U2 will “defy gravity”…but not until 2009
While the hints and sounds might be out there, Bono and his fellow U2 bandmates aren’t quite ready to unveil their currently untitled (No Line On The Horizon?), twelfth studio album. So rather than release the follow up to 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in November, as initially expected, U2 will instead wait until 2009 to be its year.
In a posting appearing on the band’s official website, the legendary frontman cited the band’s desire for perfection as the reasons for the delay.
“We know we have to emerge soon but we also know that people don’t want another U2 album unless it is our best ever album. It has to be our most innovative, our most challenging … or what’s the point ?
“I’m always the one who underestimates how easy it is to simply ‘put out the songs now’, if it was just up to me they’d be out already! But early next year people will be able to start hearing what we’ve been doing. We want 2009 to be our year, so we’re going to start making an impression very early on …”
Bono also went on to note that the album will be the result of a plan without a plan, choosing to “make 
music for its own sake, not for the purpose of a live show or on album but just to see what we’re capable of…” And apparently, at least according to Bono, U2 is capable of defying gravity…
“We have what it takes, we have the songs, new rhythms and a guitar player who is not ready to re-enter earth’s atmosphere until he’s taken a slice of the moon!
We’ve hit a rich songwriting vein,’ he explains. ‘It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we’ve found diamonds, not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there’s more priceless stuff to be found?”
Who doesn’t love Bono? Sure, he ruined our plans to use U2’s new album as Christmas presents for loved ones, but we understand. The man has hit a songwriting vein!!! It’s almost as if he’s risking his life for the sake of music.
Or then again, maybe he’s just saying all this to avoid a midlife crisis???
I guess we’ll have to wait until 2009 to know for sure.
Dec 19th, 2008 at 9:36 am
[...] finally ready to unveil its long-awaited followup 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. After “perfection” issues delayed original release plans by almost five months, Bono and his legendary Irish bandmates will [...]