New U2 interviews: Schedules and discussion

[ClaytonsKitten]

Social media also has the attention span of a cat playing piano video. The same 20yr olds bitching about U2 this month will be bitching about someone else next month. I think the release method was brilliant. Apple backpedaled by issuing the delete tool. Most of the tweens complaining are the sort that auto-add everything because they're too damn lazy to do anything else.

This album will really stand up once it's being promoted and we have the physical product as well. And we all know we've a tour in the works as well as a second album coming. Enough debate, enjoy the ride!

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[CosmoKramer]

Most of my friends who love or like U2 had no idea a new album was out until the TV commercial. They plan on buying the new album the week of release.

These guys work, live their lives, don't follow the day to day happenings of U2, don't read music websites, have Iphones, don't bother with Itunes etc.

IMO the Itunes release got Itunes users talking about U2, it made the band a wealth of new fans and drove the haters further away.

Music websites have been unflattering to U2 as far as I can remember, even during ZooTV time so nothing new here, the release has just given them an excuse to huff an puff for a bit and have their voices heard.

The album is great, the music will shine through in the end.

The real promo 'Album release tv ad > real first single > video clip > tour announcement' is when the general public will take notice.

Tickets are going to be difficult is all I can say, but I do welcome and envy the new fans experiencing U2 for the first time, so much greatness yet to discover.

I don't need to read anymore about this topic because this sums up perfectly my feelings. Well said Sken.


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[mikal]

Agreed. Sken.


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[prbiker15]

Most of my friends who love or like U2 had no idea a new album was out until the TV commercial. They plan on buying the new album the week of release.

These guys work, live their lives, don't follow the day to day happenings of U2, don't read music websites, have Iphones, don't bother with Itunes etc.

IMO the Itunes release got Itunes users talking about U2, it made the band a wealth of new fans and drove the haters further away.

Music websites have been unflattering to U2 as far as I can remember, even during ZooTV time so nothing new here, the release has just given them an excuse to huff an puff for a bit and have their voices heard.

The album is great, the music will shine through in the end.

The real promo 'Album release tv ad > real first single > video clip > tour announcement' is when the general public will take notice.

Tickets are going to be difficult is all I can say, but I do welcome and envy the new fans experiencing U2 for the first time, so much greatness yet to discover.

Great post.

 

[PhilsFan]

Social media also has the attention span of a cat playing piano video. The same 20yr olds bitching about U2 this month will be bitching about someone else next month. I think the release method was brilliant. Apple backpedaled by issuing the delete tool. Most of the tweens complaining are the sort that auto-add everything because they're too damn lazy to do anything else.

This album will really stand up once it's being promoted and we have the physical product as well. And we all know we've a tour in the works as well as a second album coming. Enough debate, enjoy the ride!

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This is written by someone who doesn't understand anything about social media or people in their 20s.

 

[stray dog]

I remember when AB came out. There was so much hate on it...calling it the dance U2 etc. But I kept listening to AB and at some point I realized those who were criticizing it were idiots. That goes for you the four eyed whoever she used to be on MTV. I am falling in love with SOI. It hearkens but it is not nostalgia.

 

[stray dog]

This is written by someone who doesn't understand anything about social media or people in their 20s.

What is there to understand?

 

[mikal]

This is written by someone who doesn't understand anything about social media or people in their 20s.

You know what we could do? You vs CK in a Social Media and People In Their 20's trivia contest!


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[Axver]

Speaking as someone in his 20s who is active on social media, the release is an unmitigated disaster that has resulted in people talking about the new album as a joke because of the release methodology without bothering to listen to the music. The album has been the punchline of an ungodly number of jokes, many of them quite funny. An album that is probably their best since the 90s is getting taken to the woodshed because the band's priorities are all out of order.

I mean, I don't take it personally because who fucking cares, but I will admit that I am disappointed that the focus of the album can't be about the music.

Yeah, this is what I was trying to say. Well put.

And this talk in other posts of a single and chart success is moot. Who the hell would buy a single they can get for free? If U2 want any single to chart, they shouldn't just sit back with some false hope that it will set radio on fire and chart highly as a result (plenty of amazing singles flop on radio and radio play doesn't count for as much any more). They need to provide b-side content that people actually want to buy to drive up purchases, physical and digital. Nobody's going to pay for Every Breaking Wave backed with nothing, and only a few hardcore fans will pay for Every Breaking Wave backed with a shitty remix or some other version of the same song, but more than enough fans will buy Every Breaking Wave backed by two or three new tracks. That in turn will get it played on more radio stations, leading more people to buy it, leading more stations to play it, etc., in a virtuous circle.

 

[Irvine511]

It's really not "tweens" who were/are complaining. It's actual adults and music literati and people for whom "the state of popular music" is actually a concern. It's not Taylor Swift fans.

I think it was ballsy of them to do, and it certainly made them impossible to ignore, but not necessarily in a good way.

Achtung Baby was generally hailed as a masterpiece even upon it's release, a few minor negative reviews aside. "One" was a smash and popular in my jr high school.






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[corianderstem]

What is there to understand?

I'm going to take a wild guess and assume you do not work in marketing or advertising.

 

[stray dog]

Social media lol...you do realize that more people have deleted their facebook accounts than have added one in the last year? And I remember this argument about AB. But at some point I listened to it and thought...who fucking cares what anyone else thinks.

 

[stray dog]

I'm going to take a wild guess and assume you do not work in marketing or advertising.

That would be correct. I just listen.

 

[Irvine511]

who fucking cares what anyone else thinks.

it seems U2 does.

 

[stray dog]

Yeah, this is what I was trying to say. Well put.

And this talk in other posts of a single and chart success is moot. Who the hell would buy a single they can get for free? If U2 want any single to chart, they shouldn't just sit back with some false hope that it will set radio on fire and chart highly as a result (plenty of amazing singles flop on radio and radio play doesn't count for as much any more). They need to provide b-side content that people actually want to buy to drive up purchases, physical and digital. Nobody's going to pay for Every Breaking Wave backed with nothing, and only a few hardcore fans will pay for Every Breaking Wave backed with a shitty remix or some other version of the same song, but more than enough fans will buy Every Breaking Wave backed by two or three new tracks. That in turn will get it played on more radio stations, leading more people to buy it, leading more stations to play it, etc., in a virtuous circle.

People talking about the meth o dology.

 

[Bug]

Social media lol...you do realize that more people have deleted their facebook accounts than have added one in the last year? And I remember this argument about AB. But at some point I listened to it and thought...who fucking cares what anyone else thinks.

There's more to social media than just Facebook. I can't be moved to care more than fleetingly about the whole debacle, but there's something to be said for the mass-whining potential of Twitter and Tumblr.

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Well, I went and googled about it...

According to some marketing websites Facebook is still the most important social media site with 128 million daily active users in the US. Facebook has 59% of all Internet users in North America as active users. Google+ only achieves 15% and Twitter 25%.

Twitter and Instagram have particular appeal to younger adults, urban dwellers, and non-whites. And there is substantial overlap between Twitter and Instagram user bases.


So if twitter only has 25% of internet users, and considering that really not all of them complained, it really is just a noisy minority.... Or not?

 

[Hawkmoon269]

This is written by someone who doesn't understand anything about social media or people in their 20s.

Do you believe social media has a longer attention span? For example, Is there people still talking about Ellen's selfie at the oscars?

 

[KUEFC09U2]

So people's basis that it is being bashed by everyone is because some people are making joke on social media? If social media was around during zootv etc we would probably see the same people making the same jokes about Mcphisto etc


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[last unicorn]

I agree that Social Media with Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc. adds a lot to the drama because we (unfortunately) have access to everyone's and anyone's opinion today. All of this didn't exist 20 years ago, but I'm pretty sure, if they did, albums like Achtung Baby and Zooropa would have got their fair amount of bashing as well.

I also agree that the release method has clearly overshadowed the album and U2's music here, it's a shame, but it's too late to complain now, U2 have to make the best out of it and their tour will be a success, no matter what. Personally, I haven't experienced much U2 hate, as I've said before, but then again I don't go and search for #U2 on social media, because honestly, I don't care. Many people that I know personally who like music didn't even know U2 have a new album out and some of them didn't even get it on iTunes, they had to go and search for it. I think the whole thing is totally blown out of proportion.

The attention span of Social Media users is short, so they'll move on and bitch about different First World Problems very soon. I still consider it pathetic to make such a fuzz about a free album. No one was harmed, it was a gift, some people need a reality check and focus on real problems.

 

[last unicorn]

Btw, sken, great post, basically sums up what I think and feel

 

[last unicorn]

Back to U2 interviews:

I don't know if this has been posted, I surely haven't heard the interview before, it's two parts from The Peak

World Class Rock

He's talking about Adam's open dressing gown and his dog Jackson barking in the background

 

[lemonfly]

Wow, your definition of prickly is completely different from... well, um EVERYONE

Both of those were very calm and self defacing answers.

:facepalm:


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I can always count on you to take one word from an entire post and then play your little semantics game just so you can get your little "wow" and "facepalm" digs in, which is what you've probably been doing since 2002, and will still be doing in 2026 don't ever change, buddy. If predictability could be bottled, it would be called "BVS".

 

[mama cass]

oh not again, get a room you two (see what i did there?!)

 

[dan_smee]

Just because I feel like fanning the flame:

New Apple iPads, iMacs could be unveiled within days

Any chance they are planning another surprise Apple drop? We have heard there is a big surprise coming...

I am kidding, but maybe 1% of me isn't...

 

[CosmoKramer]

Just because I feel like fanning the flame:

New Apple iPads, iMacs could be unveiled within days

Any chance they are planning another surprise Apple drop? We have heard there is a big surprise coming...

I am kidding, but maybe 1% of me isn't...

No joke, I heard every iMac and IPad come with pre-loaded desktop wallpaper of the album cover. Also, I don't think you can delete it but I don't really think that will be an issue.


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[elevated_u2_fan]

It's really not "tweens" who were/are complaining. It's actual adults and music literati and people for whom "the state of popular music" is actually a concern. It's not Taylor Swift fans.

I think it was ballsy of them to do, and it certainly made them impossible to ignore, but not necessarily in a good way.

Achtung Baby was generally hailed as a masterpiece even upon it's release, a few minor negative reviews aside. "One" was a smash and popular in my jr high school.






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Given the almost complete indifference NLOTH received when it was released is there anyone here who honestly believes that SOI would get much more of a response if it was released using the traditional method?

Social media, "people in their 20s" and the "music literati" are at least talking about U2. We wont be able to really tell if this was a blunder until months or even years from now but I will say right now that I would rather people be saying negative things about U2 than not even knowing they exist.

 

[womanfish]

Given the almost complete indifference NLOTH received when it was released is there anyone here who honestly believes that SOI would get much more of a response if it was released using the traditional method?

Social media, "people in their 20s" and the "music literati" are at least talking about U2. We wont be able to really tell if this was a blunder until months or even years from now but I will say right now that I would rather people be saying negative things about U2 than not even knowing they exist.

I have to agree with you here. I have come up with a dozen other scenerios of what they should have done with the release. And every one has its pitfalls.

If they would have just put it up for free for people to come and download themselves and it didn't hit HUGE numbers, they would have gotten blasted.
And they would have had about 1 day of buzz on social media.

If they would have just done a free single, and a discounted album, they still would have been heckled for having to discount their album, and if THAT didn't make huge numbers, they would have been blasted.
The list goes on and on.

What they did was ballsy and a bit stupid and a bit brilliant. They got 2 weeks of buzz, both positive and negative on social media. I can't think of anyone that's gotten that much buzz lately. And they are a band of 50 somethings. Pretty impressive. Also, we have heard stories here about people hearing middle-school / high school kids listening to it. We see kids making YouTube videos, I know of people that never would have purchased a new U2 record, listening to this album.

So while there was a crazy reaction to what they did. I believe it really was the biggest and best thing they could have done.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's not as if those who have been critical of the release methods here are your usual interference trolls...

But yea... Twitter and Instagram are for 12 year olds without any attention span! Those are the only ones who are critical, and who cares about them?! (other than U2) Everyone else loves it! Huzzah!!!

 

[mikal]

I have to agree with you here. I have come up with a dozen other scenerios of what they should have done with the release. And every one has its pitfalls.

If they would have just put it up for free for people to come and download themselves and it didn't hit HUGE numbers, they would have gotten blasted.
And they would have had about 1 day of buzz on social media.

If they would have just done a free single, and a discounted album, they still would have been heckled for having to discount their album, and if THAT didn't make huge numbers, they would have been blasted.
The list goes on and on.

What they did was ballsy and a bit stupid and a bit brilliant. They got 2 weeks of buzz, both positive and negative on social media. I can't think of anyone that's gotten that much buzz lately. And they are a band of 50 somethings. Pretty impressive. Also, we have heard stories here about people hearing middle-school / high school kids listening to it. We see kids making YouTube videos, I know of people that never would have purchased a new U2 record, listening to this album.

So while there was a crazy reaction to what they did. I believe it really was the biggest and best thing they could have done.

Yep, agreed with you and Elfa's posts.

Another factor that the release strategy accomplished was a bit of a rebellion against the U2-hating community, one that has seen little to know resistance in the last 10 years. From Conan's spoof to a few "Don't blame U2" articles has helped paint a bit of a change in perception of the U2-haters, grouping them in the "hipster" category (or "overdramatic).