It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

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Zoocoustic said:
I remember the "olden days". I'm probably older than the majority of you.

This is 2007. Times change. U2 has possibly the biggest following of any band on the planet. They do owe it to their fans (yes, you read that right) - especially when they take FOREVER between albums - to at least give us a periodic update. This takes what? 10 seconds to post in an online blog.

There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.

Go ahead and keep apologizing for them. I expect more.

They don't owe you a thing, buddy. You don't owe them a thing either. If you are disatisfied with their treatment of you, move on, simple as that. Hanging around on a chat board, whining about how they keep you in the dark seems like a colossal waste of time. To think they owe you a thing makes you delusional, in my opinion.
 
Zoocoustic said:
They do owe it to their fans (yes, you read that right) - especially when they take FOREVER between albums - to at least give us a periodic update. This takes what? 10 seconds to post in an online blog.
hmm, and what interesting bits of information would you expect from the band?
to talk in depth about this demo of a song that might or might not end up on an album that might or might or might not be released next year?
or to tell us that they've finished another song that they're enthousiastic about?

to be quite honest I could hardly feign any interest in either option
 
Originally posted by Zoocoustic There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.
There is nothing better than U2girl posting a rumor or Utoo analyzing a beachclip, it's more exciting than a boring Pravda comment "We did this, we did that, see you next week"
And the last time Bono dared to comment the work in progress (punk rock from where you know), it became a recurrent joke :p
 
Zoocoustic said:

There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.



and i remember calling my local Strawberries almost every month between the end of 1993 and mid 1995 to see if there was any U2 news, and no one had any clue what was going on. and i think i heard about Passengers from Kurt Loder on MTV News.

perhaps i missed these monthly press conference updates that U2 apparently had in the "good old days" when they cared about music and their fans and did more than just wipe their asses with cash?
 
Zoocoustic said:

This is 2007. Times change. U2 has possibly the biggest following of any band on the planet. They do owe it to their fans (yes, you read that right) - especially when they take FOREVER between albums - to at least give us a periodic update. This takes what? 10 seconds to post in an online blog.

They don't owe you shit. Where do you get this entitlement from? Give me one reason they owe you?

And what else more do you you want, Bono has told you the Edge is on fire...


Zoocoustic said:

There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.

This has to be the worse excuse I've ever read...:|
 
Irvine511 said:




and i remember calling my local Strawberries almost every month between the end of 1993 and mid 1995 to see if there was any U2 news, and no one had any clue what was going on. and i think i heard about Passengers from Kurt Loder on MTV News.

Strawberries -- awesome, I remember that place. Their prices were always too high -- I went to Newbury Comics.

I'm too young to remember this, but essentially from the end of 1988 until the end of 1991, U2 was in a complete blackout in the US. No album, no tour, no single (other than "Night and Day", which really couldn't be called a single), and no real communication other than the occasional note in Propaganda, which went out even less infrequently than postings on U2.com. THREE YEARS of silence. So this is really not a big deal.
 
U2, or any other band, can work the way they want and need to, they are not obliged to do anything, nor should they be forced to inform the public about their work progress.

In fact, I'm quite glad they are not giving much away, because every little thing that comes out, even if it's just a small soundbite, is analyzed to death by fans, and in the end the chances to be disappointed because the outcome isn't what you expected it to be is much bigger.

I love to be surprised and feel excited about whatever may come, and I can understand perfectly that artists don't feel comfortable to give something away about a project they are currently working on.

Btw, compared to other artists, fans are really spoilt with U2.

As far as I know there has just been a video from Bono discussing and singing a song for the new JT edition, I thought that was a really great thing to do.
 
All we can do is sit back and wait patiently...listen to some other bands in the meantime.
And plus we've had alot of Bono these past few months
 
Zoocoustic said:
I remember the "olden days". I'm probably older than the majority of you.

This is 2007. Times change. U2 has possibly the biggest following of any band on the planet. They do owe it to their fans (yes, you read that right) - especially when they take FOREVER between albums - to at least give us a periodic update. This takes what? 10 seconds to post in an online blog.

There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.

Go ahead and keep apologizing for them. I expect more.

yes but don't you think that desperation will erupt when the new album is actually released.. I'd rather the excitement and anticipation build up and up and then everyone can experience the new album and react...instead of stuff just leaking out gradually, making the actual release less exciting

And speaking of short updates that take 10 seconds...The band has done updates..I'll repeat previous posts...haven't you heard the interviews..the wave of sorrows video (by the way, I particularly like the relaxed, laid back style of this video..it's cool to see the band like that)...
 
Zoocoustic said:
I remember the "olden days". I'm probably older than the majority of you.

This is 2007. Times change. U2 has possibly the biggest following of any band on the planet. They do owe it to their fans (yes, you read that right) - especially when they take FOREVER between albums - to at least give us a periodic update. This takes what? 10 seconds to post in an online blog.

There is no excuse for how poorly this band lets its fan base know what is going on. Just read any of the ridiculous threads in this forum that dissect every time ANYONE mildly refers to the band doing anything, and you can see how desperate everyone is for information.

Go ahead and keep apologizing for them. I expect more.

There's no need to apologize for them because there is nothing to apologize for. You seem to be saying that just because a lot of other bands are doing this means that U2 is somehow required to keep you informed of their artistic progress? Tell me where this is somehow set in stone. U2 have made promises to their fans, but sorry, keeping you updated is not one of them. They have never promised to keep to some kind of time frame or keep everyone updated or anything like that. They have promised not to be boring and given the discussions on this site I'd say they've succeeded. People don't discuss boring people to death the way U2 is discussed here. Judging by U2's history the fact that supposedly the majority of bands are blogging or keeping people updated is more likely to make U2 NOT do that because they are usually doing the things that everyone else isn't doing. None of them have to work another day in their lives so if they chose to never release anything ever again that would be their choice and the only one they are obligated to is the record company that the are contracted to. I'd really love to see you tell Larry to his face that he somehow OWES you regular updates. My guess is his response would be unprintable.

Dana
 
This post seems to be angering many people. I have to say, I don't see it as anyone demanding something from the band. I'll be the first to admit that they have given us more than enough, musically.

BUT...

Lately, there is at least a 3-4 year waiting period between albums and this is the age of U2 iPods and such. I just think that it would be a very intelligent move on U2's part to at least throw us a bone here and there. Not just from a greedy fan's standpoint, but from the standpoint of good business these days; which is something U2 seems to be quite savvy with.

I mean, look at it. Society tends to have a low attention span lately. I think after 2 years, fans are already getting their mouths watering for new material. If you know you're going to keep them waiting for something awesome that is worth the wait; make sure you keep them interested, too. I'll give them some credit on this front, because of the DVD's, compilations, re-masters, movies, etc. they've been releasing will not allow us to forget about them (not that we would, anyway).

If we were to get maybe just brief monthly updates on new material, I think it would help the biggest band in the world become even bigger. There is a certain allure to leaving new songs a mystery, until they're ready to be released, yes. But these little bits and pieces of "new direction", "new locations" are all fine and good, but that's all we get and it doesn't tell us much. A year ago, Bono was talking about the same "new direction" that he is now. The most useful piece of information we received was "songwriting with Eno and Lanois in Morocco" which is very exciting news, indeed. It would just be nice if we got something that significant every month or so; just to highten the anxiety as much as possible until the release. And really, that bit of news wasn't giving away all that much. We still have no idea what that means for their music. I would even be satisfied with a track name of a song that they threw out or something. Even trashed ideas would be interesting to hear about; or maybe the reason why they strayed from Rubin for the time-being. I'm not asking for them to actually give us any of the new material, because yes that would be giving away the mystery. I just want to know that the band is still working hard to bring us the best music they can with maybe just a few hints as to where they're going mixed in.

This isn't a demand or a dissatisfaction with the band. It is a wishful request that would not only please fans, but would build advertisement/reputation/whatever you want to call it for the band. The way they do it now is that one of the band members will talk for 30 seconds to hype the new material, but really not give us any idea of anything. "We decided we didn't want to make another Rock record", "The band is doing new things". How many different ways can you dress that up or state it in different ways before your fans start getting tired of it? Even a "Punk Rock from Venus" styled quote would be welcome right now.
 
Like Cori and Brau I too remember the days of going into Tower Books and reading all the import magazines in '90 and '91 before Acthung Baby came out and I actually like the mystery of what U2, or any other band was up to before their album came out.

U2 likes to maintain some sort of covertness before they release the major PR campaign for their new album. I'm all for that...keep me guessing and wanting more and then drop it on me...:drool:

For all the U2 has given me in my lifetime, I don't dare ask for any thing more...:no:
 
I'm always pleased when I hear a favorite musician of mine is in the studio. Then I promptly forget about it until I hear a specific release date.
 
A musician I like has been working on a couple of albums this year and gives updates on his blog about what is going on with process. These updates can range from an essay on the mellotron they used on one album to the fourteen word tidbit about the mixing dropped into a longer blog post. I wouldn't be surprised if sections of lyrics have been dropped in some of the blog posts too. Reading through this thread has made me realise how much I've enjoyed getting those little tidbits over the past several months.

I think it is something which can be enjoyable for a band or musician and fans, but I also suspect it works best for those with smaller followings. It seems like everything U2 does is big news and gets analized to death, so I can see where this might take a lot of the enjoyment out of the whole thing. I mean if that 14 word snippet came from U2 there would probably be a 300+ post thread dissecting every possible meaning about it by now instead of a few "excited about the new album!" comments on a blog. I think that can actually dillute the excitement instead of increasing it.
 
Re: Re: It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

MrBrau1 said:


Man, you'd of hated the "olden days." When you found out about album's progress from Rolling Stone magazine (the one made of trees) Those in the "know" were reading copies of ICE magazine.

And you found out release dates from the dry-erase board behind the counter at your favorite local record shop.

Fuckin' A

I am nostalgic for that shit.

These days it takes all of 3 seconds to find out the status of any album on the horizon.

Not knowing until maybe a month or two before seemed a lot more exciting.

I think the band could just help themselves out by coming out and saying "probably a year away." and then if it comes sooner, then awesomeballs.
 
Man, remember the days of trading bootlegs by writing to ads people would place in the back pages of music magazines? "I have U2 in Dublin 1989-12-31 on cassette. $5 + post or trade."
 
Jeffo17 said:
we dont get any news because there is nothing happening there will be no album until December 2009

It's so funny that you wrote that under someone who has pictures of recent writing and recording sessions in their signature.

Nope, nothing going on here.
 
I would agree that the pre-internet days, the olden days, were better. Mystery is better, why do we have to know? Those days were better U2 wise for other reasons too.
 
Re: Re: Re: It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

U2DMfan said:
I am nostalgic for that shit.

These days it takes all of 3 seconds to find out the status of any album on the horizon.

Not knowing until maybe a month or two before seemed a lot more exciting.

Well, cancel your Internet subscription, sell your computer, and you can enjoy the "good old days" all you want. Or, hell, just don't come to U2 fan sites.

I don't know why people would be nostalgic for a time of ignorance. I remember finding out about new U2 albums by ads in the media - I didn't have the Internet until mid-2002 or know U2 fan sites existed until mid-2003. Frankly, that sucked. I cannot fathom why the ignorance of "old days" are preferable to the knowledge we have now.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

Axver said:

I cannot fathom why the ignorance of "old days" are preferable to the knowledge we have now.

I think it depends upon what the "knowledge" is-and lack of knowledge does not equate with "ignorance". It's a creative process, not a CNN news story :) So why do they owe anyone constant updates on what they are doing and why? That's one reason it was better for me- fans didn't expect that, they just let things unfold. It's like opening all your presents before Christmas and rewrapping them, not that I ever did that as a kid of course. The internet has a negative effect, not just a positive one (in several aspects). Of course people can just balance that out for themselves, if they are so inclined. I never knew what they were up to back then in their lives or in the creative process of making an album, and it had no effect on me whatsoever. I just enjoyed them and their music for what they both were.
 
Reggie Thee Dog said:
Like Cori and Brau I too remember the days of going into Tower Books and reading all the import magazines in '90 and '91 before Acthung Baby came out and I actually like the mystery of what U2, or any other band was up to before their album came out.

I remember the thrill of knowing that the sparse bits of information I got about various bands in music magazines was probably months old by the time it got to me. Fun times. I also remember walking uphill to school in the snow both ways, but I digress. :crankyoldperson:

Short of taking us right into the studio with them, I don't know what more they can do. I think they've released an incredible amount of information lately, and, it's available to us within minutes.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

MrBrau1 said:


These kids today.

They can make a mix cd in 5 minutes.

I recall having to plan out each tune and do the time with paper and pencil. And listen to the tape as you made it.

Effort was required.

I used to do the same thing with my Maxell XLII-S tapes. Man, those were the days.
 
It was better and much more satisfying to open up a CD and not know exactly was on it the first time you listened to it. Much more satisfying, an element of surprise is missing in todays world and it has a way of making life as a whole a lot more predictable, and once music becomes predictable, it looses a lot of its magic.
 
There's no one holding a gun to anyone's head making them read, watch, or listen to all of the latest news regarding the new album.

I didn't hear a lick of the last album save for Vertigo and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, the latter only because they did it when they were on SNL. All of that was by choice. I don't think I'll go that route next time, but there you go - we all have the choice whether or not to listen or not to.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It's ridiculous how in the dark U2 keeps its fans...

MrsSpringsteen said:


I think it depends upon what the "knowledge" is-and lack of knowledge does not equate with "ignorance". It's a creative process, not a CNN news story :) So why do they owe anyone constant updates on what they are doing and why? That's one reason it was better for me- fans didn't expect that, they just let things unfold. It's like opening all your presents before Christmas and rewrapping them, not that I ever did that as a kid of course. The internet has a negative effect, not just a positive one (in several aspects). Of course people can just balance that out for themselves, if they are so inclined. I never knew what they were up to back then in their lives or in the creative process of making an album, and it had no effect on me whatsoever. I just enjoyed them and their music for what they both were.

:up: Exactly!
 
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