It was very gratifying to see U2 get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. I know there are some artists and critics who can't stand the fact that this band is so hot. There has always been this image problem with being too popular equating to being uncool. Most of the time, this is true. Not in U2's case. This band deserves the accolades. Here you have the same original lineup that has endured all these years. And to my knowledge, whenever they have gone on tour, it's still just the four of them without a bunch of backup musicians to fill in.

There have been times I haven't always been U2's champion, but these four guys are greater than the sum of their parts and I hope they continue to share their talent with us for a long time.

I bought this special edition version of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb when it first came out. It has a DVD and a little hard-cover book. The DVD features several profiles on three of the songs, including the awesome "Vertigo." I am not sure just what makes it so "collectible" since you can still buy it here six months later. No telling how long it will be available, but I do like collectible stuff so I know in about 10 years I will pull it out and be glad I got this version.

-- May 8, 2005 (DD)