No Line On The Horizon: the most underrated album?

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Irvine511 said:
agreed it's not the only, but it's the major criteria -- there's little daylight between what happens on the album and what happens live. i would imagine they at least tried to make some of those songs work live, possibly out of the need for variety and pacing in a 2+ hour setlist. Fez probably not since it's so clearly an album interlude, but i can see them having attempted SLAB and COL. they tried OSC for i/e.
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Why in god's name would they have even considered a live version of SLAB? It's all atmospherics and a particular sound. And unlike Velvet Dress (its closest cousin), it's not sexy and can't even be used in that "slow dance" way in a concert--it's the opposite of sexy, considering it's about a child molester.
 
lazarus said:
Ehh, I'm not sure that's the band's only criteria for success is how it's received live or if it turns into a hit. They knew very well Fez--Being Born, Cedars of Lebanon, Sleep Like A Baby would be neither. None of them have catchy choruses or were ever going to be singles or make it to a live set. So it's clear they are still interested in doing something purely for reasons of artistic expression if it feels right.
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They apply their success criteria to entire albums and then sadly when an album falls short in their eyes virtually ALL the songs on it, even good ones like those you mention, get lost forever.
 
When did trying to include certain songs that were radio friendly become a new and frowned upon phenomena? Bands have been doing it forever. There's a reason why Pride is on Unforgettable Fire. What, you think The Beatles included A Little Help From My Friends on Sgt Peppers for the song's artistic merit?

U2's problem on No Line is two fold - a) many tracks are over thought and over cooked, and b) the songs that are supposed to be the radio friendly ones pretty much all suck.
 
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Headache in a Suitcase said:
When did trying to include certain songs that were radio friendly become a new and frowned upon phenomena? Bands have been doing it forever. There's a reason why Pride is on Unforgettable Fire. What, you think The Beatles included A Little Help From My Friends on Sgt Peppers for the song's artistic merit?
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Hipster/street cred or whatever you call it, maybe. That or everything has to sound like "In Rainbows" to be legit somehow. :scratch:

All kidding I aside, I agree. What You Need wouldn't have been on INXS Listen Like Thieves album either since it was written for that reason. In fact, the whole Kick album was basically their manager's request for them to write an album consisting of nothing but singles. Do people on here criticize all those songs just because of the process? Or do they get a pass because they grew up with them and it was early on for the band? Who knows?
 
lazarus said:
Why in god's name would they have even considered a live version of SLAB? It's all atmospherics and a particular sound. And unlike Velvet Dress (its closest cousin), it's not sexy and can't even be used in that "slow dance" way in a concert--it's the opposite of sexy, considering it's about a child molester.
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Why not? (And it's not really about a molester, it's about ignoring and covering up abuse).

Exit is about a serial killer. There was that "Heart of Darkness" section on the JT tour. I'm sure they considered it's dramatic/hypnotic possibilities in a live setting, especially during their most Broadway-like tour ever. It's about pacing and variety and having options around which to build a show with three distinct acts.
 
lazarus said:
Why in god's name would they have even considered a live version of SLAB? It's all atmospherics and a particular sound. And unlike Velvet Dress (its closest cousin), it's not sexy and can't even be used in that "slow dance" way in a concert--it's the opposite of sexy, considering it's about a child molester.
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Irvine511 said:
Why not? (And it's not really about a molester, it's about ignoring and covering up abuse).

Exit is about a serial killer. There was that "Heart of Darkness" section on the JT tour. I'm sure they considered it's dramatic/hypnotic possibilities in a live setting, especially during their most Broadway-like tour ever. It's about pacing and variety and having options around which to build a show with three distinct acts.
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I can see One Step Closer and SLAB being a bit slow for a live show, but the most likely of those mentioned to work in a live environment. Possibly not in full-length mode, but I could picture them being a sort of transition to another song with the two verses and choruses alone.

Cedars hardly qualifies as a "song" in the first place, so I really can't see any way that would work live.
 
Didn't this band play Your Blue Room, one of the slowest and most obscure songs they've ever written, on the largest stadium tour of all time?

Now you could make an argument that they shouldn't have, but clearly if they feel I fits into whatever theme they're trying to get across, they have no issue pulling out a slow, brooding song.
 
Irvine511 said:
Why not? (And it's not really about a molester, it's about ignoring and covering up abuse).

Exit is about a serial killer. There was that "Heart of Darkness" section on the JT tour. I'm sure they considered it's dramatic/hypnotic possibilities in a live setting, especially during their most Broadway-like tour ever. It's about pacing and variety and having options around which to build a show with three distinct acts.
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yes and they also played The Troubles a few times.

It fell flat unfortunately which is what the band want to avoid above all else. All bands, really.
 
The Troubles did not at all fall flat. I saw it in Montreal and New York, and in both instances, it received a better round of applause than Every Breaking Wave.

U2 are perfectionists when it comes to playing their songs. Part of the equation is certainly crowd reaction, but they are very particular about how a song sounds live. I do not think they liked how The Troubles sounded live, which is a shame.
 
An album of soaring high moments and conversely bottomless pits of nonsense.

However I might need to give it another listen. Been too long
 
There should have just been two albums. An atmospheric one led by Brian Eno/Lanois and HTDAAB 2.0

Brian Eno LP: No Line On The Horizon, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Fez-Being Born, Cedars of Lebanon

HTDAAB 2.0: Get On Your Boots, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Stand Up Comedy, Breathe, Winter

Could Fit Either: White As Snow
 
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Just listened to it tonight for the first time in a while. It sounded so fresh. 1-2-3. Ranks up there with best consecutive trio of songs
 
BigMacPhisto said:
There should have just been two albums. An atmospheric one led by Brian Eno/Lanois and HTDAAB 2.0

Brian Eno LP: No Line On The Horizon, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Fez-Being Born, Cedars of Lebanon

HTDAAB 2.0: Get On Your Boots, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Stand Up Comedy, Breathe, Winter

Could Fit Either: White As Snow
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I think if they just would have done - No Line On The Horizon, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Fez-Being Born, Cedars of Lebanon, Breathe, Winter, White as Snow

You throw Mercy on there and you have a complete, cohesive, really solid album.

Wow, actually looking at that again, it would have pretty much blown away ATYCLB and HTDAAB in my opinion.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
The Joshua Tree would have been so much more cohesive if only they had included Mercy.
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LOL. Hey, I'm not a HUGE Mercy fan. I just was trying to think of a known song around that time period that would have fit the mold for the album.
I'm sure they had 20 other songs in the works from that period that would have been better than the dreaded 3 that shit on that album.
 
Mercy is like an album consultant. The type of dude sent by corporate to boost workflow synergy for a week. Then leaves.
 
drop the middle three, add Soon and the original version of Winter and you have a very solid, cohesive album. Mercy would have been just as ill-fitting as the three hitz, and it's not that much better than those songs either
 
Hollow Island said:
drop the middle three, add Soon and the original version of Winter and you have a very solid, cohesive album. Mercy would have been just as ill-fitting as the three hitz, and it's not that much better than those songs either
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Eh, yeah, I'm not a fan of Soon, but does fit the NLOTH "feel" much better.
And after going back and listening to Mercy. Damn. It bothers me that i don't like it more. I want to like it, and it does have some great bones. But The lyrics don't do much for me.
That's a song that could use some tweaking by some of their fancy producers. It just needs to be tightened up and focused.
Anyway, I think the core of NLOTH is really quality. You would think in 5 years they could have arrived at a much better finished product.
 
"You wanted violins/and you got Nero" is one of the best lines Bono ever wrote, full stop.

As far as it needing tightening up and focusing, you could say the same thing about Bad, and you'd be wrong there too.
 
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womanfish said:
Eh, yeah, I'm not a fan of Soon, but does fit the NLOTH "feel" much better.
And after going back and listening to Mercy. Damn. It bothers me that i don't like it more. I want to like it, and it does have some great bones. But The lyrics don't do much for me.
That's a song that could use some tweaking by some of their fancy producers. It just needs to be tightened up and focused.
Anyway, I think the core of NLOTH is really quality. You would think in 5 years they could have arrived at a much better finished product.
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there's no need to try and like mercy, nor feel bad about not liking it.

come to the dark side. it's nicer here.

mercy.jpg
 
lazarus said:
"You wanted violins/and you got Nero" is one of the best lines Bono ever wrote, full stop.

As far as it needing tightening up and focusing, you could say the same thing about Bad, and you'd be wrong there too.
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Mercy's lyrics are so good they have an entire university devoted to studying it. While revitalizing the inner city.

IMG_2948.JPG
 
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