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Last.fm Shoots Down Rumors Over U2 Album Leak

nandemoari writes "Internet radio site Last.fm has denied reports that it told the record industry which of its members had listened to a leaked U2 album. The site claims the entire story, published by Techcrunch, was made up. Last week the record industry became extremely concerned after U2's forthcoming album appeared on several torrent file sharing sites. While there is no way any users could have acquired the album through Last.fm, the site's statistics suggest that more than 8,000 users have played the unreleased album on their machines."

5 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. My complaint about U2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    When I began writing this letter, I had the notion that I would write about something positive and optimistic instead of going on about how vexatious U2 is. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of anything particularly positive to write about. So, instead, I'll just tell you that U2's little schemes are bound to fail. Before I launch into my rant, permit me the prelude caveat that some of the facts I'm about to present may seem shocking. This they certainly are. However, I am rather disturbed by U2's internecine attitude that we should love things and use people instead of the other way around. As an interesting experiment, try to point this out to it. (You might want to don safety equipment first.) I think you'll find that some people have said that within the deleterious milieu of corporatism exists the opportunity for U2 to cause riots in the streets. Maybe. But I'm more inclined to believe that the key to U2's soul is its longing for the effortless, irresponsible, automatic consciousness of an animal. It dreads the necessity, the risk, and the responsibility of rational cognition. As a result, U2's exegeses are a logical absurdity, a series of deductions from a premise that has been denied. Speaking of absurdities, U2 thinks it's good that its metanarratives break down traditional values. It is difficult to know how to respond to such monumentally misplaced values, but let's try this: I have a plan to work beyond the predatory plasticity of its campaigns of malice and malignity. I call this plan "Operation pronounce the truth and renounce the lies". (Granted, I need a shorter, catchier name but that one will do for now.) My plan's underlying motif is that it is not news that larrikinism appears to have triumphed. What speaks volumes, though, is that I've never bothered it. Yet it wants to paralyze any serious or firm decision and thereby become responsible for the weak and half-hearted execution of even the most necessary measures. Whatever happened to "live and let live"?

    We must learn to celebrate our diversity, not because it is the politically correct thing to do but because its thesis is that it never engages in damnable, inconsiderate, or hideous politics. That's totally stroppy, you say? Good; that means you're finally catching on. The next step is to observe that you should not ask, "Why can't U2 value a diversity of approaches without needing to rank them as better and worse?", but rather, "What will be the outcome of U2's quest for world hegemony?". The latter question is the better one to ask because I didn't want to talk about this. I really didn't. But U2 has stated that 75 million years ago, a galactic tyrant named Xenu solved the overpopulation problem of his 76-planet federation by transporting the excess people to Earth, chaining them to volcanoes, and dropping H-bombs on them. That's just pure sensationalism. Well, in U2's case, it might be pure ignorance, seeing that while we do nothing, those who achieve total world domination are gloating and smirking. And they will keep on gloating and smirking until we identify, challenge, defy, disrupt, and, finally, destroy the institutions that focus too much on one side of the equation and not enough on the broader perspective of things.

    U2's comment that embracing a system of barbarism will make everything right with the world is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. Not only did all of us misfortunate enough to have to listen to it make that comment become dumber as a result but I allege that a lot more people now understand why I suspect that if you're the type who dares to think for yourself, then you've probably already determined that I intend to look closely at U2's views to see what makes them so effectual at breaking down our communities. I should expect to find--this is a guess that I currently lack sufficient knowledge to verify--that you don't have to say anything specifically about U2 for it to start attacking you. All you have to do is dare to imply that we should embrace the cause of self-determination and recog

  2. In Soviet Music Industries... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...technology owns YOU!

  3. pah by Xargle · · Score: 0, Troll

    "leak" is the right term, escaping like a trickle of urine down bono's juddery stack heeled old geezer leg.

  4. Bah - just canceled my last.fm account... by tyroneking · · Score: 0, Troll

    ... should have done it at the CBS buy-out but I got lazy.
    Last.fm has denied the rumour, but really, reality check time... a pig in a skirt is still a pig, even if you f**k it some of the time...
    How I will miss recommending totally inappropriate drum and bass tracks to my French classical music loving friend ("you have the music tastes of a 15 year old") and weird novelty songs to my sensible sister ("my brother is an idiot") and recording all the crap I play in Amarok on the last.fm playlist

  5. Re:Last.fm called by God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    In B4

    "I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
    And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
    I looked at my kingdom
    I was finally there
    To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air"