CCF and Dr. Laurie Marker - ABC News Person of the Week

Here is the woman Melissa had a wonderful experience with in Namibia, Africa at the Cheetah Conservation Fund. This is Laurie Marker, world renowned biologist and founder of CCF. Dr. Marker and CCF work tirelessly to save this endangered species. Yesterday, she was selected as the ABC News Person of the Week. Watch the video below:




Get a little background on Dr. Marker and CCF from this Youtube video:



Pictures of these amazing animals, and Melissa's experience at CCF can also be viewed here:

Mel in Africa

"MV3"

The Heat hung on to beat the Knicks 122-105 tonight, as D-Wade posted 55 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. With the NBA MVP selection this week, there were many "MV3" signs in the Heat's home town crowd (D-Wade wears #3).

Lots of people have favorites, and maybe when you're talking about players as great as Wade, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, the distinction is trivial. Nevertheless, there's a guy who knows a little bit about MVP ... here what Michael has to say about who the MV3, er ... MVP should be ...

October 9 - Tampa!

Our Own "Michael"

Our own Michael Jordan - he may play in Dade County, but those who watch call it Wade County baby! Last week saw a thrilling double OT victory over the Chicago Bulls.

MIAMI(AP) Dwyane Wade's 3-pointer at the end of the first half was desperation.

The one in the final seconds of regulation, dramatic.

And the one that finally ended the game, unbelievable.

Miami's MVP candidate stole the ball from John Salmons with 3 seconds left, then made a running 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Heat to a wild 130-127 double-overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Sorry Zane - this one's for you!!!

Bill Maher - New Rule for Republicans

Bill Maher, is back on television, always "keeping it real" and a breath of fresh air. He's brought back his "New Rules" segment to finish each show. This week was a classic:

"And finally, New Rule: Republicans must stop pitting the American people against the government."

Well worth your 4 minutes and 22 seconds ...

U2 - TV Blitz Concluded; "U2 360" Tour Dates and More Announced

OK, then 2 weeks went by :-)

U2 came back on Thursday and did Beautiful Day, which was great, but a let down for those of us hoping to hear another one off the new disc. Any one of No line on the horizon [title track], Moment of Surrender, Stand Up Comedy, Unknown Caller would have been phenomenal and equally thrilling to hear. Alas, they are playing to some of the less dedicated and stoking the popularity fire pre tour.

Friday morning was the Good Morning America appearance and the predictably horrible interview. The best thing I ever heard on GMA was when Springsteen did that show. Taking the microphone with the E Street Band assembled and ready to Rock ... The Boss looked out at the audience and cameras, a little bleary eyed, and without missing a beat said into the microphone: "wow, you gotta want to sell records bad to get up this early in the morning!" ROTFL...

Anyway, they did the same songs here as on the week of Letterman, Magnificent, "Boots," I'll Go Crazy if I dont' go Crazy Tonight, Beautiful Day, and finally Breathe for the audience only (as the camera cut away).

The songs and performances were great, but maybe the coolest thing was that it was at Fordham University, and it was so neat to see these guys, pushing 50 just like moi now, play to these college kids just like they were 18 years old themselves.

Following the week of television, they came back this Monday, and announced not only their first tour dates, but gave some details on the stage layout and architecture. Being hosted by Blackberry, and titled "U2 360," it was immediately clear that just as the All That You Can't Leave Behind tour changed the whole touring industry with the intimacy of "the heart" and the inner circle concept (subsequently adopted by numerous artists of all stripes) -- they are looking to reinvent the live experience yet again.

Set designer Willie Williams is back, and working with architects and engineers ... well, see for yourself!


Holy Smokes!

They open up in Barcelona on June 30. The first US date will be in Chicago at Soldier Field on September 12. Beyond that:

In September and October, U2 360° Tour will also visit: Atlanta, GA; Charlottesville, VA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Norman, OK; Phoenix, AZ; Tampa, FL; Washington, DC and Vancouver, BC. Complete Tour and ticketing information to follow.

Magnificent!

U2 on Letterman - Wednesday

The debut of "Crazy" -- Wow! This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the disc, but again - they've translated this thing live in a huge way (I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight). This one feels like "Streets 2009," which of course is a stupid analogy because this is a new sound and a different song -- but it's got that kind of energy to it, and there will be more to follow I'm sure.

"It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Listen for me, I'll be shouting
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But you know I'll go crazy
If I don't go crazy tonight ..."

He's got them on their feet again in New York! As I'm on the road and sans TiVo and external hard drive, here's the embed -- plug in some headphones and enjoy:

Tesla Roadster

Imagine going from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. Now imagine total silence. Now, imagine them together: meet the Tesla Roadster.



I guess I don't need to say this is a gorgeous automobile anymore. And if you think this is "in the future" or "someday" stuff. Think again. Running on a lithium ion battery, and nothing else, the car has a range of 240 miles on a single charge. There are 150 of these babies on the road already, and they are currently putting out 20 per week and are sold out through the fall.

The car shown here and featured in the video below (ABC News, 3/3/2009), sells for $109,000, so it's obviously not for everyone. But in 2 years, Tesla will sell a full size sedan for half that price that will have a 230 mile range, charge fully from any outlet in 45 minutes, consuming about $5 worth of electricity.

And that's with one company making them. Imagine an entire industry competing for this market. Imagine filling up your car for $5.

Check it out:

U2 on Letterman - Tuesday

Magnificent!

You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George Bush

Check out Will Ferrell doing "two Bushes" in a preview of his upcoming HBO special: You're Welcome America -- A Final Night with George Bush. Saturday, March 14 ...

U2 on Letterman - Monday -

A week of U2 on Letterman - wow, let me in the sound, sound let me in the sound!

Check out Letterman paying homage, and spoofing a bit as the Irishmen play along ...



Of course, "Boots" has been everywhere. So it was nice to see them venture out a bit and leave that one behind for something else. It's also interesting to see them get the songs in "live shape." I would never have predicted Breathe to be a big number, but they are clearly loving this one live and it translates better than I would have thought. This is quite the spirited version, and Bono really whips up the crowd.

One quick news flash first -- tour date announcement coming on March 9!

"We are people borne of sound
The songs are in our eyes
Gonna wear them like a crown
Walk out, into the sunburst street
Sing your heart out, sing my heart out
I've found grace inside a sound
I found grace, it's all that I found
And I can breathe
Breathe now"

Moment of Surrender

Heads Up - If you haven't seen the post below this yet - check it out!

While a review of the entire album is clearly needed, sharing a U2 experience, ultimately, is far more important. And while describing music with words may be just plainly stupid, press on we must!

Brian Eno, a long time U2 producer and collaborator, tells the story in a U2.com video, but I hadn't heard it yet when I first heard Moment of Surrender. It was my very first time through the new songs. It is the 3rd song on the collection.

The very first time you hear 11 new songs, it is unusual to really get stuck on one tune. But from the outset, I found myself needing to play this again and search on the lyrics. So melancholy; so U2, but so new and different.

Then I saw the Brian Eno video; he called it "the most magical experience I've ever had in a studio." He was laying down a new loop for the band to play with. It wasn't quite right and as he was still trying to "fix it" ... Larry walked in to the studio, sat down at the drum kit and started playing along. Shortly thereafter, Adam then Edge and Bono showed up. They immediately picked up on the funky loop and Larry's drums.

9 minutes later they had Moment of Surrender.

There were others in the room. Engineers. Other support staff. A couple visitors were present. As the band finished the first, and what would be the last take, Eno describes the moment, as nothing but silence. Everyone in the room new something amazing had just taken place, that they had just witnessed what was surely going to be a new U2 tune.

Finally Bono broke the silence with (paraphrasing) ... "we come here to find the music ... I think that time it found us." ...

At seven minutes and twenty four seconds it is the longest song on the album. I'm confident it will never make radio. They may never even do it live. I fell in love with "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" on Pop and I don't think they ever played it. So I certainly don't wanna get my hopes up ... but this is my new "Streets" for sure ... the next "One" ... this lame description can't come close, nor can a reprint of the lyrics possibly convey the emotion and force of the song itself, and yet ...

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down ’til the pain would stop

At the moment of surrender
Of vision of over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

Of course they'll open with "Boots." But my ultimate fantasy would be to have them end the night with this. The new 40: Moment of Surrender.

No Line on the Horizon - US Release / TV Appearances

How time flies ... Tuesday, the US release of No Line on the Horizon is official! Let the downloads commence (er ... continue ;-) Yes, I'll be completing my itunes preorder. Of course I've been listening to the album for well over a week now, streaming from u2.com. But with the Irish release last week, it's no wonder it hit gnutella as high quality mp3's so it's been a rocking weekend!

There is a lot of stuff! So on to it ...

Bono is going to be writing some more for the NY Times. Safe and happy to say, there's a relationship here ... and here was the Sunday piece, covering them at the Brit Awards last week - the last huge Rock band that matters, "Last Gang in Town."

The band are going to be on David Letterman every night this week. Bono and Edge did something similar last time around (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) and it was a riot, appearing in sketches, as well as doing some great jams. Should be great; set your DVR's!

This Friday, crank it up again as the Last Gang does Good Morning America. Let's hope they do 2 maybe 3 numbers for this one -- could be a killer set. Clear out some space on the DVR!

It's been a hugely busy 2 weeks leading up to the US debut. When you've been around as long as U2, radio time doesn't come easy. When it's your 12th studio albumn and you've literally set the standard in stadium rock and live shows of all sizes ... well, it's kind of tough to be "the next hot thing" a la pop media ...

Which is just a long way of saying, the boys knew they'd need a television media blitz to show up on the radar, and get the new stuff out there. They've done it for sure - and they've also been busy this past week "across the pond."

Check out this video of Get on Your Boots from a 7th floor balcony in London -- they are really starting to get comfortable playing this one ... and looking tuned ... can you say "summer tour" boys and girls???

And there was this performance of a song deeper into the album, Breathe ... an interesting choice for sure ... so neat to see their sets evolve ... this if from French television, Le Grand Journal; 2-24-09 - enjoy!



"I don't wanna talk about wars between nations
--not right now!"

Obama Speech to Congress - Leadership Again

Barack Obama's speech to Congress was truly brilliant tonight. It is almost surreal to see true leadership -- it's been so long.

Calling for bold, decisive action not just on the economy, banks and housing, The President "connected the dots" and spoke about transforming Energy, health care, and our education system as well. These things are all inextricably linked -- particularly so with Energy.

If you didn't see it, you can read the transcript or watch here.

(I was streaming the new U2 album all day via the website -- review coming soon :-)

Governors Scramble for Stimulus Aid

As posted last Sunday, our nation's governors have less opportunity to "play politics" with the stimulus bill, since they are actually charged with the responsibility of taking care of people. They balance budgets, ensure garbage is collected, someone answers the phone at 911, police patrol the streets, courthouses hear cases, etc, etc. So when this reality hit:

The Senate version of the bill, to satisfy the demands of a group of centrist senators, cuts tens of billions of dollars in aid to the states from the measure passed by the House late last month. The single biggest of those cuts was a $40 billion reduction to a state stabilization fund, which angered many governors and state legislatures.

... the folks who feel the pain along with the people, put politics aside and got into the action.

Facing rapidly declining revenues and mounting cuts to state services, governors around the nation scrambled Monday to influence senators to change their positions on the Senate’s economic stimulus bill, which is less generous to state governments than the one approved by the House.

As the bill headed toward final passage in the Senate on Tuesday, state leaders made frantic calls to Congressional committee leaders and amply exercised their thumbs, sending BlackBerry messages from the back seats of cars between appointments, all in the hopes of averting cuts and shoring up their ailing budgets. Though no changes could be made to the bill on Monday, House and Senate representatives still must sit down to reconcile the differences between the measures.

The Senate version of the bill, to satisfy the demands of a group of centrist senators, cuts tens of billions of dollars in aid to the states from the measure passed by the House late last month. The single biggest of those cuts was a $40 billion reduction to a state stabilization fund, which angered many governors and state legislatures...

Read the full story here.

It's Boss Time!

Step back from the guacamole dip and put those chicken fingers down -- it's Boss Time!

Super Bowl shows don't get any better than this ... Although he doesn't play it, catch the reference to Radio Nowhere as he jumps up on the piano introducing "10th Ave" ...

"Is there anybody alive out there?!"

Get On Your Boots

Get On Your Boots is the first single release from the much anticipated No Line on the Horizon, the first studio release from U2 in about 5 years. NLOTH will release March 2nd (as reported below). GOYB was released as a digital download January 23rd, which was the day I had it :-)

"Boots" is a big sound and kicks ~ss from note one. It's tempting to say it's an outgrowth/continuation of Vertigo, but the sound is different enough that this would be inaccurate. The dominant thread in the tune is a powerful bass riff that really carries the song the bulk of the distance, and a killer Edge riff that comes and goes - and makes for a strong finish. But at 2:30, they transition to a new tempo / refrain with a percussion line strongly reminiscent of Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks, with Edge and Bono belting out a pleading "let me in the sound" lyric that repeats with some Bono ad libs. This melds back to the Edge riff and Adam's rumbling bass line, closing in an absolute spanking of 3.5 minutes of hard core U2 -- wow!

The first new U2 sound in 5 years was, of course, an inspiration that gave way to the artwork at left. The cover artwork for the album is a minimalist photo of a horizon over water. Not long after the release of Boots, U2.com had as their entry photo an amazing, intimate shot of the band's studio jam session. The gorgeous rich color of this image laid over the stark NLOTH cover with a selection of "Boots" lyrics was something I put together one night after listening to the song ... it was about a 5 minute inspiration that I really like. You can also check it out and download a larger, high quality bmp at my google images... meanwhile, as the stimulus package reality show played on ... the Boots video released, and U2 hit the Grammys.

All day Sunday I looked forward to seeing the boys live for the first time in aeons. Finishing dinner a couple minutes after 8 I flipped on the TV "just in case they came on early" ... and to my total horror ... saw them 2/3rds of the way though Boots. Horror or horrors ... I missed most of it. But, through the miracle of TiVo and some video editing software I'm playing around with, here's the minute or so I did catch:



The Grammys has had YouTube take down the full version. Although the full video has embedding disabled, you can still catch the (official video) here :

If you just want to sample the new tune, check it out here - the image is the album cover described above:



Alright ... tomorrow I'll post some more on the stimulus package ... there's a part two that needs to be told ... as well as the Boss from the Super Bowl. Know right now if you missed that performance, you're hardly worthy of being --at all. Period. Thankfully, ATYCLB will give you a second shot at worthiness. For now, since it's Saturday night ...

"I don't wanna talk about wars between nations -- not right now..."

Stimulus Package Debate

It was a true "reality show" last week as the stimulus package debate unfolded in the US Senate, and the same old tired politics played itself out. But this was not a meaningless television show. Americans continue to lose jobs in the 100's of thousands by the month. Since the downturn began, the economy has shed more jobs than the entire population of Chicago.

Meanwhile, despite the unanimous consensus by economists that massive government spending is a necessary component of the economic recovery bill, the Republicans again chose to put politics over country, attempting to re-cast the bill as "a spending bill, not a recovery bill." Could they possibly be more disingenuous?

The Senate’s proposed cuts took aim at an array of popular spending programs that critics said should not be part of a fiscal recovery bill, even if they represent laudable policy goals, because they would not deliver a quick enough jolt to the economy.

That's a quote from the NY Times, and became tactic #2: paint necessary items and services as "not quick enough." This, despite the fact, that the stimulus requires moderate to long range elements as well as immediate stimulus, as Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman recently pointed out.

But it's more instructive to look at the specific sections of the bill they objected to and where Obama felt compelled to make concessions. It's telling, consider (continuing from the NY Times):

Even Mr. Obama’s signature tax cut for middle-class Americans was scaled back as part of the deal. Under the new plan, tax credits of up to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples would begin to phase out at lower income levels than first proposed, saving the government $2billion.

That's phase out "at lower income levels" .... in other words, those among us who need it the most ... the article continues on:

The biggest cut, roughly $40 billion in aid to states, was likely to spur a fierce fight in negotiations with the House over the final bill. Many states, hit hard by the recession, face wrenching cuts in services and layoffs of public employees as they struggle to comply with laws requiring them to balance their budgets.

Question: why do Republican governors overwhelmingly favor the stimulus plan that Obama put forth? Answer: because it gives them the money and the means to continue to provide services to their people! A tax cut doesn't keep Police on the street. A tax cut cannot rebuild a decrepit bridge. A tax cut cannot pay employees to keep a court house functioning -- these critical services require direct funds -- otherwise known as government spending.

Eight years of irresponsible fiscal policy, to include $10 billion per week funneled out of our country and into Iraq, has left the states literally -- in a state of emergency. Here in our own state of Florida, parents who took comfort in knowing their children were in a top flight special arm of the public school system known as "the magnet program" ... are now organizing in protest to that program's cancellation. And that's but one tiny example.

In addition to the large cut in state aid, the Senate agreement would cut nearly $20 billion proposed for school construction; $8 billion to refurbish federal buildings and make them more energy efficient; $1 billion for the early childhood program Head Start; and $2 billion from a plan to expand broadband data networks in rural and underserved areas.

"Underserved areas" ... tax cuts for "middle class Americans" ... "school construction ... energy efficiency ... early childhood programs" long proven to work ... these are the things Republicans want to cut -- benefits for the most needy among us.

Denying the most needy among us, placing politics ahead of country -- this has become the modus operandi of this morally bankrupt organization. All Hail their new Prince, Vicodin junkie Rush Limbaugh.

Let history judge them accordingly.

Obama Signs Children’s Health Insurance Bill

Today was a great day for the Obama administration, the Democratic leadership, and for America, as the House gave final approval and President Obama signed into law Children's Health Insurance Legislation.

"S-CHIP" or state children's health insurance program, provides health insurance coverage to children who come from low income homes that are above what Medicaid would cover -- the working poor.

President Bush, the "good man," the "fine Christian" that I was constantly told he is, had led the charge against the bill. He was successful, and for two years, millions of children needing health services didn't get them.

The plan was created in 1997 and has generally enjoyed bipartisan support. By every measure over the years it has been a success. This program will immediately provide health care to over 7 million children, the overwhelming majority of whom would otherwise not have had it.

Today, a decent man did the God-fearing thing. Today, America took care of its children. It didn't even make the nightly news (ABC, at least), but for 7 million children, I guarantee you, it was the most important thing that happened.

Obama Signs Children’s Health Insurance Bill

King of Beers

Never actually saw this add, but playing around on Hulu tonight when I needed to catch the end of the Office episode from last night, I started perusing the Super Bowl Ads and found this ... So stupid you gotta laugh ...

The Eagles come to South Florida

The Eagles came to south Florida last Monday evening, the 26th of January, for what Glenn Frey joked was "The Eagles Assisted Living Tour." On their rocking chairs these guys are not.

I was there not because I love the Eagles (which I do), one of the all time great classic folk Rock bands, but because of the strength of their 20 track new release, Long Road Out of Eden. I've got a lot of old bands I love, but my rule is: you gotta have a great new release to make the show worthwhile. Call it my secret fountain of youth.

So after hearing the new album (and watching some footage from Hell Freezes Over, their last tour) I knew they were going to be in top form -- and they were. It was the full lineup - Henley, Frey, Felder, Schmitt and Joe Walsh - plus a whole rhythm section on horns, some of which is below.

One of my favorite tunes from LROE is How Long - a beautiful up tempo rocker reminiscent of Already Gone from On The Border. It's a real Eagles classic with strong solo vocals from both Henley and Frey, beautiful harmonies and a nice guitar solo: the complete package.

There was no back up band and the show was listed as starting at 8:00 PM. It was about 8:20 when the lights went down and the stage darkened. The audience screamed in anticipation, as the silhouettes one by one strode on stage. About 30 seconds of tortured anticipatory silence followed, still dark, until dead on queue -- the stage lit up in blue splendor as each bolted out of darkness, all dead on queue from note one, and into How Long: (super short clip, but the camera nazis were everywhere for the first 30 minutes)



Another great one from LROE is the caustic Henley ballad Too Busy Being Fabulous (man, these guys have had their share of rough west coast chicks!). I think we've all known the type ... and they wasted no time launching into the 3rd song from LROE with the 2nd song of the night (a tad longer, but still a tiny morsel):



They went into Hotel California with only the 3rd song of the evening, a bit surprising, but no disappointment to me. I loved the way they shifted through time throughout the whole evening. You never knew which decade was coming up next.



And on and on they went for hours. In The City was a particularly strong rocker/Joe Walsh performance on a gorgeous electric. This grainy video where auto focus seems to have gone haywire doesn't really come close to approaching justice of course, but you can barely make out Joe in action on the big screen, and the audio gives you a hint:



The only disappointment was what they didn't do, most notably, from LROE, the 2nd Joe Walsh tune Last Good Time in Town, and the Glenn Frey What Would I do with my Heart, and from the "reaching back" department, Tequila Sunrise would have been a real treat. Nevertheless, they ended the night with Desperado (alas, my disc had long since been full), and from the first to last notes ... it was one to remember ...

Thanks Zo - We'll Miss You!

A class act says goodbye ...

1-20-2009

Amen!

"America ... is getting ready to leave the ground "

'On this spot where we're standing, 46 years ago, Dr King had a dream. On Tuesday, that dream comes to pass.' U2 performed 'Pride' and 'City of Blinding LIghts' to an audience of 400,000 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington tonight.


Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, John Legend and James Taylor were among a catalogue of household names performing at the 'We Are One' inaugural concert for President-elect Obama. Towards the end, Samuel L Jackson took the stage in the shadow of the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln and recalled Rosa Parks, the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King and how 'a band from Ireland was moved by Dr King's message and his sacrifice and wrote a song to remember and honour him...'

"Let freedom ring," announced Bono as U2 arrived on stage and struck up the opening bars of Pride (In The Name of Love). “This is not just an American dream,' he said. "Also an Irish dream, a European dream, an African dream … an Israeli dream ... and also a Palestinian dream."

'Let freedom ring, let freedom ring....' he continued, as Edge played the opening chords to City of Blinding Lights. "What a thrill for four Irish boys from the north side of Dublin to honour you sir, the next president of the United States, Barack Obama...'

And it looked beautiful again tonight, in this city of blinding lights where as the song went tonight. 'America is getting ready to leave the ground....'

We Are One

The Barack Obama Presidency is already like no other. Tune in to HBO, or your NPR radio station, to see the We Are One concert live at 2:30 PM EST. A host of stars, including U2, will play. After the concert, the President Elect himself will address the crowd. The event will be rebroadcast free on HBO at 7:30 and 11:30 PM EST.

Bono: Guest Columnist in Sunday New York Times

"Fully inhabiting the moment during that tiny dot of time after you’ve pressed “record” is what makes it eternal."

Whether writing in the NYT or penning the lyric, Bono has the flair. Check out his guest column on Sinatra in the Sunday, 1-11-2009 New York Times ...

On the Cover of Rolling Stone ...

Unbelievable -- not that U2 is "on the cover of Rolling Stone" ... of course. The boys are a sure bet with each new release. I refer instead to the fact that The Edge is hanging out with Jack White (oh, yeah, Jimmy Page was there too). Jack White is the White in White Stripes, his breakout band that features a total lineup of himself, and sister Meg who bangs out drums for him.

Teaming up with buddy Brandon Benson, Jack went on to form The Raconteurs. Their debut release Broken Boy Soldiers, was the most amazing new disc I've heard in about a decade. Having already fallen in love with Jack's back to basics "balls out" guitar that so defines the essence of Rock 'N' Roll, BBS was so chock full of hooks and killer licks it screamed for radio airtime, and Steady As She Goes did get airtime and even video. I'm still scouring TM for tix to a So FL show.

So the idea of Edge palling around with Jack ... too much. In any case, here's some of the best stuff on the new one yet ... off to pick up the new RS tomorrow :-)

---

"U2 Break Down 'No Line on the Horizon"
In early December, Rolling Stone traveled to London to visit U2 in the studio as Bono and Co. worked on the upcoming No Line on the Horizon. The journey was as spellbinding and energizing as you might imagine, and you'll be able to read all about it when our new issue hits newsstands on Wednesday, January 7th. To tide you over, here's a track-by-track preview of 10 choice songs (and you can dig deeper into all our U2 coverage in our archive):

"Get On Your Boots"
The likely first single, this blazing, fuzzed-out rocker picks up where "Vertigo" left off. "It started just with me playing and Larry drumming," the Edge recalls. "And we took it from there."

"Stand Up Comedy"
Another hard rock tune, powered by an unexpectedly slinky groove and a riff that lands between the Beatles' "Come Together" and Led Zep's "Heartbreaker." Edge recently hung out with Jimmy Page and Jack White for the upcoming documentary It Might Get Loud, and their penchant for blues-based rock rubbed off: "I was just fascinated with seeing how Jimmy played those riffs so simply, and with Jack as well," he says.

"Crazy Tonight"
"It's kind of like this album's 'Beautiful Day' — it has that kind of joy to it," Bono says. With the refrain "I know I'll go crazy/If I don't go crazy tonight," it's the band's most unabashed pop tune since "Sweetest Thing."

"Unknown Caller"
This midtempo track could have fit on All That You Can't Leave Behind. "The idea is that the narrator is in an altered state, and his phone starts talking to him," says the Edge.

"Tripoli"
This strikingly experimental song lurches between disparate styles, including near-operatic choral music, Zooropa-style electronics, and churning arena rock.

"Cedars of Lebanon"
"On this album, you can feel what is going on in the world at the window, scratching at the windowpane," says Bono, who sings this atmospheric ballad from the point of view of a war correspondent.

"Magnificent"
"Only love can leave such a mark," Bono roars on what sounds like an instant U2 anthem. Will.i.am has already done what Bono calls "the most extraordinary" remix of the tune.

"Moment of Surrender"
This seven-minute-long track is one of the album's most ambitious, merging a Joshua Tree-style gospel feel with a hypnotically loping bass line and a syncopated beat.

"Every Breaking Wave"
A swelling soul-pop song, with bright synth sounds influenced by OMD and, Bono says, "early electronica." "You don't hear indie bands doing blue-eyed soul [like this]," he adds.

"No Line on the Horizon"
The title track's relentless groove began as a group improvisation. "It's very raw and very to the point," says the Edge. "It's like rock & roll 2009."

[From Issue 1071 — January 22, 2009]

Get the Lastest on U2 Anytime

Here's some U2 fun for you; enjoy this U2 Widget - get the latest on The Boys anytime!

It Just Keeps Getting Better

Economic forecasts be damned -- this is gonna be a great year: Ladies and gentlemen, pick a city, cause The Dead are hitting the road again!

Under the banner, "An Evening With," the trek will encompass 19 shows in 16 cities, kicking off April 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and wrapping up May 10 in Mountain View, California. The quartet will be joined by guitarist Warren Haynes and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

Check it out ...

Mandy per Melissa

Amanda at beach in LW, taken by older sister Melissa for photography class, ~1995 ...

U2 Reveals Five Versions of New Record

From Artist Direct ...

Now that they've announced a release date for their new studio record, No Line on the Horizon, U2 has unveiled not one but five formats for its March 3 release. Aside from standard CD and double LP pressings, the album will be available in three limited edition packages. According to Billboard.com, the digipak version costs $35.98 and includes a 36-page booklet, foldout poster and "a new (downloadable) film from Anton Corbijn featuring the music of U2"; the magazine version drops the CD in "a special 60-page soft cover magazine-style book" and also includes Corbijn's film as a special download; and the deluxe $96 boxed set tacks on a 60-page hardcover book, a second poster and the Corbijn project on DVD.

No clear tracklisting on U2's new one yet, but we do know that will.i.am contributed to a new cut called "Crazy Tonight."

U2 - Q The Music

No Line on the Horizon - First Real Info!

The boys have done an interview with "Q" magazine -- and released our first real info on the new disc, which is being likened more to Achtung Baby than either HTDMAB or ATYCLB. They also gave the magazine a preview of the full disc -- we are getting very close ladies and gentlemen! Look for a counter to hit the blog soon :-) Here's the story from Q ...

Q has had a world exclusive preview of the forthcoming new U2 album, provisionally titled No Line On The Horizon.

Sessions for the long awaited album were completed at a feverish pace at Olympic Studios in West London throughout November. However, recording actually began in October 2006, with U2 teaming up once more with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois after first exploring the idea of working with Rick Rubin. Between them, Lanois and Eno worked on the key triptych of U2 records - The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.

"We learned a lot from Rick," says Bono. "He's head over heels in love with the concept of the song. But our feeling was, you don't go to rock'n'roll just for the songs. We wanted songs that would take us into a different world.

"And because Brian and Dan are experimental in their niches, the opportunity to bring some experimentation into the pop consciousness is so exciting to them. And to us."

By the time U2 arrived at Olympic Studios, Eno was shepherding the album to a conclusion with various other producers being called in to mix specific tracks - long-time cohort Steve Lillywhite and Black Eyed Peas man Will.I.Am among them. As has become customary for U2 records, tracks were being re-worked - and in some cases completely overhauled - right up to the final deadline.

Q initially heard previews of seven tracks at various stages of completion as the band were winding up. First impressions were that, while the two most recent U2 albums (2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind and 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) marked a return to basics, No Line On The Horizon is more in keeping with the spirit of 1991's Achtung Baby: which is to say, a bolder, more testing collection.

The material itself runs a gamut from the classic U2-isms of Magnificent, which echoes The Unforgettable Fire's opening track A Sort Of Homecoming in its atmospheric sweep, to the straight up pop of Crazy Tonight (the track Will.I.Am was taking a pass at) and the swaggering Stand Up, wherein U2 get in touch with their, hitherto unheard, funky selves - albeit propelled by some coruscating Edge guitar work, a signature feature of a number of the tracks. The latter track is also home to the knowing Bono lyric, "Stand up to rock stars/Napoleon is in high heels/Be careful of small men with big ideas."

Among other instantly striking tracks are Get Your Boots On, a heaving electro-rocker that may mark the destination point the band had been seeking on Pop; Winter, featuring a fine Bono lyric about a soldier in an unspecified war zone, surrounded by a deceptively simple rhythm track and an evocative string arrangement courtesy of Eno; and the stately Unknown Caller, which was recorded in Fez and opens with the sounds of birdsong taped by Eno during a Moroccan dawn.

At Olympic, particular excitement was reserved for two tracks: Moment Of Surrender and Breathe. A strident seven-minute epic recorded in a single take, the first of these sounds like a Great U2 Moment in the spirit of One, while Eno suggests the latter (at the time still a work in progress) is potentially both the best song the band had written and that he had worked on.

A week after the Olympic playback, Bono treated Q to a private audience of two further unfinished tracks - playing both on his car stereo at teeth-rattling volume whilst being piloted through London's rush-hour traffic. Two versions of the title track were extant: the first is another Unforgettable Fire-esque slow burner that builds to a euphoric coda, the second a punk-y Pixies/Buzzcocks homage that proceeds at a breathless pace.

"We recorded the second version just last night," explained the singer whilst enthusiastically air drumming along to it. "I'm very excited by that one,"

Q begged to differ, casting a vote for the more layered earlier version.

One other track, Every Breaking Wave, was beginning to take shape around an emotive Bono vocal and an appropriately grand swell of a climax. "We might be on to something special there," noted Bono.

And within the U2 camp, this is the general consensus around the album as a whole. A clearly excited Eno told Q No Line On The Horizon could be the band's greatest album, a view also echoed by the Edge.

"We've learnt a few things over the years," said the guitarist. "So I think (the album) could be a bringing-to-bear of all those eureka moments from the past."

No Line On The Horizon is set for release on March 2. And you can read more about the album in Q magazine's world exclusive U2 cover feature from December 31.