Songs of Innocence, new U2 album is available right now for free if you have an iTunes account.
A short gig was done few minutes ago after the Apple keynote.





Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-09 22:22 by Massimo68.

Link to the US-iTunes-Store:

U2 - Songs of Innocence



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-09 22:25 by Irix.

No one buys music anymore. I do not like U2, but this will help their fan friendly image. They like the Stones, make the massive bucks on tour...

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Irix
Link to the US-iTunes-Store:

U2 - Songs of Innocence

A first listen - boring, this is the worst I have heard from U2.

The new single from Garth Brooks was much better....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-09 23:54 by mtaylor.

Just downloaded it but haven't played it yet. At first I thought this must be a joke. No matter anyone's opinion of U2 you have to admit this is an amazing gesture. Good on them. A nice present for fans. Thanks guys.

Another example of super rich rock stars killing what's left of the record industry by giving away their tunes for free. In this case the tunes are so mediocre it may have influenced their decision, I certainly wouldn't buy them. peace

The price is still too high...it's going to cost me time.

And I say that as a fan of their older music....the last something or other on the horizon was like listening to paint dry.

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mtaylor

A first listen - boring, this is the worst I have heard from U2.

Maybe this is the reason why this album is for free ....

Track 2 is with or without you versión 2

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Naturalust
Another example of super rich rock stars killing what's left of the record industry by giving away their tunes for free. In this case the tunes are so mediocre it may have influenced their decision, I certainly wouldn't buy them. peace

This quote is from Bono's open letter on U2.com:


"You’ll have noticed the album is free to U2.com’ers from the band. It’s also free to everyone on iTunes thanks to Apple. To celebrate the ten year anniversary of our iPod commercial, they bought it as a gift to give to all their music customers. Free, but paid for. Because if no-one's paying anything for it, we’re not sure “free” music is really that free. It usually comes at a cost to the art form and the artist… which has big implications, not for us in U2, but for future musicians and their music... all the songs that have yet to be written by the talents of the future… who need to make a living to write them."

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Irix

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mtaylor

A first listen - boring, this is the worst I have heard from U2.

Maybe this is the reason why this album is for free ....

I am a big fan of their earlier music, but I have to say, I am disappointed.

Yeah, maybe that's why it is for free, they gave up in the middle of the road, f... give it for free on Itunes, there is more money on a tour than on a new CD, why waisting time on the CD.... and the majority of the fans wants to listen to the old stuff in a consert - isn't it so

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Papo

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Naturalust
Another example of super rich rock stars killing what's left of the record industry by giving away their tunes for free. In this case the tunes are so mediocre it may have influenced their decision, I certainly wouldn't buy them. peace

This quote is from Bono's open letter on U2.com:


"You’ll have noticed the album is free to U2.com’ers from the band. It’s also free to everyone on iTunes thanks to Apple. To celebrate the ten year anniversary of our iPod commercial, they bought it as a gift to give to all their music customers. Free, but paid for. Because if no-one's paying anything for it, we’re not sure “free” music is really that free. It usually comes at a cost to the art form and the artist… which has big implications, not for us in U2, but for future musicians and their music... all the songs that have yet to be written by the talents of the future… who need to make a living to write them."

Talk is cheap. He makes it sound like they didn't have a choice, which of course they did and he further blames Apple for the problem. Total crap, imho. peace

Bono - blah, blah, blah

You are probably right.

This is U2 Gross from 2009-2011 tour: $736,421,584

Why should they care about the revenue from max 5 million CD's.

They probably get more from being an Apple "sponsor". They are not stupid.

It must be age that has eroded their passion. Like it or not- at least they brought some belief and fire with their music; that last album, I can not even recall the title, was so lame.

The Rolling Stones used to be leaders... It should have been the Rolling Stones giving an album to its fans for free... Perhaps this will become some kind of Apple tradition..... This 'free' cd surely netted U2 a payday.... Didn't the Rolling Stones once earn millions for just licensing 'Start Me Up' for use in a Microsoft Commercial.... This is the answer... I can understand why the Stones have lost interest in creating new music.... It does not sell well, half the people that like it manage to steal it... The half that buy it, claim it sucks.... And another half fall asleep if new music is played in concert. (Yes I know that I have cited three halves - it's an homage to a "Kramer" joke from "Seinfeld")
I am one of the few thousands who like new Stones music, buy new Stones music and like hearing new Stones music in concert. But I belong to a dwindling club. And while I am ranting... May I say that in my opinion about the dumbest comment I hear on the IORR board is that so-and-so album would have been better if 3 or 4 songs had been left off.... I must be a very stupid person, as I cannot understand the logic behind this. OK, enough out of me.... Time Waits For No One... time to go

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Brstonesfan
No one buys music anymore. I do not like U2, but this will help their fan friendly image. They like the Stones, make the massive bucks on tour...

Perhaps you are the no one? Because I buy music.

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HopeYouGuessMyName
The Rolling Stones used to be leaders... It should have been the Rolling Stones giving an album to its fans for free...

Ho ho ho ho! Slow down! That would REQUIRE the Stones to RECORD a new LP!

The Stones' can't make a move like this, they are so out of the current market, 9 years with no studio album, a shame, how long it takes to record 10 tracks? They did 2 tracks in 3 days in 2012, they can make it in 2 weeks, 2 weeks of recording every 2-3 years is too much?

The real reason is the downfall of their sales in the U.S. since 40 Licks, only A Bigger Bang reached the 300k sold in the last 10 years:

Live Licks: 150k
ABB: 560k
Rarities: 140k
Shine a Light: 150k
Exile: 250k
Some Girls: 140k
Grrr: 260k
Hyde Park: 40k

In the current market, a Stones' new album could sell 300k with good promotion, with these numbers Mick is not interested.

the Some Girls Deluxe was awesome and only sold 140K. What a shame. Get the forks.

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Rip This
the EXILE Deluxe was awesome and only sold 140K. What a shame. Get the forks.

There, fixed it for ya.

SG didn't work even close to as well, considering that half the songs they put on it are crap and especially since you could only get it as a double album.

In my iTunes account, it only accesses the previews. What gives?

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TeaAtThree
In my iTunes account, it only accesses the previews. What gives?

Mine too; it keeps saying that my 'purchased' page has the lbum, which it does not.

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georgelicks
The Stones' can't make a move like this, they are so out of the current market, 9 years with no studio album, a shame, how long it takes to record 10 tracks? They did 2 tracks in 3 days in 2012, they can make it in 2 weeks, 2 weeks of recording every 2-3 years is too much?

The real reason is the downfall of their sales in the U.S. since 40 Licks, only A Bigger Bang reached the 300k sold in the last 10 years:

Live Licks: 150k
ABB: 560k
Rarities: 140k
Shine a Light: 150k
Exile: 250k
Some Girls: 140k
Grrr: 260k
Hyde Park: 40k

In the current market, a Stones' new album could sell 300k with good promotion, with these numbers Mick is not interested.

Wow, those numbers are pretty dismal. I don't know if this is a reflection on the music, the fan base or the sorry ass state of the recording industry....but I do know they would have been dropped from just about every major label with those numbers back in the day. Amazing that they can still make so much $ playing live with the sets mostly comprised of their earlier material. Nostalgia obviously pays well for the Stones. peace

U2 awful. They should pay their fans to listen.

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Naturalust
Another example of super rich rock stars killing what's left of the record industry by giving away their tunes for free.

Thats really the biggest thing. I'm a fan of this band Foxy Shazam (small indie band that I don't expect anyone to know) and they did this earlier this year. In about April, with no fanfare or anything, they just surprise released an album that is free to download through their website. But they are a small indie band no one cares about. For a major band like U2 to do this, its only making it more acceptable, and probably the way of the future. It makes a statement, and an even worse one by doing it through Apple. At least do it on your own through your website. By involving Apple, it just seems like total corporate shit.

Clearly the message here is, there is no money in album sales anymore and no one cares. See them live, either to see the hits or otherwise, and the money will go more directly to the band. I guess it goes both ways that this gets the music pretty directly to the listener, and the money for touring goes more directly to the band, but it still feels like something important is getting lost. A physical product, and a real reward for new music. I mean, come on. Do we really just rely on computers and files for EVERYTHING these days? Its pretty amazing how much has changed since even 20 years. And not to sound like an old fart, but it seems to be heading in a really bad direction.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-10 08:19 by RollingFreak.

100% correct.

Not so free on Itunes - apparently "free" for the customer, but the Apple buyer pays anyway to a higher product price!!

[blogs.wsj.com]

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frankotero
Just downloaded it but haven't played it yet. At first I thought this must be a joke. No matter anyone's opinion of U2 you have to admit this is an amazing gesture. Good on them. A nice present for fans. Thanks guys.

...Radiohead has done it, Prince has done it...
It's generous, yes; but no amazing (anymore).