Originally posted by dieder:They're doing it the Bowie way. If they come up with an album that is as strong as the best 11 tracks on The Next Day, I'm already wetting my pants
+1! The new Bowie album is awesome. If U2 could do an album this good, it'd be massive!
On reflection, they haven't been all that silent: various members of the band (and their manager) have announced a late 2013 release. This fits with the safe enough assumption that the next tour will begin in arenas, in the Spring - the latest U2 arenas tours have all started in the late winter/Spring (JT, ZOO TV, Elevation, Vertigo).
I like it this way: less words, more great music! The last two albums that followed this pattern - NGHFB and The Next Day - were terrific.
A summary of the latest rumors here:
http://www.u2place.com/newsdett.asp?idN=6657&quali-rumors-sul-prossimo-album-u2/