MERGED-->Fan Reviews of HTDAAB Here

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Oh, and if it wasn't clear from my above message, yes, I think it's the best, most consistent end-to-end, and also one of the most diverse albums they have ever made.

And this is after listening about 60 times so far.

But I'm neither right nor wrong. It is just how I feel.
 
I agree this new one is very consistent. Im not into comparing it to their past work but ATYCLB did not have the same effect on me as listening to Miracle Drug the first time when it was leaked. Plus there was nothing like Love Or Peace Or Else which is the coolest glam rock song in 20 years!
 
RademR said:
People are mad its not a hard guitar record, people are mad they are doing i-tunes commerical, people are mad its not experimental enough, people are mad it has too many choruses. Who cares? It's fuckin great music and its u2, it's the best album I've heard all year. Their the only band that hits me emotionally, from my heartbreaks to my hangovers. :wink:
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YOU SAID IT!!!! All i can add is that HTDAAB is just a beautiful album, its taken a couple of listens to fully appreciate just how gorgeous it is but I'm in love all over again!!

Cheers, mandy
 
Its a very immediate album, but after 2 weeks of listening to it I get the exact same feelings I got when listening to ATYCLB. It has lost its shine. The honeymoon period with the album is over and it is a 7/10 at best. Where has Edges 90's guitar gone? He's back in the 80's again, chiming away like he's doing another Joshua Tree. Oh well, all the "U2 sound the same remarks" will come flooding back just like they did at the end of the 80's. 2 albums that have the same sound but are 4 years apart.
 
My 2 cents on HTDAAB...

Just got in the new album this evening, and after listening to it a few times, these are my 2 cents on each song. It has been 2 yrs since I last posted on the forum… hope its not another two years… :)

Vertigo:
This song is of a different mood from the rest. Very upbeat, very much like the “Beautiful Day” on ATYCLB. Just like in that album, this track is perhaps the one that will appeal to the masses, which is probably the reason why it is released as the first single. Most definitely the song that will open the live shows.

Miracle Drug:
Love this song… Everything blends well together, except probably it ended abit abruptly…would probably be a great “live” song, as the band will probably evolve it further.

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own:
Wasn’t the working title of this song, “Tough” back in ATYCLB? This song is like a conversation with Bono and his dad? The guitar solo in the middle… I remember hearing it somewhere on ATYLCB…. Damn… Its been quite a while since I listened to it… Think it is either from “Kite” or “When I Look at the World”.

Love and Peace or Else:
Nice…something really different from what they’ve been doing all along…. Nicely adds the surrealism behind the theme of the song.

City of Blinding Lights:
Nice build up… U can feel as if you’re standing in the middle of a busy city at night, bright lights…

All Because of You:
Don’t really like this song… At the end of it, I find myself asking “What’s the deal with this?” Maybe a few more spins will help.

A Man and a Woman:
This feels very 80ish, sounds like I’m listening to a George Michael song. But anyway I love it… it has the mystery like in one of U2’s much earlier song, “Love Comes Tumbling”.

Crumbs From Your Table:
A man waiting on empty promises… The best two lines from the song…. “Where you live should not decide, Whether you live or whether you die” Sums up the desperation.

One Step Closer:
Woo…. Great song…Between Yahweh and this, I think this will be a better song to end the album.

Original of the Species:
I love the way Bono croons “And you feel like no-one before, You steal right under my door”. Brings the desperation out well, very much like in “If God Will Send His Angels”.

Yahweh:
A nice pleasant song… An uplifting end from the more morose middle part. However, I still think if “One Step Closer” comes after this, it’ll be perfect.. :) Love the ending two lines: “Take this heart, And make it break”, very human.


Fast Cars:
Somehow, I’m surprised I got this bonus track on the CD. Bono’s voice rocks in this… It’s a pretty nice song, though I get a feeling its like an outtake, not meant to be inside the main CD. After scooping around some more, I realize this track is only on the Japan release, to encourage the locals to get the local copies instead of the imported versions. And no, I don’t stay in Japan.



Conclusion:
I like this album pretty much. For those expecting something sonically revolutionary or a vast change in musical direction, along the lines of Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, they will be disappointed. However, I still feel it’s a damn fine album, a matured extension of the ideas and sound from ATYCLB. In these 2 albums, it’s very much about themselves and how they perceive what’s happening around them in their mid-life. As usual, these songs will evolve further in the live setting…. So stay tuned…
 
mr mc sarcasm said:


WHAT????
This is like the best song on the album (almost)....Have you listened to it with your amp set at MAX??
It's just such an amazing song, the atmosphere is so characteristic for U2..and the song is so emotional...
WOW, please reconsider your opinions...
:huh:
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Don´t ge me wrong;o) I love One step Closer!! Bono meets Lou Reed!!
 
VIRGIN REVIEW: be afraid...

I got the album today on the midnight sale. I've listened to it in the car first (except I heard Miracle Drug and the beginning of Sometimes in the shop :mad: ), and the only things that I liked were Miracle Drug, my favourite (maybe my only great) song from the album, LAPOE (though not as much as MD), and that was it... :ohmy:
Ok, I thought It will get better on the 2nd or 3rd listen, but now, after some 5, I still don't like the album.
1. vertigo - great rocker/single, but nothing special for me
2. MD - like WOWY is to Joshua Tree, one of my favourite U2 songs
3. SYCMIOYO - hm... I don't get that melody. It builds up nicely to the end, but it's so ordinary, and that Bee Gees chorus... :mad:
4. LAPOE - good song, very different from anything yet, i like the intro and the drums, i expected tha guitar too sound better, but it's still runner up to MD.
5. COBL - well, it has a nice melody, but that's what worries me. Nice. I don't find it interesting. U2 could've done better. And I don't see any relations with the great WTSHNN... :(
(reminds me of Maroon 5 and This Love)
6. ABOY - another rocker, pretty unimaginative verses, some guitaring from the Edge,... well, again, hasn't hit me (Bono's scream is the best part for me)
7. CFYT - When I heard the comparison with Walk On I wasn't so happy, but now that I've heard it, I wish it was like Walk On. Again, I don't see any of U2-like anthemic melodies, or beautiful chorus...?!
8. AMAAW - maybe the "worst" song for me. Hate the "chorus" - souns like Sting (He's not bad, but I bought an U2 album). And I'm sure this song will not grow on me. Never.
9. OSC - it's not The First Time or Your Blue Room, but a decent slow song. Nothing more.
10. Original Of The Species - With this song, I'm starting to feel that the second half of the album especially is so alike, same guitar sounds, too alike vocals... The melodie again doesn't sound like U2. And no, it's not a good thing (to change it in this way)
11. Yahweh - i thought the last song will save the album for me, but it still does not. Again, unimaginative chorus, words in the verses are just sung to the music...
12. Fast Cars - It's just a very strange song.

I know my post will not be very popular, but i just had to say what's on my mind right now. I don't know, maybe it'll grow on me, but i doubt it. I heard the songs... enough.
I must say that ATYCLB is great compared to this one. To me (!), this is somewhere below Zooropa.

I'll just wait few more days/months before making the final verdict. :|

(Feel free to convince me in the contrary...;)

P.S. I don't want to give it a grade...:eyebrow:
 
Re: VIRGIN REVIEW: be afraid...

TheFlyOnTheWall said:
I got the album today on the midnight sale. I've listened to it in the car first (except I heard Miracle Drug and the beginning of Sometimes in the shop :mad: ), and the only things that I liked were Miracle Drug, my favourite (maybe my only great) song from the album, LAPOE (though not as much as MD), and that was it... :ohmy:
Ok, I thought It will get better on the 2nd or 3rd listen, but now, after some 5, I still don't like the album.
1. vertigo - great rocker/single, but nothing special for me
2. MD - like WOWY is to Joshua Tree, one of my favourite U2 songs
3. SYCMIOYO - hm... I don't get that melody. It builds up nicely to the end, but it's so ordinary, and that Bee Gees chorus... :mad:
4. LAPOE - good song, very different from anything yet, i like the intro and the drums, i expected tha guitar too sound better, but it's still runner up to MD.
5. COBL - well, it has a nice melody, but that's what worries me. Nice. I don't find it interesting. U2 could've done better. And I don't see any relations with the great WTSHNN... :(
(reminds me of Maroon 5 and This Love)
6. ABOY - another rocker, pretty unimaginative verses, some guitaring from the Edge,... well, again, hasn't hit me (Bono's scream is the best part for me)
7. CFYT - When I heard the comparison with Walk On I wasn't so happy, but now that I've heard it, I wish it was like Walk On. Again, I don't see any of U2-like anthemic melodies, or beautiful chorus...?!
8. AMAAW - maybe the "worst" song for me. Hate the "chorus" - souns like Sting (He's not bad, but I bought an U2 album). And I'm sure this song will not grow on me. Never.
9. OSC - it's not The First Time or Your Blue Room, but a decent slow song. Nothing more.
10. Original Of The Species - With this song, I'm starting to feel that the second half of the album especially is so alike, same guitar sounds, too alike vocals... The melodie again doesn't sound like U2. And no, it's not a good thing (to change it in this way)
11. Yahweh - i thought the last song will save the album for me, but it still does not. Again, unimaginative chorus, words in the verses are just sung to the music...
12. Fast Cars - It's just a very strange song.

I know my post will not be very popular, but i just had to say what's on my mind right now. I don't know, maybe it'll grow on me, but i doubt it. I heard the songs... enough.
I must say that ATYCLB is great compared to this one. To me (!), this is somewhere below Zooropa.

I'll just wait few more days/months before making the final verdict. :|

(Feel free to convince me in the contrary...;)

P.S. I don't want to give it a grade...:eyebrow:
Click to expand...

Suggest you post again in a week. I only heard it with the official track-listing today - after MANY listens on an alternative tracklist- and that helped it get even better. I would also wager that you will love AMAAW !

Mike
 
Why so much negativity?? do you remember AB?? most people thought it was the worst album and U2 were over but then after many listens the album became to be one if not their best album in their history. Thats just like HTDAAB at firts i was like ehm its good but not great now its growing on me after every listen and now i think its up there with AB and its deffinetly a good sign that this album will wistand the test of time.

BUT what your doing is giving negative feedback based on a couple listens and I feel this will proably discourage people. So why not give it a few more listens before you give such negative comments on the album??? its not fair for the album to already be saying bad things based on a few listen.

Be patient and you will see that this album will get to you!


I am sure lots of people agre with me here but please don't give such negative feedback ccos that just discourages people
 
I heard it today for the first time as well..COBL sounded awful on first listen but it was much better on the 2nd listen...best songs so far for me are ABOY, OSC, OOTS and SYCMIOYO..with LAPOE just behind them...fuck, Sometimes' is just fantastic :)
 
Yeah, It wasn't a good idea. I know I didn't like thrashing before i heard the album. But I just had to see what you (who have heard it more times) think about that.
Maybe you're right about the 'growing', but hey, I don't like Maroon 5 at the first listen, neither from 100th... (oups, shouldn't say that :huh: )
 
This album is a grower. It took me about 4-6 listens to really appreciate. Songs like Sometimes, Crumbs, Man & Woman, & Yaweh took a few listens. It is so beautiful how the album ends with Yaweh.
 
Don't write the review after you listened to the album for a couple of times. Wait until it grows on you and you can swallow it better.
 
I still don't love Vertigo. I have the feeling like i have to like it, but somehow, I don't fell anything. I'm being numb.
And that what it's like for the rest of the album. :reject:
 
I tend to agree with this review; although I wouldn't be quite as harsh.

I like the first half very well. The second half is rather weak. And I've listened to almost all of the songs numerous times.

The GREAT songs on this album are
-Vertigo
-Miracle Drug
-Love And Peace Or Else
-City Of Blinding Lights

The GOOD/O.K. songs are:
-All Because Of You
-Yahweh

These, I feel, are SO-SO:
-A Man And A Woman
-Crumbs From Your Table
-Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

And I don't like these:
-One Step Closer
-Original Of The Species

I'll give it a week or two and see what I think then. I wonder what the earlier (late 2003) version of this album might've sounded like -- if it was more raw, rockier/punkier.
 
I wasn't a fan until about 6 or 7 listens and then for a week i really enjoyed it. Now though it sounds like unimaginative crap. Vertigo is great, SYCMIOYO is a grower and LPOE is a decent attempt to challenge themselves but apart from that its all a bit blah... I know a lot of people hate criticism against U2 (including myself) but this album is just to much of an attempt to make good, radio friendly, grammy-worthy music for the USA. It sounds like an album a bunch of 40 year olds would make, full of nice melodies. U2 have always been about staying relevant and being fresh and they've managed to do this until now. ATYCLB sounded like nothing they had done before, yeah it was just 4 people playing together but it created fresh and original sounds. This album, for me at least, is just to much like their old stuff. Fast Cars and Mercy sounded fresh and exciting and unique in the U2 canon yet they probably weren't deemed nice enough for American radio. U2 have become to obsessed with being the biggest band in the world. Pop was the worst thing that happened to them, it's a great album but they were stung by its commercial failings. Up until that point being the biggest band in the world had given them the freedom to be experimental and unique but once they had one mis-step they must have thought "oh look were not the biggest band in the world anymore, the american public aren't buying our album" and went back to the safe music with ATYCLB. ATYCLB was still a good album because it wasn't reminescent of past glory, it may have been over-produced and had a few weak songs but it was still an original inclusion into their discography. Bomb... isn't. Vertigo is one of the best things they've ever done, it was reminescent of other garage rock but it still sounded fresh and cool. If they forgot about selling 14 million records for a second and concentrated on making challenging and fresh music for a second we might have had a decent album. Bono's lyrics and approach to songwriting is also getting pretty basic, its like every song on the album needs a sing along chorus - what happened to the clever, thoughtful lyrics of albums past?

I do really love U2 and i hate criticising them, especially on a fan forum, but i have never felt so dissapointed about anything before. Don't shout at me!

Love and peace (or else)
 
My friend,
It seems that where ever you go you shout it!

I hate these negative feedbacks because i fell you are not giving this album a chance! I think its great!! who said you have to always be inovative? Thisalbum is u2 being themseleves and doing what they do best, making a strait out rock album. Infact i enjoyed POP really much but its nice to see that U2 has steared away from all that electronic stuff! Its so nice to see that these songs have tons of guitars! I mean if this album had more electronic inovative songs then we'de be complaining about how they are doing what they did in the 90's again and that wede be bored of it.

Please take your negativity to somewhere else cos franqly it is ruining my album experience!
 
dabiggestu2fan said:

Please take your negativity to somewhere else cos franqly it is ruining my album experience!
Click to expand...

If the songs are good enough other peoples opinions shouldn't affect yours!

U2 don't always have to innovative but they could at least make an album that doesn't sound like a collection of variations of their greatest hits. HTDAAB just seems like a safe, adult pop record full of over-baked tunes. I honestly am sorry if i've ruined your album experience but it's just how i feel at the minute.
 
I bought the album 4 nights ago overseas (CD/DVD), and on the first night I thought Love and Peace Or Else was the best song, and still do. As with the rest of the album I think it's very eclectic with a lot of different sounds and styles coming in and fading out. At this point I think it expresses well where we are in the early 21st century. In terms of the past it has a little bit of a Bullets and an Acrobat feel; though very distinct in itself.

City of Blinding Lights follows brilliantly with a sense of more open spaces.

My initial impressions have been that each song lasts long, and that within each song there are some interesting changes.

The DVD is well worth it. I have been very pleasantly surprised that the videos (studio versions) for both Vertigo and Sometimes actually enhance the songs. I never found video to do this. Somehow the pulse and aesthetic of each track has been amplified by the videos. I think, especially with Sometimes, that this is because there are no external distractions, just the music and the band. It highlights the muscianship and the act/process of making music. In fact, watching the video for Sometimes the first few times, I felt like Wow!! this is EPIC. This is Master Class.

And on that thought I'll add that the album as a whole is epic, driving, multi-dimensional. It is a phenomenal evolution of U2's music and is where the band should be right now. Maybe not every song is master class, but a whole lot of them are: Love & Peace, Sometimes, Original are definitely master class; Miracle Drug, City of Blinding Lights, Crumbs are close and could be. One Step Closer and A Man and A Woman are right where they are. They fit with the album as a whole. Vertigo's the best first single U2 have released over the past 4 albums bar none.
 
Ii fell in love with MD,SYCMIONYO,and a man and a woman-A man and a woman is my favourtie song so far.

The only songs that im not truly enjoying yet are ABOY and COBL but I am sure I will grow to love them just as much :)

When Veritgo came out I wasn't sure id like it but it is definately a wonderful album and Bono is sounding great and Edge is AMAZING the best I have heard him :)
 
dabiggestu2fan said:
Why so much negativity?? do you remember AB?? most people thought it was the worst album and U2 were over but then after many listens the album became to be one if not their best album in their history. Thats just like HTDAAB at firts i was like ehm its good but not great now its growing on me after every listen and now i think its up there with AB and its deffinetly a good sign that this album will wistand the test of time.

BUT what your doing is giving negative feedback based on a couple listens and I feel this will proably discourage people. So why not give it a few more listens before you give such negative comments on the album??? its not fair for the album to already be saying bad things based on a few listen.

Be patient and you will see that this album will get to you!


I am sure lots of people agre with me here but please don't give such negative feedback ccos that just discourages people
Click to expand...

Yeah! How dare you not to like the album??

You should praise everything U2 does and if you don't, please don't post here!

Here we only want positive comments... and blind devotion!
 
The album should have sounded a whole lot more like the SNL versions. They don't seem to be as bland as the album tracks.

Daveone you are not alone.
 
Daveone said:
I wasn't a fan until about 6 or 7 listens and then for a week i really enjoyed it. Now though it sounds like unimaginative crap. Vertigo is great, SYCMIOYO is a grower and LPOE is a decent attempt to challenge themselves but apart from that its all a bit blah...

cut

I do really love U2 and i hate criticising them, especially on a fan forum, but i have never felt so dissapointed about anything before. Don't shout at me!

Love and peace (or else)
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you. For the moment. :|
 
Originaly posted by U2_GUY

Yeah! How dare you not to like the album??

You should praise everything U2 does and if you don't, please don't post here!

Here we only want positive comments... and blind devotion!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats right! and if you don't like it feel free to leave the group no one is stoping you
 
dabiggestu2fan said:

Thats right! and if you don't like it feel free to leave the group no one is stoping you
Click to expand...

Uh oh, pretty soon U2_Guy will be threatening to go to the "@U2" forum again! Don't tempt the man!!!
 
VertiGone said:


Uh oh, pretty soon U2_Guy will be threatening to go to the "@U2" forum again! Don't tempt the man!!!
Click to expand...

Hehehe...you still remember my threat! Good to know my fans on this forum are so active! I just love when you (my fans) feel the need to reply my every post! Sweet!
 
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