"Selling is What Selling Sells." - Joe Strummer

Still haven't listened to U2's "Global Spam Record" yet. See my post "No Thanks U2!" Probably won't for awhile. I am a "spurned lover," nothing worse. I am totally pissed off that one of my favorite bands totally subsumed themselves into a corporate marketing campaign.  A big, powerful, popular band, that could basically do anything they wanted to do. A band that answers to no one.

It's the way that they released the record that really rubs me the wrong way. SPAM! Free Junk Mail! Talk about devaluing the music, devaluing Art. I just hate it! Still it did generate lots of opinion and good writing.

Terry Flamm at Broken Hearted Toy liked it - "Another keeper from this veteran Irish band." Greg Kot and Jim Derogotis of Sound Opinions "double trashed" it! Here's from the kinder and gentler Kot: "This is what a dinosaur does in it's last days." 

And maybe my favorite article is this from Jacobin Magazine - "This is what Capitalism does to music." What a great take-down. And this really, really pisses me off: "Both Bono and bass player Adam Clayton publicly lamented the dip in sales for 'No Line on the Horizon.'"

What's funny, I actually loved "No Line on the Horizon," I think it's a rich, layered, beautifully realized record.  It sold over 5 million copies! WTF!

So I guess it's just about the sales, the marketing and how many units sold.  How pathetic... 5 Million sold doesn't cut the mustard? I think of Nick Drake, of Big Star, of Van Morrison, of Sonic Youth, the Clash, the Ramones, the Velvet Underground, of all those great legendary bands who did great work, dying to be heard, dying for an audience.

"How much of this album was designed simply to sell itself?" Makes me think of U2 like toothpaste, like toilet paper, like a box of paper clips - except maybe less useful!