That sound you can hear in the background is the sound of the U2 machine cranking up.
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There’s a very good piece in today’s Ticket featuring Hugh Linehan (Irish Times features boss and the founding editor of The Ticket) and Stuart Bailie (BBC Radio Ulster DJ, Oh Yeah music centre dude and former NME album reviews editor) exchanging views back and forth about U-know-who.

There are plenty of choice, juicy remarks in the piece from the pair. Hugh takes the view that U2 play “vacuous, self-satisfied stadium rock garnished with trite sloganeering”, while Stuart sees them as “an astonishing band” who can “summon up the transcendent – a place out of linear time and rational thought” and believes that “the survival of U2 is a fascinating aspect” to observe.

The pair have been exchanging emails about U2 over the past few weeks and it’s obvious that they’ve both put a lot of time and thought into it.

To my mind, one of the most striking statements comes from Stuart: “we probably wouldn’t have the interest to sustain this kind of argument about another rock and roll band. That’s an indication of the band’s presence on our cultural landscape”. In some ways, though, the arguments about the band are a lot more interesting than any of the music they’ve produced in the last 17 years.

You don’t get to be the biggest beasts in the jungle by doing stupid deals. U2’s deal with Live Nation is further proof of just why the band continue to be the smartest operators in the business. Lets be straight here, this isn’t about the music - U2 have not released an album which was remotely groundbreaking in years - it’s about the business and no-one can touch them in this regard. From taking a percentage of their record label in lieu of unpaid royalties to a timely hook-up with Apple, U2 have always been bright boys when it comes to the business of being in a band.
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During his keynote speech at this week’s MIDEM music conference, U2 manager Paul McGuinness blamed technology and telecommunication companies for the record industry’s current woes.
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All eyes will be on U2 in 2008 as the Irish veterans return to the fray with their 12th studio album.
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U2 fans seeking words of wisdom about the band’s recently reissued The Joshua Tree album can check out what the group’s manager Paul McGuinness had to say in a recent interview.

McGuinness talked at length about the album to Dublin local radio station, Phantom 105.2, last weekend.

The interview, conducted by the station’s head of music John Caddell, formed part of an Album Archive special on the release.

For those who missed the show, the interview is now available to download as a podcast.

Yes, it really is 20 years since U2 went into the desert with Anton Cobijn and came back with those iconic photos for their landmark album.

November will see “The Joshua Tree” in bloom again with previously unreleased versions, limited edition prints and new sleeve notes from the band part of the reisue mix.

There are also plans for a DVD containing a 1987 live show from Paris and the “Outside It’s America” rockumentary.

Whatever about the likely manner chosen to release future material, U2 will be keeping faith with their long-standing record label Island for this effort.