I think that casual U2 fans who were put off by "Pop" and feel that the last two albums were a "return to form" for the band (for the better) are bound to be disappointed by an experimental album (by U2 in 2009 standards) that isn't presented in quite the spoon-fed manner as past efforts. I say that not as a criticism, just an observation.
After the flop (relatively speaking) of "Pop", U2 needed to cast as wide a net as possible to regain the mainstream popularity they were accustomed to. There was a determined focus/effort of/by the band to make those albums as accessible as possible, to the point where basically any of the songs on either of those two albums could have been released as a single. Longtime fans and even the band itself (based on numerous statements of theirs) felt that the band needed a new direction after "Bomb"- frustrated by the stagnation.
I am worried that the band is being a bit overambitious with this stadium tour. U2 deeply regrets that they didn't book stadiums in North America back in '04 (they really should have- the momentum & market was there). I think that between their deal with Live Nation & their desire to overcompensate for their "mistake", they are shoving this tour into stadiums at the worst possible time (the all-important casual fans not digging the new album, and the suckitude of the economy). Some of the announced dates (Norman, OK on a Monday night?) give me flashbacks to what could end up being a Popmart ticket sales fiasco all over again, which would be most ironic and unfortunate all the same.
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