Craig Armstrong collaboration

The Raft has more on the Craig Armstrong album mentioned in our ‘For the Record’ post: Signed to Massive Attack’s Melankolic label, Craig releases ‘As If To Nothing’, the follow-up to his 1998 critically acclaimed debut solo album, ‘The Space Between Us‘ in February next year. The eagerly awaited release features a number of collaborations including one with Bono and the Edge who have recorded an acoustic version of ‘Stay (Far Away, So Close)’ from U2’s ‘Zooropa’ album. Other vocalists on the album include Evan Dando and the wonderful David McAlmont.

Bono on Books

The Hot Press 2002 annual issue features an interview with Bono, and a look into what the good man’s been reading recently. Just the things to spend your Amazon vouchers on:

In his interview with Niall Stokes, Bono talks about 9/11, Drop the Debt, U2 in the studio, family and Slane:
Whatever it was, it wasn’t a concert. It was some sort of sociological event, a sort of gathering of the tribe. But from our point of view it was like a big wedding, with aunties and uncles, fights in the corner, tears at every turn, too much drink taken, and after that then it became a wake. A wedding, and a wake. I was just holding on for dear life.

U2star have a cute picture from the article. More scans at EnjoyU2.com. U2star also report that U2 have again been invited to appear at the San Remo festival (they were there in 2000) .

Guide My Way

It’s been a slow month for news, so we’ve been poking about the ‘Net looking for anything spiffy enough to bring to your attention. We did find this: The All Music Guide has begun adding individual song reviews to many of its album listings. Start from the master listing for U2 and browse the individual album pages to see which tracks have been annotated, and watch out for all the typographical errors in the ACHTUNG BABY blurbs…

Just Another Boy Band Tour

It’s finally official (and unsurprising): Elevation 2001 was the highest-grossing tour of the year, according to Billboard Magazine, schooling N’Sync and the BSB all proper-like and netting $143 million for 113 shows — a bit south of the sensational 200-mil-plus estimates we’d been hearing. U2 were the only act to crack $100mil, though, so that’s certainly saying something… *coughcough$130seatscough* We really must look into this cold that plagues us; we’re always clearing our throats.

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