Live Nation to buy Principle Management

[LemonMelon]

The following albums were released at least 10 years into the artist's career:

U2 - Achtung Baby
The Who - Quadrophenia
Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
John Lennon - Imagine
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
David Bowie - Low
Peter Gabriel - So

I could go on but you get the point

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The following albums were released at least 10 years into the artist's career:

U2 - Achtung Baby
The Who - Quadrophenia
Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
John Lennon - Imagine
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
David Bowie - Low
Peter Gabriel - So

I could go on but you get the point

And how many of them were released in the last 20 years?

I agree with you that artists can put out great music well into their second, third and fourth decades... I just don't believe that the masses believe that, and eventually they automatically get unfairly compared to previous material and don't get a fair shake.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

Carlos Santana had supernatural. Had help but its his name on the album. 10 years in? In this case over 25 years and already in the r&r hof.

 

[marshall faulk]

Kids may like their parents music or bands that are 2-3 decades old, but kids rarely think their parents music is 'cool' or think of it as 'cutting edge'. Every generation wants to find new artists and bands that are different from what their parents and older siblings like. U2 will never be "new" again and that's ok.

U2 may put out the best album of their career in 2014, but they will never have the cultural impact they once did.

 

[U2DMfan]

That's more a comment on how the marketplace works & less on the quality of work by older artists. Some of the best albums I've ever heard were made by people 35+ with 10+ years in the game. To claim all musicians over 35 are "sinking ships" is silly and narrow-minded.

Totally agree.

These artists are "sinking ships" only relative to a fickle pop culture that nobody with a lick of actual musical IQ should give two shits about.

 

[brooklynmike]

I agree with you that artists can put out great music well into their second, third and fourth decades... I just don't believe that the masses believe that, and eventually they automatically get unfairly compared to previous material and don't get a fair shake.

Exactly. Every band inevitably deals with this to some extent. Plenty of bands put out outstanding music 20 years into their career, it's just a matter of who's judging. I'm a huge Chili Peppers fan. I love everything they've done since 1991, with the exception of One Hot Minute, which was ok. The style of their music has changed quite a bit with each album. Some people love it, some hate it. Pearl Jam is still cranking away. Their first 3 albums were part of the soundtrack of my life for that 5 or 6 years. Then their 4th album didn't connect, and they lost me for years. I have Sirius/XM, so when they started the PJ channel, I'd tune in to hear live versions of the old stuff, and was subsequently exposed to a lot of the great songs I missed along the way. Now I'm pumped to see them next week.

Unfortunately there are far too many variables to control to create the "perfect storm" where the majority of fans, critics and mainstream agrees on a masterpiece. Each year, more variables get thrown into the mix due to the speed of technology as well.

Psychologically the same people who enjoyed previous albums may be in a different place in their life where the music and message doesn't connect the same way. Tastes may have changed due to a wider exposure to stuff online- ipods and YouTube. Shit, my personal interests in various types of music have changed dramatically in the last 5 years. I listen to stuff I would've never dreamed of listening to in 2009. Full albums got a fair listen before the ipod, because you'd pop in a tape or cd and listen to the whole thing because it was too much of a pain in the ass to pop in another one. You got to know and love the songs.

"Don't worry, bro. It's not your fault. The whole country is hooked on meth"- Johnny Drama

 

[LemonMelon]

And how many of them were released in the last 20 years?

I agree with you that artists can put out great music well into their second, third and fourth decades... I just don't believe that the masses believe that, and eventually they automatically get unfairly compared to previous material and don't get a fair shake.

I mean, the criteria given was albums during the "rock era" so that's what I rolled with. Honestly, you could make an argument that we're out of the rock era at this point.

I fully agree with your post though, people have a shitty attitude about older artists. Like U2, for instance.

 

[U2girl]

The 10 or so kids by the other 3 band members usually joined them on tour.

Except they were older than the latest U2 kid...

 

[U2girl]

Possible, but I think it is unlikely. As long as they are all healthy they will continue to tour. However they may do shorter tours at some point. When they stop touring completely, it will most likely be due to health reasons only. That could happen the next tour, it may not. It almost happened on the last tour and here we are now talking about their next tour.

I have been a U2 diehard since the JT. I have heard the break up or done touring rumors after every single album and tour since AB and Zoo TV. Here we are 5 tours later.

Slane gigs were allegedly the last stadium U2 gigs, too.

Just saying...don't worry until there is something to worry about re: last tour.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

Great point about people being at a different place in life. That Absolutely plays into it. Listening to music at 16 with reckless abandon and no real responsibilities in life is different then listening at 35 with kids and a spouse. You will never ever get that youthhful view back. Not only new music by old artists, new music by new artists, old music by new artists lol, wont sound the same. Even the music you grew up with isn't connecing the same.

 

[Skimmer]

You can make great music at any point in your career and at any age. You don't need a new manager or a deal with Live Nation to do that. You need them for the gargantuan tours that make everyone involved millions of dollars and have nothing to do with that great music you could be making.

 

[gvox]

You can make great music at any point in your career and at any age. You don't need a new manager or a deal with Live Nation to do that. You need them for the gargantuan tours that make everyone involved millions of dollars and have nothing to do with that great music you could be making.

But isn't this basically what U2 is doing? Maybe I've misread where you're coming from here. The LN thing has nothing to do with how good the music will or won't be, it's just a piece of the machinery that kicks in when they decide to tour / promote whatever it is they put out.

I'm hoping we get something that just blows us the fuck right out of the water. It'll be great to have chats with people who's faith has been fully restored and feel reinvigorated by the awesomeness of it. Right now it's just too hard for alot of fans to feel that giddy enthusiasm anymore. Fingers crossed, cause I'd sure love to feel it again.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Great point about people being at a different place in life. That Absolutely plays into it. Listening to music at 16 with reckless abandon and no real responsibilities in life is different then listening at 35 with kids and a spouse. You will never ever get that youthhful view back. Not only new music by old artists, new music by new artists, old music by new artists lol, wont sound the same. Even the music you grew up with isn't connecing the same.

Absolutely.

And the same applies to the artists themselves... the writer at 40 and 50 is not the writer at 20, and they will not be writing about the same topics.

Those great early songs of teenage angst and piss and vinegar and replaced with more introspective songs about life, death, love and :gasp: kids.

This to some is the "dad rock," "gone soft" phase. It's really just the natural maturation of the songwriter as a person.

I don't want to hear 50 year olds writing about the same shit they wrote about when they were 23.

 

[Musikwala]

Absolutely.

And the same applies to the artists themselves... the writer at 40 and 50 is not the writer at 20, and they will not be writing about the same topics.

Those great early songs of teenage angst and piss and vinegar and replaced with more introspective songs about life, death, love and :gasp: kids.

This to some is the "dad rock," "gone soft" phase. It's really just the natural maturation of the songwriter as a person.

I don't want to hear 50 year olds writing about the same shit they wrote about when they were 23.

Agreed completely! which is why I did not mind when Metallica matured a bit and wrote slower, softer rock in the 90s on Load and Reload. But for some reason when U2 did it on ATYCLB, I was not ready for it. I was still in heavy 'Pop' appreciation mode and found a lot of ATYCLB to be poor quality and/or cheesy as heck. I've grown to like the album quite a bit over the years as I myself have matured too. lol.

 

[brooklynmike]

I'm hoping we get something that just blows us the fuck right out of the water. It'll be great to have chats with people who's faith has been fully restored and feel reinvigorated by the awesomeness of it. Right now it's just too hard for alot of fans to feel that giddy enthusiasm anymore. Fingers crossed, cause I'd sure love to feel it again.

I'd love to be blown out of the water. I also have that DNA where even if I'm not completely blown away at first, I'll keep listening to find the magic. I think a lot of us are here because we have that U2 DNA to some degree. Outside the fan forums, not so much.

I've never doubted them, except for the day I heard Get On Your Boots. It felt like a punch in the gut that you weren't expecting. I listened several times that day, thinking I'd find the magic. Was so bad that I thought perhaps I'd downloaded a bad version from iTunes. It's probably the only time I've said a U2 song was "fucking horrendous". The murkiness of the instruments combined with the "you don't know how beautiful you are" stuff killed it for me. I didn't listen again until they did it live, and then it was ok. The live version breathed life into.

The subsequent album brought the magic back completely, and I'd forgotten how bad Boots was.

Man, do I hope that first single is good.

 

[Skimmer]

But isn't this basically what U2 is doing? Maybe I've misread where you're coming from here. The LN thing has nothing to do with how good the music will or won't be, it's just a piece of the machinery that kicks in when they decide to tour / promote whatever it is they put out.

I'm hoping we get something that just blows us the fuck right out of the water. It'll be great to have chats with people who's faith has been fully restored and feel reinvigorated by the awesomeness of it. Right now it's just too hard for alot of fans to feel that giddy enthusiasm anymore. Fingers crossed, cause I'd sure love to feel it again.

Right with you here. My problem with the LN deal and Oseary (who I think is a great manager, BTW) is that it has the feel of maintaining the biggest band in the world thing. And that sounds like the band turning into The Stones, touring for the cash with the greatest hits. Why not put out some music and not tour? Break up the routine, take some risks? To be honest, I think they've lost the imagination and the desire for that. I hope they prove me wrong.

 

[trevgreg]

Right with you here. My problem with the LN deal and Oseary (who I think is a great manager, BTW) is that it has the feel of maintaining the biggest band in the world thing. And that sounds like the band turning into The Stones, touring for the cash with the greatest hits. Why not put out some music and not tour? Break up the routine, take some risks? To be honest, I think they've lost the imagination and the desire for that. I hope they prove me wrong.

There's no indication that the band won't have any new music though.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Except they were older than the latest U2 kid...

Great point about people being at a different place in life. That Absolutely plays into it. Listening to music at 16 with reckless abandon and no real responsibilities in life is different then listening at 35 with kids and a spouse. You will never ever get that youthhful view back. Not only new music by old artists, new music by new artists, old music by new artists lol, wont sound the same. Even the music you grew up with isn't connecing the same.

AFAIK, all the 13(?) kids fathered by Edge/Bono/Larry are currently between the ages of 12-29 judging by a quick wiki glance. They all did heavy travel time when the band was in touring mode.

I can't see Adam bringing along a 4 year old on tour to be a "distraction" - though having the new wife and baby mama in the same room might be weird.

In fact, E/B/L are nearly "empty nesters" with fewer parental responsibilities than they've had over the past 20 years.

 

[jeevey]

Why not put out some music and not tour? Break up the routine, take some risks?

Why would they want to do that when they've always been a better live band than studio band, and like the touring best?

 

[2861U2]

Just happened to see this on the Drudge Report:

"SOURCES: Bono plans BLOWOUT PARTY for ex-manager McGuinness at GRAMMY'S..."

No link to a story as of yet.

 

[Zoo Lemon]

Grammy's will be the Sunday (one week) before Super Bowl. That'll be the week to watch.

 

[Partyslammer]

You can make great music at any point in your career and at any age. You don't need a new manager or a deal with Live Nation to do that. You need them for the gargantuan tours that make everyone involved millions of dollars and have nothing to do with that great music you could be making.

The great band Killing Joke who've been around for nearly 35 years have been making their best albums in the last decade.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

In case of artists that were groundbreaking, its gets hard for some people to get into their new stuff. Because you can't be groundbreaking your whole career. At some point the bands you influenced catch up with you. Bowies career after 1980 was not groundbreaking anymore, but I still think he did some great stuff afterwards. A non music example would be the comedy of George Carlin. His 70's stuff was great and groundbreaking. After that the world had caught up to him and went in new directions. But he reinvented himself . While no longer groundbreaking , he could still be great. I have read that the critics felt his last true great album was the mid 80's playing with your head. After that the albums were seen as uneven. Although they admit thiers always at least one piece of material on each of those records that match anything he ever did. I would agree with that, but I do think his 1992 jamming in new York is the funniest record he ever did. Not ground breaking , just funny. And that was over 20 years into his career. In fact really like 30.

 

[mama cass]

In case of artists that were groundbreaking, its gets hard for some people to get into their new stuff. Because you can't be groundbreaking your whole career. At some point the bands you influenced catch up with you. Bowies career after 1980 was not groundbreaking anymore, but I still think he did some great stuff afterwards. A non music example would be the comedy of George Carlin. His 70's stuff was great and groundbreaking. After that the world had caught up to him and went in new directions. But he reinvented himself . While no longer groundbreaking , he could still be great. I have read that the critics felt his last true great album was the mid 80's playing with your head. After that the albums were seen as uneven. Although they admit thiers always at least one piece of material on each of those records that match anything he ever did. I would agree with that, but I do think his 1992 jamming in new York is the funniest record he ever did. Not ground breaking , just funny. And that was over 20 years into his career. In fact really like 30.

eugh don't mention Bowie - have you seen the tv ad he's just done for Louis Vuitton? oh my god, words almost fail me... it is terrible... really awful! cringeworthy... i was actually shocked watching it lol

 

[allbecauseofu2]

lol well. I still like the album he did this year. I came into his music during his 95-97 era.

 

[Dragonfave]

Paul's first interview (2-pages) since his resignation as the band's manager: U2's One: Paul McGuinness Explains His 35 Years Spent Guiding 'The Biggest Band in the World' | Billboard

 

[prbiker15]

Paul's first interview (2-pages) since his resignation as the band's manager: U2's One: Paul McGuinness Explains His 35 Years Spent Guiding 'The Biggest Band in the World' | Billboard

Interesting interview. I knew he was going to step down because of his age.

 

[rennowba]

For a band so focused on touring, to have the most successful tour in history by every metric has to be satisfying. [U2’s last tour is the highest-grossing, most attended tour ever, according to Billboard Boxscore.]
Yeah, they love performing. You’ll be amazed and impressed by the new tour, which they’ve been working on the design and concept throughout this record project. It will blow everyone away yet again. They’re on fire.

Very interesting

 

[Registered Dude]

had to laugh at this.. Principle Management has been rebranded Evergreen Ventures..
http://www.independent.ie/business/world/profits-down-19m-at-u2-management-firm-29973112.html

I don't think they're talking about trees..

Neil Young - Cough Up The Bucks - YouTube

 

[last unicorn]

Paul was honored at the MIDEM in Cannes, U2 sent a tribute:

U2 Manager Paul McGuinness Receives Billboard's Industry Icon Award at Midem with Wide-Ranging Keynote | Billboard