What if we had the Internet in the 80's?

[digitize]

al gore would have been rendered irrelevant, making the world a happier place?

 

[doctorwho]

al gore would have been rendered irrelevant, making the world a happier place?

If that's true, then that means we probably would have had G. Bush #1 win in '92, G. Bush #2 W win in '96 and we'd now have Jeb Bush as the U.S. President.

 

[RaceAgainstTime]

In 1989 or so, Bono talked about "killing the myth of U2" in a SPIN magazine article.

This "myth" was of U2's image that was created in the 80's. Bono preached - as did many other artists - but some how it was U2 that became "messianic". Perhaps it was U2's songs combined with Bono's long late 80's hair and U2's image of "only being about the music" that gave people this view. U2 could be political. U2 could be religious. U2 could save music.

Of course, some people hated U2 for those very reasons.

But had there been easy access to the 'net, like there is today, I don't think there would have been the "myth" at all. U2 fans would have known all there is about U2 and, given the nature of this website, most likely complained about all of it. LOL!

I'm positive that after "War", some fans would have hated TUF. It would be analogous to arguments we have now about "Pop" vs. ATYCLB. There would have been a surge of new fans due to JT, which I'm sure would have also caused problems. Some might have at first appreciated U2 having a bit hit, but then would have hated that U2 were now too popular.

Come R&H, I'm sure we would have heard fans complain either about not enough change or too much change. I recall hearing two comments about R&H from people - that U2 "changed" and that R&H was "too dark". How dominant would these thoughts have been on the 'net? Would fans agree with the critics about R&H or would they tear apart the critics (as they have done before)?

By AB, this place would have lit up regarding "The Fly". If fans thought "Desire" was a change, what would they think of "The Fly"? And what would the old school "Boy" through "War" era fans think? I'm sure some would have lashed out as "One" being a WOWY copy and MW and "Even Better Than..." as being throw-away pop tunes. Some would have complained about Bono's scratchy voice on "One" and how he's lost his vocal prowess.

The last album before the big internet boom was "Zooropa". Some JT era fans that tolerated and eventually enjoyed AB abhorred "Zooropa". I'm sure "Pop" was completely lost on those fans (who most likely returned with ATYCLB). But with songs like "Numb" and "Lemon", even I had to wonder if the U2 I loved in the 80's was gone. While I grew to really enjoy the album, I know many who did not.

In other words, all the adoration and vitriol for every release that we see now would have been the same back then. Fans would have torn apart songs based on Bono's lyrics and vocals, Edge's guitar work and Larry and Adam's beat. Some would love it, some hate it. Some would complain about the pudgy Bono of 1985. Some would have loved the thin Bono of 1987. But the mystique that U2 had back then would have been gone.

The upshot is that fans could have shared music far earlier. We could have seen and heard far more shows. We could have had access to rare tracks and rare performances. We could hear about release dates for upcoming projects. We would have had more photos. And by sharing, we create our own "myth" of U2, just as we've done now. It's just a different "myth".

great analysis. gives me a headache though

 

[Bono's shades]

Back in the '80s when I was first becoming a U2 fan, seeing an article in a magazine about them was something to be savored because it was my only real source of information about the band. Now I feel like I know entirely too much about U2. Some of the mystique is gone.

But the internet can be a good thing for finding out about new music in general, especially for bands that aren't played on the radio. That is one thing I would have loved if the Internet had been around in my teen years.

 

[ShipOfFools]

I'd be too young to experience it. I was born in '82.

 

[zoopop]

U2 wouldn't have lasted this long and become this big. The mystery of not knowing what a band is doing is part of the musical (love for a band) experience. I remember going to record stores and looking at the release book then seeing U2 Q4. Then a few months later you'll see the release date on a bulletin board, then you'll hear the single on the radio, call in radio to hear more songs, and then finally go to the record store at midnight (get free pizza) to PURCHASE the album. Once you finally get home, unless your lucky enough to have a CD player in your vehicle, you'll put it in and listen from beginning to end. For the most part U2 would've blown your mind and you would see them within the year in your city. This was the experience of an album release.

All this has changed though thanks to the internet. Here is an example of how the internet has changed music. On a Monday night last year in March I drove from San Antonio to Houston TX after work with a friend to see My Morning Jacket. This was considered a warm-up show before they play South By Southwest in Austin TX. This was the 1st show of the year and the band was to debut 4-5 new songs. So after a call to my wife around 3PM, I told her I was going to go to see them and hear the new songs. Great show, heard 8-9 new songs (!!), and was blown away. By the time I got home that same night I looked online and footage was already on youtube of show & new songs. A prime example of how the net can take away the magic of the musical process.

U2 is the biggest band in the world now because of the period they came from and the internet would have tarnished their career if it had been around during the 80's.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

To state the obvious, what we have in here are only recent/current U2 fans. Those that were either still fans with Pop, or came on board then or with later albums. Those that checked out when U2 turned to Achtung or Zooropa or Pop are, well, dead to us in here. It’s funny when you meet those long-gone U2 fans.

Some who turned off in the 90s returned in the 00s. My old manager was like that. We used to argue quite a bit. He used to trash Pop and said that HTDAAB was their best ever album. He also loved Matchbox 20 and the last time I saw him we were sharing a ride in a cab and he asked the driver to turn up the Frays “How to Save a Life”, so, enough said.

The funniest though are those you meet who checked out after War. They are far more militant than those who spit the dummy at the Fly. Far more annoying than those who think everything in the 90s was just some silly joke. They think U2 lost it when they went all soft and experimental with the Unforgettable Fire. That Eno killed U2. That they were just trying to be cool and trend-chase. You meet one every now and then “U2 – haven’t put a foot right since War”.

It all would have been hilarious if the net/this site were around then.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

It was more enjoyable for me to be a U2 fan pre-internet

 

[Anji]

Those that checked out when U2 turned to Achtung or Zooropa or Pop are, well, dead to us in here. .

I am dead? I checked out when U2 did a few turkeys for sure, but the next album I came back and checked back out again if I thought it was crap I LOVE U2, but I don't love ALL their music

 

[MMP]

To state the obvious, what we have in here are only recent/current U2 fans. Those that were either still fans with Pop, or came on board then or with later albums. Those that checked out when U2 turned to Achtung or Zooropa or Pop are, well, dead to us in here. It’s funny when you meet those long-gone U2 fans.

Some who turned off in the 90s returned in the 00s. My old manager was like that. We used to argue quite a bit. He used to trash Pop and said that HTDAAB was their best ever album. He also loved Matchbox 20 and the last time I saw him we were sharing a ride in a cab and he asked the driver to turn up the Frays “How to Save a Life”, so, enough said.

The funniest though are those you meet who checked out after War. They are far more militant than those who spit the dummy at the Fly. Far more annoying than those who think everything in the 90s was just some silly joke. They think U2 lost it when they went all soft and experimental with the Unforgettable Fire. That Eno killed U2. That they were just trying to be cool and trend-chase. You meet one every now and then “U2 – haven’t put a foot right since War”.

It all would have been hilarious if the net/this site were around then.

Are you sure "hilarious" is the right word?

 

[doctorwho]

To state the obvious, what we have in here are only recent/current U2 fans. Those that were either still fans with Pop, or came on board then or with later albums. Those that checked out when U2 turned to Achtung or Zooropa or Pop are, well, dead to us in here. It’s funny when you meet those long-gone U2 fans.

I've been a fan since 1983. And I think you'll find quite a few old time fans on here. Don't assume it's just new fans because we joined in 2000 or later. Interference hasn't been around *that* long.

Before Interference, I was on WIRE, which was a posting site similar to the "clubs" on Yahoo. One could get individual replies or one daily post with all the responses. I also participated in various online news forums, like alt.music.u2 and alt.fan.u2. Prior to forums like these, those newsgroups were very popular.

By the mid-90's more and more people created U2 fan sites. I even had one. I used the current HTML code at the time. As most things were dial-up, people would only load short wav files of songs.

The mp3 format came around in the latter part of the 90's, but even still, many people had dial-up. Interference was the site that "broke" "Discotheque". Joel obtained a copy (not sure if Joel is still here any more, but he could tell the story better) and uploaded it. This was in the early days of Interference (late '96). That download was so popular that apparently U2 pushed up the "Discotheque" release date to radio.

In the early 90's, leaks occurred, but in a different way. The "Salomei" bootleg of the AB sessions was popular and remains one of U2's biggest bootlegs. It's great for the fan as one gets to hear how U2 record (which is more of a jamming session, building upon the song, as opposed to having a song in place ready to go). But that originally came out on vinyl, then CD.

Even in 1993, I recall just happening to see at a record store that U2 planned July release! I didn't even know something was coming. I initially thought "Zooropa" would just be a collection of live songs from the tour - and was surprised to see it was another album.

The advantage of the 'net is that we are up-to-date on info. We can get music faster. People can spend $1 on a song and not feel bad about wasting money. We can hear a concert mere hours after it was performed. The 'net allows us to see more pictures and obtain more items (great for a collector) than ever before as well.

The disadvantage is that sometimes it does ruin the experience some. The mystique of a band is gone. Having that CD in your hands, looking at the pictures and notes while listening to it is a joy. Those days might be disappearing.

 

[ShipOfFools]

I came on board with Pop, but I'm sure there are fans who were around in the 80s and loved the 90s albums. My high school History teacher was one - when ATYCLB came out, he was saying that it's amazing that U2 were still around, and continuously putting out great albums.

I'm not saying that a lot of fans didn't jump ship with Zooropa, but there should still be a lot of older fans on here who love it all.

 

[digitize]

I am dead? I checked out when U2 did a few turkeys for sure, but the next album I came back and checked back out again if I thought it was crap I LOVE U2, but I don't love ALL their music

You're certainly dead to me.

 

[OrARoundabout]

Having that CD in your hands, looking at the pictures and notes while listening to it is a joy. Those days might be disappearing.

I'm trying to KEEP IT ALIVE

 

[65980]

I became a U2 fan in about 1989 (although I was aware of them before that -- vaguely remember seeing the mullet at Live Aid), and yeah I was one of the ones who kind of lost interest in them in the mid-90s and especially with Pop. It wasn't just me -- it was all my friends. I think this has to do with your specific generation. In the mid-90s, it wasn't so much that U2 started to suck as it was there was a whole host of white guitar-bands on the scene, many of them younger and more relevant than U2.

However, I can appreciate the perspective of both older and younger fans. For example, if you were a new wave rocker type in the early 80s, I can understand why War might seem like their last great album. Likewise, if you first became aware of rock music in 1997 or so at age 11 or something, I can understand why you might have become more aware of Pop than, say, Pavement or The Prodigy (i.e., U2 are more mainstream), and thus today have a soft spot for that album (as all the young 'uns on this site seem to).

The ones I can't relate to are the ones who just became fans in the past 5 years or so . . . but, welcome aboard.

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

I think that the internet killed lots of things. For example : you can all lookup setlists!!
I admit I watch them too and comment on those setlists, but isn't it much more fun you don't know what songs will be played and in which appearance. The only concert that you don't know that is the opening night of the tour.

The days looking in the pictures and cd booklet where killed by CD!! I have all U2 singles and albums on LP / Vinyl. It looks wayysss better than a stupid booklet in a jewel case.

I remember that mentioned discotheque songs leak. I came on the internet in 1995. I have seen the mp3 thing (i can remember i was listening to music files from sun solaris --> was it .au in stead of mp3?) Man the first time i heard with winamp. Then came napster and all of those clones ... Downloading with 4kb/s. Waiting for an hour to get on file.
Lots of decryption tools and coverter tools then.

In the 80's no song was leaked and we all now want to leak an complete album. I think this album won't leak until it is released on the 27th of febuary ... is it good? i don't know, it is certainly not bad. Fans need to be suprised by the complete package! Allthought this is not as fun as it was when I bought the LPs.

 

[Anji]

You're certainly dead to me.

You are OFF my xmas card list

 

[An Cat Gav]

I would say the internet has killed the magic that used to surround a new u2 release back in the day. There used to be a lot more excitement surrounding the release of the likes of JT, R&H and AB on radio. Used to get u2 day when they released stuff....and would have mega competitions etc. And was exciting tuning in to hear the first plays of the new songs. Used to have to wait most of the day to hear them all, as the stations would play maybe 2-3 song on each DJs shows. The internet has taken the shine away.

There certainly was more magic by then.

 

[theedgeu2]

Old, old thread. I know. But I have something to say. The internet would have probably destroyed a lot of the things that happened in the 80's. I don't personally know the 80', I'm only 16, but the future probably would have been altered compared to now. JT, R&H, whatever, would have been leaked and people would have bought it early and come here with their smileys saying "Holy f*cking hell! JT sounds sooooo great!!! And I just bought it from this link. *posts link here* " You know it would have been a hell of a lot easier to get bootlegs and shit. I don't think the 80's albums from U2 would have been the same if we had internet.

But the internet is not all bad. It certainly has helped musicians like me get my music out there. There's many bands I have not heard of that, because of the interwebz, I discovered. Plus news is at hand easily. I mean you can get information *snap* like that! Whether you view that as a good thing or not is your decision. I like it.

I was born around the mid 90's so I don't really have a good memory of life with out the internet. Life as I know it is filled with computers, iPhones, HD TV's, and such. I think we've progressed very much technologically. Cell phones are sooooo much more efficient than they were when they first came out. I barely remember the first cell phones that came out. They seem so corny compared to today. The only thing wrong with the Internet is that I often spend WAY too much time on the computer and the internet than I should. And that leads to homework not getting done. Also, one other thing. E-mails, you can send something over to someone waaaay far away in a matter of secs. It sweet!

 

[cobl04]

this

It has and it has not. Thanks to the internet and through fan sites like this, I have been exposed to bands that I would not have been if I just had the radio to rely on. When I first joined this website, I was all about getting my hands on every single thing about U2. I think my obsessiveness and the ease of obtaining music and information about bands such as U2 may have killed my desire to know everything about U2. I no longer have the same interest that I did when I joined this site back in 2001. I have know idea when the new U2 album will be released.

and

Yeah, well, the internet has killed a lot of magic.

this.

I'm 15 now... I don't know how I maintain decent grades with the time I spend on here.

you're 15?!?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

The internet changed everything. Used to be people actually got off of their asses and went out and did things, met with people, hung out, etc. Now it seems people are just content to talk with others on the internet, via facebook, forums, or whatever. I was just thinking the other day how when the weather gets nice i would like to get out and do something. Yet how often do i really get out anymore, other than the weekend? Its really sad, because i love getting out and doing things. I used to hang out with people and watch the sunset and howl at the moon. I kind of miss those days. IM not alone here, though im sure i do spend more time out and with others when the weather is nice.

Internet porn has nearly killed the peeping tom business too. I remember back in the day you used to hear a lot about peeping tom's looking in windows to get a view. Now they just look at voyer cams and stuff. Its really not the same, or so i would imagine, because where is the danger in that?

Also, internet porn in the 80's would be rather disturbing, considering all the bad hair people had in that decade.

 

[sue4u2]

If that's true, then that means we probably would have had G. Bush #1 win in '92, G. Bush #2 W win in '96 and we'd now have Jeb Bush as the U.S. President.

Yeah, but just consider the great war songs we would've had.

I came on board with Pop, but I'm sure there are fans who were around in the 80s and loved the 90s albums. My high school History teacher was one - when ATYCLB came out, he was saying that it's amazing that U2 were still around, and continuously putting out great albums.

I'm not saying that a lot of fans didn't jump ship with Zooropa, but there should still be a lot of older fans on here who love it all.

That would be me.

I think that the internet killed lots of things.
The days looking in the pictures and cd booklet where killed by CD!! I have all U2 singles and albums on LP / Vinyl. It looks wayysss better than a stupid booklet in a jewel case.

Allthought this is not as fun as it was when I bought the LPs.

LP's were the bomb. And after some time they are coming back. I really didn't find U2.com untill '99 or 2000, when I had regular access to the internet. Then I found/joined interference sometime after that. I'm kind of conflicted because I loved U2 all along but it was the internet that turned me into a fan-addict. I wanted all the history and to read everyhing I missed by not having it. and so far I pretty much have.
In the '80's I had 2 young boys and a slew of distractions so in a way it worked out just the way it should have been for me. I had so much more time to devote to my addiction after "98.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

the 80';s board would have killed the TUF transformation.

 

[65980]

the 80';s board would have killed the TUF transformation.

Heh heh. To be more specific, there would have been a 97-page thread on the "new" U2 album (under some mis-identified name), with a more modest 72-page corker on why Eno and that other guy "suck", and are gonna totallly ruin U2's bid for stadium-rock stardom. Then, after Unforgettable Fire came out, there would have been 10 months of discussion on how it's the greatest LP of all time, followed by two years of attempts at one-upmanship to describe it as the worst LP of all time.

I have also met people who think U2 lost it after War.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Internet porn has nearly killed the peeping tom business too. I remember back in the day you used to hear a lot about peeping tom's looking in windows to get a view. Now they just look at voyer cams and stuff. Its really not the same, or so i would imagine, because where is the danger in that?

The good old days.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

They could have had a lot of fun extending the ZooTV concept online. It's not necessarily more relevant now, more a case of it's relevance being on steroids. Same with Popmart, to a degree.

 

[Saracene]

I became a U2 fan roughly at the same time I discovered internet, so I have no experience of being a fan without it. In the early days when my obsession was at its peak, I was certainly happy that internet gave me an opportunity to gorge on U2-related things, especially since I missed out on their first 20 years. At the same time, I've never listened to a leaked U2 album and after Elevation tour I stopped following the tours on the net, reading setlists, looking at videos etc., just to preserve -some- romance and mystique

 

[nielsgov]

Really, I just can't imagine living without internet (I'm also 15). Now you can find everything everything in a few seconds which is quite amazing. It makes everything much easier: finding music, information, videos.
I can't really say anything about that "magic" but I think it's probably more exciting to not know as much as we do now, about setlists, new albums...

 

[Katiesheb]

Back in the '80s when I was first becoming a U2 fan, seeing an article in a magazine about them was something to be savored because it was my only real source of information about the band. Now I feel like I know entirely too much about U2. Some of the mystique is gone.
QUOTE]


Have to agree with you on this strongly. I remember clipping out newspaper and magazine articles on U2. It was a treat to listen to the radio on weekly countdowns and shows to hear news on the band. Nowadays you can google and find more information than you need.

I'm glad there wasn't internet in the 80s. Records were released, there were no leaks, you waited until a certain date to hear the new single on the radio then you waited till a certain day till the record was in the shop. The only discussion about the new song/record was with your friends...

I would say the internet has killed the magic that used to surround a new u2 release back in the day. There used to be a lot more excitement surrounding the release of the likes of JT, R&H and AB on radio. Used to get u2 day when they released stuff....and would have mega competitions etc. And was exciting tuning in to hear the first plays of the new songs. Used to have to wait most of the day to hear them all, as the stations would play maybe 2-3 song on each DJs shows. The internet has taken the shine away.

I remember marking down dates on the calendar when new singles and albums were coming out. The radio station would have a U2 day. It was like a holiday...a U2 holiday!!!

And there were actually music videos played on MTV. Oh the good old times

Yep...sitting at my grandmother's house watching videos all day until I get kicked out of the house to play outside. Those were the good ol' days... Not to get off track but do you recall the day they played all U2 videos prior to the release of Discotheque (or was it Pop)? I believe I still have that VHS tape somewhere...

I was 13 when I became a serious U2 fan. I was known as the "U2 lover" with my peers and friends because no one else was obsessed as much as I was then. The internet would have been a way for me to chat with other people about the band during that time because no one else was interested in the band...however, I do not regret becoming a fan in the late 80s. It was a magical time! Sometimes I wish our society could go back to those days...

 

[secretly alone]

Ok, I know this is a revived thread, but I also have something to say, because this idea is one I've long pondered.

I was born in 1989. I always regret not having had the chance to be around in the 80s, or to know what was going on in the 90s...to not have been able to really be a U2 fan before this great internet transformation. Someone said above, in response to the comment about the "magic" being dead, that they were trying to keep it alive. I didn't listen to the NLOTH leak. Was I unbelievably curious? Hellz yeah. But I wanted that experience that I missed out on, being born when I was. I refused to listen to a single song (except Boots which had been released) until I had the album IN my hands on March 3rd. Vertigo was the only new song I had heard before I bought HTDAAB. I watched a video from a record store in Dublin the day R+H was released. It was insane...you would think people were lining up to buy tickets to a show. You can never bring that back now, and it's really sad. I've tried my best to recreate that sort of fan experience on my own, but it isn't the same.

That being said...the internet amazes me nearly every day, because it connects us all over the world. I mean, without forums like these, it would be infinitely harder to make friends with fans who live all over the place. I can't overestimate the value that function has had for me. It's given me friends that understand me!! Going to sound sappy here, but I think U2 have an amazing ability to bring their fans together. The internet has been a very helpful middle man for that.

I guess like all important changes, it has a beautiful side, and it has an ugly side. We have to take it as it is, because we can't go back. I'm sad for the loss of that magic, but I try to focus on all the good that's come of it