SOE
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  1. About the casuals vs diehards... it's not a clear cut division.

    I'll add a third one actually: there's casuals, there's diehards, and then there's those maniacs like us who spend hours in forums and such.

    The casuals usually say stuff like "they're awesome... I know they haven't release anything good in the last 10 years or so, but they're still great"

    The diehards that don't go into the webs say things like "oh, there's a new U2 album? cool! will it be awesome? great? or just good? I hope is at least great"

    The forum diehards over-analize every song and album, we either like it or not, but we're a really really really small minority, so the opinions expressed in the forums are not really reflecting the actual opinion of the majority of the die hard fans, much less of the U2 general audience.

    ---

    How SOE will be received?

    I don't think SOE will get U2 a huge new audience of new fans (it's not fault of SOE or U2). They just don't care about U2, at least not for more than 5 minutes.

    SOE will have mixed opinions -as always- among the minority that is the forums diehard fanbase.

    SOE will be well received -as always- among the general diehard fanbase.
    Maybe even better than previous albums (they don't overanalize if the riff in x is the same as the one in y, or if this song is too bland or too whatever... they want U2 sounding like U2, and SOE sounds like U2)

    Finally, what are the chances of SOE to be loved/ignored/hated by the biggest group in the U2 audience, the casual fan base?
    I think, based on what we've heard, that this group will enjoy SOE. Like ahn said, U2 is getting pretty nice reviews from "cool" communities, which makes it ok to like U2, and gives the casual fans "permission" to enjoy a U2 album again (which was not totally cool in the last two albums).

    How will that be reflected in streams, downloads or sales, I have no idea, probably not as good as they expect, considering the industry has changed a lot more than the U2 largest fanbase.
  2. How do you know SOE sounds like U2 (sic.)?

    Moreover: what sounds or doesn't sound like U2? Would you say Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car or Cedars Like Lebanon sound like U2?
  3. at least not for more than 5 minutes.

    Agreed. That's the digital age. What's now is irrelevant in 30 seconds...

    (they don't overanalize if the riff in x is the same as the one in y

    Yes, again... Hard to believe, I know but the every day (myself included) doesn't notice A,B,C chord progression.
  4. Originally posted by LikeASong:How do you know SOE sounds like U2 (sic.)?

    Moreover: what sounds or doesn't sound like U2? Would you say Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car or Cedars Like Lebanon sound like U2?
    No, they doesn't sound too much like U2, that's why albums like Pop were not totally well received. (I know those songs don't belong to Pop, my point still stands).

    They're great songs, but they don't "sound like U2".

    U2 sounding like U2 may be lazy on their part, but their general fan base loved that.
  5. All I know is that between hurricanes, earthquakes, bloviated, spoiled brat kids with bad haircuts taking us to the brink, vampire scares in africa and aliens forcing time travellers to drink in wyoming, I just hope the record hits my ears before the coming apocalypse...
  6. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:(too many people hate Bono to be up there with The Beatles, The Who, etc., and they're still putting out new stuff) and they'll be there forever. A new U2 album is kind of like a new James Bond movie.



    Ok, I have to agree with a lot of this, but The Who? I know a lot love them, but taking away Greatest Hits collections, All their studio albums combined have sold less than The Joshua Tree in the United States. I can say easily for most I have talked to born before 1965, they are absolute legends, but people after 1970? Not really, but they are respected. U2 has a legend reputation I wish Prince had. Sure Bono's political rants may hurt those bothered by politics or those with far right views, but who cares? It's about the music, and these four guys to me are better than The Beatles. Reputation? No, but far above The Who. I think the massive success of the 360 tour proves it. A ton of Americans who attended seemed to be casual fans, but just HAD to see what the fuss was about. And I have noticed that as the years go by, Americans don't talk about music as much anymore. Most over 40 are programmed robots who listen to the 4 to 5 hits played by classic rock artists over and over again. Try finding Angel Of Harlem, Vertigo, or any number of songs not "chosen" to be on the radio. Try being a Def Leppard fan and having to endure "Pour Some Sugar On Me" ten billion times. Nobody really cares who the legends are, it seems, but no matter what you see on today's watered down insignificant media, U2 are pretty much where they belong: At or bread crumbs from the top.
  7. Originally posted by Bloodraven:[..]
    No, they doesn't sound too much like U2, that's why albums like Pop were not totally well received. (I know those songs don't belong to Pop, my point still stands).

    They're great songs, but they don't "sound like U2".

    U2 sounding like U2 may be lazy on their part, but their general fan base loved that.

    Yeah, that was part of my point actually: why would chasing the lazy "U2 sound" (aka standard song structures, chimey/echoey guitars, bla bla) give better results? Just because that's what the masses are hoping for? In my opinion most U2 material gets better as further as it strays from that standard sound.

    btw I deliberately left Pop off my previous choice of songs.
  8. Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]

    Yeah, that was part of my point actually: why would chasing the lazy "U2 sound" (aka standard song structures, chimey/echoey guitars, bla bla) give better results? Just because that's what the masses are hoping for? In my opinion most U2 material gets better as further as it strays from that standard sound.

    btw I deliberately left Pop off my previous choice of songs.
    That’s where I kinda disagree with you and possibly a lot of others that if it’s a good song why does it matter if it is the same u2 sound, a good song is a good song. It’s the mixture that makes u2 great for me, a band that can play both zoo station and miracle Drug in the same show, discotheque and walk On, The Fly and stuck in a moment, song For Someone and until the end of the world. That sums up to me in a few songs what makes u2 so great.
  9. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    That’s where I kinda disagree with you and possibly a lot of others that if it’s a good song why does it matter if it is the same u2 sound, a good song is a good song. It’s the mixture that makes u2 great for me, a band that can play both zoo station and miracle Drug in the same show, discotheque and walk On, The Fly and stuck in a moment, song For Someone and until the end of the world. That sums up to me in a few songs what makes u2 so great.
    If "Always" was written by another band, they will be suing U2 right now.
    One thing is to have the same characteristic U2 sound, another thing is to rip-off your own previous songs.
    But apparently I can't say anything about the new song -unless if I say it's the best thing ever-.
  10. Originally posted by cesar_garza01:[..]
    If "Always" was written by another band, they will be suing U2 right now.
    One thing is to have the same characteristic U2 sound, another thing is to rip-off your own previous songs.
    But apparently I can't say anything about the new song -unless if I say it's the best thing ever-.
    Yeah that’s a fair point about ripping off previous songs, I’ve not listened to always much but I might do today, I’m guessing your saying that sounds like get out of your own way? I don’t know if your last statement was aimed at previous comments or not but certainly I would only ever encourage people to express there opinion especially when they back it up with reasoning like you have rather than simply say ‘this is crap’ etc. Whether i agree or not is a different matter but I don’t expect everyone to agree with me either.
  11. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    Yeah that’s a fair point about ripping off previous songs, I’ve not listened to always much but I might do today, I’m guessing your saying that sounds like get out of your own way? I don’t know if your last statement was aimed at previous comments or not but certainly I would only ever encourage people to express there opinion especially when they back it up with reasoning like you have rather than simply say ‘this is crap’ etc. Whether i agree or not is a different matter but I don’t expect everyone to agree with me either.
    No Dean, it's not about you, sorry if it looked that way.
    For the people that say we can't judge the new song based on a clip: first, you are also saying the song is great, so isn't it also premature to say that too? Also, no one here said that SOE was going to be crap, people said that they are worried about SOE based on the 3 songs we already heard in full (and 2 of them live) so far.
  12. Originally posted by cesar_garza01:[..]
    No Dean, it's not about you, sorry if it looked that way.
    For the people that say we can't judge the new song based on a clip: first, you are also saying the song is great, so isn't it also premature to say that too? Also, no one here said that SOE was going to be crap, people said that they are worried about SOE based on the 3 songs we already heard in full (and 2 of them live) so far.
    Not at all Cesar, I thought you were talking about some of the other comments. Just wanted to make it clear that I’m in agreement that you and whoever else should be able to express there view without feeling criticised. It’s one thing having a debate but it’s another thing telling someone there wrong to have an opinion. I also feel a minutes worth of a song is enough to get an idea of whether your going to like it. I think your right also that nobody said SOE will be crap, I think some have make comments like that though regarding the new songs without really giving a reason, not that they have to give a reason but it makes it more of a conversation and doesn’t cause as much offence, not that it offends me.