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New U2 album released for free on iTunes

Henry Sidney

Desperate, cynical or just all round good eggs? Free new album out today on iTunes. Doesn't sound that bad off a quick listen. Will you be downloading it?

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The Strawman Argument

MadYaker wrote: »

It's the biggest and one of the most unique album launches ever and could only be done this way by iTunes. I reckon the band have just increased their audience exponentially.

Being properly introduced to a band with (what likely is) a lackluster latter day album isn't exactly going to suddenly make you a fan. Did Prince win anyone over with that crappy Daily Mail album he had a few years back?
U2 found an easy way to get it out with someone else doing all the publicity while they can focus on their real source of income with the live tours. That's about it.

The Purveyor of Truth

I don't usually post in these celebrity RIP threads but.. fcuk it, I might just download it.

Dyr

wandatowell wrote: »

Great melodies but a lot of the newer releases just smack of trying to hard to be something they are not.

good?

ShaneU

Bono

"You’ll have noticed the album is free to U2.com’ers from the band. It’s also free to everyone on iTunes thanks to Apple. To celebrate the ten year anniversary of our iPod commercial, they bought it as a gift to give to all their music customers. Free, but paid for. Because if no-one's paying anything for it, we’re not sure “free” music is really that free. It usually comes at a cost to the art form and the artist… which has big implications, not for us in U2, but for future musicians and their music... all the songs that have yet to be written by the talents of the future… who need to make a living to write them. "

MadYaker

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

Being properly introduced to a band with (what likely is) a lackluster latter day album isn't exactly going to suddenly make you a fan. Did Prince win anyone over with that crappy Daily Mail album he had a few years back?
U2 found an easy way to get it out with someone else doing all the publicity while they can focus on their real source of income with the live tours. That's about it.

You're considering the new album in the context of all the stuff they have done previously, new fans who know nothing about U2 won't do the same. They'll just listen to it as a standalone album, and it's not that bad tbh.

The Strawman Argument

MadYaker wrote: »

You're considering the new album in the context of all the stuff they have done previously, new fans who know nothing about U2 won't do the same. They'll just listen to it as a standalone album, and it's not that bad tbh.

New fans will still know they're one of the biggest bands in the world.

It'd be like all those people that got that second James Blunt album, they were all like "this sucks, how is this guy one of the biggest musicians on the planet?!" They bought into the marketing for the second album so much that they completely failed to realise his reputation was based on that first album, wound up completely rejecting a master of the art as a result.

YFlyer

MadYaker wrote: »

Kind of clever when you think about it. There are half a billion iTunes users on the planet and now this album is just sitting in all their music libraries waiting to be downloaded. People who have never even considered U2's music, or people who don't even know U2 exist, might be tempted to give it a listen. It's the biggest and one of the most unique album launches ever and could only be done this way by iTunes. I reckon the band have just increased their audience exponentially.

And if this album is similar to Boy or War and the new audience like it they will start listening and paying for other songs and albums.

Get Real

I agree that this album may not be as groundbreaking/ experimental as say Zooropa. I think because its u2, people will always have their idea of the perfect mix of songs be they from War, Boy, Zooropa, Achtung baby or The Joshua Tree, among others.

I'm not gonna jump to personal conclusions just yet, I do like Cedarwood Road so far. I may end up being unimpressed with the album or it may grow on me.

Two things though:

tens of millions of people, who never gave them a listen, may like it, and subsequently other stuff.

Secondly, I'm daydreaming of attending a gig in Croke Park. Amazing live, no matter what songs. A mixture of music, art and euphoria. Just take a look at the Zooropa tour live in Sydney. 21 years ago it was, and years ahead of its time, not just a concert, but an experience.

Frank Lee Midere

YFlyer wrote: »

And if this album is similar to Boy or War and the new audience like it they will start listening and paying for other songs and albums.

They'd be far better giving this away and an old album. This is merely ok.

OU812

Massive improvement on the last one (No Line On The Horizon). Like the sound, liking the songs. Needed new music right about now. Will be interested in the extra tracks on the deluxe version

rubberdiddies

I've listened to most songs a couple of times now and I have to say I'm really liking it.

Songs are different, maybe down to the number of different producers. And I can see some of them being anthemic live.

Give Every Breaking Wave a listen

Joe Doe

Ah it's just an music album. It's not a cure for cancer, nor world peace, ah wait!.... Isn't that bono fella in the group?

Aside that, iTunes™ is the most clunky, clutsy, clapped out gui piece of software to grace a screen device.
Won't download if it's 320+ dolby5.1 or anything too fancy, that's going to drain out the Internet pipes.

To be fair they're a decent aul band that have sold a few bucket loads of albums, not made in a lab by Cowell's latest Protools minons.

thebaz

I was a big fan of U2 in those early days of dublin - creatively they do nothing for me today , and haven't for 20 years - in the studio that is - everything is way over produced for my liking.

but live, they are a different animal , thats where they come into there own - seen them a couple of times recently and they still have it - live.

on a quick listen , there new album is not bad, again a little too overproduced , lacking the rawness of Boy - but still not bad, but a Joshua Tree ??

spiritcrusher

Hmm... And how much is this free album?

Jumboman

porsche959 wrote: »

McGuinness retirement was the end for me. They always claimed he was fifth member so far as I am concerned that was the retirement of U2.

I think there is more to that McGuinness "retirement" than they are letting on.

foxtrot101

The last song of theirs that I liked was Stay(Faraway, So Close!), which is over 20 years old now. Bono's lyics have been horrible to listen to ever since.

porsche959

Jumboman wrote: »

I think there is more to that McGuinness "retirement" than they are letting on.

I have that impression myself tbh, have had impression there has been a lot going on with U2 that is only hinted about in interviews.

The last album, which I thought was ok, in the acknowledgements, they give a bunch of shout outs to property developers?

porsche959

Ok, from a brief listen Bono appears to have committed to paper the following lyric:

"Northsoide.
It's just 'cross the river from the
Southside"

Er, no.

Joe Doe

Price: Available free to 500 million iTunes users.
Data: 272kps .m4a file with 11-track album total 109mb.
Reviews: iTunes reviews today uk:x500@4.5/5 usa:x1,500@4.5/5
the general media (billboard etc. all seem favorable so far).

Dig the edge's fuzz/trem breakup effect and other snappier cleaner tones,
'Raised by Wolves' sounds like an instant movie track.

Anything that's free is hard to knock these days.
I'd pay not to hear another teenage chart popping 4/4 hand-clap 8 bar loop
dropped into xfactor hit or west eng' country type bearded banjo'ed track,
or them wans - NickiMingja/IggyAzalea rhyming up every single line.

porsche959

I'm a mole
digging in a hole
can't sing but i got soul
from the southside to the nortsoide
Rock and roll n.igger
Crossin' the river
To a higher place
Blah blah blah

FloatingVoter

I've had it on in the background on the second listen and yeah - its good but no cigar.
Unlike the Bowie release which was - oh ****, He is Back. Headlines Worldwide.
This is just - wonder what they'll do with the live shows. I'm wondering if this is the B-sides release with the A sides coming up next. They have had time. The Beatles had a career inbetween U2 albums.

FanadMan

I'll either ignore it completely......which is impossible or wait till it is released as a torrent. Then I'll download it, burn it to cd, destroy my computer and that cd and try to forget that egotistical mouthpiece for another few years. Shame is that no matter what radio station you tune in to, at least once a day the listening has to be spoiled by U-arsing-2!!! Either they own shares in most Irish radio stations or the DJs have a serious hard-on for Bono :mad:

creolebelle

*hated it*
The only song I like is "raised by wolves" which kind of sounds like "New Years day" which is a 100x better and what I'm listening to now.

anncoates

Millions of people will listen to it. I doubt their lack of 'relevance' is causing them sleepless nights somehow.

Bono is an arse but to be fair they can't do anything right in the eyes of some people.

cometogether

I'm listening to it now, it sounds pretty good. Impressed by Every Breaking Wave

geeksauce

Even if it is free I wont be listening to it, no way no how, I would imagine they did it because they are a sh1t band liked by idiots or wannabe young and hip auld lads who still think U2 are cool.

Bono is a clown of the highest order.

geeksauce

anncoates wrote: »

Millions of people downloaded it apparently. I doubt their lack of 'relevance' is causing them sleepless nights somehow.

Bono is an arse but to be fair they can't do anything right in the eyes of some people.

They could f*ck off, although knowing Bono he would even manage to make that annoying.

Harry Palmr

Why don't they just give it away with this Sundays Mail on Sunday?

MadYaker

I've listened to it a few times now, and although not mind blowing, I think it's good but it'll take a lot more listening before I fully appreciate all the tracks.

Bands spends months, sometimes years writing rehearsing, arranging, recording and producing and then the album comes out and most people seem to think something that took so much work over such a long time can be judged on one listen :rolleyes: it's far too early to be saying it's great or sh!te. It usually takes me a few weeks to really figure out whether or not an album is good or bad and if I like it or not.

renegademaster

not interested, even for free!! :pac::pac: