One of my favourite records of the moment is the new single from U2 (released 8 November). Entitled 'Vertigo', it's a rockin', infectious slab of power pop that rams home just how good these hombres still are. Produced by Steve Lillywhite - who of course produced their early albums Boy and War and has worked with them on and off over their long career - it possesses all the energy and the trademark guitar sound that first brought them to our attention. I simply love it! And it's a good indication of what we can expect from the forthcoming album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which is unleashed on 22 November.
back-to-basics One of the perks of what I do is the occasional invitation to a playback. Which is why I went, earlier this week, to a plush top floor of Centre Point overlooking a bright, magical-looking London. The new U2 album on first hearing sounded very impressive. A real back-to-basics approach, which is what they do best. In fact overall it's very reminscent of their early output. Probably because of that Lillywhite production and contributions from Flood, Nelle Hooper and Chris Thomas. intuition
 | Typically enthralling...U2 playing live in front of a packed crowd |
It's been a bit of a U2 time for me because a couple of Fridays ago, I got to hotfoot it down to BBC TV Centre in White City where the band were performing al fresco in front of the building. The sense of anticipation from the packed crowd was contagious and the band's performance was typically enthralling.
The reason I guess we're still interested in them after all this time is because they've constantly evolved and reinvented themselves. Just like all the best groups. I've got a funny feeling, call it intuition if you like, but something tells me the new album could do quite well!
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