New U2 album

Lev

Lev

Out of loyalty to the band that I grew up with, that inspired me as a kid and that was a major influence on me developing an interest in music and guitar I gave the album a couple more listens over the weekend.

I'm sorry but it is truly awful, it's like musical cardboard. I can't give it any sort of an in depth review because the songs just washed over me and left zero impression. It's like they were trying to make a product rather than creating rock on roll music. If they can't see that then maybe it's time to take a leaf out of REM's book and call it a day. Releasing material as dull as this is damaging their legacy and make new listeners less likely to explore their back catalog which is genuinely filled with great rock music.

RocknRollDave

Can't agree with that at all. I think it's a valid work that is overshadowed by the cack way it was released.

impmann

I thought it was shite and the songs are weak.

It was deleted the same day from my phone. 

Thanks Bono, but I can see why you'd give this away... and I don't want it.

sweepy

richardhomer said:

Actually I've just listened to it while doing the ironing (rock 'n' roll life of a single-parent!). On first hearing it sounds like an odd cross between very early (ie pre-Unforgettable Fire) U2 and radio-friendly The Killers/Coldplay.

I'll give it another go before dismissing it. As I said in an earlier post, I'd really like to be able to say its great....

Anything that evokes thoughts of Coldplay and Killers must be deleted immediately

Fretwired

impmann said:

I thought it was shite and the songs are weak.

It was deleted the same day from my phone. 

Thanks Bono, but I can see why you'd give this away... and I don't want it.

They didn't give it away .. they conned Apple into paying millions for it and are now running promotions on iTues for all their old albums with additional tracks. The band must be down to the last £100 million and are desperate for some cash ...

RocknRollDave

So what should they do, delete their back catalogue whenever they release something new? Did anyone criticise Kate Bush when her albums shot back into the charts on the back of her recent high profile?

impmann

Kate Bush's albums came back into the charts on the back of the fact she did something amazing (the show was the best thing I've ever seen) - this publicity stunt may have worked if the album hadn't been a shower of shite.

thisisguitar

GuitarMonkey said:

I shan't be wasting the bandwidth.

Oh plus I don't have an iTunes account or software.

Thank god tonight it's them, instead of you

Fretwired

RocknRollDave said:

So what should they do, delete their back catalogue whenever they release something new? Did anyone criticise Kate Bush when her albums shot back into the charts on the back of her recent high profile?

U2 didn't just release something new - they force fed their shite to every iTunes user whether they're U2 fans or not as a publicity stunt. Bono claims to be eco this anti-capitalist that and yet doesn't mind getting into bed with a company that exploits people in China making their various i-devices. He's a hypocrite.

Kate Bush did some gigs - the people who bought her albums would have mostly been fans and the curious who missed her first time round. Kate didn't deliberately fill my iTunes Cloud account with her music for which I think her.

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

RocknRollDave said:

So what should they do, delete their back catalogue whenever they release something new? Did anyone criticise Kate Bush when her albums shot back into the charts on the back of her recent high profile?

U2 didn't just release something new - they force fed their shite to every iTunes user whether they're U2 fans or not as a publicity stunt. Bono claims to be eco this anti-capitalist that and yet doesn't mind getting into bed with a company that exploits people in China making their various i-devices. He's a hypocrite.

Kate Bush did some gigs - the people who bought her albums would have mostly been fans and the curious who missed her first time round. Kate didn't deliberately fill my iTunes Cloud account with her music for which I think her.

Bono has never said he's anti-capitalist. 

In fact, quite the opposite:

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/ben-shapiro/bono-capitalism-works/

Fretwired

stickyfiddle said:

Fretwired said:

RocknRollDave said:

So what should they do, delete their back catalogue whenever they release something new? Did anyone criticise Kate Bush when her albums shot back into the charts on the back of her recent high profile?

U2 didn't just release something new - they force fed their shite to every iTunes user whether they're U2 fans or not as a publicity stunt. Bono claims to be eco this anti-capitalist that and yet doesn't mind getting into bed with a company that exploits people in China making their various i-devices. He's a hypocrite.

Kate Bush did some gigs - the people who bought her albums would have mostly been fans and the curious who missed her first time round. Kate didn't deliberately fill my iTunes Cloud account with her music for which I think her.

Bono has never said he's anti-capitalist. 

In fact, quite the opposite:

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/ben-shapiro/bono-capitalism-works/

Bono's conversion to capitalism is relatively new on the basis he thinks aid has failed [through corruption IMHO] and perhaps a visit to Chinese Apple factory has convinced him that capitalism lifts people out of poverty, which in the long term it doesn't. That's not what he was saying 20 years ago - capitalism exploited cheap labour in third world countries according to him and left them ridden with debt [remember his write off third world debt campaign?]. How he squares this with his stance on green issues and the environment is anyone's guess. Maybe it's got something to do with his wealthy tax dodging lifestyle and his belief that a bit of philanthropy on his part makes things OK. Anything for a bit of self-publicity.

stickyfiddle

I'm not loving the album like the old stuff, but these performances are really pretty good. Bono's voice isn't what it was but they've still got the chemistry. The less crowded arrangements work better too.

I'll certainly be going to the tour if they come remotely near the desert.

impmann

Thanks for sharing.

RocknRollDave

Having lived with it for a while, I'm definitely liking the album, despite its aforementioned flaws (Bono's voice/ uninspired rhythm section/ Edge just being Edge again) and would love to hear/see it live.
Finding it especially interesting how it seems to follow on, musically and lyrically, from Boy in some ways.