Timothy McIntyre ([email protected])
Thu, 28 Jan 1999 14:40:17 -0800 (PST)
School's been hectic so I haven't been able to read the list too often
recently, but thanks to you guys who mailed me about Pinochet. In my
international law class, our first two cases have dealt with Pinochet and
El Salvador, so 'Bullet the Blue Sky' and 'Mothers of the Disappeared'
have been in heavy Discman rotation recently :) And Karine, yes, Boursin
pepper cheese est delicieux--it's available in select supermarches and is
awesome! Thanks to France for teaching the rest of the planet what good
food is all about.
Now, I want to start some rumors. :)
I've been thinking about "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," and the fact that
there are unconfirmed rumors that U2 may in fact be done with the next
album. I was thinking about this during a particularly boring stretch of
class today, and this is my (completely baseless, of course) theory:
U2 stressed out when they made Pop because they were so rushed. They had
to meet deadlines, and were cutting the vocal tracks for "LNOE" the day
the album was going out the door. In the 'Legends' special, bandmembers
complained about how rushed it was, and how the album may have suffered a
bit because of this; a lot of the singles received finishing touches
(i.e., better ending to IGWSHA, better bridge to LNOE, better tempo on
Please). So, *maybe* this time around, U2 decides to keep a low profile,
gives themselves lots of time to finish the album, and leaves lots of
time for finishing touches, etc., to make sure that the album is perfect.
*If* that is the plan, I'm still inclined to believe that U2 wants to put
out a masterpiece, Achtung-Joshua Tree-Unforgettable Fire quality record
around the time of New Year's, 2000. Why? It just seems like such a U2
thing to do--they're a messianic band, as Bono always jokes, and they're
due to put out a record anyway--why not release it around
December/January? They've been toying with millenium ideas for a while,
too: I remember one of Willie Williams' ideas for PopMart was to have a
clock at every concert, racing down to midnight, 1/1/2000, when the band
would play New Year's Day; 'Boy' came out in 1980, and on the band's 10th
"birthday" they played the radio-Dublin-Point Depot-New Year's shows for
1990... it just *seems* like U2 HAS to do something big for 2000, and what
better than releasing a phenomenal album?
Plus, they've brought back the big guns: Brian Eno/Danny Lanois, who gave
us The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and Zooropa.
You just KNOW that with those two, the next album is going to be amazing.
Still, given all this, hype has been (thankfully) lacking. U2 has been
quietly working away in Dublin, and we didn't get any word on any
developments until the announcement that "The Ground Beneath Her Feet"
will be released on April 13th. My guess is that they wouldn't make that
announcement unless the track is done, and if one track is done, I can't
imagine that the record isn't at least *close* to completion. Even if,
say, 7-8 songs are done, that still gives the band 6 months to finish up,
which is plenty of time (then again, with U2, maybe you should never say
'plenty of time'... :)
Finally, my guess is that when U2 eventually does release a "Best of
1990-2000" it will have to include tracks from the next album, so we won't
see that record out this spring. Maybe we will see that "Best of U2 Live"
record, though I'm not sure if U2 would want to release three projects in
a one-year span, and risk wearing the public out by the time the studio
album comes out.
In any event, I can't wait to hear "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," and the
fact that it's about Orpheus and Euridice only adds to that excitement.
For those who don't know the tale, it's heavy on melodrama and
mystery--perfect material for U2 to write music for. Considering that
Rushdie's novel and the Greek myth will be influencing the new record for
at least one song, I'm posting the story below, as taken from D'Aulaires
Book of Greek Myths, which is really written for kids, so that's why the
writing is a little juvenile here, but the story's there. Here it is:
The Tale of Orpheus and Euridice, c. 1962 by Ingri D'Aulaire:
Orpheus' music was joyful and gay, for he was in love with Euridice, a
sweet young maiden, and she loved him in return. On the day of their
wedding, his songs swelled out, filled with happiness as his bride danced
light on her feet throughout the nearby meadow. Suddenly, she trod on a
snake and sank to the ground, dead from its poisonous bite. Hermes gently
closed her eyes and led her away to the underworld. No more songs came
from Orpheus' throat, no more tunes rang out from his lyre. All joy had
gone out of his life. He had to have his Euridice back.
Weeping and grieving, Orpheus wandered about searching for an entrance to
Hades, and when at the end of the world he found it, he did what no living
man had done before: he went down to the realm of the dead to beg for the
return of his beloved. His music had power to move hard rocks; it might
also move the cold heart of Hades. Hope gave him back his songs, and,
playing and singing, he walked down the dark, steep path.
His silvery voice floated down through the dark like a gentle breeze and
its magic moved the iron gates of Hades. They sprang open and let him in,
and Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog, lay down at his feet and let him
pass. The whole dark underworld stilled and listened to Orpheus' music as
he entered the realm of the dead singing about his great love, begging to
have Euridice back. The fluttering souls hushed. Those condemned to
eternal pains stopped groaning, and their torturers, the avenging furies,
dropped their whips and wept tears of blood.
Hades, pitiless king of the dead, sat on his black marble throne with
Queen Persephone at his side. Even he was so moved by the music that
tears rolled down his sallow cheeks and cold Persephone sobbed. Her heart
was so touched that she turned to her husband and begged him to let
Euridice go back to the sunlit world above. Hades finally relented, but
made a condition: Orpheus must not look at his bride before they reached
the realm of the living. She would walk behind him, but if he turned, and
looked at her, she must return to the underworld.
Overcome with joy, Orpheus started up the dark path, and as his music
faded into the distance, gloom again descended over the underworld. The
way was long, and as Orpheus walked on and on, doubt crept into his mind.
Had Hades deceived him? Were the sounds he heard behind him really
Euridice's footsteps? He had almost reached the upper world, and could
already see the dim light ahead, when he could bear his doubt no longer:
he had to turn around. He did, and he saw her sweet face, but only for an
instant, for again Hermes appeared at her side. He turned her around and
led her back to the underworld below. Fainly, Orpheus heard her whisper
farewell: he had lost her forever through his lack of faith.
Orpheus never again found joy on earth. He wandered into the wilderness
to grieve in solitude. He sang, but now his songs were so mournful that
tears trickled down the cheeks of wild beasts and the willows wept...
[end]
Pretty cool, huh? I think this is just the second time U2 has ever drawn
on ancient mythology, with the other being "THe sun won't melt our wings
tonight," which was an Icarus reference. Anyone know any others?
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier this reasoning is purely speculative, but
if anyone else has any other ideas/clues/info about the "Joy" album, as
it's been referred to by Bono, please post!
cheers
Tim
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Timothy McIntyre
Boston University School of Law
[email protected]
http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~timothym
"The writer never seeks admiration.
He wants to be believed."
--Jean LeCocteau
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