Man, to be beaten to the #1 spot by the fucking Beige Brothers is pretty galling. P!nk, she's fun and has some great songs, but tedious omnipotent Eddy and Sam Smiffy? Dear God, I mean, it's not new, we've alway had some really shit acts back home rise to the top, but just now we have so few if any huge great ones to counteract or balance the wheat from the chaf. Plus I assume these older albums winning the Top 4 was a series of X Factor 'bounces' as per usual because it's this time of year again?
I was always of the mind that they should just dedicate 2017 to The Joshua Tree's 30th, toast it and put on ice any new album until the new year, have the end of this year off (but keep Edge away from studios!!!) refresh the page and start anew in 2018 - with the single and the album in early to mid February ala 2009 and then the tour (as it is) in May onwards, but with the tickets going onsale post Christmas. Yeah, yeah I know it would have been a longer gap between Experience and Innocence, but two months isn't that big a deal and it would also probably mean a better chance at a #1 album at a quieter time in music, because going up against the UK's "finest" mass appeal acts around Christmas isn't a battle they are gonna win at this point in their career, but - maybe releasing the album post Festive season and sans the X Factor omnipotence and hype and it's appearance bounces might prove more fruitful on several levels. You get the bragging rights of the #1 record.
But.... they chose to add Songs of Experience onto the tail end of JT 2017 and well, here we are. And I know they have thick skins and are a tad seasoned to all of the ups and downs but they must be disappointed at some level at this number from what they always regarded as their 'second home".
They look like they are about to get number one in the US, I think that's all they are bothered about for some reason