Is this the worst U2 album ever ?

[mofo82]

This week has made me want to go listen to (most of) NLOTH. I feel like I haven't heard it in ages, since I'd been on kind of a semi-U2 break.

I believe I shall crank that sucker up this weekend.

I made a playlist of NLOTH, SOI and WAR tonight, played on random, sounded great together, a lot of cohesion. Just made sense to limit it to the most previous album and the one it sonically reminded me of the most. Give it a try

 

[artdirector]

Its the worst because there's only one left to go…you can tell from this album. They are going out on top. Showing us, everyone who U2 is and will always be - timeless.

 

[CosmoKramer]

I can honestly say...from day one... NLOTH didn't get me excited. I would play the first 3 tracks then skip to Breathe. So to be fair.....that's my album to diss....and have done so since it came out. (I bought the deluxe..and the vinyl... and the....and was underwhelmed.)

However.

Just like after Pop, U2 loves to rise from the ashes.

So in a way, I'm thankful for NLOTH and them abandoning the songs on 360...

We wouldn't then have this gem of a record.

NLOTH..... I knew they lost the plot when I saw sexy women in boots with moustaches....and a burning motorcycle.

Well said About NLOTH, I felt the same. When it came out, like all U2 albums, I wanted to love it but I knew I didnt.

NLOTH.....I kind of like it but never had the urge to put it on repeat(very meh)
unknown Callers lyrics were embarrassing (I get what they were going for but it didn't work....not for me)
Stand Up Comedy was just so....blah. it isn't terrible but I never had a huge urge to listen to it over and over
boots....its catchy but those lyrics "sexy boots"....come on(dont hate the song)
White as Snow....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
fez....hated it from the first listen
Ceaders......one of the worst U2 songs I ever heard(Oranges from a tank line is a WTF moment)

That's basically 7 of 11 songs that after a day or so I lost the desire to go back and listen to them, they all failed to get "stuck" in my head. That means I really only focused on 4 songs and Crazy wore thin after a few weeks due to some dodgy lyrics(sweet tooth line) and those voice cracks. In the end, Magnificent, MOS and Breathe were the songs that kept me coming back to that album.

By contrast, with SOI I can only say that about 2 of 11 songs(Ceaders and Troubles) and I don't dislike those songs it's more that the other 9 stand out much more to me.

NLOTH was just like POP to me. I really wanted to love it but the first time I played the album through....I knew I wasn't going to love it.




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[artdirector]

So many opinions. Old and young. Is it a bad album, is it great..comparisons.
Its not an album from U2. Its farewell. Every track telling us how far they have come. And that - MAKES IT GREAT. For the first time we can say its a collection of songs where we can look back and say - Thank You. For being different. For being innovative. For staying together. For getting us through life. For making us believe. For….ever. Its another beginning. We will listen. And then one more album. Another collection. Another reminder. Another day. Another night. Reminding us - Old and young….U2, Me2, Us2…Our2…..will always be with us.

Thank You Paul, Dave, Adam & Larry.

 

[Afliktor]

You're on a roll.

It's actually fun to read the Rasta review after all the joke reviews because it looks like a joke review.

lmao so true.

So many opinions. Old and young. Is it a bad album, is it great..comparisons.
Its not an album from U2. Its farewell. Every track telling us how far they have come. And that - MAKES IT GREAT. For the first time we can say its a collection of songs where we can look back and say - Thank You. For being different. For being innovative. For staying together. For getting us through life. For making us believe. For….ever. Its another beginning. We will listen. And then one more album. Another collection. Another reminder. Another day. Another night. Reminding us - Old and young….U2, Me2, Us2…Our2…..will always be with us.

Thank You Paul, Dave, Adam & Larry.

you should write Apple commercials.

 

[nito1972]

No way!!!
Not the worst, but let's face it...Far from the best.
Don't make me wrong, it's a good album, but we can't compare, can we?
Personally, I think there's a galaxy between AB, JT, Pop or UF and SOI
But... These are different times, I listened U2 since the 80's
I'm not the same person than back then, can I compare myself through the years?
Songs for Innocence is Awsome!!!
Let's wait and ENJOY!!!!


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[Edge_Orchestra]

F&^k 'em. Lone less person to compete with for tickets, come tour time.

 

[Musikwala]

It is certainly not their worst! That honour belongs to How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. But so far after 3 or 4 listens, it is not in my Top 5 either. But I need to give it a bit more time.

 

[Musikwala]

F&^k 'em. Lone less person to compete with for tickets, come tour time.

Umm what makes you think that the people who do not like this album won't want to see them on tour?

 

[dan_smee]

My wife is the litmus test. She never liked U2 before me, now she can only stand certain songs, and they always wind up being the ones that the fans love long term. First listen to NLOTH she said title track, magnificent, mos and fez are the only good ones. Same with other albums. This one she's already said it's her favourite U2 album, can't ind a song that isn't great. The album only gets better the more I listen.


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[birdman]

Umm what makes you think that the people who do not like this album won't want to see them on tour?

The dictionary definition of fairness.

 

[Muldfeld]

I think a lot of it, honestly, comes down to age of the listener. I was 13 when Achtung Baby came out and it not only got me into U2, it got me into music as well.

I don't think anything can replicate hearing any album for the first time when you're that age. U2 could've released some sort of amazing Joshua Tree / Achtung Baby hybrid yesterday that made everything they've done before pale in comparison...but I still wouldn't have been as excited as when Zooropa came out simply because now I'm in my mid-thirties.

I was 11 and had the exact same experience -- except I eventually felt let down by Zooropa, the first album I ever bought. My big brother bought "Achtung Baby" and I got into the songs. It got ME into music, too, and remains my favorite album by any band to this day.

 

[RobH]

Yes. Their worst. OP is spot on.

 

[Vlaco]

I'm not a fan of most of their post2000 output, but SOI is very, very good. No Line has some great songs, but this one is - overall speaking - way better. The first time I heard it I was like ''Okay, let's listen again, because I don't know what to think of it''. Those albums usually end up the ones I like best. And it proved me right again.

 

[birdman]

SOI as a record, is better than NLOTH. Period.

 

[wolbersu2]

Great record!!!!!! It's different so there are a lot of people that think it's not great. I am glad it's not HTDAAB or ATYCLB part II.

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[Batfink27]

I'm really having a hard time with this album. Not because its bad but because after having listened to it repeatedly I can only maybe remember and hum a few of the songs. I think its a grower and they usually end up the best albums. I think it does sound quite early U2 not like their recent albums which I think is good.

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[purpleoscar]

I'm really having a hard time with this album. Not because its bad but because after having listened to it repeatedly I can only maybe remember and hum a few of the songs. I think its a grower and they usually end up the best albums. I think it does sound quite early U2 not like their recent albums which I think is good.

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Listen to the first Broken Bells album and the last 2 Arcade Fire albums to get your bearings.


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[BGD75]

How anyone can call this their worst album is beyond me. Sure we all have different taste, and expectations as to what the album should have sounded like. But come on....this album is awesome!

 

[Sken]

How anyone can call this their worst album is beyond me. Sure we all have different taste, and expectations as to what the album should have sounded like. But come on....this album is awesome!

Agreed. I just listened to it through headphones and it sounds even better.

 

[Serena Vox]

It doesn't feel like a bunch of so-so songs thrown in a blender with a couple of powerful songs like NLOTH did to me. Of course it has stand out tracks but the rest of it is very listenable. This album is definitely a grower. I find myself discovering something new about it with each listen.

Agreed. I just listened to it through headphones and it sounds even better.

Headphones do wonders for this album honestly!

 

[BonoGlasses]

This is their best since Pop, hands down. I feel like this is a very successful troll topic

 

[purpleoscar]

People will come around to it and already are but it's not going to satisfy everyone and trying to satisfy everyone would make the album worse.

 

[Galeongirl]

This is their best since Pop, hands down. I feel like this is a very successful troll topic

*raises hand*


I'd probably put it tied with atyclb and below Bomb and NLOTH. Really, really unimpressed by this one. Though I wouldn't say it's their worst, it has more songs I enjoy than say, October.

 

[Peter_The_Roman]

Sorry guys but I'm glad I didn't pay for your new album. We waited 5 years for this ? I can't hear Edge's guitar at all in this and there are no hits. Too melow for me.

Perhaps you accidently listened to a Johnny Mathis CD instead?

 

[SeeLoganRun]

This is the most interesting guitar work Edge has done since Pop. Yes BD was great because it was great to hear those 80's tones again, but that's a trick you can do only once. U2 tried to "Classic U2"-the-shit out of everybody three fucking times in a row and it got really tiresome. Magnificent, for example, is the laziest cookie-cutter-U2 song I ever heard from them. This record is miles better.

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[bobsaget77]

This is the most interesting guitar work Edge has done since Pop. Yes BD was great because it was great to hear those 80's tones again, but that's a trick you can do only once. U2 tried to "Classic U2"-the-shit out of everybody three fucking times in a row and it got really tiresome. Magnificent, for example, is the laziest cookie-cutter-U2 song I ever heard from them. This record is miles better.

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This is spot on. Magnificent isn't that great. And like most of No Line, it gets boring after the intro. This album did a great job of finishing songs, seems like 5 years well spent. Each song sounds part of the flow, but each is unique.

 

[thavidesco]

One of their best. Certainly one of the most interesting and innovative in their catalogue.

The weakest albums were War, despite the hits, it´s not too much of a good record and Pop - experiment that they never figured out what it meant to be

 

[jeevey]

Them's fighting words, thatvidesco. Take it to the Pop threads.

 

[VekkaOfSavo]

Too early to say if it is really the worst album, but after one week of active listening I'm starting already to get a little bored with it. This was not an issue when NLOTH or HTDAAB were released.

For example I have noticed I'm skipping repeatedly Miracle which supposed to be the leading single of the Album?

Many are using term constant but also agree true highlights are missing. Will this do good for this record or make it more forgettable when it's not so fresh anymore, only time will tell.

But in the end I'm happy these guys make still new music, even if it's not as magnificent as it used to be years ago.