The review’s not online yet, but the March 5 issue of music magazine Rolling Stone awards U2′s New Line on the Horizon no less that five stars. The cover of the issue says “U2′s Five Star Masterpiece”.
(via M2)

Update: review now available on RollingStone.com

“No Line on the Horizon is closer to the transitional risks — the Irish-gothic spell of 1984′s The Unforgettable Fire, the techno-rock jet lag of 1993′s Zooropa — but with a consistent persuasion in the guitar hooks, rhythms and vocal lines.”

NLOTH has also managed to win back the heart of Irish journalist John Waters (Author of ‘U2 – Race of Angels’), prone to contemplating the band within its Irish context. In the Irish Times he writes — while Ireland suffers its worst recession since the 70′s — “If, as we have previously noted, music is prophetic as to the drift of wider reality, then this album may be the most hopeful thing you will hear all year.” You can read the rest of John Waters’ thoughtful piece on IrishTimes.com.

It’s the rumour that won’t die, innit? We first heard of it (from the proverbial reliable sources) straight after the band’s last tour and it’s popped up again and again over the last couple of years. Now that bastion of investigative journalism, The Sun, claims McGuinness told them:

“It’s got great potential for U2 and because it’s undercover you can do a run of shows in the autumn.”

It also cuts down on gear, trucks and drivers, which the band might no longer be able afford due to thieving fans, downloaders, Steve Jobs, hippies, ISPs! *

Where there’s smoke there’s fire? True or not, the question remains: could you cope with a 20+ gig U2 residency in *your* town?

*) Why not blame bloggers, too?. I bet McG loves Andrew Keen.

Rolling Stone has published a photo of Larry Mullen with his youngest child — a son that little is known about — on the beach in Oahu, Hawaii. According to the music magazine, the boy’s name is Ezra [mental note: contact U2faqs.com with update]. All we know about the boy is he’s darn cute, just like his daddy.