New album in October ?

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i tried that once. low five, no success.

 

[martha]

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Be happy it didn't take - I taught mine and she never leaves me alone now.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

she tried using AIM once when i was in college.

i put her on my block list

she failed to grasp the concept of the away message... i could be gone all day and she'd be trying to talk to me as if i were right there, getting annoyed that i didn't respond. frankly the blocking was a mercy block.

haha i managed to sneak mercy back into this thread

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Blocking your mom

Wait a minute...

Moms and technology

I've used way too many smileys in this post. So I'll use one more.

 

[martha]

Be happy it didn't take - I taught mine and she never leaves me alone now.

again.

 

[U2girl]

If I was a music artist these days, I'd zoom in on a late October to mid-November release myself.

That time of year was always a boom for CD/album sales. Music companies and artists have known this for a while (which is why "Greatest Hits" type of releases are almost always in the 4th quarter). Add in the illegal downloads and the current slump in CD sales and it's only logical that an artist would release in that time frame now. One could still sell several million CD's in a matter of weeks, even with the existing problems.

Plus, for U2, this works. They released AB in '91 and started the tour in early '92 - a few months after fans had time to hear the new work and hear songs on the radio. The same was true for ATYCLB and HTDAAB. While U2 have broke of this pattern a few times, overall, it is successful for them. Fans have a "gift" for themselves and others for the holidays and a new tour to enjoy in the new year.

So I'm all for it!

It made sense for 90% or more of their career...album in the Fall, tour in the Spring.

 

[the tourist]

If it'd been up to me, I would've liked to see them release the album in about July and then start their tour in October/Novermber in Australia/South America/Japan, then move to the US in February-May, then move to Europe from July-October, take 9 months off, and then begin another new album.

 

[martha]

If it'd been up to me, I would've liked to see them release the album in about July and then start their tour in October/Novermber in Australia/South America/Japan, then move to the US in February-May, then move to Europe from July-October, take 9 months off, and then begin another new album.

I'm voting for you to get your way.

 

[doctorwho]

I'm going to teach my mom to text on her cellphone this weekend.

I read a comic strip recently that said no one over 40 should be allowed to text as we clearly don't know how.

First, those of us in that age range (late 30's to about 50) grew up right as technology exploded! We were the first ones playing CD's, playing Pong and Atari. We were the generation used to color TV's - and then bigger TV's! And we were the first generation to start using personal computers. We also were the first with cell phones (back then, called mobile phones or car phones).

So don't give me crap about not being able to text. Please.

In direct contrast, a person over 60 - now that's another challenge. Back in 2000, I tried to teach my mom a few simple things on a computer. I thought she could type letters and such. She had such a difficult time learning how to control the mouse, she immediately gave up! I think the mouse wasn't her fear - it was the technology. But as our society is inundated with technology, even my mother is starting to grasp it. She still doesn't want to change the printer ink (I bought her a special printer that accepts e-mails), but she at least knows that the printer is low on ink. And while years ago she once asked me why anyone would even use the internet (as she was raised in a newspaper, radio, TV world), she now talks about eBay!

So there's still hope for those older. And as for any young punk - please. I was making digital songs before you even could gaga out the words "mp3".

 

[doctorwho]

It made sense for 90% or more of their career...album in the Fall, tour in the Spring.

I would love a summer album too. But the CD sales world isn't the same any more. With a few exceptions, 4th quarter sales are where the big sales are.

Plus, it just works well for U2. Release the album in the November-ish time frame, let fans get used to the songs (and hope the first single or two get some serious airplay) and then go on tour.

When illegal downloads first became a huge problem, I chastised the labels in various online threads for suing people. Instead of suing, why not work with the system? Eventually, iTunes came out - and it has made a fortune! I'm not sure how many songs have been downloaded, but I know it's well over 500 million. I read articles where a good chunk of an artist's $ from last year came from CD sales AND downloads. Of course, now labels are getting greedy and wanting to charge more, which is causing problems with iTunes. Once again, instead of working with the system, they are working against it - and this just keeps the illegal downloads humming along.

Eventually, someone at the RIAA and the music labels will get it. The dinosaurs will die and they'll realize that while there'll always be a market for CD's, the top format is now downloads. And labels will start working with that - making it possible to download songs from websites (like Radiohead recently did). Radiohead may have only averaged $4/downloaded album, but that's $4 more than if it was all illegally traded. Plus, their CD is selling too, as fans enjoyed the download and now bought the CD. Trouble is, the dinosaurs are fighting the change. And until change finally happens, I'm not sure if we'll ever see a U2 release outside of the 4th quarter again.

 

[martha]

First, those of us in that age range (late 30's to about 50) grew up right as technology exploded!

Yes, we did. (I'm 46, btw.)

So don't give me crap about not being able to text. Please.

I kick ass at texting.

In direct contrast, a person over 60 - now that's another challenge.

My mom's 70.