Update: The Edge Talks Rock Auction, New U2 Album

U2's one and only guitarist the Edge spoke to our Evan Serpick about the latest fund-raising initiative of his Music Rising organization. On April 21st, top-notch music memorabilia from John Lennon's glasses to Janis Joplin's love letters to Elvis Presley's recording contract will go on the block at New York's Hard Rock Cafe, with proceeds going to aid musicians affected by the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "I've been amazed at how generous people have been," says the guitarist, who created the fund in 2005 with Bob Ezrin and Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. He knows whereof he speaks: He'll be putting own cream 1975 Gibson Les Paul (which he bought during the Joshua Tree sessions in New York and has played on every U2 tour since Achtung Baby) up for sale. "It was one of those guitars that had songs in it. It's a very well-used, well-loved instrument. I'll miss it."

The guitarist also confirms that U2 are in the midst of recording a new album. "We're working on new songs and getting lost in the music," he says. "I don't think we're going to try and think too much about what weâ're going to do with it yet, we're just going to do a lot of writing and just see what gives. We're giving ourselves the luxury of just working on the songs. There's some amazing things coming through." He calls the material the group's been working on with producer Rick Rubin "fascinating stuff." When asked whether the band will team up again with longtime collaborators Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, he merely laughs: "You might be surprised how quickly that happens."

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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