U2 Ready to Record Next Album

Unbelievable as it may seem, insiders tell us that U2 have begun work on
their next album. The band all filed into a Johannesburg studio on March
20 and began demo-ing songs for their follow-up to their semi-flop
PopMart. They may or may not have recorded a tune for the X-Files
soundtrack, but we do know for certain they’re now looking forward to
the next release, since their controversial tour has finally wound down.
According to our source, Bono has been telling his compatriots that he
plans to give up smoking, because he wants to really emote on this next
offering, and feels that his nasty cigarette habit is inhibiting his
best efforts. He’s now in the ideal situation to do it, since following
the tour’s final note in South Africa on March 21, the singer and
drummer Larry Mullen hopped on a plane with their families, and are now
happily ensconced in their vacation hideaways in the south of France.
Bassist Adam Clayton was so enamoured with South Africa that he stayed
there until March 25, flying back to Dublin with his gal-pal Susie
Smith, who works for the band’s management company. As for the enigmatic
Edge, he was last seen boarding a Lufthansa flight on Monday night — so
who knows what exotic locales he stopped at before he finally landing in
Dublin?

- music.com