Songs of Innocence downloaded 26 million times, 81 million 'experienced' songs

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CosmoKramer said:
achieved with this release in 3 weeks what took Joshua Tree 30 years.
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I'm sorry but this is too much...what a bunch of fu**ing bullshit. I'm willing to accept Bono the traveling salesman, but only to a point. Enough is enough.

I like this record, but come talk to me when people are still screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey fu**ckig Ramone) in 30 years.

Crikey enough. It's a decent record from ageing rock stars past their prime. And that's ALL that it is.
 
Nick66 said:
I'm sorry but this is too much...what a bunch of fu**ing bullshit. I'm willing to accept Bono the traveling salesman, but only to a point.

I like this record, but come talk to me when people are still screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey fu**ckig Ramone) in 30 years.

Crikey enough. It's a decent record from ageing rock stars past their prime. And that's ALL that it is.
Click to expand...


I think he was referencing the fact that SOI was downloaded in 3 weeks time just as much as Joshua Tree sold in 30 years (ie. the whole idea of reaching as many people as possible). I really don't think he was trying to say that this is better than Joshua Tree or will stand the test of time better than Joshua Tree.

With that said, if they were asked if this was their best album, I'm sure they would say something like "we feel it's some of our best work", as they would with any new material.

Also, I don't think they are past their prime. If they were, I wouldn't get a huge smile on my face every time I put this album on and play a song. Maybe thats just me but I really feel they have it in them to create great music....and with SOI they did not disappoint.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference
 
That was his point indeed, and it's true. 30+ years of JT sales = downloads in one month for SOI.

It's not about "people screaming for Joey Ramone in 30 years".
 
CosmoKramer said:
Well, keeping on topic with the thread title, Bono stated on the Late Late Show that the album has now been experienced by "about" 100 million people (he then stated at least 1 or 2 songs that meant) and downloaded by 30 million.


He then commented that they achieved with this release in 3 weeks what took Joshua Tree 30 years. He also said something along the lines of "there is now a whole new generation of U2 fans out there". I believe that was their goal and they may have achieved it.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference
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This is Bono being typically Bono. He's always been the master of hyperbole and a snake-oil salesman, but this is patently ridiculous. If he seriously thinks there are 30m twenty year olds out there who have become converted to U2 and will be screaming "Boooonoooooo!!!!" at him, that's pretty sad.
 
Nick66 said:
I'm sorry but this is too much...what a bunch of fu**ing bullshit. I'm willing to accept Bono the traveling salesman, but only to a point. Enough is enough.

I like this record, but come talk to me when people are still screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey fu**ckig Ramone) in 30 years.

Crikey enough. It's a decent record from ageing rock stars past their prime. And that's ALL that it is.
Click to expand...
avatar72244_114.gif
 
lemonfly said:
This is Bono being typically Bono. He's always been the master of hyperbole and a snake-oil salesman, but this is patently ridiculous. If he seriously thinks there are 30m twenty year olds out there who have become converted to U2 and will be screaming "Boooonoooooo!!!!" at him, that's pretty sad.
Click to expand...


Not exactly, but there are plenty of 20 year olds who got the album, actually listened to it, and enjoyed it very much. Some enjoyed it so much that they're currently going through U2's back catalogue. I know many college age people (I'm a sophomore) who like this album. They did pick up a few new younger (and older) fans with the unconventional release of this record and that was their goal.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
CosmoKramer said:
I think he was referencing the fact that SOI was downloaded in 3 weeks time just as much as Joshua Tree sold in 30 years (ie. the whole idea of reaching as many people as possible). I really don't think he was trying to say that this is better than Joshua Tree or will stand the test of time better than Joshua Tree.

With that said, if they were asked if this was their best album, I'm sure they would say something like "we feel it's some of our best work", as they would with any new material.

Also, I don't think they are past their prime. If they were, I wouldn't get a huge smile on my face every time I put this album on and play a song. Maybe thats just me but I really feel they have it in them to create great music....and with SOI they did not disappoint.
Click to expand...

I understand what he's saying, I just think the comparison is a little absurd. They earned every copy of the Joshua Tree they got into people's hands because the music was so good. Tens of millions of people sought that record out, paid money for it, and played the hell out of it. Comparing what that record did, in any way, with the music equivalent of junk mail is a little over the top IMO.

I get that as a musician Bono wants to continue to feel like they're getting better, it's not in their DNA to even consider that something they did then was better than now. So when he says its their best record yet, I think he actually believes it. But they are past their prime. They're 50+ old rock stars, you generally don't hit your prime at the end of your career. Well, at least rock bands don't.

That doesn't mean they still can't make good music, of course, I like the record also, but I just think the over the top hyperbole and salesmanship from Bono is a little much sometimes.
 
Yea there's a different between saving up, getting out of your house and travelling to a record store to buy something because you actually desire it versus sampling the first 2 tracks of a free album you didn't even ask for, going "this sucks" or "not bad" and then going on with your life.
 
I care in the sense that if you save your money and go out to the mall and purchase something, you're going to spend more time with that album and try to appreciate it so you feel you got your money's worth.

I was, like, 13 when Out Of Time came out, and like so many others, I bought that album for Losing My Religion. Some of the other material was baffling to me and my tween brain at first. But I knew there was something about REM that I needed to learn to appreciate, and that if I wasn't liking a song on first listen, maybe that was my fault and I should listen again, because I didn't have another $18 to buy some other CD that month. And within a few listens I was loving Belong and Country Feedback and all the better for it.

It's amazing the scope of music available today, but I think many of us take much shallower dips into the pool.


Sent from
 
Moser said:
Who the fuck cares?
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Of all the nonsensical memes that pop up on this site, the "Who the fuck cares" one has got to be the most baffling. No, it's not brilliant, it's silly.

This is a site about a rock band. At the end of the day, who the fuck cares about any of it? NONE of it matters, so when you say "who the fuck cares" you're pretty much describing every discussion in this part of the forum, not just the ones you, "Moser", don't like. 99.9% of the world could, rightly, say "Who the fuck cares" about anything we discuss here.

I don't care about Bono's weight, what kind of sunglasses he's wearing, how high the record is charting in Moldova, or any number of other discussions that go on at this board, but I don't drop in with "who the fuck cares" and by doing so imply that whatever stupid U2 thing I want to talk about is more relevant than whatever stupid U2 thing you want to talk about is. It's like Star Wars geeks arguing over Jar Jar Binks and a Star Trek geek dropping in saying "Look at those stupid Star Wars geeks. Who the fuck cares, lets talk about Klingons".

There's a whole section of the forum where people talk about things that matter, so why don't you drop by? Because, for someone who supposedly doesn't care, you spend a lot of your time here actively "not caring". :lol:
 
ozeeko said:
Yea there's a different between saving up, getting out of your house and travelling to a record store to buy something because you actually desire it versus sampling the first 2 tracks of a free album you didn't even ask for, going "this sucks" or "not bad" and then going on with your life.
Click to expand...

Right. If I clicked on a junk mail link for a herbal remedy for tennis elbow, I'll give it a cursory look. I might well have completely forgotten about it thirty seconds later. Some guy at Herbal Remedy HQ might reach the conclusion that I've become a life-long customer of theirs because I clicked on their link. "Free samples" where the only investment you need to make is a finger tap are a completely hokey way to measure anything in real world terms.
 
lemonfly said:
This is Bono being typically Bono. He's always been the master of hyperbole and a snake-oil salesman, but this is patently ridiculous. If he seriously thinks there are 30m twenty year olds out there who have become converted to U2 and will be screaming "Boooonoooooo!!!!" at him, that's pretty sad.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to buy just anyone's cockatoo. Would you? These days are better than that.
 
Nick66 said:
I'm sorry but this is too much...what a bunch of fu**ing bullshit. I'm willing to accept Bono the traveling salesman, but only to a point. Enough is enough.

I like this record, but come talk to me when people are still screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey fu**ckig Ramone) in 30 years.

Crikey enough. It's a decent record from ageing rock stars past their prime. And that's ALL that it is.
Click to expand...


I figured you would get a kick out of the Joshua Tree comparison by Edge ;)


http://m.tmz.com/#Article/2014/10/27/the-edge-u2-new-album-songs-of-innocence-negative-reaction




Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
Nick66 said:
I'm sorry but this is too much...what a bunch of fu**ing bullshit. I'm willing to accept Bono the traveling salesman, but only to a point. Enough is enough.

I like this record, but come talk to me when people are still screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey fu**ckig Ramone) in 30 years.

Crikey enough. It's a decent record from ageing rock stars past their prime. And that's ALL that it is.
Click to expand...

In 30 years some grumpy old men will be even grumpier. Who will be screaming in 30 years...seems like a high standard. Why such a high standard I do not know. We will be dead...but then again I really don't worry about it much. And all this bullshit about art vrs money says I just put my painting out and 26 million viewed it within weeks...Back when I was popular I took their money. So tired of U2 getting slammed because they are popular...and getting slammed because they aren't popular...in 30 years? You have no fucking idea what will be in 30 years. U2 80 All That You Can't Remember.
 
CosmoKramer said:
I figured you would get a kick out of the Joshua Tree comparison by Edge ;)


http://m.tmz.com/#Article/2014/10/27/the-edge-u2-new-album-songs-of-innocence-negative-reaction




Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
Click to expand...

So a few things...

TMZ are a bunch of tasteless whores

I get that an artist would think highly of their own art, and they should, but there ain't a chance in hell this album is in the same stratosphere as The Joshua Tree. And that's not an insult to this album whatsoever.
 
I agree about TMZ. But this Songs of Innocence isn't a wayback to 1987 tour that so many fans are still on. I think you have hit on something though. The first time I listened to The Joshua Tree and the first time I listened to Songs Of Innocence I had the same feeling albeit what 27 years later. I just couldn't stop listening to it.
 
stray dog said:
I agree about TMZ. But this Songs of Innocence isn't a wayback to 1987 tour that so many fans are still on. I think you have hit on something though. The first time I listened to The Joshua Tree and the first time I listened to Songs Of Experience I had the same feeling albeit what 27 years later. I just couldn't stop listening to it.
Click to expand...

Has songs of experience leaked?:wink:
 
The trouble is that in America if you're not Taylor Swift or Iggy Whatshername then Twitter and Instagram hate you. If you're in countries outside the US, you barely know who Taylor Swift is. The US market is truly like another planet. U2 would be wise to leave it the eff alone and just tour here for the fans that are more than willing to pay to see them multiple times.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app
 
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