CelebrateThe Physical Release!!

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CosmoKramer

CosmoKramer

Rock n' Roll Doggie
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
Messages
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The digital age has changed the album release experience. It's clearly VERY different. So, what's your story of releases past and what do you miss?

What do I miss?

1-Walking into a record store at midnight and seeing it packed with excited fans(not just of U2 but any artist)
2-Hearing the record store playing the new album!!!
3-Holding it for the first time and having The feeling like you just won the golden ticket.
4-Smelling the CD in the CD case when you first open it
5-that clicking sound when you click the new CD into the CD player/stereo for the first time

My day of release story:

1-Zooropa, road my bike down to CD City and bought the album. It was a hot day and the store was near empty. I remember looking at the cover and thinking "is this the album"(remember, there was no internet, so I really didn't know).

2-Pop, drove to Sam Goody at lunch from school and bought it. Opened it up when I got home(still on lunch) and thought the CD was real cool looking.

3-ATYCLB, midnight purchase at the music box. Place was packed mainly for Jay Z and Outcast but there were still a lot of U2 fans there. Went home and listened to it until 2am.

4-Bomb, don't remember because the album leaked here first about 2 weeks in advance. It was a very exciting "leak" but the digital age was upon us and the day of purchase experience began to change.

5-NLOTH, at 11:50pm I was sitting at my computer and the tracks began to automatically download. While it was exciting watching the progress bar download, I longed to drive to a record store and buy the physical album but alas....I didn't.





Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
ACHTUNG BABY -> bought it the day it came out in the morning I guess.... then had to wait till I went back home from school to hear it.... and the world collapsed with Zoo Station, etc.... had to listen to it many many times to like it. Had just become a fan 2 years before and knew pretty much their whole back catalogue, but as we all know, AB had nothing to do with the 80's.... my favourite album of any artist, ever.

ZOOROPA -> I was in London for a class trip and I had no clue U2 was releasing an album in the middle of the tour. My best friend at the time asked me if I wanted to go to "Tower Records" (Piccadilly Circus area I think...?), which does not exist anymore (I believe). I said yes, let's go, had never seen such a huge music store. When we entered, I heard Bono's voice, they were playing Zooropa.... then Babyface.... then Lemon.... WOW.... and my friend gave me Zooropa for my birthday (4th of July). At the time, some schoolmates had portable CD players, I borrowed one and listened to the entire album in the streets of London :heart:

POP -> Funny stuff with POP release.... I was in my last year before University and the internet was not so much present, it existed, but it wasn't a normal thing to go check stuff on the web. Anyway, a local radio station announced that they would play 1 new U2 song per hour for 12 hours..... funny stuff.... and at school, me and 3 other friends who are also U2 fanatics (a bit less than me I must admit) would just leave class every hour and run to the library (had a music corner there) to listen to each new song....

ATYCLB -> Prior to the realease, I heard those 20 sec trailers (Kite, etc....) but no full song at all. The day it came out, 3-4 friends and myself went to the store and bought the CD, then came back home, took a seat and put the shit the loudest we could..... not a word for 50 minutes, just smiles to each other and happiness....by the way, my least favourite U2 album.... with 2-3 great songs (Kite, WILATW, BD)

HTDAAB -> it leaked..... so I heard it the first time in front of my computer and then became an Interferencer :lol: Of course I bought the CD as well....

NLOTH -> it leaked too.... once again in front of my computer saying that it was the best thing since POP.... lol...

SOI -> It appeared on my i-Tunes account when I was just flying back from Barcelona. I did not know about this surprise realease. This was the best new U2 album realease since ATYCLB. Loving this album!
 
In my days as a teen, there was no cooler way to walk down a city street
while holding in your hand the latest vinyl record. It was big and it had a
big image so everyone could notice it.
People would look at you on the sidewalk and give you a sign with their eyes and
nod with their heads in agreement at you , as if saying "I know that band too,
Great music man." It was that sign that you were part of the "in" crowd.
That You knew some good music.

Sometimes it was a record from a band that no one had ever heard of before.
Some record covers had strange looking cover art on them and made people
wonder what it was all about.
Sometimes old folks used to look at me and give you that look as if you were
from another planet. As if you were a trouble maker and a rebel.
Like you didn´t understand anything about music, because they were still listening
to the old time bands and their singers. Every generation has their idols.

If you were carrying a U2 record, or a Siouxsie and the Banshees, Clash, AC/DC or a
Led Zeppelin record under your arm, the old folks used to look at you and give you
a look of mistrust. Their eyes would squint like that Clint Eastwood look.
You were part of that trouble making generation. A punk!

I didn´t care one bit about any of that. I loved that music. It was new and fresh and it
made you feel good inside.
It was pleasure and a ritual to buy a new vinyl record and then take it home as soon
as possible and unwrap that package. Removing the plastic wrapping, ever so slowly ,
so as to not damage the brand new record cover.
You wanted to keep that record cover as neat looking as possible.

Then taking out the vinyl record from its sleeve and feeling the weight in your hands.
You think to yourself, Yeah, this is a pretty heavy record, it ought to be great music
recorded on it.
You smell the new record and you know that it was fresh. Brand new vinyl
which NO ONE on the planet had ever played it before. You would be the first person
on Earth to ever play that record.
You turn on the record player and slowly put that little needle to the groove.

Then you hear the sound slowly crackle through your speakers and
then "BOOM! CRACK! BOOM BOOM!" A wall of sound fills up your room!
The drum beats come alive and the guitars screams in ecstasy.
The new sound fills up your little bedroom and the singers voice bounces off the
walls and into your ears and heart.
It was the most exciting moment of your life.
To hear that first song from a U2 record.

I was on the inside
When they pulled the four walls down
I was looking through the window
I was lost, I am found

Walk away, walk away
Walk away, walk away
I will follow
If you walk away, walk away
I walk away, walk away
I will follow
I will follow
 
Well I went to the record store yesterday when it opened at noon (it's a holiday in Canada), and just grabbed the fucker and started wandering to see if there's anything else to buy (God I need some more David Bowie in my collection) and heard Every Breaking Wave, Raised by Wolves, and Sleep like a baby. :up:

The reality is that what we all miss is discovering U2 for the first time and that's not going to happen again anytime soon. Ten years ago I was hoping Coldplay would be the new U2. Look at how that panned out. :giggle:

Other discoveries I enjoyed in a record store was listening to OK Computer and Funeral.
 
Max_theHitman said:
In my days as a teen, there was no cooler way to walk down a city street

while holding in your hand the latest vinyl record. It was big and it had a

big image so everyone could notice it.

People would look at you on the sidewalk and give you a sign with their eyes and

nod with their heads in agreement at you , as if saying "I know that band too,

Great music man." It was that sign that you were part of the "in" crowd.

That You knew some good music.



Sometimes it was a record from a band that no one had ever heard of before.

Some record covers had strange looking cover art on them and made people

wonder what it was all about.

Sometimes old folks used to look at me and give you that look as if you were

from another planet. As if you were a trouble maker and a rebel.

Like you didn´t understand anything about music, because they were still listening

to the old time bands and their singers. Every generation has their idols.



If you were carrying a U2 record, or a Siouxsie and the Banshees, Clash, AC/DC or a

Led Zeppelin record under your arm, the old folks used to look at you and give you

a look of mistrust. Their eyes would squint like that Clint Eastwood look.

You were part of that trouble making generation. A punk!



I didn´t care one bit about any of that. I loved that music. It was new and fresh and it

made you feel good inside.

It was pleasure and a ritual to buy a new vinyl record and then take it home as soon

as possible and unwrap that package. Removing the plastic wrapping, ever so slowly ,

so as to not damage the brand new record cover.

You wanted to keep that record cover as neat looking as possible.



Then taking out the vinyl record from its sleeve and feeling the weight in your hands.

You think to yourself, Yeah, this is a pretty heavy record, it ought to be great music

recorded on it.

You smell the new record and you know that it was fresh. Brand new vinyl

which NO ONE on the planet had ever played it before. You would be the first person

on Earth to ever play that record.

You turn on the record player and slowly put that little needle to the groove.



Then you hear the sound slowly crackle through your speakers and

then "BOOM! CRACK! BOOM BOOM!" A wall of sound fills up your room!

The drum beats come alive and the guitars screams in ecstasy.

The new sound fills up your little bedroom and the singers voice bounces off the

walls and into your ears and heart.

It was the most exciting moment of your life.

To hear that first song from a U2 record.



I was on the inside

When they pulled the four walls down

I was looking through the window

I was lost, I am found



Walk away, walk away

Walk away, walk away

I will follow

If you walk away, walk away

I walk away, walk away

I will follow

I will follow
Click to expand...


Post of the year. Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my ass crack
 
Max_theHitman said:
In my days as a teen, there was no cooler way to walk down a city street

while holding in your hand the latest vinyl record. It was big and it had a

big image so everyone could notice it.

People would look at you on the sidewalk and give you a sign with their eyes and

nod with their heads in agreement at you , as if saying "I know that band too,

Great music man." It was that sign that you were part of the "in" crowd.

That You knew some good music.



Sometimes it was a record from a band that no one had ever heard of before.

Some record covers had strange looking cover art on them and made people

wonder what it was all about.

Sometimes old folks used to look at me and give you that look as if you were

from another planet. As if you were a trouble maker and a rebel.

Like you didn´t understand anything about music, because they were still listening

to the old time bands and their singers. Every generation has their idols.



If you were carrying a U2 record, or a Siouxsie and the Banshees, Clash, AC/DC or a

Led Zeppelin record under your arm, the old folks used to look at you and give you

a look of mistrust. Their eyes would squint like that Clint Eastwood look.

You were part of that trouble making generation. A punk!



I didn´t care one bit about any of that. I loved that music. It was new and fresh and it

made you feel good inside.

It was pleasure and a ritual to buy a new vinyl record and then take it home as soon

as possible and unwrap that package. Removing the plastic wrapping, ever so slowly ,

so as to not damage the brand new record cover.

You wanted to keep that record cover as neat looking as possible.



Then taking out the vinyl record from its sleeve and feeling the weight in your hands.

You think to yourself, Yeah, this is a pretty heavy record, it ought to be great music

recorded on it.

You smell the new record and you know that it was fresh. Brand new vinyl

which NO ONE on the planet had ever played it before. You would be the first person

on Earth to ever play that record.

You turn on the record player and slowly put that little needle to the groove.



Then you hear the sound slowly crackle through your speakers and

then "BOOM! CRACK! BOOM BOOM!" A wall of sound fills up your room!

The drum beats come alive and the guitars screams in ecstasy.

The new sound fills up your little bedroom and the singers voice bounces off the

walls and into your ears and heart.

It was the most exciting moment of your life.

To hear that first song from a U2 record.



I was on the inside

When they pulled the four walls down

I was looking through the window

I was lost, I am found



Walk away, walk away

Walk away, walk away

I will follow

If you walk away, walk away

I walk away, walk away

I will follow

I will follow
Click to expand...


While reading this, I felt like I was there with you. Very cool description!


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
Superb description! :up:

Although at the end you forgot:

I will follow
I will foll-skip
I will foll-skip
I will foll-skip

Ah, dammit I have to return this album for another without any scratches! :wink:

Although I love vinyl it was always the biggest drag when you got a defective record
 
There was NOTHING like the feeling of having a new record, opening the shrink wrap on the bus on the way home, reading the lyrics and credits, inspecting the artwork and then FINALLY getting home and dropping the needle on Side 1, no leaks, no one sure what to expect exactly.
 
Pop was the only one I did the midnight release for...then drove around the rest of the night listening to it. I do kind of miss those days but I don't have the will power to wait for a physical release at this point.
 
This is the first time I've bought a U2 album its release day - actually the first time I've bought any album its release day. Half of my U2 albums I've inherited, and the other half I only bought recently.

Today I woke up early and went to Best Buy as soon as it opened. The CD was nowhere in sight for a bit, but then it appeared on a cart with a guy putting stuff on shelves. He hadn't put Songs on the shelf yet, and I didn't want to get in his way, so I walked around the store a bit, browsing (it's going to close soon so I need to know what I want to buy when everything goes on sale). I went back and snagged the CD off the guy's cart, bought it, went back to my place, and am now listening to it (it's so good!).
 
A day to celebrate indeed.

Well, U2, Songs of Innocence has finally arrived on record shelves everywhere. I was predicting a fall release since Spring, and predicted an Oct 21 release date months ago, so I’m both humbled and gratified that you put this out at a time so consistent with my prognostications, even if I was seven days off (better than seven months I suppose). And what’s a week or 500 pounds spread across decades of musical memories anyway?

After all these years, you’re certainly grown and yes, matured, as have I. Are you more Salieri now than Mozart? Probably. And at this point in the game my old friends, that's fine. Why do I need you to challenge me musically when these days your easy rhythms and melodic chants fit like a newly conditioned and shined up old glove? Our daily lives make such incredible demands of us, why would we want our music to be yet another demand? With this record, you’re allowing middle-class consumers to experience “punk rock” in a safe, non-threatening manner. Well done you.

Safe. Mainstream. Comfortable. Conservative. Consistent. With this record, you have given us everything one could ever want from a rock band. Move over Sting, you’ve got company.

Well, done, U2. And thanks for the memories. Both standard and deluxe. :)
 
ryan2.gif


:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
 
I still win because I predicted a tie in with the iPhone 6 release long before any of the rumors surfaced. Now if only those skills would translate into my Fantasy Football drafting. Heyo! :D
 
Just got my copy from Amazon. Packaging is a little bit bent/damaged on the edges, which is pretty annoying. Otherwise, very happy to have it!
 
mikal said:
I still win because I predicted a tie in with the iPhone 6 release long before any of the rumors surfaced. Now if only those skills would translate into my Fantasy Football drafting. Heyo! :D
Click to expand...

I win since I predicted the surprise release and the double album. And yes, it even says "double cd" right on my deluxe packaging. (Do I get bonus points for SoE?)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app
 
Technically gvox wins I guess considering he has a source who's been right about this since before the Super Bowl. :D
 
I think we need an Automated Nick/Gvox Interference Argument Generator to plug in whenever either of you posts.

Think of how much time it would save the both of you!
 
I once hired a cleaning guy at my employer named Jesus. Even though it was the Spanish variation, I always felt a little blessed every time he changed the garbage in my office.
 
ClaytonsKitten said:
I win since I predicted the surprise release and the double album.
Click to expand...

CK, you did call the surprise release, I haven't forgotten that. In fact, I think at the time I said I'd give you props if you were right...and you were. :) :up:

That said, I'm not sure you want to be associated with the "double album" argument right now. ;) Take your "surprise release" prediction and be happy with that (much as I am regarding my October prediction).
 
Nick66 said:
CK, you did call the surprise release, I haven't forgotten that. In fact, I think at the time I said I'd give you props if you were right...and you were. :) :up:

That said, I'm not sure you want to be associated with the "double album" argument right now. ;) Take your "surprise release" prediction and be happy with that (much as I am regarding my October prediction).
Click to expand...

Hey, my deluxe said "double cd" right on the packaging. Makes a gal wonder. :hmm:

And yeah, I saw some of the posts even though I was in the middle of a move when SoI was dropped at the Apple event and thus wasn't actively posting/flailing in here.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app
 
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