Frenchie44
The Fly
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2013
- Messages
- 46
In all the years that I have been on this forum I never have been an active poster. I enjoyed reading the anticipation before a new record and people’s thoughts about songs and lyrics. People on this forum were so nice to send me when requested files of music by mail over the years. When I was younger I spend a fortune on bootlegs of live recordings so thank you for all the music you shared with me over the years.
For the first time in my life I really feel the need to write something down about how I feel about U2 these days. After reading the backlash in the media about the launch of the new record, U2 as a band and the actual record, I feel the need to say something. Not because I think the world should care about what I think, but simply because I want to. That is a good enough reason for me.
In my mind I have a long personal relationship with U2. I don’t want to bore anyone or myself with the details, but from being a kid at the beginning of the eighties up till now well in my forties I have been a huge fan. Never stopped listening to the music. Even when the music started to show some serious wear and tear. Even when the music started to be overshadowed by Bono’s ridiculous ambition to be bigger than big. Even when people started to call U2 Bono’ band in interviews because he never shuts up. And even when U2 toured the world in some contraption called the claw that was so huge and so freakishly ugly it honestly looked like a giant turt instead of a music stage. Indeed bigger then big. But I never really cared. Because I loved and still love the music. Moment of Surrender and Breath, Fast Cars and Love and Peace or else. Maybe the last albums showed some serious wear and tear but many songs still had (some of) the magic.
Then we had to wait a very long time for a new record because U2 wanted to make music that is still relevant. Relevant to whom or what I asked myself, but relevancy apparently means an album that is constantly being delayed because of whatever reasons. And when after five years it finally lands …… it is a free gift from Apple. As the new manager describes it: if you like it great, if you don’t delete it. What?!
Let me first say something about Songs of Innocence. I think it is as a whole their best work since Achtung Baby. The album takes a song or four to really start to shine but especially the second half shines bright. As a longtime U2 fan I am thrilled with this music. Bold and inspirational are the keywords here. No wear and tear on this collection of songs if you don’t count the occasional glitch like the obvious With or Without You rehash in the intro of EBW. I am exceptionally pleased with the album.
But not with the marketing strategy, the bigger then big attitude of especially Bono and that obnoxious new manager that talks about music from U2 like it is a second hand car on sale. The music lost today. It’s so obvious were all the hate comes from. It’s not about the music. It’s about U2 as an entity. Do you really think that if the Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby would be released today they would be hailed as great albums. Those records would get the same treatment as SOI. It’s not about the music. Today is about the tool that Apple made available to remove the album from your phone and the 100 million U2 got for their music. I stopped caring about U2 and their commercial activities. More Apple promotions? Have fun with your deal. I'll be listening to Iris (hold me close). It’s a wonderful song. It’s a shame that because of U2’s antics not more people are enjoying it for what it is. No amount of U2 albums in the ITunes charts will ever be enough to repair the damage done. Bigger is not always better.
Sorry about the melodrama, but I had to get it of my chest. Enjoy the music you all!!
For the first time in my life I really feel the need to write something down about how I feel about U2 these days. After reading the backlash in the media about the launch of the new record, U2 as a band and the actual record, I feel the need to say something. Not because I think the world should care about what I think, but simply because I want to. That is a good enough reason for me.
In my mind I have a long personal relationship with U2. I don’t want to bore anyone or myself with the details, but from being a kid at the beginning of the eighties up till now well in my forties I have been a huge fan. Never stopped listening to the music. Even when the music started to show some serious wear and tear. Even when the music started to be overshadowed by Bono’s ridiculous ambition to be bigger than big. Even when people started to call U2 Bono’ band in interviews because he never shuts up. And even when U2 toured the world in some contraption called the claw that was so huge and so freakishly ugly it honestly looked like a giant turt instead of a music stage. Indeed bigger then big. But I never really cared. Because I loved and still love the music. Moment of Surrender and Breath, Fast Cars and Love and Peace or else. Maybe the last albums showed some serious wear and tear but many songs still had (some of) the magic.
Then we had to wait a very long time for a new record because U2 wanted to make music that is still relevant. Relevant to whom or what I asked myself, but relevancy apparently means an album that is constantly being delayed because of whatever reasons. And when after five years it finally lands …… it is a free gift from Apple. As the new manager describes it: if you like it great, if you don’t delete it. What?!
Let me first say something about Songs of Innocence. I think it is as a whole their best work since Achtung Baby. The album takes a song or four to really start to shine but especially the second half shines bright. As a longtime U2 fan I am thrilled with this music. Bold and inspirational are the keywords here. No wear and tear on this collection of songs if you don’t count the occasional glitch like the obvious With or Without You rehash in the intro of EBW. I am exceptionally pleased with the album.
But not with the marketing strategy, the bigger then big attitude of especially Bono and that obnoxious new manager that talks about music from U2 like it is a second hand car on sale. The music lost today. It’s so obvious were all the hate comes from. It’s not about the music. It’s about U2 as an entity. Do you really think that if the Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby would be released today they would be hailed as great albums. Those records would get the same treatment as SOI. It’s not about the music. Today is about the tool that Apple made available to remove the album from your phone and the 100 million U2 got for their music. I stopped caring about U2 and their commercial activities. More Apple promotions? Have fun with your deal. I'll be listening to Iris (hold me close). It’s a wonderful song. It’s a shame that because of U2’s antics not more people are enjoying it for what it is. No amount of U2 albums in the ITunes charts will ever be enough to repair the damage done. Bigger is not always better.
Sorry about the melodrama, but I had to get it of my chest. Enjoy the music you all!!
and I'm surprised that for every negative review I see, there's also a praising one. Heck, since long I actually enjoy reading posts on this forum, because most of them are positive iso sarcastic. It's something... ;-)
