadcast with Beautiful Day, before playing a couple more songs for the live audience on campus. It looked beautiful on TV, all bathed in a golden light, so everyone was happy.
The band had more interviews and media things to do, so Tom and I sloped off and got the train back into Manhattan. All I wanted to do was go back to bed but I have this show in Boston to organize for Wednesday. It's a radio show which has now become a film shoot, so we have to get a plan together ever so quickly. Tom and I had a late breakfast and drew our plans all over the paper tablecloth, so the stage set might now feature some giant marmalade stains if we're lucky. I drew up a lighting plot, emailed it to a local Boston lighting supplier about whom I know absolutely nothing, then finally put my head down for an hour. In the evening the band threw a dinner for our whole touring party to say thank you and to celebrate an exceptional week in New York. Honestly, you couldn't kick over a rock in New York this week without finding a member of U2 lurking underneath it. Went to bed with the sneaking suspicion that I might actually have a day off tomorrow...
source: U2.com
13 March 2009
New York
Thursday, 5th March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show.
Started the day with another tour video system meeting (well, why not?) before heading to Letterman for our last day. I think it's safe to say that we all feel a little sad at finishing the run. Its been a good time, good people, nice corridors. Amongst today's extra-curricular activities was a meeting to decide on the tour artwork. They've signed off on the name of the tour, being simply 'U2360' to indicate the nature of the production, and as a break from the last couple of tours which were named after singles. The artwork features a silhouette of 'The Claw' (the stage design) which I'm quietly rather chuffed about.
U2 played 'Beautiful Day' on Letterman and then played 'Vertigo' just for the audience at the theatre, which was a great way to end - playing on the same stage that hosted so many iconic acts for the Ed Sullivan Show, not least The Beatles.
After the taping I slipped away to go and see Laurie Anderson perform a short set at the opening of an installation in SoHo. On the way there I was struck by the fact of having been in New York for nearly a week and never having left mid-town. In fact I'd never left 53rd / 54th streets, which goes some way to explaining the cabin fever which is descending. This is also being stoked by the terrifying prospect of a 5am alarm call for the Good Morning America appearance tomorrow. How can this be? We are creatures of the night. Mind you, I felt slightly better when I heard the backline guys have a 2.30am call in order to get all the gear there and set up. Can't see many of them going to bed tonight.
Friday, 6th March 2009
New York. Good Morning America.
Good god, the 5am alarm. I joined the stunned throng in the lobby at 6.01am and was delighted to find I wasn't the last for the six o'clock call.
We piled into vans ('get me in the van, get me in the van, get me in the van, van, meet me in the van') and headed out to the Bronx and the campus of Fordham University. Good Morning America was broadcasting their breakfast show live from Fordham, with the programme being built around a live performance from U2. As we rolled into campus the sun was just rising above the trees, which has to be a first for arriving at a gig.
The university campus is beautiful and all very Harry Potter, with a big central green. A stage had been built on the steps of the building facing said green and, even at this unholy hour, a couple of thousand students were out on the lawn (very clearly still up from Thursday night.) There were lights and cameras by the shed-load, so Tom, our video director, and I went to find the video truck and the show's TV director. Being a daylight show I was pretty relaxed about it all and on meeting the director had complete confidence that he'd make it look good.
We had been given the use of a couple of rooms, so made ourselves at home. It's a beautiful place and quite grand in a faux-gothic sort of a way. It'd be easy to feel learned in a place like this. Lots of people were milling around, I was introduced to a couple of people from Blackberry who are going to be working with us on the tour, so hopefully between us we'll dream up some fun things to do.
The band, astonishingly, were in great form, all dressed up and ready to go. By sharp contrast, we the staff were all halfway out of our minds and barely awake, but surfing the energy of it. A few of us decided to watch proceedings on the TV in the principle's office, as there was so little space in the video truck. The actual stage was right outside the window, so we had it coming at us from all angles, with a fifteen second delay between the live performance and the broadcast which was very strange indeed.
Good Morning America had been broadcasting to the nation for an hour or so when U2 took the stage. The ripped into Boots, Magnificent and Crazy, all of which went to plan and the kids, of course, loved it. There was then a break for commercials and some other features, during which I'm sure U2 would have preferred to just keep playing, but given that these other show items were being broadcast from right next to the stage this wasn't an option. In the principle's office we kept watching, and the programme moved on to an item featuring celebrity chef Mario Batali making spaghetti carbonara in the open air. I don't own a TV (ironically) so am unused to the onslaught of American breakfast television, but this struck me as utterly surreal. U2 play three songs, then a large bearded man in sunglasses makes spaghetti outdoors, by the side of the stage, at eight o'clock in the morning. In sunglasses. This can't be normal, surely?
After the spaghetti incident, U2 were interviewed on stage then closed the broadcast with Beautiful Day, before playing a couple more songs for the live audience on campus. It looked beautiful on TV, all bathed in a golden light, so everyone was happy.
The band had more interviews and media things to do, so Tom and I sloped off and got the train back into Manhattan. All I wanted to do was go back to bed but I have this show in Boston to organize for Wednesday. It's a radio show which has now become a film shoot, so we have to get a plan together ever so quickly. Tom and I had a late breakfast and drew our plans all over the paper tablecloth, so the stage set might now feature some giant marmalade stains if we're lucky. I drew up a lighting plot, emailed it to a local Boston lighting supplier about whom I know absolutely nothing, then finally put my head down for an hour. In the evening the band threw a dinner for our whole touring party to say thank you and to celebrate an exceptional week in New York. Honestly, you couldn't kick over a rock in New York this week without finding a member of U2 lurking underneath it. Went to bed with the sneaking suspicion that I might actually have a day off tomorrow...
source: U2.com
Inside the sound at Capitol Records with U2.com video
11 March 2009
T N Green reports for U2.com on Monday night's broadcast with the band and Shirley Manson from Capitol Records.
Escorted within the walls of famed Studio A of Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California (already the feeling is surreal) my friend and I watched as the sound crew, cameramen, and other tech personnel set the room, tested equipment and made us feel comfortable; it was 5:10 PM. In fifty minutes Studio A would be flush with the luck of the Irish (as well as a lovely Scottish lass) and the fans who love them, lucky souls themselves.
Near the top of the hour the room was filled with a tiny fraction of the congregation that forms the church of U2 (radio contest winners, record label/industry folks, and media all assembled to the tune of about 200) and most of us planted ourselves on the floor in front of the five empty stools on the stage before us. Shirley Manson (Garbage) strolled in the house to warm applause, looking stunning. A beauty in the flesh, but my concern was whether or not I would understand a word that she said all eve. She tells us that she's 'terrified' and 'sh*tting herself' but her native tongue is elegant and clear. No translator would be required to decipher her brogue. Yay!
Larry was a tad under the weather and may or may not join us but we're hopeful; introductions are unnecessary but made - Adam, Bono and The Edge file out onto the stage all smiles and love; their seats are taken with mugs of tea in hand; we're coming out of commercial break; broadcasting across the country; Manson is flipping through her notes, legs crossed, calm and ready; countdown
The U2 Radio Network is on the air!
What we were privy to was an intimate discussion on the art of being U2 and what an art it is but less than five minutes into the event and Bono is kneeling in front of us chatting about whatever; Adam was no less engaging. My friend informed Bono that her mom labeled him 'the talkative one' and Adam 'the elegant one' when they visited her office in Baja California, Mexico during the rehearsals of the Vertigo Tour. Why did Adam laugh at being called 'elegant'? That's what you get for exuding poshness wherever you go but in an effort to be 'less elegant' as he kindly informed us, he removed his smart jacket and even rolled up his sleeves.
Manson probed the band on subjects such as the unique experience of collaborating with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno as writers, to the metaphysical nature of the albums title, to rock'n' roll moments, to managing rock star egos for 30 years. Those were the bits that floated over the airwaves for the world to consume, but there were the moments of in-between - during commercial breaks and when songs from the album were played - that were gifts to the audience.
Prior to playing Magnificent Bono was his effusive self in praising the 'amazing thing' that is, and always has been, Adam's contributions on bass.
Eventually this led to us confronting an issue that needed attention. Throughout U2's video career we've seen a few band member-centric videos: 'Electric Storm' featured a waterlogged Larry, Numb featured The Edge indulging in a little bondage, and Bono well, every other video is all about him. So we asked when were we going to be graced with an Adam-themed video? Leave it to Mr. Clayton to minimize his place in the grand scheme of things claiming that he prefers to be 'behind the camera', and sure enough he whipped out his camera to film his mates and the audience. But wait, says I. That incredible Buzzard bass needs to be showcased, and Magnificent is just the song for it. I see a perfectly Adam-themed video because that bass line kills that song and damned if Bono didn't agree and asked us to send him our video suggestions.
Bono gave clarity to Moment of Surrender as a song from the perspective of a friend being consumed by bad habits and about to fall off of a cliff (the opening verse speak volumes), where Unknown Caller was that same friend facing an instant of temporary insanity as his gadgets talk back to him.
The temperature in the room changed markedly when Moment of Surrender was played, loud and acoustically sound within the studio. It was the one time where there was no conversation: The Edge sat resting his chin on his hand holding his mic; Bono leaned forward with arms crossed occasionally mouthing the words; Adam's face tilted upwards nodding towards the sound. Of the NLOTH tracks, MOS is something of an emotional opus so here's where I gauged the room and what I saw didn't surprise me one bit: closed eyes, silent singing along, appreciation, immersion, and one young lady wiping tears through her smiles.
'We'll go anywhere to be close to The Killers!' pronounced Bono when one audience member offered up Las Vegas as the next place that the band should venture for inspiration. The Edge was called out for his dig on Letterman at Sting - he said that bit wasn't rehearsed; it's just that 'the problem is that Sting's too cool.' Have lute, will travel.
And hot damn but with 15 minutes left into what's been the shortest hour in history, that drummer guy showed up to regale us with his need to hit things. We thank you Larry for coming, for smiling, and for your violence. Love the shoes!
Sixty minutes at the mercy of the biggest band in the world; how I suffer for my art. Larry made like a ghost and then the room became one big mingle as people surged towards the stage for photos and handshakes.
Before leaving, we asked Larry if he had a message for Zootopia? He smiled and said 'Of course, that's were we live. See you soon; we're looking forward to it'.
As Adam folded himself into his car and The Edge paused to chat with friends, I looked up to the sky to be faced with a luminous full moon. Perfect. It was good. No, it was great. No, it was magnificent.
source: U2.com
11 March 2009
T N Green reports for U2.com on Monday night's broadcast with the band and Shirley Manson from Capitol Records.
Escorted within the walls of famed Studio A of Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California (already the feeling is surreal) my friend and I watched as the sound crew, cameramen, and other tech personnel set the room, tested equipment and made us feel comfortable; it was 5:10 PM. In fifty minutes Studio A would be flush with the luck of the Irish (as well as a lovely Scottish lass) and the fans who love them, lucky souls themselves.
Near the top of the hour the room was filled with a tiny fraction of the congregation that forms the church of U2 (radio contest winners, record label/industry folks, and media all assembled to the tune of about 200) and most of us planted ourselves on the floor in front of the five empty stools on the stage before us. Shirley Manson (Garbage) strolled in the house to warm applause, looking stunning. A beauty in the flesh, but my concern was whether or not I would understand a word that she said all eve. She tells us that she's 'terrified' and 'sh*tting herself' but her native tongue is elegant and clear. No translator would be required to decipher her brogue. Yay!
Larry was a tad under the weather and may or may not join us but we're hopeful; introductions are unnecessary but made - Adam, Bono and The Edge file out onto the stage all smiles and love; their seats are taken with mugs of tea in hand; we're coming out of commercial break; broadcasting across the country; Manson is flipping through her notes, legs crossed, calm and ready; countdown
The U2 Radio Network is on the air!
What we were privy to was an intimate discussion on the art of being U2 and what an art it is but less than five minutes into the event and Bono is kneeling in front of us chatting about whatever; Adam was no less engaging. My friend informed Bono that her mom labeled him 'the talkative one' and Adam 'the elegant one' when they visited her office in Baja California, Mexico during the rehearsals of the Vertigo Tour. Why did Adam laugh at being called 'elegant'? That's what you get for exuding poshness wherever you go but in an effort to be 'less elegant' as he kindly informed us, he removed his smart jacket and even rolled up his sleeves.
Manson probed the band on subjects such as the unique experience of collaborating with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno as writers, to the metaphysical nature of the albums title, to rock'n' roll moments, to managing rock star egos for 30 years. Those were the bits that floated over the airwaves for the world to consume, but there were the moments of in-between - during commercial breaks and when songs from the album were played - that were gifts to the audience.
Prior to playing Magnificent Bono was his effusive self in praising the 'amazing thing' that is, and always has been, Adam's contributions on bass.
Eventually this led to us confronting an issue that needed attention. Throughout U2's video career we've seen a few band member-centric videos: 'Electric Storm' featured a waterlogged Larry, Numb featured The Edge indulging in a little bondage, and Bono well, every other video is all about him. So we asked when were we going to be graced with an Adam-themed video? Leave it to Mr. Clayton to minimize his place in the grand scheme of things claiming that he prefers to be 'behind the camera', and sure enough he whipped out his camera to film his mates and the audience. But wait, says I. That incredible Buzzard bass needs to be showcased, and Magnificent is just the song for it. I see a perfectly Adam-themed video because that bass line kills that song and damned if Bono didn't agree and asked us to send him our video suggestions.
Bono gave clarity to Moment of Surrender as a song from the perspective of a friend being consumed by bad habits and about to fall off of a cliff (the opening verse speak volumes), where Unknown Caller was that same friend facing an instant of temporary insanity as his gadgets talk back to him.
The temperature in the room changed markedly when Moment of Surrender was played, loud and acoustically sound within the studio. It was the one time where there was no conversation: The Edge sat resting his chin on his hand holding his mic; Bono leaned forward with arms crossed occasionally mouthing the words; Adam's face tilted upwards nodding towards the sound. Of the NLOTH tracks, MOS is something of an emotional opus so here's where I gauged the room and what I saw didn't surprise me one bit: closed eyes, silent singing along, appreciation, immersion, and one young lady wiping tears through her smiles.
'We'll go anywhere to be close to The Killers!' pronounced Bono when one audience member offered up Las Vegas as the next place that the band should venture for inspiration. The Edge was called out for his dig on Letterman at Sting - he said that bit wasn't rehearsed; it's just that 'the problem is that Sting's too cool.' Have lute, will travel.
And hot damn but with 15 minutes left into what's been the shortest hour in history, that drummer guy showed up to regale us with his need to hit things. We thank you Larry for coming, for smiling, and for your violence. Love the shoes!
Sixty minutes at the mercy of the biggest band in the world; how I suffer for my art. Larry made like a ghost and then the room became one big mingle as people surged towards the stage for photos and handshakes.
Before leaving, we asked Larry if he had a message for Zootopia? He smiled and said 'Of course, that's were we live. See you soon; we're looking forward to it'.
As Adam folded himself into his car and The Edge paused to chat with friends, I looked up to the sky to be faced with a luminous full moon. Perfect. It was good. No, it was great. No, it was magnificent.
source: U2.com
'Trapped in Paradise'
10 March 2009
New York
Sunday, 1st March 2009
New York. Woke up early with the jet lag, so strolled up Broadway to the Moonrock diner, picking up a New York Times en route. I texted my friend Penny, who lives in the apartment building above the diner, to see if she could join me whenever she woke up.
I did the American breakfast thing and had a go at the crossword, whilst watching the gentle snowfall outside. There was a large article by John Pareles about U2 in the Sunday Arts section that had a great line 'after 30 years they still want to be the Next Big Thing' which pretty much says it all.
Some hours later Penny appeared and we strolled up to the big Barnes & Noble near Lincoln Centre. By mid-afternoon I was beginning to fade so headed back to find my pillow. The evening saw the arrival of Tom, the tour's video director, who is here to help with all the promo work this week. Spent the evening inhaling sushi and planning world domination. Froze our arses off walking home through the increasingly heavy snow.
Monday, 2nd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show (x 2)
Woke up to a world in white, as a full on blizzard has swept into New York City. There's about a foot of snow, which of course makes everything look spectacular. It was 'another day, another TV show', or actually another two TV shows in this case. We headed down to the Ed Sullivan Theater at Broadway & 53rd, long-time home of 'The Late Show with David Letterman'.
I'd been a little apprehensive, this being New York and all, wondering how open the house team would be to our input. As ever, I did the rounds and met everyone, whilst sussing out who might be the guy to help us. It turned out that everyone was most welcoming and Tim, the house lighting chief, was very amenable to what we had to say. We had two shows to do, as Letterman goes out every week night, but for some reason they tape the Friday show on Monday. First up was 'Breathe' which the band ran through three times. Generally I was encouraged, but the 'key light' (the main light for lighting the actual performers) needed work to give it the kind of look that we like in U2-land. We didn't quite get it right for the actual take, but it wasn't disastrous (and thinking back to Jonathan Ross, it was positively glorious.) However, Tim and his team took all our comments on board and really ran with it. Next up was 'Boots' with which I was more than happy. It was also a very good feeling to know that we're going to be in here all week and the house team have already grasped how we like to do things.
The show contained lots of snow jokes, given that the city was knee deep in it by this time. They shot a clip of the four members of U2 shovelling snow out on 53rd street, which was pretty funny
The day's brief moments of intense activity were, as ever, interspersed with long periods of standing in corridors. This building wasn't made to accommodate the quantity of people required to do a show like this, let alone when you add in all of our lot. The band has a small suite of dressing rooms on the sixth floor but it's all incredibly cramped and tiny, so the bulk of us end up back in the corridor for much of the time. They do a good line in stairwells at the Ed Sullivan Theater too, so we had plenty to choose from. Even the band's catering tables were spread out in an upstairs corridor!
Tuesday, 3rd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show. Had a meeting with my fledgling tour video team this morning, which was very productive. As usual, the video control system for the forthcoming tour is a work of technical wizardry, which all has to be custom made for us. 'Smasher', our video technical director, has joined us from Belgium for the week, so we are hopeful that we'll get the thing nailed by Friday.
This occupied the morning so we decided to run out for some lunch before heading to Letterman for 2pm. At the end of the block, we saw a crowd gathered at the corner of Broadway and 53rd. On closer inspection we saw the crowd was surrounding a small podium containing the whole of U2 and Mayor Bloomberg, plus about a hundred TV cameras. This, we discovered, was an unveiling ceremony for a new street sign, as this block of 53rd street was being renamed 'U2 Way'. There was a countdown and someone pulled a piece of string revealing the shiny new green sign.
Tom, Smasher and I saw that the crowd was about to disperse, so we ducked into an OK looking French place to have lunch. We'd not been in there ten minutes when we saw an absurd quantity of police and armed guards (black helmets, machine guns, the whole bit) flocking right outside the window. For a moment I thought we'd been transported to Baghdad, but it turned out to be the mayor entering this same restaurant, bringing with him the whole of U2. Honestly, you can't go anywhere in New York these days without falling over a member of U2.
Back at Letterman the band played through 'Magnificent' a couple of times for the camera rehearsal. It's really looking pretty interesting, given the parameters, so I feel we are in good hands here. After the show taping we stood around in corridors for a couple of hours, then decamped to a reception area to film U2 singing 'Guantanamera' as CBS telephone 'hold' music. This is starting to be quite fun.
Wednesday, 4th March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show. Started the day by meeting with the lighting supply company for the tour, who have gradually been coming to terms with the magnitude of the project. They now also understand the fact that the staging set up is so radically different from the norm that none of us can make assumptions about how everything will come together - traditional methods simply will not apply.
One thing which has made me laugh is that the stage design has already earned its nickname. Above the performing area is a huge four-legged structure that effectively straddles the football field, from which all the paraphernalia of the show is suspended (this in lieu of a roof, being outdoors and all.) I've been working on this, off and on, for about two and a half years now, having shown the band the first drawings whilst we were still on the Vertigo tour. During the evolution of the structure it has, at various times, come to resemble several different things; a dockyard crane, a cactus, a giant crab, the Theme Building at Los Angeles airport. It went very Louise Bourgeois for a while, then a little space age. In its final incarnation though, its sleek curves and four talon-like legs have been dubbed "The Claw", remembering the fairground machine from Toy Story. This really amused me, spawning a fantasy of it descending and grabbing members of the audience, all of whom, presumably, would have three eyes.
Anyway, I digress. After the lighting meeting I went to see a projector demonstration - not something for the U2 tour but an interesting new gizmo which I wanted to go and have a look at for future reference. This was followed by a video meeting, and then another video meeting. The tour is still three months away, but a great many decisions now need to be made every single day, it seems.
Tune-de-jour at Letterman was 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight', getting its first airing. Tim and his lighting team had really pushed the boat out, creating an interesting and (for a TV chat show) highly radical look for the song. This was a good demonstration of something that David Letterman said on air, during the show; 'Having U2 here is like a shot of electricity to the whole place - they just make everybody better.' Generous words indeed. When you're right in the thick of it, it's easy to forget just how hard this band strives to make everything the best it can be and that kind of energy tends to spread.
There's a huge amount to do just now, both for future promo appearances and for the real tour. I was hoping to sneak home at the weekend, but a U2 radio appearance in Boston next Wednesday just turned into a film shoot, so I'm going to have to stay on and get involved. Here we are. Trapped in Paradise.
source: U2.com
10 March 2009
New York
Sunday, 1st March 2009
New York. Woke up early with the jet lag, so strolled up Broadway to the Moonrock diner, picking up a New York Times en route. I texted my friend Penny, who lives in the apartment building above the diner, to see if she could join me whenever she woke up.
I did the American breakfast thing and had a go at the crossword, whilst watching the gentle snowfall outside. There was a large article by John Pareles about U2 in the Sunday Arts section that had a great line 'after 30 years they still want to be the Next Big Thing' which pretty much says it all.
Some hours later Penny appeared and we strolled up to the big Barnes & Noble near Lincoln Centre. By mid-afternoon I was beginning to fade so headed back to find my pillow. The evening saw the arrival of Tom, the tour's video director, who is here to help with all the promo work this week. Spent the evening inhaling sushi and planning world domination. Froze our arses off walking home through the increasingly heavy snow.
Monday, 2nd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show (x 2)
Woke up to a world in white, as a full on blizzard has swept into New York City. There's about a foot of snow, which of course makes everything look spectacular. It was 'another day, another TV show', or actually another two TV shows in this case. We headed down to the Ed Sullivan Theater at Broadway & 53rd, long-time home of 'The Late Show with David Letterman'.
I'd been a little apprehensive, this being New York and all, wondering how open the house team would be to our input. As ever, I did the rounds and met everyone, whilst sussing out who might be the guy to help us. It turned out that everyone was most welcoming and Tim, the house lighting chief, was very amenable to what we had to say. We had two shows to do, as Letterman goes out every week night, but for some reason they tape the Friday show on Monday. First up was 'Breathe' which the band ran through three times. Generally I was encouraged, but the 'key light' (the main light for lighting the actual performers) needed work to give it the kind of look that we like in U2-land. We didn't quite get it right for the actual take, but it wasn't disastrous (and thinking back to Jonathan Ross, it was positively glorious.) However, Tim and his team took all our comments on board and really ran with it. Next up was 'Boots' with which I was more than happy. It was also a very good feeling to know that we're going to be in here all week and the house team have already grasped how we like to do things.
The show contained lots of snow jokes, given that the city was knee deep in it by this time. They shot a clip of the four members of U2 shovelling snow out on 53rd street, which was pretty funny
The day's brief moments of intense activity were, as ever, interspersed with long periods of standing in corridors. This building wasn't made to accommodate the quantity of people required to do a show like this, let alone when you add in all of our lot. The band has a small suite of dressing rooms on the sixth floor but it's all incredibly cramped and tiny, so the bulk of us end up back in the corridor for much of the time. They do a good line in stairwells at the Ed Sullivan Theater too, so we had plenty to choose from. Even the band's catering tables were spread out in an upstairs corridor!
Tuesday, 3rd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show. Had a meeting with my fledgling tour video team this morning, which was very productive. As usual, the video control system for the forthcoming tour is a work of technical wizardry, which all has to be custom made for us. 'Smasher', our video technical director, has joined us from Belgium for the week, so we are hopeful that we'll get the thing nailed by Friday.
This occupied the morning so we decided to run out for some lunch before heading to Letterman for 2pm. At the end of the block, we saw a crowd gathered at the corner of Broadway and 53rd. On closer inspection we saw the crowd was surrounding a small podium containing the whole of U2 and Mayor Bloomberg, plus about a hundred TV cameras. This, we discovered, was an unveiling ceremony for a new street sign, as this block of 53rd street was being renamed 'U2 Way'. There was a countdown and someone pulled a piece of string revealing the shiny new green sign.
Tom, Smasher and I saw that the crowd was about to disperse, so we ducked into an OK looking French place to have lunch. We'd not been in there ten minutes when we saw an absurd quantity of police and armed guards (black helmets, machine guns, the whole bit) flocking right outside the window. For a moment I thought we'd been transported to Baghdad, but it turned out to be the mayor entering this same restaurant, bringing with him the whole of U2. Honestly, you can't go anywhere in New York these days without falling over a member of U2.
Back at Letterman the band played through 'Magnificent' a couple of times for the camera rehearsal. It's really looking pretty interesting, given the parameters, so I feel we are in good hands here. After the show taping we stood around in corridors for a couple of hours, then decamped to a reception area to film U2 singing 'Guantanamera' as CBS telephone 'hold' music. This is starting to be quite fun.
Wednesday, 4th March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show. Started the day by meeting with the lighting supply company for the tour, who have gradually been coming to terms with the magnitude of the project. They now also understand the fact that the staging set up is so radically different from the norm that none of us can make assumptions about how everything will come together - traditional methods simply will not apply.
One thing which has made me laugh is that the stage design has already earned its nickname. Above the performing area is a huge four-legged structure that effectively straddles the football field, from which all the paraphernalia of the show is suspended (this in lieu of a roof, being outdoors and all.) I've been working on this, off and on, for about two and a half years now, having shown the band the first drawings whilst we were still on the Vertigo tour. During the evolution of the structure it has, at various times, come to resemble several different things; a dockyard crane, a cactus, a giant crab, the Theme Building at Los Angeles airport. It went very Louise Bourgeois for a while, then a little space age. In its final incarnation though, its sleek curves and four talon-like legs have been dubbed "The Claw", remembering the fairground machine from Toy Story. This really amused me, spawning a fantasy of it descending and grabbing members of the audience, all of whom, presumably, would have three eyes.
Anyway, I digress. After the lighting meeting I went to see a projector demonstration - not something for the U2 tour but an interesting new gizmo which I wanted to go and have a look at for future reference. This was followed by a video meeting, and then another video meeting. The tour is still three months away, but a great many decisions now need to be made every single day, it seems.
Tune-de-jour at Letterman was 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight', getting its first airing. Tim and his lighting team had really pushed the boat out, creating an interesting and (for a TV chat show) highly radical look for the song. This was a good demonstration of something that David Letterman said on air, during the show; 'Having U2 here is like a shot of electricity to the whole place - they just make everybody better.' Generous words indeed. When you're right in the thick of it, it's easy to forget just how hard this band strives to make everything the best it can be and that kind of energy tends to spread.
There's a huge amount to do just now, both for future promo appearances and for the real tour. I was hoping to sneak home at the weekend, but a U2 radio appearance in Boston next Wednesday just turned into a film shoot, so I'm going to have to stay on and get involved. Here we are. Trapped in Paradise.
source: U2.com
11.3.09
U2's No Line On The Horizon: A track-by-track exclusive with producer/co-writer Daniel Lanois
Posted: March 10, 2009, 3:33 AM by Brad Frenette
Q&A, U2, No Line On The Horizon, Daniel Lanois, Behind The Scenes
Daniel Lanois and U2 have been working together for two decades. Along with Brian Eno, the Canadian-born Lanois has co-produced some of the band’s most lauded work, including Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. For their 12th studio album, No Line on The Horizon, U2 invited Lanois and Eno to contribute as co-writers on several of the tracks.
Brad Frenette spoke to Lanois from his home/studio in Los Angeles for a chat about how he came to be involved on the new album and track-by-track assessment of No Line on the Horizon.
Lanois in his studio: here
Q: How did you get involved with No Line On The Horizon?
A: We got involved after a phone call from Bono who suggested he wanted to invite Eno and myself to get involved in what he was hoping would become a futuristic spirituals record with a lot of lifeforce in it. In fact, he was not inviting us to produce the record but to compose the album with them. Eno and I accepted the invite and we met - we had a writing stint prior to going to Morocco. And then we went to Morocco and things went so well. There were talks about who was going to produce the record and I said "well, it's kind of producing itself, so lets just go with the people we have."
We did what we always did - we huddled and had a nice time jamming and bringing ideas to the table. Eno came in with some very fascinating rhythmic beginnings that Larry Mullen jumped right on top of and that became, essentially, the spine of the record.
Q: Were you cautious taking on the project, as it had been in the works prior, including a documented session with Rick Rubin?
A: I don't know exactly what happened with Rick. In fact they did some nice work with Rick on a Green Day project. And if I could read between the lines, and mind you I was not there, perhaps they were looking for fascinating spines to their work and they didn't want to have it be straight up meat and potatoes. They wanted a place for their innovative hats to go to and you never know how you are going to get those interesting beginnings. So we just huddled up, got on with it, and sure enough came up with them.
Q: Ok, well let's start with the album's title track, No Line on the Horizon.
A: Larry Mullen was – without anyone else playing – he was just trying out a few beats on the drums. And Brian Eno sampled him. Brian Eno's station was right next to Larry's - we have little stations in the studio. - so at any point Brian could record what Larry was doing, and manipulate it and sample it and so on. He did that, and it started out as a little Bo Diddley sample beat. Kind of jazzy, but it had a vibe to it. As soon as Eno sampled that, we jumped right on top of it and started playing over it, including Larry. And we came up with what I think is space age rock and roll - space age rockabilly. Bono had this idea - where the sea meets the sky and you can't tell the difference between the two. And the vocal happened very early on, that whole - a-whoawhoawhoawhoa! - that little hook. The vocal delivery, the vibe was there right from day one. I was very proud of Bono.
Q: Is that something that might not usually happen with the band?
A: He's great. There'll always be something there. Usually he'll fool you into thinking there is something there.
Q: Ok, let's talk about Magnificent.
A: That was born in Fez. We wanted to have something euphoric and Bono came up with that little melody. And he loved that melody, and stuck with it. Almost like a fanfare. And then I was involved in the lyrical process on that, because we wanted to talk about sacrifice that one makes for one's medium or one's art. I thought it had for a setting New York in the 50s; looking out a small bedroom window. Maybe a Charlie Parker kind of figure. That's what we started with. We placed ourselves in Charlie Parker's body.
Q: Tell me about another of your co-compositions, Moment of Surrender.
A: That was an ensemble composition. It had that great Eno/Mullen thing from the get go. A kind of rolling hand drum. And the original sketch had me in charge of the chorus. Bono would point to me: "Ok, Lanois, you sing the chorus" (sings the chorus' hook out loud). It's very much a Canadian sound there, a tribute to The Band. We call it the "Simcoe sound".
Q: How about Unknown Caller?
A: Similar to Moment of Surrender, early days. It had a great vibe to it. The guitar solo at the end was right from the backing track. There was no monkey business, it pretty much had its personality intact from day one. And a pretty great vocal from early, Unknown caller and Moment of surrender - they were there. Bono honed in on his lyrics but they did not go through any laborious process.
Q: The next track is I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.
A: That started out as an Eno contribution. It was called Diorama.
Q: That's a very Eno-esque title.
A: Yeah. It always had a great vibe to it. In our absence, the U2 lads reworked the song and it became what you are hearing now.
Q: They took it away from Fez and redid it?
A: We have an open license to turn things upside down, keep one part from one, move it to another.
Q: Let's move on to the first single, Get On Your Boots.
A: Edge came up with that at home. That riff. He had a pretty solid demo of that. Some things were born - that "Let me in the sound" - that section came quite late. It was a little chant thing we all loved. Bono was batting lyrics around on that. It always had that great energy. Everyone worked real hard on that. I did my bit with that simple - it may seem simple - that little dub "love" - was compliments Danny Lanois.
Q: That "let me in the sound" bit - it reoccurs and that theme pops up a few times on the album. Was that idea meaningful to the sessions?
A: It was something Bono was toying with - that we are children of the sound. Having been at it for as long as he has, he realizes how special the gift is to be moved by music and that we live in the sound. That's what we resonate with and what we are as artisans and artist. A gratefulness and a realization.
Q: Let's talk about another rocker - Stand Up Comedy.
A: That song went through a lot of changes - that song was about six different songs. It's a study in itself - it would be a cool full length CD - just the the evolution of (Dance?) Stand Up Comedy.
Q: So it started out differently?
A: It was another song all together. A great song. But in the end it felt crafted - more craft than soul. And we like to make soul music. So we moved off the earlier versions and settled on that one.
Q: Getting back to Fez, that's the title of this next song: Fez – Being Born. It's quite lovely.
A: The Edge had a kind of symphonic guitar little moment that was free time. And I always liked the sound of it so I took that and chopped it into a tempo and presented that back to the band. I used one of Eno's beats and I kind of created an arrangement out of what was a free wheel but it always had a great sound. On the strength of that sonic I persisted with that piece. Bono thought that it had this feeling like it was almost something coming to life. Like a flower opening or coming into the world and then into the Being Born section. That's the high speed rhythmic part. We had a vibe very early on, so we married those two tracks together after the fact.
Q: As a producer did you hear a natural fit there, or were these two tracks written to be put together eventually?
A: No, I put them in the same key, anticipating that they might live together. I always look for outstanding transitions like that. They can't be taken for granted - they have to be designed and thought of scientifically. I love that triplet - it's something I created in my editing process, then the downbeat. Then the main song. I think it's a fantastic transitional moment.
U2 in studio recording No Line On The Horizon here
Q: Tell me about another one of your co-compositions, White As Snow.
A: After my conversation with Bono about future hymns or future spirituals, I did a little studying. In fact, with a friend in Toronto, Lori Anna Reid - she's a great singer from Toronto and she's quite an expert on spirituals. I asked her to fish a few out for me and we had a listening session and that one stood out to me. It's an old church hymn called O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Its not identical, but it's inspired by that, an old public domain melody. I laid down a little piano version of that song, again, chopped it to a tempo. Then I came up with a vocal arrangement. Bono had this "white as snow" idea. It just slowly came together.
Q: Was it a challenge to take something old and familiar and give it a new context?
A: Yeah, we've not done much of this. The Edge wrote one called Van Diemen's Land, which was based on an Irish Classic called The River is Wide. So I guess it could be thought of that way. We like the idea of referencing a church great and bringing it into the future, It was an experiment.
Q: Ok, next track is Breathe.
A: That's another one that came from The Edge's corner. He had that pretty intact without our involvement. We worked on a version for a very long time which was great. But in the end they abandoned that and re-performed it. The Edge has got a little setup at home. We worked on everything collectively. Some things got a little more attention with Steve Lillywhite and the band . Breathe was one of them, as was Crazy.
Q: And the album concludes with Cedars of Lebanon.
A: Cedars of Lebanon is something that I took a special interest in. I built that arrangement through my editing process similar to Fez -Being Born. In the early '80s Eno and I worked with a great artist named Harold Budd. We made an ambient record called The Pearl. I always loved this particular track on The Pearl, so I based the mood of Cedars on kind of an excerpt from The Pearl. And then Larry Mullen came in with a killer drum part on that, I was really proud of him. I love the mood on that track; it's really thick with ambience. Almost like a direct throwback to the early 80s, to what I was doing with Eno. I'm proud of it, it's a nice revisit to that work. I didn't think I would ever push the ambient gas pedal any more, but there it is.
Q: What about the collaboration with Eno? Was it just a matter of stepping back into an old rhythm?
A: Part of who we are has never changed. We hook up, and in a matter of minutes we're playing, and somethings happening, and there's a vibe and it's great. So the playfulness in our relationship has never died. Eno is a great catalyst and instigator, I have the patience to investigate the details and arrangements in Brian's absence. He's a great man for giving you an opportunity to look at your work in another manner. That's really his gift to the workplace. He'll come up with something really fascinating.
Q: Larry was on an electric kit for these session, wasn't he?
A: For the beginning, yes. The thing about an acoustic kit is that really wears out the room because it's so loud. People get fatigued by the shock of a non-stop Mullen earthquake. We though lets use the electric kit and see what we come up with. It proved to be a great thing. Some of the things he came up with on that kit; he wouldn't have come up with on an acoustic kit. For example on No Line on the Horizon - that's an electric kit. As it is on Moment of Surrender. I don't know what he's going to do live.
Q: You spoke earlier about the idea of making "future spirituals". Was there a defined artistic thesis to prove on this album? And do you think you've achieved it?
A: We definitely wanted a fascinating and strange brew. We wanted to revisit the values of Acthung Baby. We wanted to build something that had never been heard before. And I think we succeeded at a few turns in the record and I'm very [proud of the rhythmic complexities. I'll use the foundation of Moment of Surrender as an example of something that is quite rare and unusual. In these fast times of reference, it's nice to break some new sonic ground.
– Brad Frenette, National Post
source: nationalpost
Posted: March 10, 2009, 3:33 AM by Brad Frenette
Q&A, U2, No Line On The Horizon, Daniel Lanois, Behind The Scenes
Daniel Lanois and U2 have been working together for two decades. Along with Brian Eno, the Canadian-born Lanois has co-produced some of the band’s most lauded work, including Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. For their 12th studio album, No Line on The Horizon, U2 invited Lanois and Eno to contribute as co-writers on several of the tracks.
Brad Frenette spoke to Lanois from his home/studio in Los Angeles for a chat about how he came to be involved on the new album and track-by-track assessment of No Line on the Horizon.
Lanois in his studio: here
Q: How did you get involved with No Line On The Horizon?
A: We got involved after a phone call from Bono who suggested he wanted to invite Eno and myself to get involved in what he was hoping would become a futuristic spirituals record with a lot of lifeforce in it. In fact, he was not inviting us to produce the record but to compose the album with them. Eno and I accepted the invite and we met - we had a writing stint prior to going to Morocco. And then we went to Morocco and things went so well. There were talks about who was going to produce the record and I said "well, it's kind of producing itself, so lets just go with the people we have."
We did what we always did - we huddled and had a nice time jamming and bringing ideas to the table. Eno came in with some very fascinating rhythmic beginnings that Larry Mullen jumped right on top of and that became, essentially, the spine of the record.
Q: Were you cautious taking on the project, as it had been in the works prior, including a documented session with Rick Rubin?
A: I don't know exactly what happened with Rick. In fact they did some nice work with Rick on a Green Day project. And if I could read between the lines, and mind you I was not there, perhaps they were looking for fascinating spines to their work and they didn't want to have it be straight up meat and potatoes. They wanted a place for their innovative hats to go to and you never know how you are going to get those interesting beginnings. So we just huddled up, got on with it, and sure enough came up with them.
Q: Ok, well let's start with the album's title track, No Line on the Horizon.
A: Larry Mullen was – without anyone else playing – he was just trying out a few beats on the drums. And Brian Eno sampled him. Brian Eno's station was right next to Larry's - we have little stations in the studio. - so at any point Brian could record what Larry was doing, and manipulate it and sample it and so on. He did that, and it started out as a little Bo Diddley sample beat. Kind of jazzy, but it had a vibe to it. As soon as Eno sampled that, we jumped right on top of it and started playing over it, including Larry. And we came up with what I think is space age rock and roll - space age rockabilly. Bono had this idea - where the sea meets the sky and you can't tell the difference between the two. And the vocal happened very early on, that whole - a-whoawhoawhoawhoa! - that little hook. The vocal delivery, the vibe was there right from day one. I was very proud of Bono.
Q: Is that something that might not usually happen with the band?
A: He's great. There'll always be something there. Usually he'll fool you into thinking there is something there.
Q: Ok, let's talk about Magnificent.
A: That was born in Fez. We wanted to have something euphoric and Bono came up with that little melody. And he loved that melody, and stuck with it. Almost like a fanfare. And then I was involved in the lyrical process on that, because we wanted to talk about sacrifice that one makes for one's medium or one's art. I thought it had for a setting New York in the 50s; looking out a small bedroom window. Maybe a Charlie Parker kind of figure. That's what we started with. We placed ourselves in Charlie Parker's body.
Q: Tell me about another of your co-compositions, Moment of Surrender.
A: That was an ensemble composition. It had that great Eno/Mullen thing from the get go. A kind of rolling hand drum. And the original sketch had me in charge of the chorus. Bono would point to me: "Ok, Lanois, you sing the chorus" (sings the chorus' hook out loud). It's very much a Canadian sound there, a tribute to The Band. We call it the "Simcoe sound".
Q: How about Unknown Caller?
A: Similar to Moment of Surrender, early days. It had a great vibe to it. The guitar solo at the end was right from the backing track. There was no monkey business, it pretty much had its personality intact from day one. And a pretty great vocal from early, Unknown caller and Moment of surrender - they were there. Bono honed in on his lyrics but they did not go through any laborious process.
Q: The next track is I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.
A: That started out as an Eno contribution. It was called Diorama.
Q: That's a very Eno-esque title.
A: Yeah. It always had a great vibe to it. In our absence, the U2 lads reworked the song and it became what you are hearing now.
Q: They took it away from Fez and redid it?
A: We have an open license to turn things upside down, keep one part from one, move it to another.
Q: Let's move on to the first single, Get On Your Boots.
A: Edge came up with that at home. That riff. He had a pretty solid demo of that. Some things were born - that "Let me in the sound" - that section came quite late. It was a little chant thing we all loved. Bono was batting lyrics around on that. It always had that great energy. Everyone worked real hard on that. I did my bit with that simple - it may seem simple - that little dub "love" - was compliments Danny Lanois.
Q: That "let me in the sound" bit - it reoccurs and that theme pops up a few times on the album. Was that idea meaningful to the sessions?
A: It was something Bono was toying with - that we are children of the sound. Having been at it for as long as he has, he realizes how special the gift is to be moved by music and that we live in the sound. That's what we resonate with and what we are as artisans and artist. A gratefulness and a realization.
Q: Let's talk about another rocker - Stand Up Comedy.
A: That song went through a lot of changes - that song was about six different songs. It's a study in itself - it would be a cool full length CD - just the the evolution of (Dance?) Stand Up Comedy.
Q: So it started out differently?
A: It was another song all together. A great song. But in the end it felt crafted - more craft than soul. And we like to make soul music. So we moved off the earlier versions and settled on that one.
Q: Getting back to Fez, that's the title of this next song: Fez – Being Born. It's quite lovely.
A: The Edge had a kind of symphonic guitar little moment that was free time. And I always liked the sound of it so I took that and chopped it into a tempo and presented that back to the band. I used one of Eno's beats and I kind of created an arrangement out of what was a free wheel but it always had a great sound. On the strength of that sonic I persisted with that piece. Bono thought that it had this feeling like it was almost something coming to life. Like a flower opening or coming into the world and then into the Being Born section. That's the high speed rhythmic part. We had a vibe very early on, so we married those two tracks together after the fact.
Q: As a producer did you hear a natural fit there, or were these two tracks written to be put together eventually?
A: No, I put them in the same key, anticipating that they might live together. I always look for outstanding transitions like that. They can't be taken for granted - they have to be designed and thought of scientifically. I love that triplet - it's something I created in my editing process, then the downbeat. Then the main song. I think it's a fantastic transitional moment.
U2 in studio recording No Line On The Horizon here
Q: Tell me about another one of your co-compositions, White As Snow.
A: After my conversation with Bono about future hymns or future spirituals, I did a little studying. In fact, with a friend in Toronto, Lori Anna Reid - she's a great singer from Toronto and she's quite an expert on spirituals. I asked her to fish a few out for me and we had a listening session and that one stood out to me. It's an old church hymn called O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Its not identical, but it's inspired by that, an old public domain melody. I laid down a little piano version of that song, again, chopped it to a tempo. Then I came up with a vocal arrangement. Bono had this "white as snow" idea. It just slowly came together.
Q: Was it a challenge to take something old and familiar and give it a new context?
A: Yeah, we've not done much of this. The Edge wrote one called Van Diemen's Land, which was based on an Irish Classic called The River is Wide. So I guess it could be thought of that way. We like the idea of referencing a church great and bringing it into the future, It was an experiment.
Q: Ok, next track is Breathe.
A: That's another one that came from The Edge's corner. He had that pretty intact without our involvement. We worked on a version for a very long time which was great. But in the end they abandoned that and re-performed it. The Edge has got a little setup at home. We worked on everything collectively. Some things got a little more attention with Steve Lillywhite and the band . Breathe was one of them, as was Crazy.
Q: And the album concludes with Cedars of Lebanon.
A: Cedars of Lebanon is something that I took a special interest in. I built that arrangement through my editing process similar to Fez -Being Born. In the early '80s Eno and I worked with a great artist named Harold Budd. We made an ambient record called The Pearl. I always loved this particular track on The Pearl, so I based the mood of Cedars on kind of an excerpt from The Pearl. And then Larry Mullen came in with a killer drum part on that, I was really proud of him. I love the mood on that track; it's really thick with ambience. Almost like a direct throwback to the early 80s, to what I was doing with Eno. I'm proud of it, it's a nice revisit to that work. I didn't think I would ever push the ambient gas pedal any more, but there it is.
Q: What about the collaboration with Eno? Was it just a matter of stepping back into an old rhythm?
A: Part of who we are has never changed. We hook up, and in a matter of minutes we're playing, and somethings happening, and there's a vibe and it's great. So the playfulness in our relationship has never died. Eno is a great catalyst and instigator, I have the patience to investigate the details and arrangements in Brian's absence. He's a great man for giving you an opportunity to look at your work in another manner. That's really his gift to the workplace. He'll come up with something really fascinating.
Q: Larry was on an electric kit for these session, wasn't he?
A: For the beginning, yes. The thing about an acoustic kit is that really wears out the room because it's so loud. People get fatigued by the shock of a non-stop Mullen earthquake. We though lets use the electric kit and see what we come up with. It proved to be a great thing. Some of the things he came up with on that kit; he wouldn't have come up with on an acoustic kit. For example on No Line on the Horizon - that's an electric kit. As it is on Moment of Surrender. I don't know what he's going to do live.
Q: You spoke earlier about the idea of making "future spirituals". Was there a defined artistic thesis to prove on this album? And do you think you've achieved it?
A: We definitely wanted a fascinating and strange brew. We wanted to revisit the values of Acthung Baby. We wanted to build something that had never been heard before. And I think we succeeded at a few turns in the record and I'm very [proud of the rhythmic complexities. I'll use the foundation of Moment of Surrender as an example of something that is quite rare and unusual. In these fast times of reference, it's nice to break some new sonic ground.
– Brad Frenette, National Post
source: nationalpost
4.10.08
Edge playing: Snake Charmer ...
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Snake Charmer
Hold On To Your Dreams
Snake Charmer reprise
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