“So U2 gave away their album?” reflects Brady. “I guess any of us would give away our work in return for reputedly $100 million. But what about the rest of the musical artists in the world who were kind of hoping that proceeds from the sale of their records to the public might go some way to offsetting the cost of producing them?
“This is a further and highly visible nail in the coffin of a sustainable music business from a band that continually waffles on about fairness and human values,” he continues. “Music costs money to make. It has value. It should not be given away free. Shame on you, U2.”
While that's a debate that will continue to rage, last week's release has lead to a surge of interest in the band's back catalogue. The U218 singles compilation has gone iTunes top 10 in 46 countries, with The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and War also top 50 in the States.
We'll have more reaction to Songs Of Innocence from the likes of John Lydon, Sam Fogarino and Noel Hogan in our new issue, out on Thursday with Hozier on the cover.