"I thought I looked very sexy in eye make-up," Bono

You can find an interview from the Irish Independent, published April 5th, here . It has brilliant chat with all of U2 and Brian Eno and there are fascinating insights into them as people. The interview covers everything from the new album, male make up, the human spirit, to addiction and lots more, have a read.

Three Friends, One Album And U2

I've had a few days off blogging as my good friend - and fellow u2 fan and blogger - came to stay for a few days so we could listen to the new U2 album together for the first time. There was a real glut of U2 appearances in the UK last week both on radio and TV which was a treat, so much after years of so little from our lads! Now the PR focus has moved across the Atlantic and I'm left with the new album for my U2 fix.

Debbi and I were joined by another friend, Dawn who lives close to me yesterday to listen to No Line On The Horizon for the first time. We had all been very good and the only new songs we had heard were No Line On The Horizon, Breathe and Magnificent on their UK TV appearances.



As we listened I wrote down my very first impressions and feelings about the songs and that's what I've put here. I know my opinion will change as I listen to the album more, (and I will write an updated review in a while) but I want to convey what my very first views of the album was, so here goes!

No Line On The Horizon

I'd seen the live performance of this song already on The Culture Show and absolutely loved it on there and I feel the same about the album version. This is exactly how I love U2 to be, it has the passion, rawness and energy reminiscent of Mercy, a song that's a firm fave of mine. Great insistent, almost punkish guitar. Bono's voice a bit raw and rough round the edges, breaking with emotion. When Bono sings this way it touches me deep inside, I love the sheer abandon of it. And the song really rocks.

Magnificent

I'd seen this live too on the BBC rooftop performance, so it was not entirely new to me. Wonderful Edge guitar work, that vintage "waterfall" effect. This for me is the most classically U2 sounding song on the album. At one point Bono's woo hoos blend into Edge's guitar very much as happens With Or Without You. Gorgeous, soaring song.

Moment Of Surrender

Back to Bono's raw singing here, he is in amazing voice on this song. It has a very strong baseline and Edge plays as I've never heard him play before. There's a blanket of sadness hanging over this song. It is very long, maybe too long.

Unknown Caller

The beginning reminds me strongly of Bad. The chorus vocals don't sound like U2, who is singing there? This song doesn't do much for me at all.

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

This song has a strong vocal, think this one will grow on me, not sure at the moment.

Get On Your Boots

I've already written about this in an earlier post so won't write more now.

Stand Up Comedy

I hear touches of The Fly at times here. Quite a rocker, could be great live I think. I found it a bit disjointed, but think it will be a grower.

Fez - Being Born

Strong Moroccan influence, the wailing intro reminds me of the iman calling the faithful to prayer from the minaret. I feel Eno's influence here is very strong. The most experimental song, not sure if it works for me.

White As Snow

This is adapted from a traditional song and that is easy to hear, I like that. Beautiful song, Bono's voice is so wonderful nowadays, rich and full-bodied like a vintage wine, but with a slight roughness to it.

Breathe

I'd heard this song twice before on the Jo Whiley and Jonathan Ross shows and wasn't that keen on it then. But on listening to it on the album I am warming to it. Think it will be good live and that it will grow on me more.

Cedars Of Lebanon

I feel this song is more of an impression, a narrative than a song. It didn't really do much for me on the first listen.

So there we are, my brief first impressions of the songs on U2's album. Overall thoughts I have are that it is a brave album, it's not instantly commercial, it needs to be worked at and really listened to, it definitely is a grower. It is different to all they have done before, yet frequently there are touches of songs from their past within the new and that just seems right somehow.

It will take me time to get used to Bono writing in the third person, I am so used to him bearing his soul to us lyrically, but here many of the songs are in the third person and that feels different to me. A pall of sadness seems to hang over much of this album.

Edge's guitar work is as fabulous as ever, and we are hearing a lot of new stuff coming from him on this album. As I've mentioned before, Bono's voice here is wonderful! It has a richness, maturity and passion that is captivating.

I am pleased U2 have given us a release like this, after two good but "safe" albums I was wondering whether they had the guts to go out on a limb, were they still willing or able to experiment? This album shows us they still have the balls to be different and to show all the others how it's done. Whether it will be a big hit I'm not sure, maybe it's not commercial enough, but it certainly is a hit on an artistic level.

Strange Goings On.....

I've been thinking about NLOTH and it strikes me that it is having a painful and messy birth (well I wrote about my U2 marriage, so now I'm writing about a U2 birth!).

First working for a year or so with Rick Rubin, then binning all that work to start from scratch again with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

Then the rumoured release date is put back to March.

The proposed album cover is released to the public only for it to come out that the same cover picture, by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, has already been used for Deupree and Chartier's Specification.Fifteen, released in 2006. How come U2 or their people did not know that? It certainly takes the edge off it (forgive the pun!).

Then the first single from the album Get On Your Boots is released for airplay 19th January with the accompanying video due to be premiered January 30th. The video is pulled at the last minute. Then a rough cut of the video appears all over the Internet, complete with Getty Images watermarks that were the reason the video was pulled in the first place. Someone messed up big time and we all saw it. Now, seven days later U2.com says the video will be premiered on their website before 5pm GMT. It's 4pm now so they've got an hour to get it on there!

The final mess (hopefully!) is that the single release of GOYB has been put back in some European countries. No explanation has been given for this so far. There are rumours that the single will be available for free download, what, after all that Paul McGuinness said about people stealing music from the Internet??? But that is just a rumour so maybe there's nothing in it.

So, No Line On The Horizon has had a difficult, almost chaotic birthing process. For a band like U2, who are very controlling, that's quite worrying. Let's hope the birth goes smoothly and new life of this album makes it all worthwhile.

Burnt Cleavages in Dublin!

A few months ago my friend Debbi and I were pining for Dublin, I saw really cheap flights advertised on Ryanair and, as we live a short flight away in the UK, we decided to have a day trip over there. I decided on June 10th because that's the date that jumped out at me when I was looking at the calender.

It was so nice to be back in Dublin, though each time I go back there there are so many changes. But I still love the city and it's people.

First of all we went to Sandymount Green, which we love and was how we remembered it, peaceful and relaxing. We found a great little place called Cafe Java where we had a delicious breakfast. It was a gloriously warm and sunny day so we sat in the Green for a while after the meal watching a group of toddlers having great fun playing.

We then caught a taxi to Hanover Quay, and yes, since we'd been there another building had grown from the dust of the old. But the studio was the same, in fact it's the only thing that hasn't changed along the quay. We tried to get a drink at one of the swanky restaurants there but we could not just have a drink, we'd have to have a meal as well. So we went to the Spar and bought drinks and sat at the tables outside for a while.

We then walked the short distance down to U2's studio. There were lots of vans there and one huge lorry, all had something to do with film/video making, so it wasn't hard to guess what U2 were up to today! We also saw Catherine Owens, so it wasn't hard to guess who the director of the video is either.

We saw all the band arrive, Bono honking his horn as he did, but none of the band came out. Rumours are that they are in their last week of recording and very busy so that's probably why they didn't do the meet and greet most of them do regularly. On talking to another fan there she told me that the previous evening she'd met some of the band and that they were really nice but Bono had been very tired.

I never feel the band should come out to meet the fans. To me they should give us good albums and live shows, anything else is a bonus. And I can't complain, I've had two lovely meetings with Bono and Adam last year, so I was not disappointed about no meetings this time. We did get to see Brian Eno who came out to go to the Spar (that shop must be a hot place to see a famous face nowadays). He smiled openly said hello when he came out and when he came back he said,

"Nice day", to us which amused me as it was so British to talk about the weather! There's always something about Brian that reminds me of Adam Clayton and I felt that again then.

During our waiting time I heard a few minutes of Bono singing. It was not loud and often drowned out by the building work and traffic but what I heard was wonderful. It was very melodic and Bono's voice soared - I now know what Eno meant when he was quoted as saying that Bono is singing like a bird. I couldn't hear any accompanying music, just that wonderful voice and I kind of melted inside as I listened, it was just so beautiful!

Ever since we arrived in Dublin, at Sandymount and at Hanover Quay the sun had been shining and it was really warm and we had been out in it. Debbi and I realised we should have had sunscreen on - something not often needed in Ireland! Both of us are very fair skinned and burn easily so we left our jackets on to protect ourselves a bit, but at times it got very hot and we were grateful for the odd cloud that floated along.

We didn't stay long after the band arrived, as we wanted to have a meal somewhere before we set off for the airport. We ended up in Milano one of the new, ultra-modern restaurants on Hanover Quay. We had a delicious Italian meal there that, surprisingly, wasn't too pricey. I can remember when there was nothing at HQ, no shops, no restaurants, no toilets, all there was were businesses. Now with the shop and restaurants things are a lot easier for the U2 fans!

It was while in there we realised we had really caught the sun, especially on our noses and cleavages! That's me flashing my burnt cleavage in Milano in the photo.

This was a flying visit but it actually felt longer than the twelve hours we were there, and it will keep me going until our next proper holiday in Dublin in September.