What do you think NLOTH's reception means for future releases??

[powerhour24]

While I understand it isn't the massive flop that some media haters would like to spin it as, but it will be difficult for it to go much past 2x platinum at best.

So my question to you, is what do you think this will do for their boldness/furthering of music exploration? NLOTH has what's left of some of their experiments, but to me definitely reflects their cautiousness to be commercially viable as well (whereas AB seemed to very much forego worrying about casual fans turned onto them by the very different JT sound). So as that hasn't gone as well as they might like, do you think they'll go ahead and release the more ambient/meditative Songs of Ascent, and then move on to doing whatever they want, or will they go back and try and make a new ATYCLB?

I'd love to see SOA, but we knew before that there was always a possibility it might linger in the gestation, and now I'm worried about them reworking that as well. I think NLOTH's reception might make them think about being free to do whatever they want with future releases, and not worry about standing up to the JT, AB, ATYCLB size of record sales. But sometimes they seem more cautious, and Paul McG might convince them they need one more try at reclaiming their mantle.

What do you guys think??

 

[LemonMelon]

Mark it down: if U2 decides to make the follow-up a set of 11 Crazy Tonights because NLOTH "only" went double platinum in the United States, I will join in the sellout cries.

In reality, I simply can't picture the band turning back the dial even further because of this; it's not as if NLOTH wasn't an album of compromise to begin with.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

just get SOA out and don't give a shit about a commercial success

 

[believer75]

people steal albums now..it's hard to measure how many people do actually OWN this album. U2's tour will perform well...and so will the songs..and their legacy will do the talking. Piss on the mainstream. I don't think they are worried about it...truthfully.

And by the way, the album is still #3 on the charts, so no massive fall-off. I would not count this album out.

 

[Salome]

I think pushing 50 the band will find it harder and harder to keep attracting a younger audience
all they can do is to hope that whatever they want to do will find a large enough audience to keep it 'interesting' (for lack of better words) for them

 

[vaz02]

If anything, now is a great time to fuck commercial success.

 

[iota]

It's time to bid the "pop kids" a final farewell and move into a more mature songwriting process. There are artists that can't move 1% of U2's sales, but they still produce beautiful, well-crafted music at the same caliber. I think when U2 set out to be commercially viable, they lose a crucial part of what makes them who they are. Part of the magic of the 80's and 90's was that they didn't seem to care how commercially viable they were. That may have been a clever sheen, but the adventurousness of the music backed it up. The 2000's U2 lost that edge. NLOTH is another lopsided album that doesn't fully commit itself either way. If Songs Of Ascent is put out without any overcooked, overly-tight U2 Karoake Pop Hits and just lets itself flow effortlessly into the theme of the album and the soul of the music, U2 may well get a second life. They will lose some of their viability, but they are U2, they can make whatever music they want to make and still attract attention. I'm really hoping Songs of Ascent tilts forward into a more mature landscape and marks a new beginning. If it's another NLOTH with the crazies, boots and comedies painfully trying to be artlessly poppy, their goose is cooked.

 

[believer75]

It's time to bid the "pop kids" a final farewell and move into a more mature songwriting process. There are artists that can't move 1% of U2's sales, but they still produce beautiful, well-crafted music at the same caliber. I think when U2 set out to be commercially viable, they lose a crucial part of what makes them who they are. Part of the magic of the 80's and 90's was that they didn't seem to care how commercially viable they were. That may have been a clever sheen, but the adventurousness of the music backed it up. The 2000's U2 lost that edge. NLOTH is another lopsided album that doesn't fully commit itself either way. If Songs Of Ascent is put out without any overcooked, overly-tight U2 Karoake Pop Hits and just lets itself flow effortlessly into the theme of the album and the soul of the music, U2 may well get a second life. They will lose some of their viability, but they are U2, they can make whatever music they want to make and still attract attention. I'm really hoping Songs of Ascent tilts forward into a more mature landscape and marks a new beginning. If it's another NLOTH with the crazies, boots and comedies painfully trying to be artlessly poppy, their goose is cooked.

I think U2 always wanted to be commercially viable....they wanted to be bigger than the Who, the Beatles, the Stones...all commecially viable bands. To be the biggest bands in the world, you also have to have the desire to be commercially viable.
You are right, though, U2 does have the power to make whatever music they want, and it will still attract attention. They can do what they want, and they know what they are doing, legacy still intact.

 

[Niceman]

It's time to bid the "pop kids" a final farewell and move into a more mature songwriting process. There are artists that can't move 1% of U2's sales, but they still produce beautiful, well-crafted music at the same caliber. I think when U2 set out to be commercially viable, they lose a crucial part of what makes them who they are. Part of the magic of the 80's and 90's was that they didn't seem to care how commercially viable they were. That may have been a clever sheen, but the adventurousness of the music backed it up. The 2000's U2 lost that edge. NLOTH is another lopsided album that doesn't fully commit itself either way. If Songs Of Ascent is put out without any overcooked, overly-tight U2 Karoake Pop Hits and just lets itself flow effortlessly into the theme of the album and the soul of the music, U2 may well get a second life. They will lose some of their viability, but they are U2, they can make whatever music they want to make and still attract attention. I'm really hoping Songs of Ascent tilts forward into a more mature landscape and marks a new beginning. If it's another NLOTH with the crazies, boots and comedies painfully trying to be artlessly poppy, their goose is cooked.

Have you read many interviews? They've ALWAYS been the most ambitious band out there! To their way of thinking, this is NOT antithetical to art.

But let's not count NLOTH out yet. It will have at least 3 more promotional singles (Magnificent plus two more) GOYB flopped, but if Magnificent or Breathe or maybe MoS catch - things could change rather quickly! Also, the tour will buoy sales up. Let's talk about how NLOTH did when we get to the end of 2009, but talking until then seems premature to me......

If anything comes of GOYB flopping, it may be U2 stepping away from dance music again....

 

[corcovadosong]

since when is goyb dance music?

 

[pacemaker]

I think that, however the album is perceived at the end of its tour and promo cycle, the 360 tour will truly be the "make-or-break" aspect of this whole thing. With POP, not only was the album viewed as lackluster, but so was POPMart (which we all know wasn't the massive failure that its thought to be, but even so...).

If the 360 tour turns out to be a bust, which isn't likely, then I think we might see them hunker down and try to figure out how to remain relevant... even going so far as to disband, or reinvent themselves, or whatever. But since NLOTH is by all means a success so far, and the 360 tour seems as though it'll break tour records (hopefully!), I'm hoping they actually believe the words coming out of their mouth about the record being what they've always wanted to make, a great artistic experience, etc. (all paraphrased), and continue to do what they want, without compromising the art and the music in regards to the bottom line.

With Songs Of Ascent coming out sooner rather than later (again, HOPEFULLY!), I think it bodes well for a period of great creativity from the band. They are getting old, and they are teetering on the cusp of retirement (noooooooo), and they are extremely wealthy, and they can do whatever they want. Here's to hoping that they realize they CAN do whatever they want and not have to worry about album and ticket sales. They're fucking U2, they should act like it.

 

[believer75]

since when is goyb dance music?

It's funky, it has a good beat, and you can dance to it

 

[BVS]

I love how many are already writing this album off... I think this will be a grower of an album, now by no means will it reach huge numbers, for those days are gone and dead. The economy, time of year, and torrents just will never let that happen.

But we will see a spike if they get Magnificent out in a decent way and then again when the tour kicks off...

 

[Niceman]

since when is goyb dance music?

Really? How is it not?

 

[BVS]

Trust me, it's not dance music. I mean you could dance to it(but that's true of a lot of music), but Magnificent is closer to real dance music than Boots...

 

[Niceman]

Trust me, it's not dance music. I mean you could dance to it(but that's true of a lot of music), but Magnificent is closer to real dance music than Boots...

It's not a question of trusting you or not trusting you. I dance to GOYB. I've never even thought of dancing to Magnificent....

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I don't think I ever want to see anyone dancing to Get On Your Boots.

Magnificent on the other hand is screaming for a dance mix. It would be so easy to do, so hard to fuck up, that I’m even more than happy to let will.i.am do it.

 

[Niceman]

I don't think I ever want to see anyone dancing to Get On Your Boots.

Magnificent on the other hand is screaming for a dance mix. It would be so easy to do, so hard to fuck up, that I’m even more than happy to let will.i.am do it.

LOL! I do agree about a dance MIX of Magnificent, but in its current form I can't imagine dancing to it, stomp my foot maybe, but that's about it..... GOYB makes me want to move... and form groovy acronyms......

But then again, I think these are the two songs on the whole album that interest me the least......

 

[U2girl]

Not much. I doubt their plans for SOA are about to change significantly based on what NLOTH may or may not "sell".

 

[standrums]

The album has only been out for 5 minutes, 1 single released and the tour is still a couple of months away.

It will sell consistently over the time period of the tour and successive single releases...geez...give it time...come on ye people

 

[Thanksandy]

People are way too quick to criticise and make informed judgements at this point. After all the singles have been released and they are well into the tour, then everyone can make a full informed decision as to whether this has been a success, setback, disappointment or whatever. Personally, I agree with some of the comments on here regarding album sales, no album will reach the heights of The Joshua Tree again, music has changed and people's attitude to buying music. I never had any expectations this album would be better than JT or AB like some fans, that would just lead to disappointment and people forever trying to compare the albums and whether NLOTH is the 3rd masterpiece.
It might well be the 3rd masterpiece in time, but let's give it a few years and see how it's played live. I was just hoping they found some energy and creative impetus after the last two albums, which had some great moments, but overall were a bit lacklustre as they were too safe for me.
It shouldn't matter what the critics say, they haven't always liked all of U2's stuff and weren't overly impressed with R&H or Achtung Baby to being with. I'd rather listen to those albums than the last two, even Pop to an extent, because it show some ingenuity, invention, creativity etc, it might not have worked all the way through, but it isn't boring.
The time for U2 to call it a day is not when they're no longer selling as many albums, losing the pop kids, pissing off the critics or other fans, but when they start to appease the mainstream with bland, boring and safe music, i.e. more albums like the last two and that's it, it will lead to the "crap" album and U2 turning into Coldplay............

 

[standrums]

People are way too quick to criticise and make informed judgements at this point. After all the singles have been released and they are well into the tour, then everyone can make a full informed decision as to whether this has been a success, setback, disappointment or whatever. Personally, I agree with some of the comments on here regarding album sales, no album will reach the heights of The Joshua Tree again, music has changed and people's attitude to buying music. I never had any expectations this album would be better than JT or AB like some fans, that would just lead to disappointment and people forever trying to compare the albums and whether NLOTH is the 3rd masterpiece.
It might well be the 3rd masterpiece in time, but let's give it a few years and see how it's played live. I was just hoping they found some energy and creative impetus after the last two albums, which had some great moments, but overall were a bit lacklustre as they were too safe for me.
It shouldn't matter what the critics say, they haven't always liked all of U2's stuff and weren't overly impressed with R&H or Achtung Baby to being with. I'd rather listen to those albums than the last two, even Pop to an extent, because it show some ingenuity, invention, creativity etc, it might not have worked all the way through, but it isn't boring.
The time for U2 to call it a day is not when they're no longer selling as many albums, losing the pop kids, pissing off the critics or other fans, but when they start to appease the mainstream with bland, boring and safe music, i.e. more albums like the last two and that's it, it will lead to the "crap" album and U2 turning into Coldplay............

Following on from my earlier point...I can't stop laughing.

The album came out when? 2nd March? Today it's the 25th March?

We're still in the same month for crying out loud!!

Shouldn't we all talk about this in say 18 months' time then we'll have a better view?

Didn't the megalomaniac McGuinness say this album was going to sell consistently over an 18 month period? Let's see if he's right and reserve judgement until then.

This album will be a success after it's been given some time to bed in.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Lets not forget, we could also have some awards which will once again increase sales in the album.

 

[AtomicBono]

if the tour is a success, which would therefore fuel more album sales, I think Songs of Ascent will be released as a Zooropa-type companion. If not (very doubtful), well, maybe they would try to go reinvent themselves again. who knows. Ultimately I wonder if critical reception is what really matters in determining what U2 do. I love Pop more than anyone but I think an album like ATYCLB was inevitable, maybe they would have made one more "experimental" album if Pop had been a huge hit, but eventually they would have reinvented themsevles anyway, because that's just how U2 roll. Although now I don't think we're gonna get anymore big reinventions, but most people agree NLOTH is somewhat of a departure from the last two albums, and SOA (yes, it's already abbreviated) could be even moreso. So I think we'll get gradual evolution, but nothing as shocking as the transition from JT to AB.

but yeah, this thread is a bit premature. let's see how many Grammy's it wins first

 

[Luke2]

I agree with those arguing to give the new album some time, a couple more singles, and the 360 Tour, to bed it all in, let it all gel, and see how high the sales climb. Not that I care too much about sales, but I do like the idea of new younger audiences getting into U2.

I look back and think there is no way Achtung Baby could have generated the sales it did, on the back of The Fly alone. No way in the world, the mainstream rock stations in the western world did not like the song, and ditched it forever from most playlists once Mysterious Ways, One and Even Better... followed it up...

Who cares about the reception to Boots... after all, in a short space of time Magnificent is going to be dominating the airwaves around the globe on both Rock and mainstream Pop radio stations, and will be followed up by probably two more huge singles... Crazy Tonight, Breathe, maybe even Unknown Caller or Moment of Surrender. It really seems bizarre to me and a waste that Unkown Caller may end up as an album track only and not a single!

Most important of all, the sales of this album will be pushed by the most ambitious rock tour of all time... and, whatever your thoughts are about the last two albums, it's hard to deny (though some will doubtlessly disagree) that in terms of live performance, the last two tours have seen U2 at their musically most awe inspiring, in history. The quality of their live performances is now so light years ahead of their 80s shows, and even Zoo TV, that's it's very hard not to notice.

In actual fact, the PopMart adventure, in which they overcame self-doubts, pushes to new uncertain sounds, tough-to-crack receptions, and critical betrayal, seems to have "trained them up" to be the best live rock band on earth... and the skills they learnt via PopMart in terms of taking music to another level in the live context, were well applied to the last two tours. The process of making U23D will, I don't doubt, make them even more attuned at their time of life, to ways of making U2360 even more transcendental than their best ever shows...

Lastly, we must come back down to earth, and remember U2, while the very best at what they do, and loved by most of us here, are merely a stadium rock band with a bigger heart, and better experimental musicianship, than other bands of the same genre... who have happened to last longer than any other band who started at the same time... and yes, collectively, the sum of all that, and the sum of the four musicians and their collaborators, is bigger than the sum of its parts...

Given that No Line is their best work in 18 years, by the way 18 years of great, "relevant" music... I think they are travelling OK...!!!

 

[monsieur fly]

I hope that they don't panic as a result of the fairly mixed reception to NLOTH (and by U2's standards a Metacritic score of 72 is mixed). That is down to two factors entirely unconnected with the quality of the record- 1) Bono -who in the eyes of some newspaper journalists is a divisive figure and 2) Certain reviewers (and let's remember not all of them are true music fans) get scared by experimentation. They'd rather get a safe, instant hit off ABOY, for example.

So they should forget about the pop kids as they promised in 1992 and get on with making records which satisfy them artistically.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i think they'll learn that if the lead single isn't a hit, the album won't be huge, at least right away.

but then again, they already learned this on pop.

 

[believer75]

I hope that they don't panic as a result of the fairly mixed reception to NLOTH (and by U2's standards a Metacritic score of 72 is mixed). That is down to two factors entirely unconnected with the quality of the record- 1) Bono -who in the eyes of some newspaper journalists is a divisive figure and 2) Certain reviewers (and let's remember not all of them are true music fans) get scared by experimentation. They'd rather get a safe, instant hit off ABOY, for example.

So they should forget about the pop kids as they promised in 1992 and get on with making records which satisfy them artistically.

They are not worried about the Pop kids....still.
Everyone keeps referencing the Pop kids, but, as evidenced by no U2 single selling as well as your Flo-Rida's or Britney Spears's, they are not making music the "POP kids" want. They know that and have been able to have hit albums and hit tours WITHOUT the Pop kids their entire career. They transcend over the POP kids and the POP charts. They are in an entirely different playing field. They have not changed their direction.

 

[Salome]

I'm not the biggest fan of How to dismantle .... but it's the most mature album the band's ever made
this pop kids crap is really quite ridiculous

 

[monsieur fly]

They are not worried about the Pop kids....still.
Everyone keeps referencing the Pop kids, but, as evidenced by no U2 single selling as well as your Flo-Rida's or Britney Spears's, they are not making music the "POP kids" want. They know that and have been able to have hit albums and hit tours WITHOUT the Pop kids their entire career. They transcend over the POP kids and the POP charts. They are in an entirely different playing field. They have not changed their direction.

Your argument only applies to America. In Europe, they have still been top ten this decade, in terms of singles.