The Primary Colours of Rock'n'Roll

Nov

2002

The Primary Colours of Rock'n'Roll

'The primary colors of rock'n'roll, that's where we're gonna take the next album.' Edge speaks to Billboard Magazine.

U2's new single, "Electrical Storm," will probably prove a "connecting point to our next record," the Edge tells Billboard.com. Of the track, one of two new songs on the just-released "The Best of 1990-2000," he adds, "I really think that in terms of arrangement, it's really back to guitar, bass, and drums -- the primary colors of rock'n'roll. I think that's where we're gonna take the next album."

"I've already started working on rough ideas, which hopefully will go on to become U2 songs at some point," he says. "But I don't think there's any plans to really get serious about a new studio record between November and December. We might do a couple of weeks and just see what comes out of it. But I think next year, come January, we'll really start getting serious about it. So, between now and then, it's just a chance to listen to a lot of music and try and come up with some directions and new ideas."

The guitarist says he has been soaking up music from Sonic Youth, the Hives, and the Pixies of late. "What else? Another band called Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They're good. The Mooney Suzuki are really good. You're always hoping you're going to hear some great new band. To me, that's the ultimate thrill -- when you hear a band like that for the first time. I'm always looking out for the young bands that are gonna come and give us a run for our money."

U2 came up with the idea for "Electrical Storm" and a couple other new songs during a brief studio stint in France at the end of the Elevation tour. "We just went for a week and cut a few tunes, and one of them -- what was really just an improvisation around a guitar part and a chord progression -- became 'Electrical Storm.' We got the clues, we got the sort of idea, and the sense of something." Of that week, Edge says, "It was really inspiring. It was really just bringing back to basics, and we got quite a lot of good stuff out of it."

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