This week Apple gave the world a preview of some of their flashy, expensive doo-hickeys. They also, much to the surprise of many, placed U2’s new album in some iTunes subscribers’ library. Whether they wanted it or not. Depending how their account is set up.
Now, I’m not against a band and a company giving away new music for free. But the way Apple and U2 went about giving it away has left a bad taste in my mouth. Because I don’t want anyone besides myself adding music to my library. Granted, I haven’t checked my iTunes account in about 6 years (I prefer not listening to mp3s). But when I open it up, I do not want a U2 album suddenly in my collection. 
Maybe it’s because I have a strong dislike of U2, most of that aimed at Bono. He’s pretty smug for a person who makes mediocre music. It’s not right. In fact, their popularity has puzzled me most of my life. They are not very good. Never have been. I find the band pretty bland. Henry Rollins hit the nail on the head when he said The Edge has basically milked the same guitar riff for decades now. And when someone whose known for singing/screaming along with three-chord punk rock songs in his underwear with Black Flag thinks your repetitive, then you should branch out a little more.
So, when a band I already do not like weasels their way into my music collection, I have a problem. It’s pretty rude and presumptuous to assume people want your record, let alone have it sneak into their collection unbeknownst.
It should just have been an option to download for free. That, I would not have had a problem with. People should not have to adjust their accounts in the off chance Bono wants to push an album on them. Apple also should not decide for the consumer what music they should have in their library. That is just obnoxious.
The JOE-DOWN 