Good news for U2 fans..

[Lammycat]

What the hell is with the new album's cover?  Creepy.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/music/u2-unveils-official-cover-art-of-new-album/article1-1269607.aspx

[Analogman]

It's Larry and his son.  Much like Springsteen they seem to fail at album artwork these days. 

 

u2roolz?

 

Yes

[Moss]

Bwa hah hah! Rolling Stone gives it 5 stars!

[Analogman]

Hard to believe it has been 30 years. I remember buying the first of several copies when it was first released. To me - it is one of the greatest albums ever made:

 

 

The Unforgettable Fire at 30

[Winston Legthigh]

To me - it is one of the greatest albums ever made:

 

 

The Unforgettable Fire at 30

Truly.

[redpillbox]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sJ3tcYxkMA

[Azzurri]

that's a great song...arguably should have been on the album proper.

 

the shorter version is on the bonus CD, which also has some excellent acoustic renditions.  Overall, very good bonus material.  

 

Bono and Edge were just on Italian TV, and did a powerful performance of Every Breaking Wave. 

[Analogman]

U2 - Video Q and A 

 

It's good to see they still have their humor intact. 

[Mr. Heartbreak]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/14/6979103/bono-apologizes-for-putting-u2s-new-album-in-everyones-icloud-library

 

I gotta give Bono credit for this apology. Everything he said sounds sincere and spot on. He could have just been a dick and said, "Hey, it was free, if you don't want it, delete it," but he chose the high road. Good for him.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/13/stop-whining-free-u2-album-hate-bono

• Martin Pengelly

On Tuesday, U2 surprised the world by giving their new album, Songs of Innocence, free to 500 million iTunes subscribers in 119 countries. As if by magic, it appeared in “purchased” lists in people’s iCloud accounts.

Shortly thereafter, the whining began.

Even the Guardian got in on the backlash: readers were offered 10 things to do with an unwanted U2 album, a list of five bands more deserving of such a deal and two lukewarm, rather patronising reviews of an album that had been “foisted … upon half-a-billion people”.

“Foisted”? If you don’t like U2, don’t listen to them. If you think they’re sending you musical spam, delete it – just as you would offers of porn or diet pills or requests for financial aid from Nigeria. It only takes a twitch of the thumb. As with any gift, being given U2’s 13th studio album did not oblige you to accept it.

Ask yourself: What if Beyoncé did this? (Not the surprise album thing, which she’s done, but the album-on-a-phone-for-free thing, like Jay-Z did.) While the world at large would be in raptures, those who found themselves less-than-religiously ecstatic about the possibility of a few bars of Queen Bey befouling their playlists – and we do exist – would just quietly delete the album, without incident.

So why all the hate?

Yes, musically (if not financially) U2 are not what they were 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Yes, too much anthemic, stadium-filling uplift-muzak has never been an unreservedly good thing. And yes, their frontman’s relentless campaigning can be … a little trying.

But ask yourself: what is so terrible, so irredeemable, about anyone who wants to work to combat Aids and poverty, and to help people who need help the world over? We’ve all heard the joke in which Bono tells a crowd, “Every time I clap my hands, in Africa another child dies”, and someone shouts back: “Well stop fucking clapping then.” It’s one of the best jokes in music. But it’s just a joke, and if Bono had told a crowd that, while it would have been cloying and irritating … it would have been in total earnest.

In the end, I find that hard to dislike.

I like U2 and I like Bono. They – and to be fair to Larry, Adam and The Edge, we’re mostly talking about Bono – may be irritating but, ultimately, they are irritating for good. It’s the whole point.

There’s also the music, of course. Some people are bound not to like it. I do (particularly Zooropa), but this isn’t really about drums, guitars and bass: it’s about envy and spite. People – particularly holier-than-thou people, which is decidedly ironic in these circumstances – don’t like U2 because they are enormously successful, because their tax affairs seem as hypocritical as those of any bunch of billionaires, and because their singer – rich beyond his wildest dreams and hanging out with princes, presidents and preachers – nonetheless won’t shut up about poor people.

People who think Bono should get over himself, should get over themselves.

Call it the Tony Blair test: I’m a Labour voter, and he still gives me consistently egregious reasons to regret that he ever won power. But if push came to shove, I’d still vote for him as a Labour PM, because he’s the least worst option. I’d certainly vote for Blair a thousand times before I voted for the heartless, bloated, conservative monstrosity that came after him – just like I’d buy (or accept graciously) thousands of U2 albums of diminishing quality before I bought one by Coldplay.

Maybe I’m saying that Bono is a politician with the courage of his convictions, prepared to follow his gut at the cost of popularity or even basic decency – even though when Gordon Brown said that about Margaret Thatcher, it made me want to vomit. Nor does it help that a good number of Bono’s convictions, like Blair’s, are born of a deeply held Christian faith. Mine certainly aren’t.

But ultimately, if I’m praising Bono and U2 for having the courage of their convictions, I should have the courage of mine. I like them, and I like them as much for their relentless moral crusading as for the way the grinding, accelerating opening of Zoo Station reminds me of being 13. (And no, I wasn’t the coolest 13-year-old in school.)

If they ever want to give me an album again, I won’t complain.

 

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Now we know why Bono wears the sunglasses all the time...

 

http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/10/bono-reveals-the-real-reason-he-wears-sunglasses-all-the-time/

[Analogman]

I finally picked up the cd today. I have not listened to it yet. I appreciate the liner notes. But - they are a bit hard to read when you are an old dude. I don't recall seeing the credit "Lyrics: Bono and The Edge" before. I'll have to get out the other albums and take a look.

 

That deal about Bono's eyes is talked about in the U2 oral history book.

[Beltmann]

Yeah, I thought we knew about the eyes a very long time ago.

[bigideas]

I just started listening to it the other day. There are some great songs on there.

There are about 3 songs in the first half where the bass falls in that familiar eighth note playing the root of the chord thing.

This probably contributes to people saying some of it is 'same-y.'

Coldplay's first 3 or 4 albums had that same thing in the bass. It just bugs me.

The second half has more active basslines, and with a quick look at the Wikipedia credits, those were solely produced by Danger Mouse.

He may have played bass on those.

 

Track 10 is a lot like what I associate with Danger Mouse. To me, if you took Bono's vocals off and had put Dan Auerbach's on there, it would fit right in on Turn Blue.

Love the synths on Track 9.

I'm sure I will easily like this album more than Atom Bomb. I have never gotten into that one.

Raised By Wolves - are all these vocals done by Bono? I have yet to read much about the sessions. I really hate that they sampled his voice and put Auto Tune on it. The 'raised by wolves' part took me off guard the first time. It almost sounds like Anthony Kiedis to me.

I'm really surprised that Volcano is not a single. Surely it will be a future one if they keep promoting the record.

 

There could be a really good record within these sessions. It may be a little better just by changing the track order.

But for people to have this overwhelming negative reaction to it is silly.

I doubt many of those complaining gave any time to actually listening to it.

 

The big question is - why does the Apple deal seem to only scathe U2?

Hello - Apple made and offered the deal.

What makes Apple so untouchable?

[Analogman]

I'm listening to it for the first time today. So far I am liking the bonus disc better. I'd say the previous two albums were better than this one. It's interesting to me that I am hearing some hints of early U2 on this album. The helicopter guitars and tinkling piano - is what I am thinking of.

 

I think Bono has said there is at least one other album they hope to put out this year. Also - I have not heard any mention of a tour.

 

Speaking of the old timey days -

 

This may have been one of the first videos I ever saw:

 

U2 - Two Hearts Beat As One

[Clayton Kershaw]

The band is quite infamous for making claims about tours & albums and having things change last minute. When U2 did the Apple release, Bono mentioned that they'd like to release Songs Of Experience in about 18 months. Adam Clayton made a remark about playing 2 shows in cities and doing a greatest hits setlist & a rarities setlist for night 2. There are a lot of promo videos from the past few weeks where they've done Graham Norton, Jools Holland, The Late Late Show (Ireland), etc. On a German radio show, Larry Mullen talked about the band picking 7 cities to play next May/June and doing residencies, until they could not sell any more tickets. Toronto was mentioned as an example. I'm assuming Boston would be included. And tour dates & ticket sales will be on Sat November 22. I'd like to see U2 do some U.S. promo in November. Oh! And in 2015, stadium tour for Songs Of Experience which makes sense considering they're planning a March 2015 release. 

We'll see.

 

[Larry]: It’s going to be difficult to put the new setlist together, that’s for sure. I think on this record there are a lot of good songs, and selfishly I’d like to think that a lot of the new songs will replace a lot of the older songs because they can’t be there all the time, so what I’d like to think is if we do three or four shows in the same place that we would change the set for every night completely.

 

Also, it's interesting that on a lot of these quick promo stops it was just Bono & The Edge which made me think of someone mentioning that that's how the song credit is on this album. Hmm. 

 

Correction: U2 fan forum Interference broke the news about the residencies and Larry's response seems to coincide with that mentality. Interference was right about most 360 & Vertigo tour logistics. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XApNTimO57E

[Clayton Kershaw]

U2 is set to play a "Residency" on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon next week. 

 

And the November 22nd on sale date for the 2015 tour seems to be pretty legit too. Word is that the tour is 2-3 days away from being finalized. 

 

A rumor has been going around that it will be called the Volcano Tour. Meh….

 

Also, U2 is headlining KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas on Saturday December 14th at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 12p.m. PST.

[badu2fan]

bono broke his arm so cancelled fallon. Riding a bike in central park is dangerous. So not sure if they will make the acoustic show or not. As far as tour I doubt new album will last in set list as it not being played much and I doubt folks want to hear it vs hits. THey will start tour playing new album but if they want to do stadiums again it will have to be a greatest hits tour.

 

Them changing setlist every night would be a big change for them. most they been able to do is 3 song changes a night at most. Not sure how accomplished they are with playing songs with out rehearsing. But it was smart of them to go with I phone release so they got publicity as Taylor swift stole the Gold with her release. THey got to realize the record buying public is in their tweens.

[badu2fan]

Rolling stone reports Bono injuries were pretty serious. Fracture in face, collar bone and arm as well as his pinky on other arm. Seems he tried to avoid another biker before crashing.

I wonder if that biker stopped to help and how he felt if by chance he was a U2 fan. Hope Bono can heal quickly but I would say it will be 6-8 weeks of recovery.

 

Dr says he expects full recovery which is great!!!!

[u2roolz]

Tour dates to be announced at 9a.m on the official site & on the radio. 

Rumours: tour opens May 14 & May 15 in Vancouver. 8 shows in LA (May 26-June 8). 4 in Montreal. 4 in Boston. 6 in Chicago with a date of July 6th being thrown around. And 8 in NYC in late July. 

 

 

I hope that the Boston shows don't mess with Solid Sound. 

[Analogman]

I have not watched any videos yet from the show the other night. I can't exactly see Bruce singing U2 songs. I guess he has done it before though. 

[Analogman]

Here it is:

 

 

After months of speculation, Billboard has learned that U2 will announce 44 shows in 19 cities from its upcoming arena tour today, the U2 Innocence + Experience Tour 2015, beginning in May. The first shows will be May 14-15 in Vancouver, B.C., with the first leg to include 22 initial shows across North America, followed by 22 more in the U.K. and Europe. The tour is produced by Live Nation's Global Touring division, led by Arthur Fogel, president of Global Touring and chairman of Global Music for Live Nation.  

 

To begin the tour, which is in support of U2's album Songs Of Innocence, the band will play six cities in North America (three in Canada, six in the U.S.), and 10 cities in the U.K. and Europe, beginning Sept. 4 in Turin, Italy. All of the tour stops are at least doubles, with four shows announced for the Forum in Los Angeles, Madison Square Garden in New York, and the O2 in London. A Nov. 16 bicycle accident that seriously injured frontman Bono did not delay the start of the tour, which has long been slated to begin in the spring of 2015.

 

Pre-sale tickets will go on sale for the fan club on Dec. 4, and tickets for the general public go up on Dec. 8. While only the first leg of North America, the U.K., and Europe will be announced out of the gate, when it comes to U2, the world is their oyster, and it would be not out of the question for the tour to run as long as three years, most likely returning to North America and U.K./Europe second runs, along with visits to Asia, South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Australia, and other territories, depending on how long the band wants to work.

 

U2 is the top touring act in the world, having moved 22.8 million tickets to 625 shows that grossed $1.5 billion at the box office in the past 30 years, according to Billboard Boxscore. The band's last tour, U2 360 in 2009-2011, was the biggest tour in history, with 110 shows that grossed $736.4 million and moved 7.2 million tickets, both all-time records. With so many multiples on the upcoming tour, U2 could conceivably approach those 360 numbers with Innocence + Experience, but it would seem unlikely they could surpass them, given the huge stadium capacities on 360, and it does seem the goals are different this time around.

 

Innocence + Experience will find U2 returning to the relatively intimate confines of arenas for the first time since the Vertigo tour in 2005-2007, which grossed $389 million, according to Boxscore. On 360, U2 played only stadiums, but, rather than relating to demand -- 360 sold every ticket in every city in a stagnant concert market -- the move to arenas is likely driven more by aesthetics. U2 is one of the very few bands capable of selling out stadiums around the world, but the band is a product of arenas, with those venues proving a fitting showcase for U2 since they first rose to that level 30 years ago. After the enormity and spectacle of 360, it has long been thought that the band would scale things back on their next run, and indoor arenas serve the introspective, personal nature of the music on Songs Of Innocence.

 

U2 breaks new concert production ground on every tour, often with elements which later become widely adopted by the industry, and Innocence and Experience will be no exception. As with "the claw" staging that stunned on the 360 tour, this arena production will feature its own innovation, with the staging in the middle of the bowl and spanning the length of the arena floor. U2's typically eye-popping video elements (as in the video cylinder that awed on 360) will have a giant double-sided screen running above the stage.

The tour will also be conceptually unique in terms of the music. Routing shows that the cities are all booked in multiples of two dates in each market, which is no accident. Though the concept is being refined, it is believed that the band will be performing two different shows in each market on consecutive nights, built around the "innocence + experience" theme. That said, all tickets will be sold as individual night tickets, with no package deals.

 

Arenas will be sold to full capacity, with views of the stage from all angles. Scaling follows the historical U2 model, with floor tickets priced at $65, prime seats priced at $250-$275 (depending on the market), scaled all the way down to a significant number of seats priced at $30. 

 

At this stage, the only corporate partner is UPS, which will be U2's "official logistics partner" on the tour.  This partnership is designed to help defray freight and transport costs, allowing the tour to move the massive production more cost-effectively, particularly on an international level.

 

NORTH AMERICA DATES

May 14  - Vancouver  (Rogers Arena)
May 15  - Vancouver  (Rogers Arena)
May 18  - San Jose  (SAP Center at San Jose)
May 19  - San Jose  (SAP Center at San Jose)
May 22  - Phoenix  (US Airways Center)
May 23  - Phoenix  (US Airways Center)
May 26  - Los Angeles   (Forum)
May 27  - Los Angeles   (Forum)
May 30  - Los Angeles   (Forum)      
May 31  - Los Angeles   (Forum)
June 12  - Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 13  - Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 24  - Chicago   (United Center)
June 25  - Chicago   (United Center)
July 6  - Toronto   (Air Canada Centre)
July 7  - Toronto   (Air Canada Centre)
July 10  - Boston   (TD Garden)
July 11  - Boston   (TD Garden)
July 18  - New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 19  - New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 22  - New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 23  - New York City   (Madison Square Garden) 

EUROPE/UK DATES

Sept. 4 - Turin, Italy   (Pala Alpitour)
Sept. 5 - Turin, Italy   (Pala Alpitour)
Sept. 8 - Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 9 - Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 16 - Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 17 - Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 24 - Berlin   (O2 World)
Sept. 25 - Berlin   (O2 World)
Oct. 5 - Barcelona  (Palau Sant Jordi)
Oct. 6 - Barcelona  (Palau Sant Jordi)
Oct. 13 - Antwerp, Belgium  (Sportpaleis)
Oct. 14 - Antwerp, Belgium  (Sportpaleis)
Oct. 17 - Koln, Germany   (Lanxess Arena)
Oct. 18 - Koln, Germany   (Lanxess Arena)
Oct. 25 - London  (O2)
Oct. 26 - London  (O2) 
Oct. 29 - London (O2)
Oct. 30 - London  (O2)
Nov. 6 - Glasgow  (The SSE Hydro)
Nov. 7 - Glasgow  (The SSE Hydro)
Nov. 10 - Paris  (Bercy)
Nov. 11 - Paris  (Bercy) 

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

$312.40 for the best seats. Apiece. I'm waiting for the announcement that they've changed their name to U$. I would really like to see them one more time and be close, but that's nuts.

 

For what it's worth, I read somewhere yesterday that LA and New York will have 8 shows apiece. 

[opsopcopolis]

I'm gonna hope for a few dc shows next leg

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I'm expecting they'll put out Songs of Experience next fall and do a second U.S. leg in early 2016, hitting places like DC and Philadelphia that they're skipping this time. I should probably start saving for that now.