I seriously think U2 -- once a rock band, but now not so much -- have lost the plot, more-or-less, since about 2005 or 2006.
This Onion article pretty much sums up how I think U2 feel about themselves nowadays: 'I Am A Brand,' Pathetic Man Says | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
I think maybe they are so trapped in their own belief in being "big" and "relevant", and are so totally stuck in the "release-big-studio-album-and-flog-it-to-death-with-massive-world-tour" cycle that they've always adhered to (the one exception being late 1989), that they simply can't conceive of doing something small-scale. In reality, if the 4 of them went into a cheap studio next week and spent 6 days bashing out the tunes they've been working on for four years, gave it to a producer to mix in two days, and released it the next week on the Internet, it would probably be their best album in 20 years. But they just can't let go of the idea of doing everything big and as corporate as possible, so instead of face the fear of another big project, they prefer to spread themselves out and waste time on superhero musicals.
I seriously think U2 -- once a rock band, but now not so much -- have lost the plot, more-or-less, since about 2005 or 2006.
This Onion article pretty much sums up how I think U2 feel about themselves nowadays: 'I Am A Brand,' Pathetic Man Says | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
I think maybe they are so trapped in their own belief in being "big" and "relevant", and are so totally stuck in the "release-big-studio-album-and-flog-it-to-death-with-massive-world-tour" cycle that they've always adhered to (the one exception being late 1989), that they simply can't conceive of doing something small-scale. In reality, if the 4 of them went into a cheap studio next week and spent 6 days bashing out the tunes they've been working on for four years, gave it to a producer to mix in two days, and released it the next week on the Internet, it would probably be their best album in 20 years. But they just can't let go of the idea of doing everything big and as corporate as possible, so instead of face the fear of another big project, they prefer to spread themselves out and waste time on superhero musicals.
I seriously think U2 -- once a rock band, but now not so much -- have lost the plot, more-or-less, since about 2005 or 2006.
This Onion article pretty much sums up how I think U2 feel about themselves nowadays: 'I Am A Brand,' Pathetic Man Says | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
I think maybe they are so trapped in their own belief in being "big" and "relevant", and are so totally stuck in the "release-big-studio-album-and-flog-it-to-death-with-massive-world-tour" cycle that they've always adhered to (the one exception being late 1989), that they simply can't conceive of doing something small-scale. In reality, if the 4 of them went into a cheap studio next week and spent 6 days bashing out the tunes they've been working on for four years, gave it to a producer to mix in two days, and released it the next week on the Internet, it would probably be their best album in 20 years. But they just can't let go of the idea of doing everything big and as corporate as possible, so instead of face the fear of another big project, they prefer to spread themselves out and waste time on superhero musicals.
By which you mean biggest-grossing tour of all time, not the biggest in terms of popularity, relevance, or importance -- at which the recent U2 tour would rank about #78,402.No Line wasn't to their standards, but 360 was the biggest tour of all time.
The point is not to be in a rush. They could be forgiven for taking years (many of them now) between albums, as they're an older band now with nothing to prove. The point, however, is that if you're going to make good rock'n'roll music, it should be visceral and of the moment. Deadlines are good. Pressure is good. Re-recording songs in 34 studios, with six producers, over a five year period, and coming back to where you started, is not good, in my opinion.And in 2012 they did exactly dick and still made 78 million dollars.
Would you be in a rush to so anything if you made 80 million dollars doing nothing?
By which you mean biggest-grossing tour of all time, not the biggest in terms of popularity, relevance, or importance -- at which the recent U2 tour would rank about #78,402.
Obviously, with inflated concert-prices in the past ten years, every rock tour prior to about 2002 is immediately discounted from competition in such a list. U2 "won" it on the strength of their brand name (hence my Onion.com link), and not on the strength of their cultural relevance, musical influence, or general popularity, in 2009. A U2 concert is now a safe item to be consumed by the masses.
The point is not to be in a rush. They could be forgiven for taking years (many of them now) between albums, as they're an older band now with nothing to prove. The point, however, is that if you're going to make good rock'n'roll music, it should be visceral and of the moment. Deadlines are good. Pressure is good. Re-recording songs in 34 studios, with six producers, over a five year period, and coming back to where you started, is not good, in my opinion.
I absolutely agree, as my first post should have made clear -- maybe you didn't see it.If anything the band's problem is that they've tried too hard to be live up to this bullshit theory that you need to be on radio to be "relevant."
Here's the thing: If you walk out on to the street and poll the first random 100 music fans you meet, and ask then what was the biggest, most important concert tour of all, not a single one is going to say the 360 Tour, including people who attended it.
Well I'm glad you admitted that this is about you.Understand: I'm not saying that U2 need to be relevant. I'm simply saying that the 360 tour was not relevant to anything/anyone I care about,
If you walk out on to the street and poll the first random 100 music fans you meet, and ask then what was the biggest, most important concert tour of all, not a single one is going to say the 360 Tour, including people who attended it.
It's difficult for best of tours to be very relevant or important, no matter how well performed......
This is correct. If you have to seriously question whether a tour was relevant, then it probably wasn't. I would define relevance as something that captures the zeitgeist and becomes synonymous with an era within the shared memory of a particular culture. To that end, Zoo TV was a more relevant tour than 360. So was Elevation. Relevance does not necessary equate with highest grossing.
This is correct. If you have to seriously question whether a tour was relevant, then it probably wasn't. I would define relevance as something that captures the zeitgeist and becomes synonymous with an era within the shared memory of a particular culture. To that end, Zoo TV was a more relevant tour than 360. So was Elevation. Relevance does not necessary equate with highest grossing. For instance, The Rolling Stones had tours in the Seventies that were undeniably relevant but don't feature in any highest grossing lists. Their recent tours are super commercially successful, but as Niceman correctly opined, a greatest hits tour very rarely makes a blip on the cultural radar.
Yes, but I have no issue with them being pulled in different directions. They've been at this game as long as I've been alive, and they've earned the right to dabble in whatever side-project they want.tbh U2 seem ever so distracted right now what with all their personal side projects - it's like they're being pulled in different directions...
Yes, but I have no issue with them being pulled in different directions. They've been at this game as long as I've been alive, and they've earned the right to dabble in whatever side-project they want.
What you have just described is the Paul McGuinness effect -- "We could release the album and please millions of long-suffering fans... or we could hold it back to the Sept. 2013 period and make an extra $6000 in sales!" (rubs palms together in glee)maybe the album is finished and they're just waiting for the right moment to release it
God, it sucks being a U2 fan.....
God, it sucks being a U2 fan.....