Rolling Stone Magazine advice for U2's future...

[joshthetree]

[quote name='MacFoley wrote:

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The Champ wrote:

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Fortitude']If Coldplay's latest effort (one which Brian Eno collaborated on) is anything to go by, then I hope to hell that U2 do not follow the same direction. U2 have nothing left to prove to anyone - they should just focus on making good songs and stop trying so hard to be played on the radio - the guys are in their 50s now for goodness sake, they're not going to have the same appeal to teenagers that they once did. I'd like to hear some new experimental U2 but good old classic U2 as well. If they're too hard pressed to release an album in 2012, then they should at least release an EP, or a series of EPs with various directions in mind - something to demonstrate they're still in the game and interested. I still think they should record the Spiderman soundtrack under their Passengers alias.

I really like the idea of reviving the Passengers alias.  That would be interesting and take the pressure off of the band with regards to what material they choose to release.  They have also, I believe, talked about releasing a series of EPs in the past rather than full albums

 

E.P.s would be a good idea too. In that way if they want, they could release an E.P. of the dangermouse work, the RedOne work, the Rick Rubin work and the rest of the material left over from No Line...

That would equal to more music, different styles, rather than concentrate on writing a hit single or two, buried with album tracks that are filler. Resulting in another All That You Can't Leave Behind effort. IE playing it safe....

 

Yes  EPs by different producers what a great idea a while series what a fab idea love it

[123love]

NLOTH was a marketing disaster from the word go, album artwork already used by someone else, 'magnificent' video looking like a washing powder commercial, too many other artists sticking their fingers into the U2 pie and don't mention the album getting released too early on some version of iTunes and free shared around the world, people will say well look at the sales figures but the sales figures don't take into account fans buying multiple formats (was there 5 can't remember).

 

I agree with alot of what is written here in my view U2 just need to be themselves take the lead and don't follow what will become yesterdays trend.

 washing powder commercial

[drowningfly]

Only one band can compete in the pop ranks at the moment and that is Coldplay, which is quite remarkable considering the state of bands at the moment up against solo artists. Looking at the Top 40 charts and they're pretty much the only act to have been around for at least 10 years there so they're getting something very right it seems. Don't think U2 can replicate what they're doing at the moment because the last time they were really exposed to the masses was How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. 6-7 years is a very long time to re awaken the masses but they've surely got an audience - you don't create the biggest tour of all time without those masses...or are a lot of the people who attended those concerts not people who want new U2 and just want to sing along to With Or Without You?

But there was some very poor marketing decisions with their last album such as making Get On Your Boots the first single. The album artwork as said above was in no way appealing or recognisable and generally the album just wasn't as appealing. They should really push the boat out once again. Ditch the commecial efforts. It won't affect their status because they'll still be able to sell out massive arenas because of what they were and are. Really is the case, like most bands, to get bigger they must get smaller.

[richie459]

Personally as a whole album I think NLOTH was U2's finest in a long long time half of that albums issue was the choice of singles in my opinion. Boots was an OK single but Magnificent was a poor choice as a single, the song is great but if your not into U2 and you heard that its not going to set the world on fire.

 

Crazy was a great "pop/radio" song and for my money should have been the first single because it was used in the Blackberry advert so much like Vertigo and the iTunes advert it should have been the first single marketed with Blackberry on the TV and that might have ignited some interest.

 

U2 are a great band and exciting but only if your on the inside of the bubble with them like we are to any newcomers they are probably simply confusing