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

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AAAAAAAANNNND.

Just another side note. I know many people on here say what U2 did was such a huge fucking mistake, and they are now just a punchline, blah, blah.

But, I looked through a couple other facebook posts today associated with popular artists.
And they had the same amount of hateful comments on there that U2 did. One was about Coldplay releasing a DVD, and almost every comment included the word cunt, twat or kill.
So yeah, that is why most everything said on the internet can be ignored. And what U2 did, was in fact, quite brilliant.
 
womanfish said:
AAAAAAAANNNND.

Just another side note. I know many people on here say what U2 did was such a huge fucking mistake, and they are now just a punchline, blah, blah.

But, I looked through a couple other facebook posts today associated with popular artists.
And they had the same amount of hateful comments on there that U2 did. One was about Coldplay releasing a DVD, and almost every comment included the word cunt, twat or kill.
So yeah, that is why most everything said on the internet can be ignored. And what U2 did, was in fact, quite brilliant.
Click to expand...

You do realize you posted this on the internet, right?

The band got killed in the media. That's a significant change for them, as the media usually adores them. Nobody's getting their panties in a bunch over a 12 year old who likes to curse from behind a screen.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
You do realize you posted this on the internet, right?

The band got killed in the media. That's a significant change for them, as the media usually adores them. Nobody's getting their panties in a bunch over a 12 year old who likes to curse from behind a screen.
Click to expand...
I think history will judge U2's strategy for releasing this album favourably
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
You do realize you posted this on the internet, right?

The band got killed in the media. That's a significant change for them, as the media usually adores them. Nobody's getting their panties in a bunch over a 12 year old who likes to curse from behind a screen.
Click to expand...

I don't think the internet loves anybody these days. Except for some skinny ass blonde.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
You do realize you posted this on the internet, right?

The band got killed in the media. That's a significant change for them, as the media usually adores them. Nobody's getting their panties in a bunch over a 12 year old who likes to curse from behind a screen.
Click to expand...

You've been a long-time fan. The media takes a huge swipe at them every decade or so. R&H was ravaged by the media. But hey, great album.
9 years later, completely torn apart for POP. Even better album.
Now we get this for SOI.
But I still say they weren't really torn apart the same way this time. Every media story just reported that people were on social media were pissed (what's new)
The usual hipster outlets trashed them, as they would have anyway.
Great reviews from Time, Rolling Stone, Q, paste, New York Times, Mojo, Boston Globe, Billboard, and AV club to name a few bigger names.

And ok, not everything on the internet should be dismissed. But it should be taken into context, when pretty much every comment section of practically every topic, especially about celebrities are filled with hyperbolic, hate-filled rants.

I don't think it has lessened them in the eyes of anyone consequential.
 
womanfish said:
You've been a long-time fan. The media takes a huge swipe at them every decade or so. R&H was ravaged by the media. But hey, great album.
9 years later, completely torn apart for POP. Even better album.
Now we get this for SOI.
Click to expand...

See... while the albums were, indeed, very good... U2 also did things that caused the media hit by doing some strange early marketing strategies that despite their best intent just didn't sit well and appeared to give the impression that the band was trying too hard.

Low and behold... here we are again. A very good album that is getting knocked around over good intentions gone awry, largely due to the band trying too hard to show just how big they are.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
See... while the albums were, indeed, very good... U2 also did things that caused the media hit by doing some strange early marketing strategies that despite their best intent just didn't sit well and appeared to give the impression that the band was trying too hard.

Low and behold... here we are again. A very good album that is getting knocked around over good intentions gone awry, largely due to the band trying too hard to show just how big they are.
Click to expand...

You've got me there. Very true. I don't like SOI getting hit due to non-musical reasons. So yes, I admit that I would have preferred a slightly different method just avoid a great album being worked over (which I've detailed many times before).

But I still feel like with the odd state of the music business right now, this will, in the not too distant future be looked at much more favorably. Or at least with some better understanding. Hell, when SOE comes out, it might make much more sense, or knowing our guys, might make it even worse.

Either way, I like the fact that 26 million people have this in their library. That over 80 million have at least listened to some of it.
While bands might not take this same route in the future, I do think that it will create some waves and other artists will try variations of it.
 
womanfish said:
R&H was ravaged by the media.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the R&H revisionist history meme rears its factually challenged head again.

The record was not "ravaged" by the media...like all U2 records, it actually got pretty good reviews. And most fans loved it. There were a few critics who thought the band had become a little too self-important, but that hardly qualifies as being "ravaged" by the media. I'm not saying the record didn't have its detractors; it certainly did. But I the notion that it was met with widespread derision by the critics really isn't accurate. And in any event, most of the criticism was directed at the film, and the dour image the band had created for themselves, not the music.

womanfish said:
But hey, great album.
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
Nick66 said:
Ah yes, the R&H revisionist history meme rears its factually challenged head again.

The record was not "ravaged" by the media...like all U2 records, it actually got pretty good reviews. And most fans loved it. There were a few critics who thought the band had become a little too self-important, but that hardly qualifies as being "ravaged" by the media. I'm not saying the record didn't have its detractors; it certainly did. But I the notion that it was met with widespread derision by the critics really isn't accurate. And in any event, most of the criticism was directed at the film, and the dour image the band had created for themselves, not the music.



Yes.
Click to expand...

Nick you are correct...R&H sold in excess of 10 million copies and most print media loved it for the most part. I think the guy from the New York Times saw it as a 'mantle grab' or 'star-fucking' but for the most part it was well received.

As for the whole SOI 'free Apple' deal, this is not a 'fail' at all. It puts U2 out there, exposes them to a brand new audience and whether or people like the original distribution method, they still put out a solid album that we'll still be playing into next year.
 
Nick66 said:
Ah yes, the R&H revisionist history meme rears its factually challenged head again.

The record was not "ravaged" by the media...like all U2 records, it actually got pretty good reviews. And most fans loved it. There were a few critics who thought the band had become a little too self-important, but that hardly qualifies as being "ravaged" by the media. I'm not saying the record didn't have its detractors; it certainly did. But I the notion that it was met with widespread derision by the critics really isn't accurate. And in any event, most of the criticism was directed at the film, and the dour image the band had created for themselves, not the music.



Yes.
Click to expand...


Can you imagine if Twitter, Facebook and Instagram existed back then? Lol

Of course the stupid comments would not be confined to U2 but I can only imagine the tweets.

I would guarantee that in 1985, had Twitter existed, "Bad-Mullet" would have trended!!!

I mean, there would be Twitter gold put out about how Bono dressed during the red rocks performance!

What we are hearing now would be nothing.





Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
CosmoKramer said:
Can you imagine if Twitter, Facebook and Instagram existed back then? Lol

Of course the stupid comments would not be confined to U2 but I can only imagine the tweets.
Click to expand...

This is a really good point, in that it's really apples & oranges comparing media and pop culture now vs. then. With social media pretty much everything either gets more praise than its due or is savaged more than it warranted...and often times a combination of both.

It's certainly better and more democratic now, IMO, but you do have to be also to separate the signal from the noise. Which is why I pretty much don't waste my time arguing moronic Twitter users with the mentality of a 6th grader think about U2 or anything else I care about.
 
I agree with the sentiment that the Rattle and Hum backlash was attributed to the film. Portions of it hold up well (pretty much all the song performances). But the black and white footage, which stylistically was probably a homage to the famous Bob Dylan film "Don't Look Back." But if you saw the band live in 1987 or watched bootlegs of concerts from that time the band that was presented on film just seemed so different from how they were during the Joshua Tree shows.

But anyway, there's an article floating around the internet today about lack of music sales in 2014 and I can think of how smart U2 were with this Apple deal.
 
king 40oz ‏@angelray1802 2h2 hours ago
@jdxdowner nah fool I feel that. Some of these songs are actually kinda coo haha
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Josh Day 3⃣3⃣ ‏@jdxdowner 2h2 hours ago
@angelray1802 kinda eerie weird songs I like the concept they have behind them it has some type of soul to it
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king 40oz ‏@angelray1802 2h2 hours ago
@jdxdowner hit the nail on the head dude.

lol
 
womanfish said:
I've been a big defender of the release method just because its groundbreaking and in a few years, people will look at all this differently... just my 2 cents. I still like the fact that 26 million people got the album and many more million streamed it.
Click to expand...

:up: :up:

TheEnd said:
Noel Gallagher interview. U2 is brought up, apparently the new album made his son a megafan.

http://www.todayfm.com/player/podca...noel_gallagher_talks_u2_louis_van_gaal__tayto
Click to expand...

That was awesome... "Downloaded straight into his consciousness for free."

Interesting how his son connects so well with The Troubles - that's the second reference I’ve heard this week to a kid really liking that song.
 
Great thing with Noel is that he is not just bs-ing with praise because he is close with Bono, but here really knows the songs
Now to hear what Liam has to say :)

Sent from my LG-D855 using U2 Interference mobile app
 
--1florida georgia linerepublic nashville200,496--
anything goes
12jason aldeanbroken bow91,870 -67%
old boots, new dirt
--3bob segercapitol56,932--
ride out
--4you+merca49,170--
rose ave
35barbra streisandcolumbia41,030 -14%
partners
96sam smithcapitol37,095+52%
in the lonely hour
--7hoodie allenhoodie allen32,849--
people keep talking
--8gameeone30,544--
blood moon: Year of the wolf
--9jessie jlava/republic24,511--
sweet talker
410tony bennett & lady gaga columbia/interscope24,326-34%
cheek to cheek
--11u2interscope23,174--
songs of innocence
212hoziercolumbia20,411-65%
hozier
--13idina menzelwarner bros.20,175--
holiday wishes
514blake sheltonwarner bros. Nashville18,597-47%
bringing back the sunshine
1215maroon 5222/interscope18,551 -12%
 
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