Never one to bite his tongue, Bono is blaming sluggish sales of U2’s latest album, “No Line on the Horizon” on the listening habits of the public.
After getting off to a good start upon its’ release last winter, “Horizon” struggled to get past the million-sold mark. Among albums released in 2009, it’s the year’s fifth biggest seller, behind Eminem, Jay-Z, The Black Eyed Peas and the “Hannah Montana” movie soundtrack. “I suppose we’ve made a work that is a bit challenging for people who have grown up on a diet of pop stars”, Bono said in a recent interview.
Um, Bono, check it out. Remember back when “The Joshua Tree” came out in 1987? There was mindless pop music all over the airwaves then, and you guys still sold a shit-ton of records. The issue, my fine Irish friends, is quantity. “Horizon” was far from a great U2 album. It very quickly made its’ way to the back of my collection after just a few cursory listens. Judging from the reviews of the album in print and on the ‘Net, I’m definitely not the only person who feels that way. When your album sucks, blame yourself-don’t blame the public for not “getting it”. It’s not our fault that your first single was a lazy rewrite of the first single from the last album.
Granted, Bono’s prone to outlandish statements, and I usually ride for the guy. I think he’s a genius songwriter, a fantastic vocalist and the consummate rock showman. This time, though, the man is WRONG. Come up with some strong songs and I’m sure the fans will be back in droves.
