GEN
Active topics
  1. The Fly was a #1 in the UK and topped the alternative rock charts in the US for two weeks (Smells Like Teen Spirit actually only had a couple of weeks in the alt rock chart, with a U2 single on either side of it) so The Fly was definitely successful - that must've meant it was well-received by a lot of people, but like for you, it was before my time.
  2. Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:The Fly was a #1 in the UK and topped the alternative rock charts in the US for two weeks (Smells Like Teen Spirit actually only had a couple of weeks in the alt rock chart, with a U2 single on either side of it) so The Fly was definitely successful - that must've meant it was well-received by a lot of people, but like for you, it was before my time.
    Things were also much different back then. You only had terrestrial radio, MTV still largely played music, big box retail record stores existed and they registered with soundscan which largely determined the charts. The alternative rock charts didnt carry as much weight as they do today and 2 weeks at the top back then was like dipping your toes in the pool.

    If my memory serves me, The Fly got lukewarm reception initially in the States, but fuelled by MTV and the fact that it was U2 and it didnt take much to get a band like them airplay, it was all over the airwaves. That and the fact that (much like now) people were hungry for new U2. But aside from radio, MTV and the core audience, not everyone was ready for th "new" U2. I would say One is what really put AB over the top on the American airwaves...
  3. And I also think the strategy of ripping off 8 songs straight from AB helped win back the faithful that strayed down the path of doubt also.
  4. Yeah, it didn't seem The Fly was a huge deal in America - but it did better than you might expect (or better than U2 have done over here for the past several years ). I loved their strategy to ditching their past on ZooTV - starting out with all those new songs!!
  5. The single version of Discotheque with that different intro is great.
  6. Does anyone know anything about the rehearsals from this playlist?


    I've only sort of listened to a couple but I'm fairly certain that few - if any - of them are actually from 2015. Didn't know anyone else knew more about these....
  7. Sounds like Bono is playing guitar, so I don't think it's from 2015.
  8. His voice seemed a bit off too - my best guess is that's just some messing about from 360 maybe? I'm listening to more of this playlist and a couple seem like they might have been 'edited' between a couple of things and at least the Sweetest Thing one is just a live performance. Although I'm still not very familiar with the stuff overall... there might be something interesting there...
  9. Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:[..]
    His voice seemed a bit off too - my best guess is that's just some messing about from 360 maybe? I'm listening to more of this playlist and a couple seem like they might have been 'edited' between a couple of things and at least the Sweetest Thing one is just a live performance. Although I'm still not very familiar with the stuff overall... there might be something interesting there...
    All of the Pop stuff is from Popmart, or at least I think so.

    "The Beatles Version" of Sweetest Thing is from the Elevation tour.
  10. Originally posted by Welsh_Edge:[..]
    All of the Pop stuff is from Popmart, or at least I think so.

    "The Beatles Version" of Sweetest Thing is from the Elevation tour.
    Yeah - I actually remember that particular Sweetest Thing from one of my very first bootlegs. All the Pop stuff seems Popmarty (or mashup-like, because a lot of them have bits of the studio version in the background but for a soundcheck I guess that's feasible)

  11. "For a while he became the most illustrious hired hand in the business, playing with Paul McCartney, the Pretenders and U2."

    Uh, when did Johnny Marr ever play with U2?
    Wanna hear that if it's not a mistake by the writer.
  12. Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:Does anyone know anything about the rehearsals from this playlist?
    [YouTube Video]

    I've only sort of listened to a couple but I'm fairly certain that few - if any - of them are actually from 2015. Didn't know anyone else knew more about these....
    This is from 2011... I can't remember exactly the place, I believe it's Anaheim's soundcheck (not sure about the place) and the working title was "I Wanna Know"