I don't view it as consistent in that way at all.
I view it as track by track consistently fucking awesome.
Apparently the guy who wrote the Metro article about "U2 trying to recapture their youth since 87" hasn't heard AB, Zooropa and POP..... poor him.
That's a fair point in itself, but he'd have been spot on if he had said "since 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind".
I find NLOTH an interesting album as well. What I like from it, I really like a lot. I just think that there was too much dragging it down to be an album I would rank too highly.
I think ATYCLB was them trying to go back to their roots (not really my thing)
and Bomb sounded like trying to recapture their youth (didn't work well for me)
NLOTH, was a mishmash. Great, mature, different stuff, but also dreadful crap.
This album, is different. Very bright and energetic while keeping a heavy undertone.
I completely agree that their quieter moments work better for me too (Although I love Volcano)
But I disagree with the Metro review. I finally don't hear them consciously trying to recapture anything. (ok, maybe Miracle withstanding).
I hear a genuine youthfulness in Bono's voice and delivery. Tones I haven't heard since the October/War era. And it sounds real, not forced.
I am actually really surprised you like Invisible. I would put 9 of these songs well above Invisible. Invisible always seemed quite bland and forced to me. Glad it didn't make the cut.
Now there's a blast from the past! Womanfish, always a pleasure.
Nice review of things. I see what you're saying with most of it, and I don't disagree with a whole lot.
With this album, it just might come down to simply not being my thing on a personal level. No fault of its own, of course. Just me not being interested in this kind of music.
... Although even that isn't entirely correct. I think what puts me off the most is Bono's direct lyrics. Everything sounds like a soundbyte to me... borderline cliche. Clearly that's not fair in a general sense, but to me that's all I hear. He has this ability to make even the most original phrase sound over-rehearsed and contrived.
It doesn't work for me. Maybe I'm just not interested in this kind of music anymore, I don't know. But after appreciating their previous album the most since Pop I was really looking forward to this, especially considering that Invisible was a pretty good tune.
Is this the music that U2 honestly want to make OR is it the music they think that people want them to make? Apart from a couple of tracks, baby being one of them, it just sounds so safe and comfortable. Its not crap by any means but in 5 years time most of these tracks will be forgotten.
Is this the music that U2 honestly want to make OR is it the music they think that people want them to make? Apart from a couple of tracks, baby being one of them, it just sounds so safe and comfortable. Its not crap by any means but in 5 years time most of these tracks will be forgotten.
I don't really hear safe on this album at all apart from maybe EBW and song for someone
Still early days of course, but most certainly the most solid as a whole, since All That You Can't Leave Behind.
Would be perhaps fair to say the band had declined slightly from ATYCLB onwards, with regards to new material as a whole, and after a five year break from the failure of No Line, my expectations were incredibly low for this album. Like every fan, I wanted to hear new material, but part of me was worried it would be, like No line, below-par, and in doing that, they'd only ruin their reputation even more, so part of me was also questioning whether they should call it quits on the back of one last tour next summer, and forget releasing a new album...
Then last night arrived. Firstly, a live performance of The Miracle. It was great to see the band back performing, looking fresh and ready for it, but like others, I feel The Miracle is one of the weakest tracks on the album, and as a result, I came away from the performance feel underwhelmed, and questioning whether my initial fears of them delivering another below-par album were about to come true. However...
From the second Everything Breaking Wave finished, upon my first listen of the album, them fears were suddenly completely gone. I hadn't heard a song from U2 that was so fresh, current, and different since...well I can't even remember. It's an instant hit. Not just a U2 hit, but it could easily be a mainstream hit, if released as a single, and hopefully, the first single.
The whole album is just incredibly solid. Though I agree with some comments made about the entire tempo of the album being somewhat similar, I don't see that as a negative. It's just hit after hit, from mid-tempo to fast-tempo hits, and it's just bloody brilliant. Quite literally took my breathe away upon first listening. It's what a U2 album in the current world of music should sound like. It's everything that No Line should have been, and more. This isn't an album where their attempting to re-invent their old sound, or re-capture, but a U2 taking a new, brave direction. Almost as if to say, if this is our last, or the first of two last albums, then we may aswell go out knowing we took 'that' risk, with regards to new a direction of sound.
They've made a great U2 album, without particularly sounding like the U2 we know. To put it simply, they found the perfect balance with this album. Some may claim it's an attempt at delving into the mainstream too much with some of the sounds, i.e The Killers and One Republic references, but my days, we're in 2014. Nobody wants to hear their attempt at another Vertigo or Beautiful Day, like Boots & Crazy Tonight were respectively. Their with the times, and have produced an album that can easily be a hit today, amongst the general public. That's where No Line failed for me. It was different yes, but the overall sound, or album as a whole, just didn't feel like it could hold up in the industry of today. That's a rather crappy way of putting it, but you see my point.
Whether my like for the new album will be as strong come Christmas, is yet to be seen, but what won't change, is my admiration for a band in their 50's producing such a fresh sounding modern piece, that's stronger than their past two albums, perhaps three.
Songs Of Innocence then Songs Of Experience then final tour and disband. It makes sense.
Do you like the Angelus at the start of California......the auld catholic boys heading out to California
Interestingly, I have been listening about 12 times in a row now, and then I immediately played Invisible, thinking it may change my mind about the song and see more about it to like. And it just doesn't fit with this collection of songs. Glad it's not on here.
Interestingly, I have been listening about 12 times in a row now, and then I immediately played Invisible, thinking it may change my mind about the song and see more about it to like. And it just doesn't fit with this collection of songs. Glad it's not on here.
You know, the most consistent comment on here that I read about this album is how consistent it is. "There doesn't appear to be any big hit, or song that stands out, but at least the record's consistent". That's like reviewing someone in your office and saying "They've never really excelled, but their performance is consistent".
Don't mistake me, I've called the album "even" myself, and am generally pleasantly surprised with it. I just wonder if our expectations have over time shifted so much we don't even perceive it. We used to expect transcendental, impactful anthems from U2...now we're just happy if the record's "consistent". It's like a pensioner who used to climb mountains and is now just happy if they can get up in the morning.
To make that comparison is to admit the hits and what makes hits = quality.
You know, the most consistent comment on here that I read about this album is how consistent it is. "There doesn't appear to be any big hit, or song that stands out, but at least the record's consistent". That's like reviewing someone in your office and saying "They've never really excelled, but their performance is consistent".
Don't mistake me, I've called the album "even" myself, and am generally pleasantly surprised with it. I just wonder if our expectations have over time shifted so much we don't even perceive it. We used to expect transcendental, impactful anthems from U2...now we're just happy if the record's "consistent". It's like a pensioner who used to climb mountains and is now just happy if they can get up in the morning.