More than a year ago, U2 stated that they felt an I-tunes-type arrangement would be a great win-win solution for record companies losing profits to online copying AND for fans who wanted the convenience of online dowloading but were willing to pay fairly for the music. So I think U2 is trying to kill two birds with one stone: taking advantage of a great marketing deal and supporting a market-based solution to what was previously a major problem for the modern music fan and record companies.
Regarding Bono's "corporate monster" speech and relative lack of interest in accepting sponsorship for Popmart, we must also remember that one result of this stance was that America's corporate press creamed the Popmart tour far out of proportion to the tour's musical and commercial imperfections. I think U2 has learned the lesson well and would now prefer to be friends with corporate America. I don't argue that biting the hand that feeds you can be ethically correct at times, but it rarely helps the biter.
This is especially so if you plan to depend upon the corporate media to laud your legacy as one of the greatest bands in history. U2 is ambitious and wants to surpass the Beatles (regretfully impossible) and Stones (possible) as the top bands in history - they will have to be friends with those who write history.
Regarding Bono's "corporate monster" speech and relative lack of interest in accepting sponsorship for Popmart, we must also remember that one result of this stance was that America's corporate press creamed the Popmart tour far out of proportion to the tour's musical and commercial imperfections. I think U2 has learned the lesson well and would now prefer to be friends with corporate America. I don't argue that biting the hand that feeds you can be ethically correct at times, but it rarely helps the biter.
This is especially so if you plan to depend upon the corporate media to laud your legacy as one of the greatest bands in history. U2 is ambitious and wants to surpass the Beatles (regretfully impossible) and Stones (possible) as the top bands in history - they will have to be friends with those who write history.