Why is Bono saying sorry??

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ozeeko said:
I don't think their insecurity is something to be admired. It's a severe personality defect that they need to rise above.

Also, I've forever been over this whole "we're cooler when we're not being cool" malarkey, because they really didn't hit it big until they started looking cool in all those sepia JT pics. :D Maybe the music was out of step, but they really had a cool, unique look, you cannot deny.
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Insecurity fuels their art to a certain extent. Do you want them to be like Kanye West?



Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
Max_theHitman said:
Yep, that´s right.

If you dont like the gift Santa Claus give you for Christmas, call the cops!
Beat the guy up. Kick him in the belly.
Some people just don´t believe in Santa Claus anymore.

That was part of Bono´s talking on that last French TV show, when answering a
question from a girl in the audience about the Free iTunes giveaway.

People who refuse a free gift (specially a brand new record) are ungrateful :censored:
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You know, I personally have no problem with how U2 released this record and I was happy to get the free download. I understand the POV of those who didn't appreciate it, but it didn't bother me.

I will say, however, that I find the argument that "It's a gift from U2, shut up and be grateful" to be a little ridiculous. It wasn't a gift, it was marketing, pure and simple. It's no more a "gift" than the "free" little bottles of shampoo you get in the mail or the vouchers for a free drink at Applebees in your spam folder. Does anyone feel like Santa delivers those? The release was designed to promote a product. U2 and Apple (and it was actually Apple who did it) didn't give us this record out of the goodness of their hearts and because they think we're great people. Apple did it to promote and drive traffic to iTunes and U2 did it to get back into the zeitgeist. I liked it because I'm a U2 fan, but had it been a One Voice record in my iTunes I would not have felt it was a "gift". I wouldn't have freaked out over it, I just would have deleted it and never thought about it again. But at no point would I have felt that Apple and One Voice gave me a "gift" that I should be grateful for. Would "refusing" Apple and One Voice's "gift" by deleting it make me "ungrateful"?

As an aside, I do agree with the comments by those who think this method of distribution is a reflection on U2's fear of being ignored are well taken.
 
purpleblackeye said:
Insecurity fuels their art to a certain extent. Do you want them to be like Kanye West?



Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
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Oh God no! Anything but Kanye West! (And I seriously seriously mean that)

I'm not saying shut off emotions in the creative process, that would be ridiculous. We would have no band in that respect!

I'm saying just...don't try to please so hard. Stop worrying so much about relevance. Make the music matter first. Don't try to control the world's reaction to your album, it's impossible and foolish.
 
ozeeko said:
I'm saying just...don't try to please so hard. Stop worrying so much about relevance. Make the music matter first. Don't try to control the world's reaction to your album, it's impossible and foolish.
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A man/woman after my own heart. :heart:
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
Do you honestly believe this? If they had released it the standard way do you seriously think it would have made any larger an impression than NLOTH did on the general public?
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Do I believe they'd be radio smashes either way, burning up the Hot 100 chart? No. They will never ever be that again.

Do I think this album would have done very well on alternative, adult contemporary and AAA without the added attention of the iTunes release?

Abso-frickin-lutely.

And that's their issue. They are having a midlife crisis and feel that they still need to have that pop relevance to be successful, when they absolutely do not need any such thing.

They want something they'll never be able to achieve again. In doing so, their alienating some of the audience that they have on lock.

Not us, we're crazy lemmings who'll follow them off a cliff (for the most part).

Stunts like this make them out to be megalomaniacs. When you're lead singer is already considered to be just that, that's not a good thing.

And for those out there who dismiss every somewhat negative thought about anything U2 does as nothing because it's just people "trolling"... piss off. While there are certainly some of our most well known trolls doing just that, there are plenty of thoughtful, regular members who have issues with this.

The numbers right now look awful. That's not trolling.
 
purpleblackeye said:
Insecurity fuels their art to a certain extent. Do you want them to be like Kanye West?



Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
Click to expand...


They're an extremely - all time level - insecure band. From what they record and release to their live shows to their public personas. Personally, I think it holds them back. A lot. It continually throws water on the fire, not fuel.
 
rennowba said:
MusicNews | Bono apologises for iTunes album giveaway, blames it on a ''drop of megalomania'' - entertainment.ie

When i saw the video yesterday i thought it was a tounge in cheek response. But its really hit the news. Its the 3rd headline on the sky news app?

Was it tounge in cheek or did he mean it?Why would he say sorry??
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Because he's an incredible diplomat. Complete surrender is the only weapon he knows. He wants the love of those who are angry at him and lets the attacks slide right off his back. It's impressive to watch.

He never defends himself. He only charms.
 
Bono just ruined his pirate cred with me. Although it was a bit tongue in cheek. So he might still have pirate cred.
 
I still stand by U2's means of distribution for the album--I mean let's be honest, the band is kind of a white dwarf in the music scene, and most younger listeners would probably not actively seek out the record, despite it being free of charge. What really did them in, though, was the fact that you couldn't delete it. We all know U2 has it's fair share of detractors, so by not allowing listeners the option of removal, the vitriolic backlash shouldn't have been completely unexpected. Seriously, having to create a special tool just to get your album out of people's library is kinda funny (but because of my love for the band, I also wept a little... jk not rly... maybe).

And in reference to Bono's "apology tour," I appreciate that they acknowledged the debacle--I mean, how could they not when that's all you read about the record? What is annoying is that his somewhat sarcastic response has been turned into a sincere apology. Can't fault Bono for acknowledging the debacle of SoI's release when it's various journalists that've misconstrued his response.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using U2 Interference mobile app
 
corianderstem said:
What, people who haven't heard U2 before but think the album is good? Yeah, who wants new fans, anyway?
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:up:

U2 have always been "go big or go home."

26 million downloads before the physical release...

Countless forays into their back catalogue by a new generation of listeners...

It worked.
 
Mrs. Garrison said:
Hell, they actually just ran the apology story on NBC Nightly News.

We will never get to hear Songs of Experience now!
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Damn, this whole news thing sounds exagerated.
Before you know it, U2 is going to do like the Beatles and release
a "Let it Be" record, do a final live show on the rooftop and
go home! :doh:
 
angelordevil said:
:up:

U2 have always been "go big or go home."

26 million downloads before the physical release...

Countless forays into their back catalogue by a new generation of listeners...

It worked.
Click to expand...

It probably worked, but we have no idea how many of the 26 million downloads were auto-downloads because Apple won't release that information, either because they don't know or don't want to tell.

So the stats, while impressive, is very misleading.

The physical sales are very low. I mean Bob Seager beat them.

iOS only has a 32% market share in the USA. So 2/3rds of the country doesn't use Apple products. Do many of them still have iTunes and could have gotten it, regardless? Yea, sure. But one would still think that the physical numbers would be much higher than they are... at least 100k.

We'll see if there's staying power for the album. Maybe people didn't realize the physical album was being released now because there wasn't nearly as much hype about it as there was the iTunes release.

But even the most adamant U2 fan has to admit that the numbers, even with the free download, are surprisingly low.
 
At least people are talking about U2. No one outside the fan base seemed to notice when NLOTH was released.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference
 
Rachel D. said:
At least people are talking about U2. No one outside the fan base seemed to notice when NLOTH was released.
Click to expand...

Well, they did get five million people to actually pay money for that record. And it debuted at #1 in 30 countries. And they didn't even have to give it away for free or drop it in people's libraries uninvited. Not bad for an uneven record with a weak single from band who'd been around long as U2 in the age of torrenting. And it produced at least three U2 classics as far as I'm concerned. SOI could only hope to do so well.

Headache in a Suitcase said:
It probably worked, but we have no idea how many of the 26 million downloads were auto-downloads because Apple won't release that information, either because they don't know or don't want to tell.

So the stats, while impressive, is very misleading.

The physical sales are very low. I mean Bob Seager beat them.

iOS only has a 32% market share in the USA. So 2/3rds of the country doesn't use Apple products. Do many of them still have iTunes and could have gotten it, regardless? Yea, sure. But one would still think that the physical numbers would be much higher than they are... at least 100k.

We'll see if there's staying power for the album. Maybe people didn't realize the physical album was being released now because there wasn't nearly as much hype about it as there was the iTunes release.

But even the most adamant U2 fan has to admit that the numbers, even with the free download, are surprisingly low.
Click to expand...

I actually cringe a bit when I see that 26 million figure continuously repeated here, because we don't have nearly enough information to know what it actually means. But despite the free giveaway, I tend to agree with you that if the record worked its way into the zeitgeist the way U2 really wanted it to, these initial sales figures (if they hold) would be better. It's got to be bothering the band.

I'm sure the tour will sell out, but that would have happened even if they didn't put out any record at all. But despite all the anecdotal stories of how much everyone's friends and their kids love this, I just don't think it's captured the public's imagination at all, and the only reason anyone outside of fandom is talking about it is because of the distribution method. I seriously don't mean to be a downer, because I do love the record, but that 26 million figure seems empty to me.
 
Wow reading this we are doomed and the band are gonna be calling it quits due to low sales :(


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference
 
The album just went on sale yesterday and people are already freaking out about sales figures? Am i missing something...i thought those weren't released till next week sometime.

Anyway, in the end, does it really matter if this thing sells 100 copies or 100k copies in its first week?

If NLOTH sold 5 million copies in 2009, just think how many people didn't buy it? And it wasn't even given away for free. If you think about it, giving your album away for free* is kind of a punk rock thing to do.

Fuck up the establishment, FUCK the revolution, fuck up the mainstream.

The only thing better would be if we had world wide gay marriage, free pot, and nobody had to pay taxes. FUCK NATIONALISM! FUCK AUTHORITY!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! LETS FUCKING RIOT!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Mrs. Garrison said:
The album just went on sale yesterday and people are already freaking out about sales figures? Am i missing something...i thought those weren't released till next week sometime.

Anyway, in the end, does it really matter if this thing sells 100 copies or 100k copies in its first week?

If NLOTH sold 5 million copies in 2009, just think how many people didn't buy it? And it wasn't even given away for free. If you think about it, giving your album away for free* is kind of a punk rock thing to do.

Fuck up the establishment, FUCK the revolution, fuck up the mainstream.

The only thing better would be if we had world wide gay marriage, free pot, and nobody had to pay taxes. FUCK NATIONALISM! FUCK AUTHORITY!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! LETS FUCKING RIOT!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Now you're gettin' nasty. ;)
 
Nick66 said:
Now you're gettin' nasty. ;)
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belloq.jpg
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
It probably worked, but we have no idea how many of the 26 million downloads were auto-downloads because Apple won't release that information, either because they don't know or don't want to tell.

So the stats, while impressive, is very misleading.

The physical sales are very low. I mean Bob Seager beat them.

iOS only has a 32% market share in the USA. So 2/3rds of the country doesn't use Apple products. Do many of them still have iTunes and could have gotten it, regardless? Yea, sure. But one would still think that the physical numbers would be much higher than they are... at least 100k.

We'll see if there's staying power for the album. Maybe people didn't realize the physical album was being released now because there wasn't nearly as much hype about it as there was the iTunes release.

But even the most adamant U2 fan has to admit that the numbers, even with the free download, are surprisingly low.
Click to expand...

Logically, I would think we can assume the vast majority of the auto downloads were in the first 24 hours - the first 200,000. Everything after that is 100% intentional.

And sure, many people don't have iPhones, but 500 million have iTunes. That's the big number they were after. Really, almost everyone has had a chance to snag the first disc for free by now. The hope was with people who love physical media or want disc 2.
 
There's nothing "logical" at all about assuming that 100% of the downloads after the first 24 hours was "intentional". Nothing automatically downloads to your Mac or PC from your iTunes cloud drive until you actually open up iTunes on your computer...then the auto downloads start. What, every person who got the record automatically downloaded happened to have opened up their iTunes program in the first 24 hours after U2 put out their record?

Apple knows exactly how many of those downloads were automatic, how many were "intentional" and how many were partial downloads (i.e. only certain songs). If 25 million, 800 thousand of those downloads out 26 million were "intentional", you can be sure they'd be screaming it from the rooftops. In fact, if the "intentional" download number was mega impressive, I'd think Apple would be publicising that and not conflating with the auto download figure. They also haven't released any figures on how many people deleted it, either manually or with the specially created SOI delete tool (and why would they).

So yeah, as I said, part of the reason I can't get too excited about the 26 million figure is because we have no idea what it actually means...though on a positive note, we can say that a LOT of people got exposed to new U2 music, a lot more than would have otherwise. I don't know why we need to overstate the case beyond that.
 
For what it is worth.

People who hated Apple and disliked U2 before the download have more reason to be annoyed and hate after the free download.

Not much could change their mind anyway, and this just gave those folks a reason to go off, and go off they did.

How could the band be disappointed in "actual sales" after giving the thing away for free? That does not calibrate IMO.
 
ozeeko said:
The thing that bugs me is that Bono said he couldn't bear the thought of putting out an album that no one hears, hence this apple stunt.

Sounds more like insecurity than actual faith in the music being released.
Click to expand...
This sounds about right to me. U2 is really bizarrely insecure, considering they're the "biggest band in the world."

I still think the band should have simply released the album with a "Download? Y/N" prompt on iTunes. And preload it onto all new iPhones as a bonus. That would have solved the whole issue. It's when people aren't given a choice to accept or deny the "gift," that's when they perceive the band as presumptuous. What do you bet many people would have said "why not?" and downloaded the album, just to check it out.

News story becomes "World's biggest band offers new album for free" rather than "World's biggest band forces new album on you."

What happens from there, I don't know. I don't actually think the set of songs is very strong - it feels as inessential to me as October and HTDAAB - so who knows what kind of attention the album would have gotten.

Headache in a Suitcase said:
Stunts like this make them out to be megalomaniacs. When you're lead singer is already considered to be just that, that's not a good thing.
Click to expand...
Agreed here, too.
 
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