NLOTH vs. HTDAAB

[Catman]

I can't speak for anyone else, but to me, HTDAAB has always struck me as disingenuous. As if they weren't even doing an album that they were comfortable with.

That's my main complaint with the record.

 

[MMP]

Meh, I got nothing better to do anyway

No Line on the Horizon >Vertigo
Magnificent >>>>>Miracle Drug
Moment of Surrender >Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
Unknown Caller >>>> Love and Peace or Else
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight <<< City of Blinding Light
Get on Your Boots >[ad infinitum] All Because of You
Stand Up Comedy >>>> A Man and a Woman
Fez-Being Born > Crumbs from Your Table
White as Snow > One Step Closer
Breathe << Original of the Species
Cedars of Lebanon >>>>> Yahweh

 

[ozeeko]

Mine is easy and won't require too much typing

NLOTH > BOMB

yes, everything, even in their correct tracklistings

 

[ozeeko]

I can't speak for anyone else, but to me, HTDAAB has always struck me as disingenuous. As if they weren't even doing an album that they were comfortable with.

Disingenuous is definitely a word that can sum it all up.

 

[Rosebud]

NLOTH by a country mile, though I love Bomb.

 

[Reead]

NLOTH - Vertigo
Magnificent - Miracle Drug
MOS - SYCMIOYO
UC - LAPOE
IGCIIDGCT - COBL
GOYB - ABOY
SUC - AMAAW
F-BB - CFYT
Winter - OSC
Breathe - OOTS
COL - Yahweh


Final results NLOTH vs. HTDAAB = 9 - 2

To be fair, we'd have to compare similar songs. It's silly to compare completely different songs (well, it's silly in general but 'oh well'), so let's have the songs compete with their counterparts.

Magnificent - City of Blinding Lights
Get on Your Boots - Vertigo
White as Snow - One Step Closer
Moment of Surrender - Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own
Stand Up Comedy - Love and Peace or Else
Cedars of Lebanon - Yahweh
Crazy Tonight - Miracle Drug
Unknown Caller - A Man and a Woman (What the hell would you pair UC with?)
Fez/Being Born - Original of the Species
Breathe - Crumbs From Your Table (again, Breathe? Sheesh, different records are DIFFERENT, people...)
No Line on the Horizon - All Because of You (...)

I went into this post planning to actually judge them, but by the time I finished I'd convinced myself how stupid it is in the first place to compare albums song for song.

 

[LemonMelon]

This thread's format doesn't do proper justice to the intangibles that make NLOTH superior to Bomb, such as cohesion and proper sequencing.

 

[Rosebud]

This thread's format doesn't do proper justice to the intangibles that make NLOTH superior to Bomb, such as cohesion and proper sequencing.

This.

I can't compare it song for song. It's a whole album comparison.

 

[Harbinger]

NLOTH - Vertigo
Magnificent - Miracle Drug - TIE
MOS - SYCMIOYO
UC - LAPOE
IGCIIDGCT - COBL - TIE
GOYB - ABOY
SUC - AMAAW
F-BB - CFYT
White As Snow - OSC
Breathe - OOTS - TIE
COL - Yahweh

My verdict: No Line: 4; Bomb: 4; Tie: 3

Huh. I hadn't expected that at all; though it generally fits with my feelings on the album.

And, just for grins, here's a comparison to the album that Banshhee's random next song picks form theri back catalog: Pop [since there's an extra track - I'm going to rearrange NLOTH a bit to match up...]

NLOTH v. Discotheque
Magnificent v. Do You Feel Loved
MOS v Mofo
Unknown Caller v. If God Will Send His Angels
[/B]Crazy Tonight v. Staring at the Sun
GOYB v. Last Night on Earth
SUC v. Gone - TIE
Fez/BB v. Miami - TIE
The Playboy Mansion
White As Snow v. If You Wear That Velvet Dress - this was a tough call, but Velvet Dress won because of the Jools Holland version (yeah I know it's not the album version )
Breathe v. Please - TIE
Ceders v. Wake Up Dead Man - TIE

So: No Line: 4; Pop: 3; Tie: 4

 

[lucas007]

after 6 listens its obvious for me that NLOTH is their best work than every piece of music their released since PoP (excluding Ground Beneath her Feet).

 

[shart1780]

Meh, I got nothing better to do anyway

No Line on the Horizon >Vertigo
Magnificent >>>>>Miracle Drug
Moment of Surrender >Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
Unknown Caller >>>> Love and Peace or Else
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight <<< City of Blinding Light
Get on Your Boots >[ad infinitum] All Because of You
Stand Up Comedy >>>> A Man and a Woman
Fez-Being Born > Crumbs from Your Table
White as Snow > One Step Closer
Breathe << Original of the Species
Cedars of Lebanon >>>>> Yahweh

Overall Bomb isn't worthy to kiss NLOTH's ass.

 

[last unicorn]

You're comparing the wrong songs.

I love both albums and I'm sick of the Bomb bashing.

NLOTH is so much "better" simply because it's fresh and new now. Let's talk again in 3 years.

I really don't think you can compare the two albums in terms of songs, or cohesion, or production or atmosphere.

 

[SecretFly]

NLOTH shits all over the bomb. All songs on NLOTH out rank the bomb IMO.

 

[last unicorn]

Similar to Bomb:
-production (sound quality/compression/mastering/layering)
-after the intial tidal wave of hysteria, people will start to pick away at it. I can already see it.
-It's a new U2 release; being that they're usually 4+ years apart, everyone is in heaven right now.....which is great.
watch what happens in mmm....1-2 months.

Um, honestly, these are not arguments against NLOTH, but more against the fans. OF COURSE things will look different in 2 or 3 years.

That said, I love both albums and I honestly don't think you can compare them.

 

[jasonlee]

Art is not a sport.

Sometimes it's interesting and fun to compare and contrast art, because you might learn something new or even grow to appreciate something you heretofore didn't.

If you really want to compare and contrasts two specific pieces of art, you should start a discussion about it, because threads (and one-click popularity contest polls) like these are cheap and dismissive.

 

[Axver]

Put simply, NLOTH is the U2 I like and HTDAAB is the U2 I don't like. NLOTH not only beats HTDAAB, it pisses all over it.

Song-by-song

No Line On The Horizon > Vertigo
Magnificent > Miracle Drug
Moment Of Surrender > SYCMIOYO
Unknown Caller > LAPOE
Crazy Tonight < City Of Blinding Lights
Get On Your Boots > ABOY
Stand Up Comedy = A Man And A Woman
Fez-Being Born > Crumbs
White As Snow > One Step Closer
Breathe > OOTS
Cedars Of Lebanon > Yahweh

Not a fair fight at all. 9-1 and a draw. Though Crumbs and OSC would win some other match-ups, like I'd take OSC any day over Boots.

 

[danondorf]

Or maybe you're just wrong. Maybe it's just a better album. Happens all the time. People release bad albums, then they make good albums. It's a common thing, actually.

This.

HTDAAB was just lackluster for the most part.

The lyrics were awful.

I'll say LAPOE, Sometimes, OOTS are the only good/great songs on here. The rest is completely uninspired.

I hope we can look back on this and say that U2's worst years were 04-06, with that Green Day collaboration and WITS. Man it's amazing how much of a turn around NLOTH is, it's like a completely different band. One that has been missing since 1997.

I do love ATYCLB though, the songwriting was strong on that album. But HTDAAB should have never happened.

 

[LemonMelon]

I really don't think you can compare the two albums in terms of songs, or cohesion, or production or atmosphere.

No, you really can't.

 

[MSU2mike]

NLOTH shits all over Hutdab from a considerable height.

NLOTH shits all over the bomb.

NLOTH not only beats HTDAAB, it pisses all over it.

Okay, first of all it's obvious that NLOTH needs a diaper.

Overall Bomb isn't worthy to kiss NLOTH's ass.

Who's going to put their face that close to NLOTH after what we learned above? Yikes.

 

[shart1780]

Art is not a sport.

Sometimes it's interesting and fun to compare and contrast art, because you might learn something new or even grow to appreciate something you heretofore didn't.

If you really want to compare and contrasts two specific pieces of art, you should start a discussion about it, because threads (and one-click popularity contest polls) like these are cheap and dismissive.

It's just for fun.

 

[adypole]

NLOTH - Vertigo
Magnificent - Miracle Drug
MOS - SYCMIOYO
UC - LAPOE
IGCIIDGCT - COBL
GOYB - ABOY
SUC - AMAAW
F-BB - CFYT
Winter - OSC
Breathe - OOTS
COL - Yahweh
10>>>>>>>>>>>>>>1

 

[alanah]

NLOTH by a mile.

I don't hate HTDAAB though.

Yes, that's my thought too.

 

[sony]

Both

 

[Axver]

Okay, first of all it's obvious that NLOTH needs a diaper.



Who's going to put their face that close to NLOTH after what we learned above? Yikes.

Well played.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Different albums. One's only been available for a few days, so it's difficult to judge in the long run.

However, due to cohesion, production and song necessity, as well as that minor fact that the songs themselves are on average considerably better, I've a good feeling I'll be ranking NLOTH far above Hutdab even in a few years. If not, dig up my posts from around this time and quote them in your sigs as much as you want.

 

[JOFO]

Put simply, NLOTH is the U2 I like and HTDAAB is the U2 I don't like. NLOTH not only beats HTDAAB, it pisses all over it.

.

Did you read your ridiculously hysterical comments about Bomb when IT was leaked?
Pretty sure the phrase "Best Ever" was used.

I can't take your opinion seriously I'm afraid.

 

[bono_212]

Did you read your ridiculously hysterical comments about Bomb when IT was leaked?
Pretty sure the phrase "Best Ever" was used.

I can't take your opinion seriously I'm afraid.

Oh dear, Axver. What will you do?

 

[Axver]

Did you read your ridiculously hysterical comments about Bomb when IT was leaked?
Pretty sure the phrase "Best Ever" was used.

I can't take your opinion seriously I'm afraid.

Ever heard of tastes changing?

My tastes underwent a pretty dramatic shift between mid-2005 and mid-2006 and have been pretty consistent since then. But hey, if you don't want to take me seriously because my tastes today aren't the same as they were when I was 17 and hadn't been exposed to much music, go for it. You're the one who looks silly.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

This is very difficult.

HTDAAB has more memorable melodies and choruses, overall I think the songs are actually better crafted. I don't know why but they are more instantly great and just amazing songwriting. They are at a more classical level of production and songwriting.

NLOTH however is more exciting of an album and more experimental (and successful at that) with the songwriting and production. It feels fresher (and that's not because it's brand new). While NLOTH doesn't have as many memorable melodies and choruses Bono's lyrics here are far better than Bomb, and that's a big deal in my opinion.

 

[toscano]

You're comparing the wrong songs.


I really don't think you can compare the two albums in terms of songs, or cohesion, or production or atmosphere.

You're right. There is no comparison between the 2. Clearly one is a LOT better than the other.