U2start.com | So did they get it right?

Beginning of last year, Bono in Q Magazine:

''If we get this right, 2009 will be our year.''

So, did they?? And was it their year??

Thoughts please.

kezman

15 years

I'm still undecided,sometimes i love 360 sometimes i think theres something missing.
I think the album was great but not their best and the time was right to go huge and play a big outdoor tour again.
But I have also really grown to dislike Boots!

aussiemofo

15 years

Good question.
I think you've gotta say no.
Don't get me wrong they've had a decent year, but their own marketing decisions have really let them down.
They certainly didn't "own" 2009 like they did with 1992, 2001 and to a lesser extent 2005.
In fact, down here if you're a regular person (ie non-U2 freak) you could be forgiven for being blissfully unaware that they put out a new album this year.
They got stuff all attention in Oz. The only time they were on our tv screens was for Obama's inauguration and a bit of the Berlin Wall celebrations.
No radio play has really hurt them down here. They'll still sell out stadiums but stations have literally tuned off.
Also, the general public probably wouldn't have known they were on tour.
2010 on the other hand.....

yuri31

15 years

My answer is no. The album is great, so is the tour, but a rather under average commercial success makes this year belong to someone else. 2009 has definitely been a U2's year for us fans, though.

vanquish

15 years

Yea compared to ATYCLB and HTDAAB, NLOTH was like a damp firecracker, went unnoticed by most people, except critics and U2 fans.

The band's poor choice of singles are largely to blame

drewhiggins

15 years

Originally posted by vanquish:Yea compared to ATYCLB and HTDAAB, NLOTH was like a damp firecracker, went unnoticed by most people, except critics and U2 fans.

The band's poor choice of singles are largely to blame

The songs that should have been released first wouldn't have worked as singles either. Breathe, Crazy Tonight and maybe Stand Up might have worked but the others which I see as being better first singles - and getting better reception from the press and media and people who aren't even U2 fans at the shows - would have to be chopped up pretty badly.

It's not really a singles or radio album and I'm fine with that. It worked for me, it worked for others and the rest have got their other two 'masterpieces'. We'll see next decade.

In fact, down here if you're a regular person (ie non-U2 freak) you could be forgiven for being blissfully unaware that they put out a new album this year.
They got stuff all attention in Oz. The only time they were on our tv screens was for Obama's inauguration and a bit of the Berlin Wall celebrations.

I saw nearly no advertising for the album before it was released or even after. Same as the remasters - nobody in the stores even knew TUF was being released. They kept thinking I was asking for 'Fire' - which by god I would never order that horrible song as a single.

And then the singles being delayed or even not released here on common formats with way too many remixes or butchered live tracks. We did see the Letterman five-night shows here though, but it wasn't even advertised. People in the UK and US must have been more than aware of it though. Does anyone think it had to do with the cover and that putting people off? It's a strange thought but if I wasn't a U2 fan but a rock fan I wouldn't have touched HTDAAB either based on that cover.

U2sBiggestFan

15 years

for me personaly yes, there best album in 18 years, and my first consert, but generally i would say no.
They had the songs and the tour but did'nt advertise the album right.
GOYB was a bad first single, should of been Breathe then MOS, NLOTH and UC

Janus02

15 years

I have to say no. NOLINE is an ok album. But if you compare Boots-Vertigo, Breathe-BD, NOLINE- Elevation...

.The tour was good but i think 360 is/was to big for them.

Risto

15 years

Other songs as singles wouldnt work as well.

I think the songs are just not hitting the right things in most peoples mind. Also the strange 'release after month of radioplay' didnt work as they expected.

We have to face that U2 needs to come with something better if they want to 'own' a year.

drewhiggins

15 years

Originally posted by Risto:I think the songs are just not hitting the right things in most peoples mind. Also the strange 'release after month of radioplay' didnt work as they expected.

People have forgotten about any album by the time a month goes by.

''Have U2 released anything recently? Ah yeah - that song about sexy boots!! That was so shit...I wonder if there's gonna be an album...''

It's like I have a really good steak on January 31. Then I have another good steak but the steak on January 31 was better. Can I remember how good that steak was on January 31, even though I'd like to imagine I can? No, so why is an album any different? It isn't.

RememberEveryMoment

15 years

For me, yes. For themselves: no. No hit single, no massive album selling-wise, although the tour really went off.

tapdj

15 years

I think they missed their mark in a few ways this time around. First of all, the album should have had much better lyrics. While some songs were very good, they all included stupid lyrics. It seemed like they couldn't write a complete song without using throw away lines. They must go back to writing meaningful songs. At many of the shows, the audience was leaving the arena before the show was over. Did this happen during other tours? While MOS is IMO the best song on the album, it did not keep people in the stands at the end of the show. I saw 360 in NY and Tampa. I was shocked that people were heading for the exits while U2 was still on stage. Maybe 2010 will be theirs but there's work to be done for sure.

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