U2 Unorganized on the Horizon / The U2 Machinery

[Iskra]

I think the boys figured Get On Your Boots would have been a bigger hit. They wouldn't release (probably) the most commercial sounding single on the album first in hopes of it flopping.
This was supposed to be their next Vertigo.
I wouldn't be surprised if they change their standing strategy and release a 2nd single sooner rather than later.
They've got to start promoting this thing somehow.
They can't rely on their name - the sales of the re-issues taught them that.
I'm not saying this album is going to tank by any means and I'm not being a naysayer. The album will sell and the tour will be big. I just think they are going to find it a bit tougher than they might have thought.

 

[BVS]

This was supposed to be their next Vertigo.

Did anyone in the band say this, or is this your guess?

 

[PowerSurge]

you've obviously never met a Niw-Zullundr (kiwi)... they love being "inner-sheep, ay"

How about this then -- if album art is similar to marketing where graphics, logos and fonts have consistency, and should be portrayed consistently to achieve maxium impact in the long run, then U2's website, regardless of who does it, and who is accountable, continues to suffer in the short term from a fundamental flaw which is multiple graphic versions without explanation or reason.

While I applaud your willingness to keep an open mind, and I don't know WTF a Lenticular is, it still is rather astonishing, to me, that the graphics are inconsistent at this point in the journey.

Therefore, you and others can certainly keep your mind wide open on this specific issue, but mine's shut on this one and we can agree to disagree, but IMO it is stoooooopid to have multiple images regardless if they are sleaves, Lenticulars, Binoculars, jewel cases, box sets, liner notes, stickers, price tags or anything else possibly related to CD/DVD/BLURAY/MP3 packaging on a fargin website.

To be honest, I understand... I don't know if they are purposely fucking with us, they haven't decided yet or there is some crazy artwork that just can't be shown with one photograph, I don't know.

A lenticular is one of those images you would find on a toy ring or in a crackerjack box that if you tilted it back and forth quickly it would create an animation. If that's the case it would make sense to show both since you can't actually photograph the changes...

It's just a theory.

I actually like the confusion of this whole thing...

Honestly, I think you both have a great point.

I've hypothesized that the equals sign could be embedded on the jewel case or affixed in some way so that it may not be on the actual inside booklet. That could be the reason why its there in one photo, but not in the other.

But I totally agree....you want to market a cohesive and consistent image when trying to brand an object or in this case an album cover.

Who knows what the hell they're doing. We'll find out in a month or so.

 

[Popmartijn]

I think the boys figured Get On Your Boots would have been a bigger hit. They wouldn't release (probably) the most commercial sounding single on the album first in hopes of it flopping.
This was supposed to be their next Vertigo.

It appears that Get On Your Boots will debut in the Hot 100 at #37. Read more about it in the Peeling Of Those Dollar Bills forum and this thread: http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f225/get-on-your-boots-chart-watch-192489.html
In short (with lots of thanks to the good Doc, who had time to do the homework) this is U2's highest debut on the chart since Discothèque. It's also a comparable peak position (should this indeed be the peak of the single) to Pride, EBTTRT or Vertigo (yes, Vertigo), singles which also charted in the 30s. And it's a lot higher than The Fly, which only reached #61 on the charts.

As I said before, not too shabby...

 

[chrissybaby]

Can I just add the canceling of the Video premiere to this disorganised machine debate.
Surely they can't have screwed this up too... The band deserve a little better.

 

[last unicorn]

I think it's due to the leak of an unauthorized (and obviously unfinished) version of the video. Hope the official video isn't delayed too long.

 

[standrums]

I think the boys figured Get On Your Boots would have been a bigger hit. They wouldn't release (probably) the most commercial sounding single on the album first in hopes of it flopping.
This was supposed to be their next Vertigo.
I wouldn't be surprised if they change their standing strategy and release a 2nd single sooner rather than later.
They've got to start promoting this thing somehow.
They can't rely on their name - the sales of the re-issues taught them that.
I'm not saying this album is going to tank by any means and I'm not being a naysayer. The album will sell and the tour will be big. I just think they are going to find it a bit tougher than they might have thought.

I don't agree, it's only been out 5 minutes.

The physical single doesn't go on sale until mid Feb and the video is only just being aired, not to forget all the upcoming live performances, commercials etc.

 

[ndmaxfield]

Can I just add the canceling of the Video premiere to this disorganised machine debate.
Surely they can't have screwed this up too... The band deserve a little better.

This is actually why I didn't order the deluxe version of NLOTH on iTunes or the box set. I think we'll potentially get unfinished versions of things. It's kind of like printing the lyrics to Mercy in the deluxe book version of HTDAAB and then chucking the song from the album. The machine definitely seems disorganized on this one, too. We pay too much money to feel like we're receiving last-minute products. Even if it IS last-minute production, if we ultimately like it then we don't need to know about the drama leading-up to publication of U2 materials. It somehow cheapens the end product for me, personally, sorry... The band works too hard, as well, to have their stuff rolled out with all of these public hiccups / misfires / confusion.

p.s. - As another example, we're saying the GOYB video features a "different mix" of the song. I personally believe that, until the very last minute the video was produced, the band were still tinkering with the song, and Edge or whoever decided to add a different-sounding guitar solo. I really, really like the new-sounding guitar solo - it improves the song dramatically for me - and I wish they'd released that version of it on iTunes. It 's like you pay for one thing, and then they release something slightly improved a few weeks later. So, was it really a different mix, or was the iTunes release a near-finished mix that they released anyway, and is the "video mix" going to be the final mix?

 

[buzzkill27]

Can I just add the canceling of the Video premiere to this disorganised machine debate.
Surely they can't have screwed this up too... The band deserve a little better.

Oh absolutely you can....U2's label management/promotional department have not just dropped the ball on this one...they've broken it in half....and this news about a 2nd video...could you just get through putting one fucking video out..... and put it out when you say you're going to put it out???

 

[purpleoscar]

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

 

[thelaj]

The video needs to be out there ASAP I feel. Announcing and then delaying the video is a bad mistake, along with the album cover issues, dual-charting positions, so many album editions, no iTunes in UK, delayed physical release etc.

I'm still hyped, I just want the single and album to be a success.

 

[purpleoscar]

The video needs to be out there ASAP I feel. Announcing and then delaying the video is a bad mistake, along with the album cover issues, dual-charting positions, so many album editions, no iTunes in UK, delayed physical release etc.

I'm still hyped, I just want the single and album to be a success.

If the album sounds good it will be like cocaine. People can't resist good music.

 

[thelaj]

If the album sounds good it will be like cocaine. People can't resist good music.

Not sure if I agree with that - though I would like to.

 

[PowerSurge]

If the album sounds good it will be like cocaine. People can't resist good music.

So the album will cause me to run through my neighborhood half naked, screaming, and with a bloody nose???


TMI?

 

[popacrobat]

I hope so

 

[PowerSurge]

you've obviously never partied with me before.

 

[U2girl]

I'm not sure this is worthy of a new thread or if it belongs elsewhere, so I apologize in advance.

As much as I enjoyed and still enjoy Pop, I think it is safe to say it was a low point in their career and they had to work very hard to undo the damage. The public couldn't wrap their hands around what they were doing with Discotheque or what they heard about it being a "dance album".

In particular, the release of Discotheque as a leadoff single deflated curiosity and momentum and this led to spotty concert ticket sales.

I still have high hopes for the album but I really think that releasing Boots will not help the album. Perhaps it will have no effect, but it certainly won't help them by creating positive buzz. I know some (mostly, hard-core U2 fans, esp. the fans that enjoy and appreciate U2's more "experimental" side) really like the record, but I think it's safe to say that it isn't taking the world by storm.

The band sure does make some curious decisions. I hope this song doesn't drive people away from the album.

So, my question is, did the band miscalculate the song's appeal? Or did they know it would elicit a mixed reaction?

What hurt them was the video Village People ending. And weak tour start.

I'm not sure Boots is meant to be a BD or Vertigo or even Discotheque: the big "we're BACK" single. It may be more like The Fly or Numb: the "you won't really understand this without context" single. That said I do hope they have something strong in the back up single department and/or this is a album that will be able to cross over wide appeal without a big single.

 

[Chizip]

well we can add the boots video release to their blunders

 

[sue4u2]

well we can add the boots video release to their blunders

Oh well, shit happens when your the biggest band in the world.

To quote Bob Dylan, "these times they are a'changing."