U2 Gets a Line on New Release

CDs showcase Fab Four as they were meant to be heard

(NEWSER) - The Beatles just got better: every one of their original albums and a batch of collected singles has been remastered, boosting the quality to the level “the Beatles themselves would have heard and intended,” writes Matt Hurwitz in the Washington Post. The stereo CDs remind us that the Beatles were a “rock band”: these recordings pack a punch not heard on the older discs. More»

Group criticized as hypocritical in light of history of activism

(NEWSER) - U2 is under fire for possible tax evasion as the Irish government pushes for a bigger slice of the band’s earnings, the Christian Science Monitor reports. U2 moved its publishing company to Amsterdam in 2006 after a tax bill limited artists’ tax-free earnings to $315,000. With Irish deficits mounting, some fans say U2 needs to pay its fair share. More»

'No Line on the Horizon' features some experimentation, some classic U2

(NEWSER) - At its best, U2’s latest album has the band both pushing forward with a dense, atmospheric sound courtesy of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois—but in other moments, Bono and company are content to lazily rehash their stadium-pop formula, critics say.

• “The album lacks a unified feel,” writes Josh Tyrangiel for Time. “It feels like the work of musicians torn between the comfort of the present and the lure of one last run into the adventurous past.”

Stephen Sondheim revue stumbles before opening

(NEWSER) - Financial woes are forcing more musicals to face the music: Spider-Man’s Broadway appearance has been delayed until next January, while Stephen Sondheim’s latest couldn’t raise the cash for tryout performances, Bloomberg reports. Spidey’s show, with tunes by U2’s Bono and the Edge, costs a record $31.3 million to perform, while iSondheim’s $4.5 million tryout is steep for a musical revue. More»

Show is most expensive Broadway production ever

(NEWSER) - Spider-Man has hit more snags en route to its debut as a Broadway musical, Bloomberg reports. Rehearsals for the U2-scored production, set to begin this spring, have been postponed indefinitely. With its budget currently at $31.3 million, the Spidey musical is the most expensive Broadway show ever, and costs could balloon to as much as $40 million. More»