By Glenn Gamboa
Newsday
NEW YORK - Could the much-maligned Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" actually spin out a hit? Maybe.
"Rise Above 1," the first single from the musical, is getting the kind of marketing push few Broadway tracks ever see. Written by U2's Bono and The Edge, the inspirational track is sung by Reeve Carney, who plays Spider-Man, and backed by his real-life band Carney, which also performs in the production. Unlike the previous introduction to the musical, the more dramatic "Boy Falls From the Sky," which had shades of Radiohead in it, "Rise Above 1" sounds much more like classic U2.
It has Edge's aching guitar riffs and occasional blasts, as well as Bono's passionate backing vocals. However, it's the sweeping production of Alex Da Kid, the British producer behind Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," among other hits, that gives the song a pop-radio gloss that could introduce the "Spider-Man" musical to mainstream popsters who haven't been following all the twists and turns of the Broadway saga.
The results of the campaign have been mixed so far. The soundtrack - which arrives Tuesday, the same day as the musical's long-awaited opening night - has climbed into the Top 5 on Amazon.com's chart, while the single, peaked in the Top 30.