"Bomb" Away: U2 Piracy Nightmare by Charlie Amter Nov 9, 2004, 8:45 AM PT This isn't the kind of bomb U2 expected to be dropped. Pirated copies of the Irish group's forthcoming How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb hit file-sharing sites late last week--some two weeks before disc's official release date. The disc has long been scheduled to drop Nov. 23. Paul McGuinness, the band's manager, is reportedly in high-level discussions this week with both the band's label, Interscope, and Apple iTunes executives in an effort to possibly move up the album's release date to stave off wholesale looting of the band's 11th studio record. The move would certainly not be an unprecedented one this fall. Several high-profile fourth-quarter releases have already seen their release dates moved up due to piracy concerns. Eminem's new release, Encore, was just moved up four days, to Nov. 12; shortly thereafter, Geffen Records announced it was bumping up Snoop Dogg's new album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, one week, to Nov. 16. While cursory searches of several file-sharing sites have so far failed to turn up any Snoop or Eminem tracks (the latter's two new singles notwithstanding), there are now several new U2 songs in circulation. Aside from the lead single "Vertigo," at least two other cuts--"City of Blinding Lights" and "Miracle Drug"--are making the rounds on the Web to the consternation of record execs but to the delight of fans, who can't wait to get a hold of the new (and by all accounts stellar) material. The music represents the band's first new studio set in nearly four years, and those who have heard the disc are already saying it is the band's best work since The Joshua Tree. Earlier this year, the band reported the theft of an early, unfinished version of Atomic Bomb while the band was recording in France. Whether or not that MIA disc represents the source of the Internet leak is not clear. After the France July theft, Bono said he would rush-release the album online to counteract piracy. "If it is on the Internet this week," he said, "we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops [as soon as possible]…Once it's out, it's out." Such a move could compromise the U2's carefully orchestrated promotional schedule. The band's music is already getting crucial prime-time exposure via Apple's ubiquitous iTunes spots featuring "Vertigo" and a new black U2 iPod is due in stores later this month. Meanwhile, the Grammy winners' music has been appearing on CSI and The O.C. and the group is confirmed as the Nov. 20 musical guest on Saturday Night Live. link The whole album is out. I don't know why the article mentions only 2 other songs being out there. Anyways, I hope the release date gets pushed up, I can't wait to get the album. I've heard the songs "City of Blinding Lights" and "All Because of You," I have mp3s of bootlegs from when they played those songs live on Top of the Pops. They are excellent songs and I hope the rest of the album is as good. Can't wait to hear what those two sound like on the CD.
I think if artists and record companies are worried about leaks and such, they should not distribute ANY copies to anyone, press, media, whatnot, until the day of the official release.
Yeah- I've been hearing Vertigo on several radio stations. It's probably on digital radio, which means people could be just bootlegging the radio feeds. Are they expecting the music to be on the radio, but not on the internet? That's just stoopid. -- droxford
I love U2. Been with them from the very beginning. Still have Boy, October and War on vinyl. But I'm going to go crazy if I hear that one, two, three, catorce TV commercial one more time. They play it every 5 minutes.
What album hasnt been leaked on the internet early? It seems like we have a thread about this every couple of days.
I hate U2, their song in the IPod commercial are freaking annoying, it drove me nuts after hearing it for a dozen times.
From what I've read on U2 message boards, it sounds like the tracks were ripped from a CD. Now, I know that there were 3 copies that were used for press and other media. They were each kept in locked briefcases and handcuffed to the courier. So I don't think the songs leaked from presenting them to the press. It's either the CD that was stolen at a photoshoot in France (that was supposedly unfinished versions), or they are already making the CDs and somebody smuggled one out of the factory.
Somehow I doubt many people really care(or knew) about Snoop's new album. I heard his latest song "Drop It Like It's Hot" and I'd love to drop it alright because it sucks ass.
Since the phrase jumping the shark has itself jumped the shark, maybe we can invent a new one and apply it to U2's new album. Something like "turned into Sting?" Let's try it out: "man, Wes Anderson has really turned into Sting with his latest movie." We'll work on it. Turned into Sting just about fits "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." By turning into Sting, I mean that U2's newest record will save the rainforest, man, (as well as the endangered Jaguar) and **** Trudie Styler for 15 hours straight! Either that, or it will induce office temps all over the world to order that third margarita and cut loooose! It's boring, man. I fell for the Old Fan Hype head fake and the aural equivalent of Greg Ostertag dunked on me. Four years for this? With the exception of about three songs it is as safe and intoxicating as milk. They just aren't a very adventurous band anymore. Anybody else have thoughts on this one?
Is the song the problem or the repeatance of it because we got decked in with so many commercials all time, everywhere, all the time, always, 24/7. Almost every song gets annoying when you hear it too many times. So blame it on IPod then on the band.
yeah what's up with that? i don't like the song though, maybe it's just from the commercial but it's kinda weak anyway. i do like u2 though so i'll probably listen to the album at some point.
How you gon try diss Snoop? At least the Neptunes are trying something new and daring (by current pop standards). I guess some people just love their Lil' Jon records too much. Linkarooni "The first single, from the album, the Neptunes' produced "Drop It Like It's Hot," has raced up the charts and is currently a #1 single at Urban radio and #4 at Crossover radio... The single's alluring black and white video, directed by Paul Hunter (which features Snoop's two sons) is the #1 video on the BET as well as #1 on the channels countdown show 106th & Park. MTV is all over the video putting it in Big Ten rotation, the station's heaviest rotation. As the New York Times urged, "Watch Paul Hunter's beautiful black-and-white video and you can see performers and dancer's testing the limits of cool..." The buzz from the single is so hot that Jay-Z flew Snoop into New York earlier this week to perform the song with the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams at his sold out Madison Square Garden to show. Needless to say it was a tremendous performance on a show that was like one huge highlight reel." An aside: U2 have been mind-numbingly boring for many years now. YAWNNNN
A friend of mine gave me this a few days ago as well..... A few very good songs, but its mostly hit and miss IMO. Worth buying and I probably will.
they say 14 cause this is their 14th album! 1980 Boy 1981 October 1983 War 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky 1984 The Unforgettable Fire 1985 Wide Awake in America [EP] 1987 The Joshua Tree 1988 Rattle and Hum 1991 Achtung Baby 1993 Zooropa 1995 Original Soundtracks No. 1 [Passengers] 1997 Pop 2000 All That You Can't Leave Behind 2004 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
