Let’s say you’re going to get your new… More »
Radar reports that The New York Times editorial page will have Bono penning columns for it in 2009; he’ll do six to ten (that’s an oddly vague commitment) pieces for the Gray Lady next year. (Radar also teases the possibility that this could mean the sacking of Sarah Palin fetishist Bill Kristol, which is a deal I would gladly take.)
Biases up front: I’m a huge U2 fan, and I think that Bono, despite his arrogance, is a saint, a musician who puts his money where his mouth is and works really hard for the things he believes in, like the AIDS crisis in Africa and forgiveness of Third World debt. (We need some of that in the First World, come to think of it.) These articles could be thoughtful think pieces about the geopolitical issues. I’ve seen him on the Today shows of the world sounding like he knows what he’s talking about. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen him pontificate at awards shows like some godforsaken beat poet-warrior robot that only speaks in bluesy non-sequiturs. Which is why I’m worried that these NYT pieces might end up looking lke this:
Because I’m assisting our Idolators from a location far from the shmancy “Mac” computers at the Idolator flophouse, I don’t have access to the macro that brings up the “the next album from [blank artist] has been delayed until [blank date]” template for quick-posting. So I guess I’ll just have to write this up by hand: According to Bono, the next U2 album–previously scheduled for release later this year, and a major component of UMG’s 2008Q4 business plan–has been delayed to some vague date in “early 2009”.
If you dislike Bono, it’s probably for one or more of the following reasons: 1) he writes epic, yet somehow quite boring music; 2) that heinous iPod commercial; 3) he (allegedly) misrepresents Africa in his (allegedly) misguided attempts at AIDS relief. If you subscribe to the latter, there’s now an online petition pledging “a ton of money to fight AIDS” if–and only if–Bono retires from public life.
“Which pop superstar asked friends to hide them from Bono at an event as they were terrified of being roped into his Red scheme?” Well, it’s definitely not Bob Dylan… More »
Today is full of news about new digital-music stores, one of which is launching today, while the others are set to launch later this year. All three offerings will sell DRM-free MP3s from major-label artists, although that fact seems a bit less newsworthy today than it would have even six months ago.
• Rhapsody has launched a digital download store that sells MP3s from all four major labels. Its twist: You can sample entire songs before buying them, instead of those 30-second clips that don’t tip you off to, say, the epic coda in “November Rain.” [Silicon Alley Insider]
Like U2’s manager, Paul McGuinness, Bono firmly believes that all problems can be solved by haranguing people in power and pleading for charitable donations, rather than actually changing economic models. But one thing Bono won’t do is dis Radiohead, one of the few successful bands with any critical cachet whatsoever. So when McGuinness decided to call the Internet release of In Rainbows a failure, Bono felt it necessary to send a letter to NME making clear that while their manager doesn’t want the RIAA to consider these upstarts’ hair-brained schemes, U2 thinks the band are “courageous and imaginative,” etc., smooch smooch, let’s photo op with Barack sometime.
The social conscience and strident voice of Bono has influenced many a singer over the last few decades. The U2 frontman successfully melded the earnest social conscience of Bruce Springsteen with the self-glorifying pomp of European arena acts, realizing that both the Common Man and King Dick were below Jesus on the food chain. Sure there was precedent, but Sting is handicapped by his ego (and jazz bass), while Ian McCullough wanted to be a romantic poet/sex object more than the messiah. Here are ten singers who, at their best (or worst), have aspired to the Almighty’s throne.
Tickets for the Spice Girls’ Dec. 15 show at London’s O2 Arena sold out in 38 seconds flat this morning, with more than one million people who’d pre-registered for tickets to the show “bombard[ing] the lines” for Ticketmaster, according to the ticketing behemoth’s UK boss. More »
While being interviewed on Australian radio two days ago, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns finished off an otherwise true story with an off-the-cuff and obvious falsehood: “It was me and Natalie and Peter Garrett and Bono laying on Bono’s bed smoking joints, listening to Young Modern demos.” Well, obvious to most people anyway…
