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"But the real reason why it's unlikely that I will take to the front for any length of time, is that Bono can't drum." -- Larry, 2002 |
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"But the real reason why it's unlikely that I will take to the front for any length of time, is that Bono can't drum." -- Larry, 2002 |
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Column: off the record...,vol. 9-390
@U2,
December 27, 2009
I'm still nursing a present hangover from Christmas a few days ago. Having two lil' ones, there are always more presents than you'd think and not enough time in the day to find all the pieces to the new toys scattered around the house. But, when there are a few quiet moments, I'm looking forward to watching It Might Get Loud and Rattle and Hum on the Blu-Ray. My family always figures out a way to find me U2 gifts at Christmas. I hope you were as fortunate as I was this holiday season. Seeing as U2's been a part of my life for over two decades, I sort of feel that Paul McGuinness and Bono's remarks to the Irish Independent at the Leopardstown Races of the new U2 album coming in June is the gift you just can't wrap. While fans should have high hopes that the album will indeed come out when they say it will, we've all experienced that premature excitement before. However, I feel that the timing is very similar to the Achtung Baby / Zooropa releases. The Edge also mentioned to Neil McCormick that they'll be "road testing" new songs in 2010. I'll wait patiently, and maybe my Christmas wish of seeing "Mercy" officially available will come true. Well, that and seeing The Edge on the show Dancing with the Stars. A girl can dream, right?
Speaking of Christmas gifts, it seems that Harvard Business School Professor Anita Elberese has one for the music industry. Her paper, "Bye Bye Bundles: The Unbundling of Music in Digital Channels" examines consumer behavior in regard to purchasing digital music and offers a few key suggestions to improve sales figures for the weakened industry. After looking at weekly digital and hard-copy sales figures of 200 artists over a two-year period, she confirmed what many already knew: people will choose "cherry-picking" individual songs over full albums when given the chance. Professor Elberese also explores the question of, "does the number of songs on an album matter, can hit songs continue to be counted on to stimulate album sales, and will superstar artists benefit from the trend toward unbundling?" To me, this also poses an interesting question from an artistic standpoint: what is the future of an entire album telling a story versus just being merely a collection of songs with no cohesive tie. The paper is a fascinating read and provides a bit of scientific insight into what we all do as consumers. As much as some may want to believe that the issues at hand are almost solely a byproduct of illegal downloading, it's far more than that. It's about choice and personal preference, and this is proven by Professor Elberese. I also believe that consumers are finally becoming fed up with the status quo of what is presented to them on the radio and on the television. For example, the U.K. Christmas No. 1 was directly as a result of people on Facebook who were revolting over the show X Factor. Within a fortnight, people were able to organize themselves and collectively work together to make Rage Against the Machine’s "Killing in the Name" the top selling single because they were fed up with Simon Cowell's stronghold on the charts with all of the reality show contestants from X Factor. Rage Against the Machine issued a statement where they said, "This is a huge victory by and for fans of real music and we extend our heartfelt thanks to every fan and freedom fighter who helped make our anthem of defiance and rebellion the Anarchy Christmas Miracle of 2009." As a consumer myself, I am finding it harder and harder to find music that speaks to me on the radio. I'm a bit old fashioned in that I enjoy listening to the radio. I've joined the demographic that the industry isn't catering to: the overtired minivan soccer mom who wants to escape in a good melody and lyrics that aren't a waste of time. Sure, we've got the new age crooners like Michael Buble and Josh Grobin, but I want to ROCK! So, what is there out there for me? I rely on the radio to be my guide and unfortunately it continues to be full of the same repetitive music by the same rotation of artists. It frustrated me to no end that I couldn't hear new U2 music on any local radio station in the same frequency as Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears. So, when looking at the year-end Billboard charts for 2009, it's no surprise that U2 didn't rank as well as one would have liked. Radio just wasn't playing them. I find this even more interesting given that during the band's "Three Nights Live" promotional push in March, they specifically targeted radio for their endeavor. The band went out of its way to meet with and thank radio station representatives. The Edge also explained the importance of re-engaging with everybody on a one-to-one level including those in retail and in radio. Now, while "Get On Your Boots" may not have been the best first single off the album, it boggles my mind as to why "Magnificent" or "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" didn’t get that type of heavy rotation. Then again, the average casual U2 fan wouldn't be able to tell you the official singles off No Line on the Horizon, let alone the order of release. (For those counting: "Get On Your Boots," "Magnificent," "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," and the proposed fourth single "Moment of Surrender.") So, did something get lost along the way? Were these songs not radio-friendly? Was it because the songs consumers digitally cherry-picked weren't the ones the band released as singles? Could it have been that radio stations did not feel inclined to play U2's new music? Was there too much promotion for the U2360 Tour and not enough done to push the album and its songs? This minivan driving soccer mom wishes she had the answers, but Professor Elberese does a good job in helping understand why I'm feeling the way that I am about the industry in general.
Am I the only one who is glad Bono ditched his eyeliner earlier this year?
And finally, one of my favorite U2 moments of 2009. Merry holidays to all and to all a Happy New Year! © @U2/Lawrence, 2009.
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