In light of Songs of Experience

U2 has a new album out? (and I'm being serious)

It hasn’t charted too well in the UK - number 5. THINFS landed in the same spot and that was Bon Jovi’s lowest UK chart position since 7800 if I’m not wrong. Bon Jovi also botched the promotion of the album by doing it weeks in advance with little promotion around the actual release.

Songs of Innocence also charted at 5 in the UK.

I’m shocked to be honest that U2 have charted that low. Wonder how it’ll do in the US.

I know chart positions don’t equal quality but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Considering I heard nothing about an album or single, I'd predict not too well..

Just Googled. Billboard reckon it’s on course for number one. They did SNL last week but, living in Ireland, I’ve no idea what other promo they’ve done in the US.

Songs of Innocence only charted at 9 in the US but the whole release strategy with Apple probably impacted sales.

Incidentally, looking at recent releases of U2 on Wikipedia, they haven’t half released some crap over the last few years in terms of live albums, greatest hits and the like. Allied to the fact that they toured The Joshua Tree on the 30th anniversary, U2 have sort of become what Jon has been determined not to be - blatantly reliant on nostalgia.

They’ve milked their catalogue far more than Bon Jovi yet Jovi get hammered far more for being a commercial band...

I think with JBJ, it really is that drive to prove he's "still got it". Releasing a greatest hits collection will not prove that to him, won't feed his ego and won't bring him that validation. He'll readily use modern production, outside songwriters, commercial sound - but to create something that proves to him that he and his new releases still resonate with the public. He wants that outside affirmation, which is why the failure of, for example, Everyday probably hurt him quite a bit; if he didn't care about that the track would've been on the GH. But he does care.

Some fair points. Jon really does want to prove he’s still relevant. Sadly, in my opinion, some of that is to his detriment. Everyday tried to recreate IML and came across as very plastic and forced. I’ve been listening a lot to These Days recently and the difference in songwriting between that and Crush/Bounce is massive in my view. These Days is so much more honest and real.

Thing with U2 is, here in Ireland they get a lot of stick, particularly Bono, because they moved their tax affairs to Holland to get a lower tax rate. Bono even went as far as to say “we’re a business so you can’t really complain when a business behaves like a business.”

If Jon said that he’d be absolutely hammered. For all the love they get, and most of it is deserved, U2 are every bit as commercially motivated as Bon Jovi if not more so.

It's a combination of a few things...

The rock industry is dead... The music industry changed...Aged rocks stars... losing talents...

I think Jon still has amazing song writing abilities but if he can't deliver with high notes and raw passion, he's only going to satisfy his core fans... Overusing production is like using too much CGI...

It's not like TD was NOT influenced by the sounds of its time, either. "Real" music sold better in the 90s, and BJ were one of the few 80s acts who could pull that off without alienating their core fanbase but still getting radio play.

yeah right. What the heck gives you that idea? Just because rock that is written right now doesn't have mindless shredding up and down a guitar doesn't mean it's dead. Rock music as YOU know it is dead. Just like there was no 60s sounding new rock bands in the 80s, there are no 80s sounding rock bands in the 2010's.

X Ambassadors, Walk The Moon, July Talk, Nathaniel Ratecliff and the Night sweats, Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots are all new bands that rock hard, and everyone knows who they are.

I'm a big fan of U2, and I must say that Bon Jovi should not have to follow that path.

Songs of Experience is a great album, but it is not a masterpiece or anything like that. I think it's slightly better than SOI in terms of production and lyrics, but basically the two albums complement each other well.

In my opinion I think this new album is missing a couple of rock songs or with some more movement. SOE is not innovative either, it just sounds very cool and has a lot of enjoyable songs but is ok.

To give you an idea, the album is produced by 9 different producers: Jacknife Lee, Ryan Tedder, Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow, Jolyon Thomas, Brent Kutzle, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse and Declan Gaffney. And other non-accredited producers worked for a while on them as well.

This album corrects some problems that Songs of Innocence had, and I think that many media praise that with a nod to the title of the album.

The only thing I can say, is that U2 makes a bigger effort than Jon in the search for new sounds, styles and surpass himself.

Jon is too comfortable with his usual collaborators. Producers and external composers are not always good, and over time, things become more routine. Do not get me wrong, they do a good job but they have not impressed anyone for a long time.

That's why I do not like that John Shanks is still the producer, because we get similar results despite wanting to offer something fresher than in previous albums. Bon Jovi should not sound more pop, I would say that on the contrary, Jon has to go back to rock. You have Phil X, take advantage, it's a good time. One of the most important things that Bon Jovi's albums have lost is the energy that was in their albums. Everything feels a little mechanical and boring.

In my opinion they are still stuck in the same style of music that started with Crush but something more worn. It would be interesting that Jon found a new sound completely different from that obtained in recent years, and start a new way / shape.