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  1. Originally posted by BelgianBono:Anyone has any idea what the response of the general public is ?

    Most (all) people that I know and listened to it think it's really bad...
    Reviews over here were almost always negative as well.

    General public's response to the album or the promo shows?

    If you're talking about the album, the initial response was negative because of the "invasive" release, but browsing through most of the social media outlets, I've found that the comments are now mostly positive and/or decry people for complaining about getting free music. The sales numbers have been really impressive in spite of the fact that the album has been free for a while. Personally, people I know who aren't hardcore U2 fans generally like the album.
  2. Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]

    General public's response to the album or the promo shows?

    If you're talking about the album, the initial response was negative because of the "invasive" release, but browsing through most of the social media outlets, I've found that the comments are now mostly positive and/or decry people for complaining about getting free music. The sales numbers have been really impressive in spite of the fact that the album has been free for a while. Personally, people I know who aren't hardcore U2 fans generally like the album.

    Yes, indeed. My girlfriend likes it and listens to it. She keeps saying she's impressed, pulling out an album like this at 54 etc. She wasn't a fan of NLOTH (at all; yet it *is* a good album!).
  3. Oh yeah, that's one more thing people totally overlook. The sheer ridiculousness of U2 being able to pull off something like this at their age.

    The equivalent of this for most people around my age (mid to early 20s) would be if their parents pulled off something like this. Not only did they pull off the publicity stunt, but the product is at the very least decent by the standards of all, if not most, reputable sources.
  4. In the Netherlands The Foo Fighters are the talk the town followed by our Irish friends. I think that is an impresive fact because there has not been much talk about U2 in the Dutch music and general media over the last decade.
  5. My girlfriend likes SOI very much, She is not a U2 fan, likes only the big hits. My dad (70) also likes SOI, he is more a specific fan of U2 songs in general,

    I think the way SOI is launched by Apple has a negative influence on appreciation of the album SOI, especially on so called traditional musiclovers in general.
    And also Bono's "popularity" is a big issue in bashing U2 nowadays.

    And there is a category of U2 diehard fans who are very very critical on what U2 is doing and every new album comparing with The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. (Springsteen has also this category of "fans"s so it is not typical U2).

    in 2024 they think SOI is a great album, underestimated. Like nowadays is happening with POP.
  6. To be honest, and I'm sure this is going to ruffle a lot of feathers, I think the U2 classics of old don't really hold up as well as they used to. Obviously, they are still incredibly impactful when performed live, which is to be expected from a band like U2. But the times have changed so much that if U2 were to release The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby today, both would fall short. There's also a fair point to be made that the success of SOI should be attributed to the success of U2's past albums, but again a band doesn't thrive for 30 years by releasing more of the same thing.
  7. That’s a bit of a silly argument, I think. Nothing released 30 years ago would hold up today. Nothing was avant garde enough to bridge that gap; artistically or technically.
  8. Originally posted by ahn1991:To be honest, and I'm sure this is going to ruffle a lot of feathers, I think the U2 classics of old don't really hold up as well as they used to. Obviously, they are still incredibly impactful when performed live, which is to be expected from a band like U2. But the times have changed so much that if U2 were to release The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby today, both would fall short. There's also a fair point to be made that the success of SOI should be attributed to the success of U2's past albums, but again a band doesn't thrive for 30 years by releasing more of the same thing.

    It doesn't really ruffle a lot of feathers when it is an irrelevant and absurd point to make. No offence.
  9. I don't think it is an irrelevant and absurd point, although I also in part disagree. The biggest albums, e.g. Dark Side of the Moon, probably wouldn't fall flat today. Would AB fall flat today? I think the lead singles would still be successful. They're good.

    There's also that U2 are getting towards the grandparents stage, and that doesn't ryhme well with rock n roll. Bono's voice is half shot. It's hard to be on MTV every hour at that age. In this respect, I certainly agree, although I think the point suggested was that U2's classics are somewhat dated.

    In any event, SOE will be their new JT/AB, and will sell 15 millions! That's a truly irrelevant and absurd point to make, but it is an important one and I like making it
  10. It's a pointless discussion (today's music market is RADICALLY different to 1987's or 1991's, so comparisons are not valid) and not really relevant to the SOI discussion.
  11. But in any way SOI is masterpiece. Period.
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.