Pete The Chop
U2 News Aggregator
Ten of the Best from 2009
We've been through our 2009 archives and come up with ten of the best from U2.com over the past year. Take a look, tell us what you think... and what we missed.
Another U2 Honor in 2009
The Massachusetts state legislature has formally honored U2 for their “extraordinary contributions to our country and our state.” The resolution was put forward by Representative Barry Finegold of Andover and other members of the House. The resolution was put forward back in the Spring following the band’s performance at the Somerville Theatre.
This is a post from the @U2 blog.
Another U2 Honor in 2009
U2 Best of 2009 (again)
Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News has published his list of the top 10 albums of 2009. At the top is No Line on the Horizon, which he claimed “…grew richer, darker and more thought-provoking” with every spin.
Also on his list are Green Day, Wilco and Barbara Streisand.
In addition, he placed U2 high in his ranking of top 10 concerts, giving them the no. 7 slot. He gave Raphael Saadiq the top honor.
This is a post from the @U2 blog.
U2 Best of 2009 (again)
U2 movie Killing Bono to be filmed in Belfast
While Northern Ireland was in the grip of the Troubles in the late 1970s, something was happening south of the border which would have a global impact on music.
In 1976, a band was formed in Dublin after a young drummer posted on the school noticeboard looking for other musicians to join him. That band was [...]
Bublé Breaks U2 Record
Popular crooner Michael Bublé has broken a record previously held by U2 for selling the most albums in Ireland during the week of Christmas.
His newest collection Crazy Love sold 41,362 copies, while U2’s The Best of 1980 – 1990 greatest hits compilation sold only 36,889 during one week back in 1998.
Though it’s disappointing when anyone (except U2) breaks a U2 record, at least we can take comfort in the fact that Bublé is a truly gifted singer.
This is a post from the @U2 blog.
Bublé Breaks U2 Record
Busking on Christmas Eve & Driving to Midnight Mass
Thanks to Scatterolight for passing this along…Bono joining Glen Hansard on Grafton Street in Dublin earlier today to raise funds and awareness for the Dublin Simon Community, which “offers 13 services throughout the stages of homelessness. These range from emergency and treatment to supported housing and settlement.”
And here’s an oldie but a goodie – Bono reciting “Driving to Midnight Mass.” (Video a slideshow put together to accompany the recitation.)
Happy Christmas Eve to everyone!
This is a post from the @U2 blog.
Busking on Christmas Eve & Driving to Midnight Mass
Listen to U2 Live From Wembley, presented by Chris Evans
U2 Live From Wembley, on BBC Radio Two. Monday December 21st, 7pm to 8pm. Presented by Chris Evans.
Radio 2 broadcasted a one hour selection of songs from U2’s 360 Tour at Wembley Stadium this past summer. U2 played over two nights at Wembley – this recording is from the Saturday show on 15 August, 2009.
What’s In A Name?
It’s taken me a lot longer than I thought it would to accept the name of the U2.com member renewal CD, Artifical Horizon. It make me think of things like “Reenacted War” and “Fake Plastic Joshua Trees” (yes, nod to Radiohead there) as the title first seemd to be a way to distinguish the “real” release, No Line on the Horizon from the fan club only release. Much like Melon is another type of fruit and it came out around the time of U2’s “Lemon” craze.
But, after it sinking in and doing a few Google searches for what artificial horizon actually is, it suddenly seemed to make sense…but it’s kind of like a knock-knock joke. If you have to explain the punchline, then you’ve lost the person on the other end of the joke.
For those @U2 readers who were like me, I’ll save you the hassle of looking it up. Artifical horizon is also known as an “attitude indicator” in aviation. Not that we have to check our attitudes at the door, but rather it’s something pilots use to orient their aircraft relative to Earth. In other words, it lets the pilots understand where they are in relation to horizon. So, if there is “no line on the horizon,” the plane is not pitched or banked towards it. Artificial horizon is also used when pilots need to use instrument meteorlogical conditions, which occurs when weather, cloud cover, or darkness dictates they fly “blind” or by using their instrument panels only.
I find the fan club CD title brilliant because of what has transpired over the past year. While No Line on the Horizon made many critics happy, it was not embraced by the record buying public. If you were to gauge success on the instrument panels – or in this case, No Line on the Horizon’s record sales and number one hits – U2 wouldn’t be anywhere near parellel with their artificial horizon. On the other hand, the band seems to be happy with the creativity and the art expressed on the album and are doing the best they can to downplay the sales quandry and lack of chart success.
So, while at first I saw the album title as merely an “artificial” horizon, full of remixes of songs that don’t even appear on their latest release – like a “remixed best of 2000-2010″ – perhaps it’s their own way of banking and pitching themselves, much like an aircraft, to reorient the U2 brand back to what it was like earlier in this decade. Either way, I’m looking forward to receiving it from Fanfire.
This is a post from the @U2 blog.
What’s In A Name?