20 years after the release of U2’s Actung Baby the band have revealed plans for a tribute version re-release. Shy frontman Bono made the announcement at the premier of Davis Guggenhelm’s documentary on the band, From The Sky Down.
Whereas some artists might be pleasantly surprised to learn that they are celebrated by their peers, the ever-industrious Bono has rolled out a line of merch to coincide with the project including the requisite DVDs, books and art prints, and, inexplicably, replicas of his signature “The Fly” sunglasses.
So far Patti Smith, Jack White and Depeche Mode have put their hands up to cover a track by the legendary Irish group, and the artist known formerly known as Paul Hewson does purport to be humbled. “It’s strange, because when I hear the album, when U2 do it, all I hear is what’s wrong with it. But when I heard all these artists doing it, I thought, ‘It’s really good’.”
No news on whether Bono will – as with Mary J. Blige’s version of U2 classic One – find it necessary to duet on any of the newly recorded material though it will be reassuring for the frontman to have some royalties to fall back on, should the reported billion dollars he made on his Facebook investment ever dry up.
