News on upcoming U2 releases

The boys from Ireland are in the midst of completing their 12th studio album, the follow-up to 2004's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" which sold 10 million copies worldwide and picked up eight Grammy Awards. According to fansite @U2, the new album title is believed to be "No Line On The Horizon", with the release date on November 14, 2008. Song titles include "Moment of Surrender," "For Your Love," "Love Is All We Have Left" and "One Bird", "If I Could Live My Life Again," "The Cedars of Lebanon" and the title track.

A few of U2's early albums - Boy (1980), October (1981), War (1983), The Joshua Tree (1987) - have been remastered and re-issued over the past few months. Next up is the remastering of U2's first live album "Under a Blood Red Sky" (1983), while their first concert video "Live At Red Rocks" will be released on DVD for the very first time. The DVD will feature five previously unreleased songs, a director’s commentary, digitally re-graded pictures and a 5.1 mix. A deluxe edition will include both CD and DVD in the one package.

"Under a Blood Red Sky" CD track listing:
1. Gloria
2. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock
3. I Will Follow
4. Party Girl
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday
6. The Electric Co.
7. New Year’s Day
8. “40”

"Live At Red Rocks" DVD track listing:
1. Out Of Control
2. Twilight
3. An Cat Dubh
4. Into The Heart
5. Surrender
6. Two Hearts Beat As One
7. Seconds
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Cry
10. The Electric Co.
11. October
12. New Year’s Day
13. I Threw A Brick Through A Window
14. A Day Without Me
15. Gloria
16. Party Girl
17. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock
18. I Will Follow
19. “40”

Both DVD and remastered album, will be released on 29th September 2008.

Catch Damien's wind

I admit, he's not my cup of tea, but these "Idols" need all the support they can get. As I wrote a couple of days ago, Damien Leith (or Tic Tac teeth as one of my friends likes to call him) is releasing a generous 18-track covers album called "Catch The Wind" which showcases "the great songwriters of the 60s and 70s". According to Damien,

[the songs] have always been a major influence on my own original material. In many ways the songs of that generation are as relevant today as they were back then. I've chosen songs that either mean a great deal to me on a personal level or those that I'd just love people to hear."

Leithy has shapped up to be the second most successful Idol winner (behind first series winner, Guy Sebastian). His "Winner's Journey" cd/dvd was an enormous success during late 06/early 07, spending 5 weeks at #1 with an accreditation of 4x platinum. His "Idol" winner's single "Night Of My Life" was also a big hit, spending 5 weeks at #1 with Platinum sales and also became a Top 10 hit in his home-country Ireland. In 2007, he formally began his solo career with the ballad "22 Steps", a dreadfully dull choice which generated little interest, peaking at #11. This however did not discourage sales for his debut studio album "Where We Land" which became his second #1 album and accredited Platinum status. Oddly, no further singles were released from the album (planned second single "All I Want Is You" remained a promo-single only). Since then, he's released a novel and hosted the medical reality show "Saving Kids".

"All I Want Is You" live on "Australian Idol":


Will he score his 3rd #1 album? "Catch The Wind: Songs Of A Generation" is out April 26.

Track listing:
1. Catch the Wind (Donovan)
2. Annie's Song (John Denver)
3. Wild World (Cat Stevens)
4. If (David Gates)
5. The Times They Are a Changing (Bob Dylan)
6. Father & Son (Cat Stevens)
7. Starry Starry Night (Vincent) (Don McLean)
8. Everybody's Talking (Harry Nilsson)
9. Universal Soldier (Buffy Saint Marie)
10. Guitar Man (David Gates)
11. Baby I Love Your Way (Peter Frampton)
12. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young)
13. Longer (Dan Fogelberg)
14. Blowing in the Wind (Bob Dylan)
15. Old Man (Neil Young)
16. And I Love You So (Don McLean)
17. Sunshine On My Shoulders (John Denver)
18. Time In a Bottle (Jim Croce)

http://www.damienleith.com.au

McFadden's new album is set in stone

Mr. Delta, aka Brian McFadden, releases his second solo album "Set In Stone" in Australia on April 19, with a release in the UK and Europe to follow. The first single, an updated version of his 2007 Irish #1 "Like Only A Woman Can", has so far peaked at #15 on the ARIA Charts, becoming his highest charting solo release in Australia (excluding his duet with Delta, "Almost Here", which reached #1). The track is his soppy yet touching dedication to fiance Delta Goodrem.



"Set In Stone" is the follow-up to Brian's 2004 debut solo record "Irish Son", which sold 800,000 copies worldwide. The record produced the UK and Irish #1 hit "Real To Me", "Irish Son", "Almost Here" and "Demons". In 2006, he released a duet with LeAnn Rimes called "Everybody's Somebody", from her album "Whatever We Wanna", but it proved to be a huge flop reaching #48 in the UK and #27 in Ireland. Brian has since left Sony BMG and signed with Universal. Best of luck to the Irish fella!

http://www.brianmcfadden.com