The U2 Experience on SiriusXM Channel 30

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RoKKeR

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Let's discuss this incredible, limited-time channel SiriusXM is running for the month of June. It's incredibly well produced, the song selection is extremely vast, and they're playing some wild stuff alongside the classics and more traditional album tracks.

It's hard to stop listening once you fire it up.
 
I finally got sick of it for a spell this afternoon after hearing Beautiful Day one too many times ... but turned it back on at home, ha ha.

Impressed with the live selections - good soundboard/broadcast audio other than the official releases.
 
yeah I got burned out after a couple days. But it has been nice hearing some rare stuff - I got Slug on the way home from work !

I will say the interview bits in between songs are a bit much to take. These guys take themselves way too seriously. Bono says something like 'I know people don't like to be lectured to' and then he goes into a speech about how its actually the other 3 who give more to RED and One than some small countries. WTF Bono? Really?

Then you have Edge constantly talking about how epic their latest work is. Um, OK, but maybe you should let the public decide that...
 
I'm really enjoying it and hoping that somehow it might continue past its limited run. I haven't burned out of it because only listen when I'm in the car, but in my limited listening time I've heard: Slug, Down all the Days, Oh Berlin, Please (Live), Desert of our Love, an alternate I Will Follow that I don't think I've ever heard before, among other gems I haven't heard in a long time. Lots of high quality live performances.

During interviews and promos, the background music also has some stuff going on there that sounds like alternate takes, demos, and other stuff that I haven't heard before. This station would be incredible if they threw out some unreleased nuggets here and there, but I doubt that would happen.
 
I’m crossing fingers that it becomes a full-time regular station. Tom Petty Radio Ch 31 originated with 2 limited time channels in the year or two before it debuted as a regular channel. We shall see. I’m enjoying it as well!
 
I'm addicted to it. I've heard the following gems that I've either never heard before or have only listened to on low quality bootlegs:

Oh Berlin
Early versions of Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, The Fly, and Zooropa
The Fool
 
Just thinking out loud here but It’ll be interesting what they dig up, if anything unique or rare, for the Apollo show. If this limited run station was the main ingredient to making this show happen you have to wonder if they’re thinking down the road long-time residency type production ala Bruce on Broadway. They’ve gone more theatrical in the execution of this tour so who knows if it’s in the works. Something they’ve never done before. Plus it could help extend their careers if they want to be the destination as opposed to doing the traveling.
 
I say this too because Tom Petty in his latter years really dug into his Buried Treasure program and then the TP Radio channel 31 and he really enjoyed it. It kept TP creating in between albums & tours. If U2 truly wants to keep this going without burning out it’s definitely one path, albeit unlikely. I could see the band rotating (minus Larry) doing 1-hr programs playing their favorite artists from all eras. We know 3 of the 4 are great speakers and not shy with a mircophone in their hands.

TP Radio continues to operate despite Tom’s passing & TP&HB band members still host their own shows Benmont Tench III - pianist/ keyboardist & Steve Ferrone - drummer and Ron Blair / bassist has guested so it’s there for the willing.
 
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I listened to it for a while yesterday, and it's great and all, but there's a Complete U2 playlist on Spotify that's basically the same thing and it's on all the time. It even has bonus material from the Super Deluxe Uber Joshua Tree box set that I had never heard before because I never bought it.
 
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yeah I got burned out after a couple days. But it has been nice hearing some rare stuff - I got Slug on the way home from work !

I will say the interview bits in between songs are a bit much to take. These guys take themselves way too seriously. Bono says something like 'I know people don't like to be lectured to' and then he goes into a speech about how its actually the other 3 who give more to RED and One than some small countries. WTF Bono? Really?

Then you have Edge constantly talking about how epic their latest work is. Um, OK, but maybe you should let the public decide that...

Yeah, the little interview nuggets make them sound like uptight prigs that have no sense of humor. No wonder people hate them so much, when they get portrayed that way.
 
Yeah, the little interview nuggets make them sound like uptight prigs that have no sense of humor. No wonder people hate them so much, when they get portrayed that way.

To me anyone talking about their music usually sounds pretty pretentious. U2 does come across sounding smart about it. For whatever that is worth.

The station is pretty cool. At least its getting them some publicity for songs that don't really get air time anymore & of course the new stuff.
 
It's Bono and Edge who are just so far up their own arses and it comes across in all of their interviews. Even in 30 second bits, it is unbelievable.

Adam seems much more chill. Doesn't pretend to have the answers to everything, nor does he give off a vibe of shallow, disingenuous self-deprecation.

And of course Larry is shall we say on the reticent side.

As to the point of all artists sounding pretentious when talking about their own music: sorry but not at all true. as one example take a listen to Eddie Veder during the Let's Play Two special. Complete opposite. He's someone who just wants to make some good tunes and have a good time with his band and audience. Saving the world from itslef - not high on the agenda.
 
It's Bono and Edge who are just so far up their own arses and it comes across in all of their interviews. Even in 30 second bits, it is unbelievable.

Adam seems much more chill. Doesn't pretend to have the answers to everything, nor does he give off a vibe of shallow, disingenuous self-deprecation.

And of course Larry is shall we say on the reticent side.

As to the point of all artists sounding pretentious when talking about their own music: sorry but not at all true. as one example take a listen to Eddie Veder during the Let's Play Two special. Complete opposite. He's someone who just wants to make some good tunes and have a good time with his band and audience. Saving the world from itslef - not high on the agenda.
Well Eddie's lightened up considerably. He was a little up his own ass in the 90s.
 
Just thinking out loud here but It’ll be interesting what they dig up, if anything unique or rare, for the Apollo show. If this limited run station was the main ingredient to making this show happen you have to wonder if they’re thinking down the road long-time residency type production ala Bruce on Broadway. They’ve gone more theatrical in the execution of this tour so who knows if it’s in the works. Something they’ve never done before. Plus it could help extend their careers if they want to be the destination as opposed to doing the traveling.

Apollo setlist:

Silver and Gold
MLK
Pride
Ordinary Love
When Love Comes to Town
[20 minute speech]
Angel of Harlem

- encore -

[20 minute speech]
Angel of Harlem

- encore 2 -

[20 minute speech]
Angel of Harlem
 
I listened to it for a while yesterday, and it's great and all, but there's a Complete U2 playlist on Spotify that's basically the same thing and it's on all the time. It even has bonus material from the Super Deluxe Uber Joshua Tree box set that I had never heard before because I never bought it.

I see what you mean, but to me there is a difference between programming with purposeful production, interviews...etc with basically a shuffled playlist.
 
The "purposeful production" could do with fewer plays of certain songs I keep hearing.

I thought the same thing at first, though. I have hundreds of U2 songs on my iPod, I can just sit there and shuffle. But there's something really neat about the community aspect about it, scrolling through Twitter and seeing people posting about how weird and wonderful it was to hear "Slug" played.
 
The "purposeful production" could do with fewer plays of certain songs I keep hearing.

I thought the same thing at first, though. I have hundreds of U2 songs on my iPod, I can just sit there and shuffle. But there's something really neat about the community aspect about it, scrolling through Twitter and seeing people posting about how weird and wonderful it was to hear "Slug" played.

Yeah it is nice to hear that song getting some attention. The only other 2 band stations I listen to are The Beatles and Pearl Jam. The Beatles channel does an awesome job with interviews, guest DJ's, special listener countdowns, themes...etc. Pearl Jam has their live performances daily and other specials.

I'd love to see something similar to U2. It's obvious that they're pushing Songs of Experience and I've been hearing some cool rarities. If they started broadcasting some live shows (we know they record everything), theme based playlists, and have different programs hosted by producers, friends of the band, other musicians...etc, it could be really cool and a good thing in terms of their legacy. And, like I already mentioned, far more enjoyable and interesting than hitting shuffle on my smartphone.
 
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The "purposeful production" could do with fewer plays of certain songs I keep hearing.

I thought the same thing at first, though. I have hundreds of U2 songs on my iPod, I can just sit there and shuffle. But there's something really neat about the community aspect about it, scrolling through Twitter and seeing people posting about how weird and wonderful it was to hear "Slug" played.

agreed! the novelty of hearing a song like oh berlin being played on the radio is worth the price of admission alone. I doubted that U2 themselves were aware of the fact that the song was in existence anymore
 
I listened to it for a while yesterday, and it's great and all, but there's a Complete U2 playlist on Spotify that's basically the same thing and it's on all the time. It even has bonus material from the Super Deluxe Uber Joshua Tree box set that I had never heard before because I never bought it.

I mean, not really. None of the audio from the live DVDs, fan-club releases/U22, Unreleased & Rare, "Baby" Achtung remixes... there's a lot of great stuff that doesn't have an official release on the streaming platforms.

They really need to release more of this stuff officially, though. Especially audio from concert DVDs.
 
Having a blast with this. My day started yesterday by hearing Levitate on the radio. Ridiculous. I'll enjoy it while it's here.
 
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