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"Product RED cannot replace activism. For anyone who thinks I'm going to retire to the boardroom and stop banging my fist on the door of No. 10, I'm sorry to disappoint you." -- Bono, 2006 |
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"Product RED cannot replace activism. For anyone who thinks I'm going to retire to the boardroom and stop banging my fist on the door of No. 10, I'm sorry to disappoint you." -- Bono, 2006 |
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Column: off the record...,vol. 9-387
@U2,
December 06, 2009
I wonder what U2's expectations were before last week's announcement of the GRAMMY nominees. Did they expect to have their name announced a lot, simply because the Recording Academy has shown an undying love for all things U2 this decade? Or were their expectations lowered by the realization that No Line wasn't received by the music-buying public as well as the last two albums were? I have to think getting only three nominations -- and, more importantly, none in the major categories (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year) -- is a pretty big disappointment for them. I have to think that "Magnificent" being shut-out completely is a disappointment; most would agree it's the most traditional U2-sounding song on the album and the one that would've fit just fine on either of the last two multi-GRAMMY Award-winning albums. It might be tempting to think that U2 doesn't care about awards, about the Grammies; they don't really matter. But there's recent evidence to suggest they do care. In 2006, Edge put his name and picture on a GRAMMY ad campaign where he says, "Nothing gives you the news on your latest record better than how you do at the GRAMMYS." Also, have a look at pg. 303 in U2 by U2, where Larry says this:
I think they do care. But the bigger question for me, as a fan, is what happens next? How will this impact U2's future plans? Just as the reaction to Pop and PopMart had a big impact on U2's direction, it's possible that what the band perceives as a poor reaction to No Line (in terms of both album sales and a near-rejection by the GRAMMYS) might have a big impact on what they do next. Think back to this Rolling Stone article two months ago where the band talks about the various musical choices that are in front of them. Will they pass on putting out Songs Of Ascent because that's essentially part two of No Line On The Horizon? Will they instead go for something more rock-oriented, like the Spider-Man songs? It's worth thinking about.... On a more immediate note, I'll be watching Spectacle on The Sundance Channel thanks to DirecTV's anniversary gift. Since I've been a customer since December 2000, they gave me three free months of the Showtime package, which just happens to include TSC. Nice. If you need a reminder of what happened at the recording in Toronto in September, we have the recap on U2tours.com. But (SPOILER ALERT) one of our readers already watched it via Time Warner On Demand and sent in this recap:
So there ya go. Thx JP. It's also on DirecTV On Demand right now, too, if you're curious. If you're an Aung San Suu Kyi fan, you'll like this new Chrysler commercial which calls for her release. (found via the @U2 Forum) Self-promotion: If you're looking for gifts for fellow U2 fans, may I invite you to consider getting them U2 - A Diary? Thx. End of self-promotion. And finally ...speaking of gifts, the perfect gift for the U2-loving canine in your family.
See you next time! (c) @U2, 2009.
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