@U2 QOM September 2008: The Perfect U2 Album For You?

NEWS

It's official -- the new U2 album is delayed. While you're waiting... What would make it a perfect U2 album for you?

@U2, October 01, 2008

(Each month, @U2 puts a spotlight on U2 fans with our "Question of the Month." We pose a question to our readers and invite answers of 200 words or less. If you're interested in taking part, check our home page to see if the current question is still open. If not, check back shortly after the beginning of next month and we'll have another question ready to be answered!)

@U2 Question of the Month To put it abstractly, my biggest craving will always be for one more flavor; one more color; one more landscape. I want to visit that new place that can only be reached through a new U2 album. To put it more concretely, a perfect U2 album for me would involve a return to spontaneity, to imperfection, to searching-without-finding. I have loved the last two albums, but they feel too crafted and too finished to be truly great U2 records. Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa are two of my favorite works from the band, and both involved the group charting new territories without enough time. Sounds like a recipe for disaster but the results were masterpieces. U2's unusual magic is diluted, not enhanced, by time and production. A perfect U2 album for me would be honest, raw, rough-edged and ground-breaking; full of beauty, pain and moments of inspired genius.

-- Ben McCarty

I would love to hear more of Bono's haunting soft voice. Along the lines of "Stay," "Your Blue Room" or "The Ground Beneath Her Feet." Listen to that voice with headphones on ... incredible. I also want a full version of "Mystery Girl" from U2 -- beautiful words in that song.

I don't expect a drum solo from Larry but I would like to hear something that features his talents. What he does is amazing to listen to and watch.

-- Jen Willins

Please just make the album more bloody exciting than the last two, some excellent songs like "Kite" and "Species" came from them, but there was also a lot of good but bland songs! New direction, new energy is needed from these guys and if delaying it works then great! It better be good!

-- David Garvin

I'm excited to hear the next U2 album, but patiently waiting for the new album to come out: just like anticipating a newborn "baby" for the past 9 months, and I believe it is worth the wait. Other artists such as Darren Hayes, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Prince and Sir Leonard Cohen explored the concept of a double album, why not U2? A concept of good and bad, Yin and Yang, Experimental or Classic… or whatever U2 may explore. Some reached the best work of their lives by doing a double album, I hope U2 will do the same.

-- Lee Marvin Tang

For starters, if they wouldn't spend so much damn time recording them. U2's most interesting albums (Boy, The Unforgettable Fire, Zooropa and yes, Pop) come from hurried, tense studio sessions. I think that the more they overthink what they're doing, the more it comes out predictable. My guess is that if they had released whatever that had recorded in Morocco we would be getting a much fresher album.

-- Cristiano Godinho

Having Bono and the boys hand deliver the album to me! Perhaps come in, have some tea and sing a few tunes to me? Dream Big!

-- Debra Broadman

I am a huge fan of U2's 90's work. The Achtung Baby experiments and the underrated Pop. The perfect album for me would be U2 going back and experimenting all over again trying to push themselves.

Bono recently said "It has to be our most innovative, our most challenging ...or what's the point?" -- so I have a good feeling about **Insert Album Name Here**.

-- Nigel Sheather

The perfect album for me would be actually anything that the boys put out. If I really had to choose some things that I think they should definitely have, then the first one would be to have more songs like "Miracle Drug" and "City of Blinding Lights" because you can really feel the spirit of who U2 really are.

The second thing that would be awesome is more songs like "The Fly" where Edge really gets to play the guitar and can get really into the music. I think that it would also be cool to have more songs where Larry and Adam can shine.

Other than that it really doesn't matter to me because there hasn't been a U2 album that I didn't like and I am really looking forward to see what the boys dreamed up this time.

-- Elsha Stockseth

Bono has talked about working on a lot of different material. It would be awesome if the band has enough material to produce another double album like they did with Rattle and Hum. That would definitely be an attention getter.

-- Scott Brown

A guitar riff even better than the opening of "The Fly."

-- Michael Probst

In my eyes, or ears I guess I should say, every U2 album is perfect!

To me the perfect album is mostly about the lyrics and the meaning behind each and every song. This is what makes them beautiful and important to people, or at least me. To be able to listen to a song and know the story behind every note and every word ... the inspiration, sadness, happiness, that's what I look for in a song! And U2 have always given it to me. They always have, and always will I'm sure! :)

-- Lesson Medrano