SHORT OF A MASTERPIECE
Even with the tallest boots on, NLOTH would still fall short of being a masterpiece! It’s weakest link link being the bombastic tongue and cheek first single! The problem with boots is that lyrically it just doesn’t fit on the album (except of course for the excellent let me in the sound part). No line is a dark and heavy record... Bono screaming Sexy boots midway through the record comes off like a cheesy advertisement. Boots certainly has its niche but not on NLOTH! Boot's place is perfect as an ad midway through the Superbowl. Maybe U2 should have done like the Beatles and not include their first single on the album. Don”t get me wrong, Boot's is a great song but not on my NLOTH!
Stand up and Breathe are also tremendous tracks and would definitely have made HTDAAB a better record but kind of put a damper on the sonic adventure that really is NLOTH. Besides, straight forward full blown rockers have never been U2's forte (except of course Bullet). Crumbs and Love and Peace are certainly not the crown jewels of the U2 catalogue.
That said, no U2 album has been as interesting and innovative since Pop. NLOTH's first 5 tracks are in my opinion the strongest opening half since Achtung. NLOTH (the song) has Bono exploring unfamiliar vocal territory practically screaming throughout the song, whilst Magnificent is the most danceable non remix U2 number ever. MOS and UC make use of vocal harmonisations common on a proper Daniel Lanois album but that are totally fresh for U2. There are four songs (NLOTH, MOS, UC and CEDARS) on this album where in the chorus it's hard to make out Bono's voice from Edge's Lanois's and Eno's!!
In my humble opinion (a U2 apostle for the past 25 years), NO LINE is 3 songs short of a masterpiece but certainly offers more than a bootfull of sonic exploration and covers enough compelling melodic terrain that by any standard should be enough to keep the most critical U2 fan gloating for the next 2 years. Let me in the sound indeed!
(The evidence is now on the table : NLOTH’s least adventurous titles were written without the assistance of the magnificent Lanois/Eno duo and were probably produced by the safe ears and hands of ol’ Steve Lillywhite.)
Even with the tallest boots on, NLOTH would still fall short of being a masterpiece! It’s weakest link link being the bombastic tongue and cheek first single! The problem with boots is that lyrically it just doesn’t fit on the album (except of course for the excellent let me in the sound part). No line is a dark and heavy record... Bono screaming Sexy boots midway through the record comes off like a cheesy advertisement. Boots certainly has its niche but not on NLOTH! Boot's place is perfect as an ad midway through the Superbowl. Maybe U2 should have done like the Beatles and not include their first single on the album. Don”t get me wrong, Boot's is a great song but not on my NLOTH!
Stand up and Breathe are also tremendous tracks and would definitely have made HTDAAB a better record but kind of put a damper on the sonic adventure that really is NLOTH. Besides, straight forward full blown rockers have never been U2's forte (except of course Bullet). Crumbs and Love and Peace are certainly not the crown jewels of the U2 catalogue.
That said, no U2 album has been as interesting and innovative since Pop. NLOTH's first 5 tracks are in my opinion the strongest opening half since Achtung. NLOTH (the song) has Bono exploring unfamiliar vocal territory practically screaming throughout the song, whilst Magnificent is the most danceable non remix U2 number ever. MOS and UC make use of vocal harmonisations common on a proper Daniel Lanois album but that are totally fresh for U2. There are four songs (NLOTH, MOS, UC and CEDARS) on this album where in the chorus it's hard to make out Bono's voice from Edge's Lanois's and Eno's!!
In my humble opinion (a U2 apostle for the past 25 years), NO LINE is 3 songs short of a masterpiece but certainly offers more than a bootfull of sonic exploration and covers enough compelling melodic terrain that by any standard should be enough to keep the most critical U2 fan gloating for the next 2 years. Let me in the sound indeed!
(The evidence is now on the table : NLOTH’s least adventurous titles were written without the assistance of the magnificent Lanois/Eno duo and were probably produced by the safe ears and hands of ol’ Steve Lillywhite.)