Radiohead Rake in Praise From Bono, Release "From the Basement"

Bono has called Radiohead's pay-what-you-want experiment for In Rainbows "courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience," the U2 frontman says in a letter to be printed in the NME. The comments are in stark contrast to those made recently by U2's manager Paul McGuinness, who said that Radiohead's experiment "backfired." "[Radiohead are] a sacred talent, and we feel blessed to be around at the same time," Bono said. Despite Bono's praises, U2 will not follow a similar path as In Rainbows when they release their new album. In other Radiohead news, the band's From the Basement performance that aired on VH1 in May is now available on iTunes. The "video album" was recorded in producer Nigel Godrich's basement and features performances of the songs from In Rainbows.

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Song Stories

“Weird”

Hanson | 1997

Accomplished tunesmith Desmond Child co-wrote "Weird" with the three brothers that make up Hanson. Credited for dozens of cuts, including songs by Kiss, Cher, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, Child told Rolling Stone that "Weird" holds a special place in his heart, "because it's about being different--and I grew up poor, I grew up being Latin, I grew up being gay, and now I'm fat!" The song was included on Hanson's 1997 album Middle of Nowhere, which sold more than ten million units.

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