Understanding 'wrong 1st single' for NLOTH

[gvox]

The guyliner was probably one of the lowest moments in U2 history for me.

 

[U2girl]

While I didn't have a problem with him in eyeliner, I couldn't see the general public warming up to an alter ego which was supposed to be Elvis' deceased twin brother. I know he never stepped out on stage and said hey that's who I am, but he said that was his idea in an interview. I don't knock him for having the guts to wear it (and I say it that way only because he never did it before: The AB drag shots don't count) and try it anyway though. I'm sure he had some fun with it.

Why would the AB drag shot don't count ? He's wearing more than just guyliner, not to mention old Macphisto on tour.

I think it was an interesting idea, but somehow it never got evolved.

 

[BVS]

Hey guys, don't you think Pop would have been a bigger album if they had released Super City Mania, Bono grew out his hair and Adam was dating a super model at the time?

I also think the Spurs would have won on Thursday if they made more baskets.

 

[bonocomet]

Why would the AB drag shot don't count ? He's wearing more than just guyliner, not to mention old Macphisto on tour.

I think it was an interesting idea, but somehow it never got evolved.

Because it (the drag dress up) was for a photo shoot. And Macphisto was only on stage. He wore the eyeliner a few years ago on and off stage, even when doing every day things like walking down the street. So it seemed he was trying to sort of evolve it somehow, but yeah I think he abandoned it when no one liked it.

 

[Niceman]

For the first time I'm now hearing Stand Up Comedy on the radio. And fuck me. It sounds good.

Don't care what the haters think. This song would have been a good single. Such a shame they never played it live.

I think it was a great song. I think it's a shame they didn't play it live, but I'm not voting for it being a single.

 

[doctorwho]

Sorry but this is the most tired U2 discussion over the last 3 years around here. The only reason people lean on this 'Boots' excuse is because it's the one the band gave them.

Otherwise it makes little sense.

Not true.

I recall a wonderful cartoon done at @U2 where the artist dissected GOYB. She stated it was like getting a diamond ring from her husband but with the most unusual and even questionable design. The excitement of a diamond ring - just like new U2 - is there. And like the diamond part of the ring, there are some great aspects to the song. But a lot is unusual and even questionable.

Furthermore, DJ's weren't playing the song as they said it was the worst first single by U2 since "Discotheque".

My big problem with the song is that it tries too much to be like "Vertigo #2".

In other words, there was a LOT of questioning by critics and fans WELL before U2 ever hopped on that bandwagon.

Hey guys, don't you think Pop would have been a bigger album if they had released Super City Mania, Bono grew out his hair and Adam was dating a super model at the time?

I also think the Spurs would have won on Thursday if they made more baskets.

Sarcasm noted. You are right - U2 could have released "Staring at the Sun" first for "Pop" and "Magnificent" first for NLOTH and the albums could have sold the exact same way.

But logic dictates otherwise. "Discotheque" did reach the Top 10, but mostly because it was simply "new U2". It debuted at that spot and rapidly fell thereafter. In contrast, "Staring" behaved the same way "Beautiful Day" did a few years later - it slowly climbed the charts, peaked and lingered, people enjoyed the song and requested it and then it slowly declined. That song helped "Pop" survive in 1997.

I have no idea what "Magnificent" would have done. It did break into the Hot 100, but dropped out after a week. Was it too little too late for U2 with NLOTH for that song to make a difference? Not sure, but had that been the first single instead of second, my bet is that it would have made a far greater impression and lingered on the charts.

Heck, I'd even go with MOS as the single - something so different from U2 that even if it wasn't a huge hit, it may have given DJ's, critics and fans pause. That soulful piece earned U2 a lot of respect from their peers (and fans), but the public didn't hear it. If U2 wanted to do something different, MOS would have been the way to go.

But again, your sarcastic point stands. We won't know.

 

[cobl04]

Discotheque fucking rules.

Fuck Larry.

BOOMCHA! BOOMCHA!

 

[LadySpinHead]

Discotheque fucking rules.

This.

 

[adarkag]

Marik,

I agree with you 100%!'

 

[Galeongirl]

Discotheque fucking rules.

Fuck Larry.

BOOMCHA! BOOMCHA!

 

[djparky]

for me Magnificent was the obvious lead single- follow up with Breathe- after that there are no real singles left- an edited MOS or NLOTH maybe

GOYB is a great live track- but doesn't really work as well on the studio version

in the grand scheme of crap lead singles it's right up there- Madonna recently matched it's crapness with the dismal lead single from MDNA

 

[The Disciple]

discotheque fucking rules.

Fuck larry.

Boomcha! Boomcha!

amen.

 

[Achtung Timmy]

For me, No Line would have been a good kick off, and I agree that no song 'really' had that Single flavor to it. However, Stand Up Comedy riff is a BLATANT ripoff of KISS 'SHE' from Dressed to Kill. Its almost disappointing how much alike the riffs are.

 

[rennowba]

1st single should have been no line on the hoizon in my opinion. It was a different route showing something abit different then a simple riff song (vertigo/get on your boots)and it was also the title track which would of got the name of the new album out there more.

Then id have released magnificent as the 2nd single just to show that there is some classic u2 sounding songs on the album.

Breathe would have been my choice for 3rd single just because its a great song!

I think get on your boots did effect the perception of no line on the horizon to the general music buying public (not us fans) the song didnt go down well with non u2 fans (or alot of u2 fans) which probaly put off certain people buying it.

Whenever i talk to someone that hasnt listened to no line on the horizon but has heard get on your boots there opinion is "o it all sounds the same now anyway" thats what get on your boots did

The album did 5 million copies so it cannot be classed as a flop.coldplay are just about to crash through that number with there latest album.thats with number 1 singles,lots of radio/tv play and alot of promotion. Something no line didnt really have.I hate to bring coldplay up but im just showing an example of the current record sale market for other big bands.

 

[doctorwho]

Whenever i talk to someone that hasnt listened to no line on the horizon but has heard get on your boots there opinion is "o it all sounds the same now anyway" thats what get on your boots did

The album did 5 million copies so it cannot be classed as a flop.coldplay are just about to crash through that number with there latest album.thats with number 1 singles,lots of radio/tv play and alot of promotion. Something no line didnt really have.I hate to bring coldplay up but im just showing an example of the current record sale market for other big bands.

I hear ya - GOYB was an attempt at "Vertigo Part 2" and it didn't work. And fans had a right to complain.

However, there is a contradiction. ALL of Coldplay sounds the same to my ears. "Yellow" sounds the same as their recent stuff (only "Clocks" stands out a bit because of that haunting piano - but that song still blends in with the rest). Yet, people sop it up! Coldplay could probably re-release an older album and people would drink it in like it was new. I'm really not sure why. It's not great pop, it's not great singing, it's not great rock, it's not very innovative, they aren't all that handsome - just kind of melancholy music. It's pleasant, but forgettable, IMO. I guess I'm the odd one out, though, as people adore them.

So it is odd that when U2 dares to sound like U2, people reject them. But when another artist makes album after album that sounds the same, people love it. If that same artist dares branch out, they are rejected. Interesting...

 

[brooklynmike]

for me Magnificent was the obvious lead single- follow up with Breathe- after that there are no real singles left- an edited MOS or NLOTH maybe

GOYB is a great live track- but doesn't really work as well on the studio version

 

[angelordevil]

for me Magnificent was the obvious lead single- follow up with Breathe...

 

[Aygo]

for me Magnificent was the obvious lead single- follow up with Breathe- after that there are no real singles left- an edited MOS or NLOTH maybe

GOYB is a great live track- but doesn't really work as well on the studio version

in the grand scheme of crap lead singles it's right up there- Madonna recently matched it's crapness with the dismal lead single from MDNA

I had already thought about this paralelism.
Madonna also moved to Live Nation, she's also in an era of self-celebration and attempt to create eureka moments of the past (the perfect description of MDNA).
It's curious how MDNA has a similar start to NLOTH. "Gimme All Your Lovin" reached #10 in the US but it didn't last long and only peaked #37 in the UK and suddenly dropped from the top 40.
The following single, "Girl Gone Wild" made it even worse: it peaked #106 in the US and #73 in the UK.
Universal seem not to have learned the lesson from U2's NLOTH and followed a similar strategy with similar results.
It leads me thinking if U2 and Universal have really learned the lesson for the boys' next album.

 

[popacrobat]

I thought I read that Madonna's high sales for her CD (reaching #10) was in large part because she gave them out free when it came out at her first concert or something. That could be entirely wrong, but I know I read that somewhere.

 

[trevgreg]

I thought I read that Madonna's high sales for her CD (reaching #10) was in large part because she gave them out free when it came out at her first concert or something. That could be entirely wrong, but I know I read that somewhere.

You thought right. Here's a source below:

Editor's Note: What Role Did Bundling and Exclusives Play in Madonna and Justin Bieber's Big Debuts? | Billboard.biz

Madonna has the no. 1 album on this week's Billboard 200. She sold 359,000 copies of MDNA compared to Lionel Richie's Tuskegee, which opens with a really impressive 199k first week. But many of Madonna's sales came through a bundle option, in which fans who purchased tickets for her upcoming tour received a code that could be redeemed for either a physical CD or a digital download of the album.

I think they can't technically give them away anymore, after Prince did that for his Musicology album in 2004. So they must have found a way around the system here with this "bundle option". From what it looks like, they just offered them the chance to buy the album at the same time, rather than giving it away for free.

 

[PopFly]

Still think 'Winter' should've both been on the album and been the first single. It might actually be my favourite song from the NLOTH era.

 

[Rafiennes]

1. No Line On The Horizon – probably the best song on the album – it’s exciting, it has a different vibe than the rest of the album, it is a Larry Mullen Master Class and best of all, it’s rock and roll!
2. Magnificent – one of my least favs on the album, it’s a mid-paced slogger but I get why people like it and it would have made a great follow-up to NLOTH
3. Get On Your Boots – Would be a chance for U2 to go against the tide and release this song. It has many of the same qualities as NLOTH but it is its own beast. Would have made people sit up and take notice after those first two singles.
4. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – playing it a little safer after the sonic blast of Boots, this would have been a great summer or end of winter tune.
5. Breathe – This song has a schizo vibe to it – darker and confrontational, and then it flips the script (can’t believe I just typed that) and it is one of the most uplifting moments U2 conjures up on this album. ‘Walk out, in to the streets!’ I mean c’mon – that would have been a brilliant way to end the 360 shows (but that’s another thread all together)

And if they were riding high and needed another single…

6. Stand Up Comedy – I know this song gets the blunt of the hate stick but I think it’s a clever little rocker with some serious funk elements to it. Once again, slightly safer but would have probably had an interesting video to accompany it.

 

[bonocomet]

1. No Line On The Horizon – probably the best song on the album – it’s exciting, it has a different vibe than the rest of the album, it is a Larry Mullen Master Class and best of all, it’s rock and roll!
2. Magnificent – one of my least favs on the album, it’s a mid-paced slogger but I get why people like it and it would have made a great follow-up to NLOTH
3. Get On Your Boots – Would be a chance for U2 to go against the tide and release this song. It has many of the same qualities as NLOTH but it is its own beast. Would have made people sit up and take notice after those first two singles.
4. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – playing it a little safer after the sonic blast of Boots, this would have been a great summer or end of winter tune.
5. Breathe – This song has a schizo vibe to it – darker and confrontational, and then it flips the script (can’t believe I just typed that) and it is one of the most uplifting moments U2 conjures up on this album. ‘Walk out, in to the streets!’ I mean c’mon – that would have been a brilliant way to end the 360 shows (but that’s another thread all together)

And if they were riding high and needed another single…

6. Stand Up Comedy – I know this song gets the blunt of the hate stick but I think it’s a clever little rocker with some serious funk elements to it. Once again, slightly safer but would have probably had an interesting video to accompany it.

I'll drink to that.

 

[doctorwho]

1. No Line On The Horizon – probably the best song on the album – it’s exciting, it has a different vibe than the rest of the album, it is a Larry Mullen Master Class and best of all, it’s rock and roll!
2. Magnificent – one of my least favs on the album, it’s a mid-paced slogger but I get why people like it and it would have made a great follow-up to NLOTH
3. Get On Your Boots – Would be a chance for U2 to go against the tide and release this song. It has many of the same qualities as NLOTH but it is its own beast. Would have made people sit up and take notice after those first two singles.
4. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – playing it a little safer after the sonic blast of Boots, this would have been a great summer or end of winter tune.
5. Breathe – This song has a schizo vibe to it – darker and confrontational, and then it flips the script (can’t believe I just typed that) and it is one of the most uplifting moments U2 conjures up on this album. ‘Walk out, in to the streets!’ I mean c’mon – that would have been a brilliant way to end the 360 shows (but that’s another thread all together)

And if they were riding high and needed another single…

6. Stand Up Comedy – I know this song gets the blunt of the hate stick but I think it’s a clever little rocker with some serious funk elements to it. Once again, slightly safer but would have probably had an interesting video to accompany it.

Whether U2 went with your plan or some variation thereof, I think the real issue is that NLOTH was not a "single-friendly" album. GOYB probably leapt out as it was similar to "Vertigo", which was a hit. But unfortunately, GOYB was also a bit too odd for commercial radio and/or what people expect from U2. It was more like "Disctotheque" which also turned people off.

U2 need that great haunting slow love song (ala WOWY) or some great rocking tracks that aren't too out there lyrically (MW, "Desire", BD, etc.). With that done, add in the outstanding album tracks (MOS, "Until the End...", "Breathe", "Ultraviolet", etc.).

But even if U2 had a big hit song, I'm not sure the album would have sold much more than 2M copies in the U.S. anyway. Such is the nature of the record world these days.