My thoughts on 'No Line On The Horizon' circa 2013

[mikal]

In regards to Unknown Caller, it could have been worse. He could have had the character receiving instructions to "feel" the "healing" on his "knees".

 

[trevgreg]

That's true. I'm not too picky with regards to the lyrics, honestly. I don't exactly expect Shakespeare most of the time, so you're right when you said it could be worse. It just comes a bit awkward to me in that part of the song.

 

[zoopop]

.I am listening to some selected songs from the album right now and I can't shake the feeling that all of this could have been much, much better. Edge seems so uninspired on the whole record. The AB era Edge would do with stuff like Magnificent, Moment of Surrender or Cedars (which just begs to go off as Love is Blindness did) wonders.

This is my main gripe w/ U2 the past 3 albums. I know Edge wanted to get back to basics but the sounds he created in the 00's is pretty sad. The textures of AB, Zooropa, & Pop from a guitar are some of the greatest work by any 'new wave' guitarist ever.

The only stuff I can really say are just as creative in the 00's as his 90's work is:

-Beautiful Day
-Elevation
-City of Blinding Lights
-Fez Being Born

The 00's have had some great riffs but the colors/textures/effects just weren't there for the Edge.

 

[YBORCITY]

I just wanted to share some of my personal thoughts on the last album.

1. From the get-go, it is evident that this album is much deeper than the last one. The opening trio of No Line, Magnificent and Moment of Surrender is so fantastic that it brings happy tears to my eyes when I listen to it. We haven't seen an opening so grand arguably since 1997's Pop.

2. The song 'Magnificent' really is a U2 classic, in my opinion. It encompasses and encapsulates all that we love about U2! Plus, every band member's contribution is excellent here, be it Larry's soaring intro, Adam's steady but booming baseline, Edge's classic guitar sound and last but not least, really great vocals by Bono. Why it wasn't released as a first single could be one of the greatest U2 mysteries ever!! It would've catapulted the album into the stratosphere!

3. It's a real shame that they included those middle 3 or 4 songs. They really bring down the quality... especially the awkward Stand Up Comedy and the silly Get On Your Boots (Vertigo Pt. II). Even Crazy Tonight, I actually don't mind because it has a nice melody. Atrocious title though. As for Unknown Caller, I have mixed feelings about it. Enjoy the music throughout and the guitar solo. Don't care for the lyrics.

4. I really do enjoy the subdued and subtle feel of the last few tracks (except Breathe of course). Breathe is excellent for what it is. A real ass-kicker of a song with enjoyable lyrics and some delicious guitar. Cedars is a lovely little closer though.

I think overall, this album has stayed fresh for me even after 4 years since release... which can hardly be said for the previous 2 releases, although ATYCLB did sort of do a comeback in my personal ratings a few years afterwards. Thanks for reading. I think I rambled on a bit more than I wanted to. lol.

I agree with everything in this initial post. While unlike most here I LOVED MOS right from the start although the ATM lyric is a bit bothersome, the other deeper lyrics really make up for that one.

My two biggest faults of this album is.....:

1>. GOYB - it is a steaming pile of shite. There is not one redeeming quality of this song. What is even more apalling is that it was the first single off of the album. The total lack of sense from the members of this band to actually think "hey let's make this the first single" off of the album is cringeworthy. This wouldn't be a good Coldplay single.

2>. Bono's lyrics in some spots are terrible maybe worst album in that cause.

 

[bonocomet]

I've always liked NLOTH. I regard Magificant and Moment of Surrender as U2 classics. Fez is also one of my favorites as well.


I think we've reached a new low for minutia here at the Blue Crack. Who gives a shit if Bono says ATM machine? I've heard plenty of people say the same thing. It just flows better. I mean, shit, people say "I could care less" a lot around here when it's actually "couldn't care less". Or when people say "pizza pie", which actually means "pie pie". I think maybe we should let ATM machine go.

Oh that low was already reached years ago, the moment the song was heard. I remember this exact argument going on and on in the new song and new album threads. We're just rehashing a new low now.

I was on the ATM side. Like others have said, it's a common term, no reason for Bono to get technical over a common thing everyone says.

 

[Nick66]

This can't be serious...did people here really bitch about the ATM thing when the record came out? Really?

 

[mikal]

This can't be serious...did people here really bitch about the ATM thing when the record came out? Really?

I actually haven't seen this brought up until now.

Believe it or not, I was one of the few defenders of the "Force Quit, Move to Trash" chorus. Though it was cheezy, at least it fit the picture Bono had in mind when writing the lyrics. It was something different than some of the bleeding heart crap from the last 2 albums. I will agree that it is ackward though.

 

[BVS]

This can't be serious...did people here really bitch about the ATM thing when the record came out? Really?

Yep, quite a bit...

 

[U2girl]

This can't be serious...did people here really bitch about the ATM thing when the record came out? Really?

Compared to the Unknown Caller techno lingo chorus, MOS is absolute poetry, with or without the ATM machine. And there's still whining about that, considering some of the lines Bono got away with before ? Really ?


Great album, top 5 and easily their best since AB. The only thing missing is maybe a stronger lyrical link for the album. That, and putting the actual single Magnificent out first instead of Vertigo 2.0.
Well, and playing SUC live which would shake off the ludacris hate the song has been facing for years.

 

[U2DMfan]

It's entirely the redundancy that bugs me, not the concept of using an acronym as a word.

Sidebar/

This is the argument some sports hacks use regarding 'RBI' in baseball.

They really think they are clever doing this.
Because if you have 4 RBI's, these dolts will argue that it's a redundancy.
Because in this sense you'd have 4 "Runs Batted In".
Therefore, they suggest it's redundant to pluralize RBI.

But that's bullshit.
Because if you can have 1 RBI, then 'RBI' inherently means 'Run Batted In'.
Therefore, 4 RBI's is correct because 'RBI' represents a single unit.
Otherwise the same acronym used in both instances would mean two different things. Forget redundancy, that's just illogical.

 

[corianderstem]

I never understood when people get all grammar police on poetry or lyrics, the rules are different, they always have been. It would be one thing if Bono was the first to ever say ATM machine, because then it would just be weird, but it's extremely common.

I've gotten into my share of what many would call silly arguments in the past (most of them on this site), but I join the baffled crowds on this one.

At least Bono's "artistic license" here makes sense. I still want to smack Stipe for "leaving was never my proud." If you're going to take some artistic license with phrases and colloquialisms, pick something that actually makes sense or actually IS a colloquialism.

This can't be serious...did people here really bitch about the ATM thing when the record came out? Really?

Considering how many pages this current round has gone on for, this shouldn't come as a surprise that people griped about it from the beginning!

I'm surprised no one has offered this as a suggested replacement:

"I was punching in the numbers
At the A T Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

I mean, he has to fill those extra beats/syllables somehow. Better "machine" than "At the ATM, oh yeah baby!"

 

[Nick66]

I've gotten into my share of what many would call silly arguments in the past (most of them on this site), but I join the baffled crowds on this one.

At least Bono's "artistic license" here makes sense. I still want to smack Stipe for "leaving was never my proud." If you're going to take some artistic license with phrases and colloquialisms, pick something that actually makes sense or actually IS a colloquialism.

Ha! I always thought Stipe was singing "Leaving was never my problem!"

I'll admit I have a habit of changing the lyrics to songs I don't like (or don't make sense) on the fly while listening to them.

 

[YBORCITY]

Ha! I always thought Stipe was singing "Leaving was never my problem!"


Holy Crap! I thought that too

 

[corianderstem]

Aren't you glad you now know how bizarre that line truly is?

You're welcome.

 

[djerdap]

easily their best since AB.

This actually hurts my eyes.

 

[mikal]

Yeah, Zooropa was their best since Achtung Baby.

Actually, it was their best period.

 

[dan_smee]

Sidebar/

This is the argument some sports hacks use regarding 'RBI' in baseball.

They really think they are clever doing this.
Because if you have 4 RBI's, these dolts will argue that it's a redundancy.
Because in this sense you'd have 4 "Runs Batted In".
Therefore, they suggest it's redundant to pluralize RBI.

But that's bullshit.
Because if you can have 1 RBI, then 'RBI' inherently means 'Run Batted In'.
Therefore, 4 RBI's is correct because 'RBI' represents a single unit.
Otherwise the same acronym used in both instances would mean two different things. Forget redundancy, that's just illogical.

4 Run Batted Ins is incorrect though.

 

[trevgreg]

1. Cedars of Lebanon (I thought it would have been a great tour opener too)

I have to disagree there. I don't think that would've worked at all, especially in the setting of a concert intro. At least with songs like Soon or Space Oddity, you have something with a melody line or instrumentation going on to keep the people interested. The "music" and spoken word thing wouldn't have gone over well with the crowd as a whole, interesting lyrics or not. Not in the way a concert intro should be anyway.

Somebody on here mentioned the possibility of Fez-Being Born being used for intro music or an opening song, and I can see a bit more merit with that argument. Out of the four NLOTH not played on the tour, that's probably the one I could see making the biggest impact, and the more I think about it, the intro might've been the right place for it if it was played (rather than the middle of the show). As it was, some of the rarer/more laid back songs like Your Blue Room got a lukewarm reception in some places anyway, and that's a great song! Thankfully, we never got to see the damage White as Snow or Cedars would've done in a live setting.

 

[dan_smee]

I would estimate 9 out of 10 references to ATMs in my life by others are spoken as 'ATM Machine'

Part of the beauty and malleability of language. There are a number of phrases, terms, rules etc in the English language that don't make sense.

"Head over heels" for example. Its a phrase that implies one is so moved by love/joy that their world is upside-down. But my head is ALWAYS over my heels. I'm head over heels 99.99% of my life.

 

[Nick66]

"Head over heels" for example. Its a phrase that implies one is so moved by love/joy that their world is upside-down. But my head is ALWAYS over my heels. I'm head over heels 99.99% of my life.

Yeah, and I'm trying to not picture the other .01%.

 

[corianderstem]

I always thought it meant that you were doing somersaults or flips or something because you're so ecstatic. Like "head over heels" in a continuous fashion.

Not that it makes it any better, from a logic standpoint.

 

[mikal]

I always thought it meant that you were doing somersaults or flips or something because you're so ecstatic. Like "head over heels" in a continuous fashion.

Not that it makes it any better, from a logic standpoint.

I actually thought it was reference to a sexual position, so I guess I was way off on that one.

 

[cobl04]

Why don't we ask Tears for Fears.

 

[corianderstem]

I'll never listen to Tears For Fears the same way again .....

Edit: THE HIVE MINDSHARE!

 

[Nick66]

I actually thought it was reference to a sexual position, so I guess I was way off on that one.

You'll never find out 'til you're head over heels.

 

[corianderstem]

Admit it, Nick. You're already part of The Hive.

 

[Nick66]

Admit it, Nick. You're already part of The Hive.

No. I applied last week but was rejected last week by COBL for a grammar mistake on my application.

Oh, plus I think Pop sucks, which is an automatic disqualification.

 

[corianderstem]

Friggin' Cobbler!

 

[No spoken words]

No. I applied last week but was rejected last week by COBL for a grammar mistake on my application.

Oh, plus I think Pop sucks, which is an automatic disqualification.

Am I in the hive? Is the hive the Click!? I get confused. Easily.....

Anyway, I don't like Pop, relatively speaking, so, where does that leave me, I wonder.....

 

[corianderstem]

The Hive Fringe.

Or the Click Fringe.

Fringey Hive Click.