1. Originally posted by bpt3:[..]
    Absolutely yes to all of this.

    I only hope that the whole "innovative album release" strategy they teased us with a couple years ago for SOE pans out somehow. Even after some of the backlash to the Apple "gift", I can't imagine U2 going back to a more traditional album release strategy.

    And speaking of Pop, if SOE is a mixture of EDM like "The Best Thing" and the heavier stuff we heard from that studio session that Adam posted online a while back, I will be very happy.
    True.

    I know a lot of people hated the sound of that "Best Thing" recording that the DJ played live, but I can't help but feel like that's the attitude that turned people away from Pop.

    I'd LOVE to have a new U2 single come out and not even realize it's them until Bono starts singing. U2 needs to shed the "Dad rock" sound and do something modern, without sounding like they're trying too hard to sound modern. People don't like the synths in the chorus of California - guess what, THAT'S sounding modern without trying too hard. I was so sad to hear them leave that out in live performances of the tune.

    Fuck, I'll just come out and say that Edge should take a page out of his own book when he worked on Zooropa. Play a lot less guitar (especially guitar that sounds a lot like his sound) and pick up the synth. Edge's songwriting shouldn't be relegated to an instrument where he's sort of explored all of his avenues. And if you disagree, just listen to pretty much everything after Pop, where he's just continued to retread old ground over and over. Don't get me wrong, I love his guitar work and it HAS been great, but they need to shake it up. We need an album opener like Zoo Station where you're not even sure that it IS a guitar, or something...
  2. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
    True.

    I know a lot of people hated the sound of that "Best Thing" recording that the DJ played live, but I can't help but feel like that's the attitude that turned people away from Pop.

    I'd LOVE to have a new U2 single come out and not even realize it's them until Bono starts singing. U2 needs to shed the "Dad rock" sound and do something modern, without sounding like they're trying too hard to sound modern. People don't like the synths in the chorus of California - guess what, THAT'S sounding modern without trying too hard. I was so sad to hear them leave that out in live performances of the tune.

    Fuck, I'll just come out and say that Edge should take a page out of his own book when he worked on Zooropa. Play a lot less guitar (especially guitar that sounds a lot like his sound) and pick up the synth. Edge's songwriting shouldn't be relegated to an instrument where he's sort of explored all of his avenues. And if you disagree, just listen to pretty much everything after Pop, where he's just continued to retread old ground over and over. Don't get me wrong, I love his guitar work and it HAS been great, but they need to shake it up. We need an album opener like Zoo Station where you're not even sure that it IS a guitar, or something...
    I like what you said about sounding modern and not trying too hard.
  3. Larry and his son should've done something like this:

    The actual cover looks a bit awkward IMO
  4. I know. But they look so cute
  5. I use the iTunes forced download cover art of the white LP as the album art for this one. That's how this album hit me and that's how I want it to be represented.

    Speaking of the this album's delivery system, I still contend that it was probably one of the smartest things they've done. Publicly they may lament over the bad press they got for it, but privately I'm willing to bet they celebrate the move. It got them back on the headlines when people were starting to write them off and proved that this band still has ways to surprise their fans. In spite of bad press, the move yielded statistically significant benefits for the band as all their material on iTunes experienced a massive increase in sales. Finally, U2 was able to utilize a digital release platform in a way no other artist has done before and because of the ruckus it caused, no artist can make the same move without being compared to U2. I still find it shocking that nobody from the tech savvy generation had the balls to use iTunes in this way before U2 did.
  6. Originally posted by ahn1991:I use the iTunes forced download cover art of the white LP as the album art for this one. That's how this album hit me and that's how I want it to be represented.

    Speaking of the this album's delivery system, I still contend that it was probably one of the smartest things they've done. Publicly they may lament over the bad press they got for it, but privately I'm willing to bet they celebrate the move. It got them back on the headlines when people were starting to write them off and proved that this band still has ways to surprise their fans. In spite of bad press, the move yielded statistically significant benefits for the band as all their material on iTunes experienced a massive increase in sales. Finally, U2 was able to utilize a digital release platform in a way no other artist has done before and because of the ruckus it caused, no artist can make the same move without being compared to U2. I still find it shocking that nobody from the tech savvy generation had the balls to use iTunes in this way before U2 did.
    +1.

    Good or bad, it got people talking... and despite the whiners, quite a few of them downloaded the album anyway, and another chunk of them now know the name U2.

    They took a chance and made a bold move, the first of it's kind, which has largely been the U2 way, and as you said, used the digital platform in a pioneering way in which artists had, up until this point, whined about making digital better, but neverdid anything about it. It put their catalog back in the charts and the band got paid in advance for the record. What band wouldn't cut that deal?

    Well put, man.
  7. Started to listen again to the whole album today since a looooong time. Really felt new again, really connected with it. Every Breaking Wave is such a beauty [the album version], California is amazing. The Troubles is lovely and really liked Lucifer's Hands/Crystal Ballroom again.

    Played it really to death last time around, and then with the tour and all.. but now it's great again.
  8. Originally posted by Remy:Started to listen again to the whole album today since a looooong time. Really felt new again, really connected with it. Every Breaking Wave is such a beauty [the album version], California is amazing. The Troubles is lovely and really liked Lucifer's Hands/Crystal Ballroom again.

    Played it really to death last time around, and then with the tour and all.. but now it's great again.
    I was doing the same a couple of weeks ago after seeing the current tour and found it very pleasant to listen to. It's very consistent, segues into the next song seamlessly and you can really connect with the content of the songs.
  9. I did that a week ago and it felt as great as at the time of release... EBW, Cedarwood Road, Raised by Wolves, Sleep like a baby tonight, Troubles... great! also Volcano and Lucifers Hands as memories of great songs from 360 tour 2010... Really love this album...