OT: New U2 Tracks Leaked, Band Posts Tracks on MySpace

[Voyager]

U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon, has leaked, thanks to an error by the Aussie arm of the band's label. And it's already been downloaded a couple hundred thousand times. It's that sum of fears that the Dublin four piece had been trying to avoid. Review copies weren't sent out for the new album, for fear of leaks, and were replaced with no-recording-devices-allowed listening parties. The band's manager, Paul McGuinness, has been an outspoken on the matter of illegal downloads. But the leak (and it would have been great to listen in on McGuinness' call to Universal Australia) prompted the band to throw its hands up and post No Line on The Horizon in its entirety on MySpace on Friday.

But, aside from a few sales lost, is this really a bad thing for the band? Not at all. This is bringing the kind of word of mouth that the band needs right now. The album's first single, Get on Your Boots, was met with lukewarm response. The announcement of their five-night residency on Letterman was met with shoulder shrugs. But now, with the complete album leaked, No Line on the Horizon has been met with glowing reviews (we'll have our own review next week, as well as a chat with the record's co-writer/producer Daniel Lanois).

And unlike last year's big event album, Axl Rose's Chinese Democracy, which also leaked and was subsequently posted on MySpace, people will still buy this album, because U2 still has a massive fan base. U2 are a safe bet to clean up at next year's Grammys. The band is about to cash in ($25 million worth) on their Live Nation deal, and a no-expense-spared stage extravaganza will surely follow this spring. And the generation called X – squirming in the eye of the recession – will find comfort in the band that they slow-danced their first slow-dance to, that echoed through the halls of dorms in first year and made the disco album that they secretly rocked out to even when they were telling everyone that the band had lost it.

What do you think of the new track(s)?

http://www.myspace.com/u2

I only see one track on there, but the news article said they had the whole album on there.

Here's a video of the new single off the album: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... d=51841276

Is anyone planning to see them when they go on tour for the album? I saw them a few years ago and they rocked.

[stevew2]

I think Get your boots on sucks

[Voyager]

I think Get your boots on sucks

It does sound pretty bland. Unless The Edge throws in some killer guitar effects into the song (delay, flanger, etc.) it sounds dry and dull. It's like listening to Rush without Geddy playing his synthesizer (i.e. Vapor Trails, which I thought sucked). If they end up releasing tracks that are better than this one, I will buy the album. But otherwise I will go see them in concert just to see them play their old catalog.

[Don]

Click on the featured playlist drop down menu and you can select all the tracks from the album. I'm digging it. It's different but that's how they stay relevant I guess. The boot song is one of the weakest ones so give everything else a listen.

[Voyager]

Click on the featured playlist drop down menu and you can select all the tracks from the album. I'm digging it. It's different but that's how they stay relevant I guess. The boot song is one of the weakest ones so give everything else a listen.

Thanks!

[Don]

Magnificent reminds me of some tracks on October, my favorite album by them.

Look at the number of plays already, this album is going to sell, the fans are still there for this group.

[Jana]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

[Don]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

If you don't like the new Bono as much as you liked the old Bono, you're not keeping the faith.
Bono fan=Arnel Hater

[Jana]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

If you don't like the new Bono as much as you liked the old Bono, you're not keeping the faith.
Bono fan=Arnel Hater

ha-ha. Aren't we funny tonight. lol:

[JH'sTXfan]

I immediately thought of this song when I listened to Get on Your Boots. I'm not the only one who heard it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihO74Pz ... re=related

[stevew2]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

If you don't like the new Bono as much as you liked the old Bono, you're not keeping the faith.
Bono fan=Arnel Hater

i know a certain Keyboard player that loves any Bono

[S2M]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

If you don't like the new Bono as much as you liked the old Bono, you're not keeping the faith.
Bono fan=Arnel Hater

i know a certain Keyboard player that loves any Bono

No, that would be BONER......

[stevew2]

Well, naturally I will support my favorite band and buy it. I've stated b/f I think the first single isn't good and is a slight rip-off of Vertigo in places. But I have faith I will love this album.

If you don't like the new Bono as much as you liked the old Bono, you're not keeping the faith.
Bono fan=Arnel Hater

i know a certain Keyboard player that loves any Bono

No, that would be BONER......

i do misspell from time to time

[Red13JoePa]

I think Get your boots on sucks

Agreed, not a hook to be found (same as Vertigo for me, which was the best of an extremely lackluster How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which followed up the boring All That You Can't Leave Behind)...Looks like they're sticking to the template of "Lead W/ A Big Rocker ala Beautiful Day (of which that and Elevation were the last 2 good songs they made) and then follow up the rest w/ Bono's pet weird quirky ballads...

I was pissed after buying the last 2 records which based on first singles sounded like Edgefests only to come out as wanna be operas.

[WalrusOct9]

This is gonna be a tough sell....there isn't a single within 500 miles of this album. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but it's got very, very few hooks. Seems like they put all their effort into the sound and Eno-izing the thing instead of writing strong melodies and choruses.

[Red13JoePa]

This is gonna be a tough sell....there isn't a single within 500 miles of this album. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but it's got very, very few hooks. Seems like they put all their effort into the sound and Eno-izing the thing instead of writing strong melodies and choruses.

I think it's been like that, aside from Beautiful Day and Elevation for the entire last 2 albums and Boots IS Vertigo where you HEAR the guitars going hard and stuff but it just falls flat as hell.

[Ehwmatt]

I really liked "The City of Blinding Lights" off one of those recent ones. Take or leave some of the other singles like Elevation, Vertigo, and Beautiful Day... ok songs, not gonna go out of my way to listen to them. I haven't heard much good about what's been released from this upcoming album so far.

[kusweetcakes]

The few reviews I have seen are all good. The same points found in each of them....the sound/music is different, but intriguing. One even compared it to the Joshua Tree. They manage to stay current after all of these years. Bono has been quoted saying that when it stops being new...they quit.
I like it! But then again...I love U2.

[JRNYFan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the new album if forgettable. There wasn't a single song that stood out. It was one of the flattest albums I've ever heard.

[Amanda]

They're apparently taping a show for GMA at Fordham University next Friday. There's been security notices around campus cancelling classes.

[WalrusOct9]

Yeah. U2 has been my favorite band for my entire adult life...and it really hurts me to say how much this album doesn't move me. I can't say it's bad...they're certainly trying really, really hard, and there's nothing particularly bad about it (like, say, the equivalent of Ross Valory singing lead), but nothing really sticks with you, either, which is kind of the whole purpose of a poppy singles-driven band like U2.

[Blueskies]

I've liked U2 for a long time and I have much of their catalog and have seen them in concert a few times but this is lackluster, imo. Many of the songs have long monotonous , meandering beginnings before it ever gets to the main body of the song. I also find much of it to be rambling and not cohesive lyrically. Most of all FEZ- Being Born just sounds like a mess.
Overall I don't care much for this one but with that said....
Get On Your Boots has a throwback groovy vibe musically. Although it also has a long beginning I kinda like Magnificent. Stand Up Comedy is kinda cool. The one that stands out from the rest that I like the most out of all of it is I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight..sound wise and it shows a little humor lyrically.