Shuttlecock!

[No spoken words]

Can't believe I listened to a U2 album six times in a row today.

That's awesome.

 

[No spoken words]

And *poof* he was gone.

Was he ever really here?

Were you?

 

[corianderstem]

Three in a row. Yasssss. It felt good.

 

[bono_212]

Was he ever really here?

Were you?

I've never been here.

 

[VintagePunk]

What I am interested in, at this point, are reactions to the delivery method. I have a good friend who is an old school singer/songwriter, who is dead set against illegal downloading (fair), but as I've pointed out to him, many "indie" bands use this as a vehicle to release material...or when you come across live, bootlegged material. I've tried and tried to tell him that most complete show live releases that are on YouTube are on there because the artist is okay with it, and their management hasn't requested that it be removed. So, I'm anxious to hear his reaction to a full-blown rock star band giving away an album's worth of its material.

 

[IWasBored]

So, I'm normally not at all too lazy to read back but time is a tad short at the moment - what's the consensus in here, if there is one....?

That everyone except me likes it, which is probably exactly what you'd expect.

 

[Lancemc]

I dunno man give me a day or so to find time to give it a spin

 

[IWasBored]

What I am interested in, at this point, are reactions to the delivery method. I have a good friend who is an old school singer/songwriter, who is dead set against illegal downloading (fair), but as I've pointed out to him, many "indie" bands use this as a vehicle to release material...or when you come across live, bootlegged material. I've tried and tried to tell him that most complete show live releases that are on YouTube are on there because the artist is okay with it, and their management hasn't requested that it be removed. So, I'm anxious to hear his reaction to a full-blown rock star band giving away an album's worth of its material.

I do think this is cool. Yeah, they botched something with the hype train that derailed itself before even leaving the station on the invisible thing, but this seems like the least out of touch thing they've done in some time.

 

[iron yuppie]

I was thinking - if Apple bought this album and then made it available to everyone with an iTunes account, did it "sell" something like 500 million copies today?

 

[lazarus]

Nope.

And even if Billboard was willing to count it, they'd have to parse out the U.S. iTunes number from that worldwide total.

They didn't count the Jay-Z/Samsung thing and they're not going to count this.

Now how cool would it be if Shuttlecock still managed to hit #1 after the Oct 13 wide release?

 

[BoMac]

Some people have told me the album just appeared in their library and they're not even U2 fans. Bono alluded to it in his letter.

Therefore, if the album appeared to everyone with an iTunes account that could be as many as 500 million people.

 

[powerhour24]

I kind of ignored Song for Someone the first time or two, but fuck I love it now, I seem to be somewhat alone on that around here though. Beautiful melody.

EBW is too strong a song to be brought down entirely by it's overdone arrangement, but I hope someday we can hear a circa 2008 recording (or even a version done solely by Danger Mouse).

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I kind of ignored Song for Someone the first time or two, but fuck I love it now, I seem to be somewhat alone on that around here though.

I think it's pretty easily the most radio-friendly thing here. That chorus is huge, and in a way reminds me of R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" although it doesn't have as much of a bite as that song does.

 

[cobl04]

It seems like anyone with iTunes received the album, so that's a pretty incredible reach.

Still busy, but I did just play Miracle. Pretty damn ordinary, but goddamn it if there isn't just a little something there in the chorus. Guess that's why U2 are my fav band.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I'm curious to hear these "accoustic" versions being released in the special edition.

 

[mikal]

Iris has really separated itself from the rest as my favorite song on the album.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[powerhour24]

I think it's pretty easily the most radio-friendly thing here. That chorus is huge, and in a way reminds me of R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" although it doesn't have as much of a bite as that song does.

Yeah it's the clear one where it's U2 being undeniably anthemic U2 on this record.

 

[lazarus]

I kind of ignored Song for Someone the first time or two, but fuck I love it now, I seem to be somewhat alone on that around here though. Beautiful melody.

EBW is too strong a song to be brought down entirely by it's overdone arrangement, but I hope someday we can hear a circa 2008 recording (or even a version done solely by Danger Mouse).

I think it's pretty easily the most radio-friendly thing here. That chorus is huge, and in a way reminds me of R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" although it doesn't have as much of a bite as that song does.

Yeah, I'm not sure why everyone keeps touting EBW as the next single; I think Song For Someone has the potential to be much bigger. It's certainly not as busy.

I'm not one of those people who wishes they released an earlier version; I only heard the Wide Awake In Europe version a couple times and it didn't do much for me there either.

I'm curious to hear these "accoustic" versions being released in the special edition.

I'm not.

I want the unedited Invisible.

 

[mikal]

By the way, what a big moment for Lykke Li. The only other duets to appear in U2 albums are BB King and Johnny Cash. Not bad company.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[powerhour24]

I want the unedited Invisible.

Me too, but it doesn't seem it's in the cards for this deluxe version as they've named the tracks and the others will be acoustic songs. Invisible can be seen more as a look back on youthful experiences/feelings and could still work on the Experience half if that really does come to fruition I suppose. But EBW seems more primed for that and Invisible for this.

 

[david]

I wonder if all this self reflecting on their own history means they're winding down.

 

[bono_man2002]

So how much do you reckon Apple paid for this thing?

A lot of $50 iTunes gift cards.

 

[LemonMelon]

Agreed with those saying that Song for Someone should be the next single. I think it's bland, but pretty functional. Ryan Tedder produced it, so grab that spot on the charts.

And then drop a Calvin Harris remix of Iris with lots of bass

 

[Hewson]

I'm not.

I want the unedited Invisible.

Its right after The Troubles. Don't you see it?

 

[bono_212]

By the way, what a big moment for Lykke Li. The only other duets to appear in U2 albums are BB King and Johnny Cash. Not bad company.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

I was trying to think of anyone they've ever done duets with on album...that's awesome.

 

[powerhour24]

The Troubles is the most blatantly Danger Mouse influenced of all. It's like the Norah Jones tracks on Rome meets the dark side of 90's U2/Passengers. Not that that's at a bad thing.

 

[Danny Boy]

Some people have told me the album just appeared in their library and they're not even U2 fans. Bono alluded to it in his letter.

Therefore, if the album appeared to everyone with an iTunes account that could be as many as 500 million people.

I downloaded it to my phone right after they announced it.

When I got home tonight, there was a thumbnail of the album in my "just added" playlist, but I still had to click on the little cloud icon to download the tracks. I wonder if Apple is keeping track of how many people actually download the tracks vs. those that just ignore the fact that the album is in their cloud.

I assume it will stay in everyone's purchased music cloud forever, but perhaps not if they never bother to download it?

 

[powerhour24]

I wonder if all this self reflecting on their own history means they're winding down.

That's what I thought when Invisible came out and all the interviews discussed how the new songs were looking back on their origins as a band, but now it sounds more like a restatement of purpose then a swan song. At least that's my optimistic take on it for once.

 

[iron yuppie]

By the way, what a big moment for Lykke Li.

Yeah this is awesome, and one of my favorite things about the album right now. Really good on U2 for recognizing her and living up to their rhetoric about wanting to help out talented, aspiring artists.

 

[Danny Boy]

I was trying to think of anyone they've ever done duets with on album...that's awesome.

The Coconuts!