Comments on: U2 To Enter Digital Visual Age & More!

By: ZooTV8

ZooTV8 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:01:05 +0000

Paul McGinness is a brilliantly talented and often savage “behind the scenes” business man; he keenly knows and understands how to market his clients –or more appropriately, his product. Mr. McGinness’ forethought to retain U2’s absolute publishing and distribution rights to their entire catalog before ever signing the band to a recording contract is akin to George Lucas striking a right-retaining marketing deal with 20th Century Fox and Kenney Toys (Hasbro); both contracts have netted the respective corporations (NOT US, Ltd. And LucasFilm, Ltd.) billions of dollars in revenue.

I once met Mr. McGinness on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL, USA, sticking out my business suit-clad arm to shake his hand and offer him my personal gratitude and congratulations on his and U2’s ongoing success. To this Mr. McGinness responded by giving me a once over glance and asked, “Who are you, exactly?” He did not shake my hand or offer thanks for my appreciation!

Let’s not forget that Neil McCormick is Bono’s doppelganger, so he’s guaranteed a pleasant conversation with Mr. McGinness. However, I’m not sure you (read, the normal, profit generating fan) would want to sit down with Mr. McGinness at length…

Just one person’s personal feeling…

By: caravox

caravox — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:19:41 +0000

Regarding the digital co-efficient McGuinness mentions, it sounds like interactive visual artwork of some sort packaged with a digital download, which may or may not be what people actually care about, but I’m interested to see what it is exactly. If he is hyping it, I am sure it is something unique that we haven’t seen before from other artists.

The idea that they want to create a package that goes beyond just a mere digital audio file, and make something with added value that people want to pay for, is actually not such a bad thing.

Of course, all we really care about is: please let the MUSIC on this new album be awesome.

(Sidenote: I think that the interview of McGuinness was actually done by Neil McCormick and the Paul MacInnes guy is just paraphrasing it.)

By: Edwardo

Edwardo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:57:32 +0000

Seems a little clearer here - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/31/bmutwo131.xml.

“”The artwork surrounding the release of new music from an artist that you’re interested in is, in many ways, just as interesting as the music. I can remember when carrying a 12-inch LP down the street was almost an expression of the kind of person you were, every bit as significant as what you wore or how you cut your hair. These things evolve, but I think the industry as a whole is missing the opportunity to produce the digital visual coefficient [of an album sleeve]. And watch this space because it’s something U2 are addressing on their next album.”"

By: SirenSong

SirenSong — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:14:48 +0000

I just can’t get too excited about this. McGuinness does not make a very good salesman for the group.

By: Silvrlvr

Silvrlvr — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:35:14 +0000

Paul McGuinness is interviewed ALL THE TIME, which is how we know he hates us downloaders who’ve ruined the music business (never mind that Radiohead said they wouldn’t have paid for their album, either.)

As for the mysterious “digital visual co-efficient” it sounds like a Web download to me. Of course, the difference is, U2 would sell it to you — you wouldn’t just steal it like some street urchin in a department store. And that makes it okay.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:10:53 +0000

I think, he is talking about improve how a music group use the new technologies. The next U2’s album will be more than a CD:

CD +DVD + booklet + Free web download?

By: Edwardo

Edwardo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:01:45 +0000

“U2 are about to create a “digital visual co-efficient” for album sleeve artwork. “Watch this space because it’s something U2 are addressing on their next album.””

What is he talking about?