UK Uncut Magazine HTDAAB Preview!!

[Jim]

Jim and Philod: Blue Crack Men of the Year!!

I hope you're not suggesting I'm a dealer?...

I was tempted to put in a red herring for you all:

"...Bono's vocals in the final refrain relay the angst of Ronan Keating's "When You Say Nothing At All".

 

[Jim]

But i figured you would kill me

 

[AussieU2fanman]

I can't wait any longer!!!!

Please gimme a leak or someting!!!!







BTW: U2aussiefanman, I think we can't go back to PLEBA anymore, after all you said and she's mine

Yep I blew any chance of being accepted there
But seriously dude, Jordan is mine!

And damn after reading all those reviews, I could not bear much longer being without this album. All in favour for breaking to Bono's house to steal the cd? (and some Iced teas if he has any, preferably Lipton)

GO ALBUM GO!!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Are there any other U2 specials coming out soon?

 

[MrBrau1]

No, I could care less about the song being about AIDS and africa. That might be a good thing. Its the reviews, all 3 havent really said much about the tune, one said it should have been a "B-Side." Of course, Im not looking too much into the reviews, its just I had a question mark when I heard this song title, so it may be a psychological thing. I'm not going to find out until I actually hear the album.

Love the descriptions of ABOY and "City of Burning Lights"!!

Gotcha.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

Guys Philod is soooo washed up now, Jim is the wave of the future! Philod is like David Hasselhoff right now. Haha joking dude, you're still the pioneer for all the transcripts!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Defend yourself Philod!

 

[Jaxx]

Philod is like David Hasselhoff right now.

He's got a talking car and hangs out at the beach with Pamela Anderson?

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Fast cars is sounding more interesting every time some one talk about it. It's one of the new songs that I want to listen to the most. They should have it on every album! I'm drooling over the Love And Peace review!

Thanks Jim!

 

[shart1780]

Blah I was being dumb. LaPoE looks to obviously be about the Middle East... yeah. I don't mind that in and of itsself, but the lyrics sound so cliche'd, kind of like Peace on Earth (which isn't a good thing). If U2 is great at one thing it's being subtle, and this song doesn't seem like that to me. I don't want to hear "Lay down your guns. Why can't we love eachother?" anymore. It just reminds me of a pacifists' song from the 60's or something. It'll probably just grate on my nerves...

Please U2... don't give us another Peace on Earth!!

The description of Yaweh is scaring me a little too. It's starting to look like another Peace on Earth as well...

 

[djerdap]

I love Love and Peace lyrics. These lyrics are fantastic:
"I don't know if I can take it
I get dizzy on my knees
My heart, I'll let you break it
And if so, release, release, release
A bit of love and peace."

 

[Jim]

Please U2... don't give us another Peace on Earth!!

The description of Yaweh is scaring me a little too. It's starting to look like another Peace on Earth as well...

Sounds more in the vein of 'Wake Up Dead Man' to me

 

[MrBrau1]

I think POE would be a good song if not for the lyric

"Where I grew up, there weren't many trees, where there were we'd tear them down and use them on our enenies"

That line seems so half assed.

 

[RademR]

I think POE would be a good song if not for the lyric

"Where I grew up, there weren't many trees, where there were we'd tear them down and use them on our enenies"

That line seems so half assed.

worst song on ATYCLB. Very half assed and too corny. L&P is going to rock and the lyrics are a lot better.

 

[U2girl]

Thanks for the reviews Jim!



(I personally, except for that particular line, really liked the lyrics on Peace on Earth. The music is kind of so-so, though)

 

[Jaxx]

I think any song that begins with the line "Heaven on Earth, we need it now" is lyrically doomed from the start.

I have no problem with U2 singing about war, AIDS, social injustice, etc. In fact, that's one of the things I like the most about them. I just wish they'd do it in a subtle, intelligent manner (which they've more than proved they're capable of). POE and WILATW are exactly the opposite of that.

 

[Jim]

I think any song that begins with the line "Heaven on Earth, we need it now" is lyrically doomed from the start.

I have no problem with U2 singing about war, AIDS, social injustice, etc. In fact, that's one of the things I like the most about them. I just wish they'd do it in a subtle, intelligent manner (which they've more than proved they're capable of). POE and WILATW are exactly the opposite of that.

I have to agree.. I can't fault the sucession of the first 6 songs, but then the album seems to crunch. I love Grace and NY though.

 

[U2girl]

Jaxx: Many of U2's political/social songs are VERY direct - Sunday bloody sunday, New Year's day, Bullet the blue sky, Pride. Apart from the 90's, Bono wasn't really subtle about it.

With that, I find it easier to believe to words of a man who writes something like Please (again, clearly about N. Ireland) or POE from the view of a 40-year old rather than words of a 23 year old who sings Sunday bloody Sunday and New Years day. (and uses a white flag. how much more direct can you get?)

 

[innocent_eyes]

Cool!!! It all sounds good to me!

WTF, whats with 'miracle drug' being called a rocker in one review and a slower song on another? Same with 'A man and a Woman'!

I guess the album took a very different direction somewhere along the way, the album isn't going to be very full-on, I guess! That's cool though, as long as the music is good!

I hope the more ambient sounding songs are like, 'Homecoming, or UF, or streets, or ISHFWILF,' kinda slow but kinda not!

I'm sure we'll be impressed with Edge's guitar though, he be doing something interesting even if the songs are slower tempo or whatnot. Think of Stay, pretty much a ballad, but what a wicked guitar sound....

November...

 

[MrBrau1]

How come no US mags are in on the preview thingy? Too much MnM?

 

[Jaxx]

Many of U2's political/social songs are VERY direct - Sunday bloody sunday, New Year's day, Bullet the blue sky, Pride. Apart from the 90's, Bono wasn't really subtle about it.

New Year's Day, BTBS and Pride are a a lot more subtle than POE. They have a clear political message, but it's not all spelled out for you. It's conveyed through metaphor and poetical symbology. More important than that: they work as songs even if you have no idea what they're about! How many people actually know what's the inspiration behind NYD? Not that many, outside the hardcore fans. How many people who aren't U2 fans know Pride and enjoy it as a love song without being aware that it is about MLK? And to this day, in this forum, people are still discussing the meaning of some of Bono's lyrics in BTBS.

SBS is different, of course. It's direct, in-your-face, but very deliberately so. It's a war song against war, and the energy and anger behind it more than make up for its lack of subtlety. If POE was a stadium rock anthem belted out at full voice, guitars raging, then maybe Bono could get away with those lyrics. We'd be too soaked up in emotion to even take notice of the clichés. As it is, unfortunately, it just doesn't work.

Sorry for the off-topic. Hopefully we have a great album to look forward to.

 

[vivaSA]

Jim, thanks for the preview!

 

[U2girl]

Subtle? If you say so...

While it's true Lech Walensa and the solidarity movement inspired New Year's day, the song works very well in the context of the album it's on as a statement against war.

Bullet the blue sky is anti-US policy - again, the album deals with America(s).

Pride a love song? I've never ever heard that interpretation. April 4 date and another song titled MLK not a clue enough?


I don't really care if it's a song that is in your face or if it's a song that you have to spend days pondering on - if I will like it, I will.
I will, however, say that POE, WILATW and Grace with their topics may not necessarily sit that well on an album that is more down to earth in its lyrics. (I can easily see the same character in the songs BD, Stuck, Kite, IALW, WH and New York and possibly Walk on; even though it's dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi and Elevation being a fun song.)

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Jim, you're the greatest! Thanks for doing this man!

I just KNOW I'm gonna have to buy the LP and frame it.

Again, Love and Peace or Else/ City of Blinding Lights combo is going to floor me!!!

 

[MrBrau1]

I'm ready for everyone to start complaining, cause it looks like we're getting 3 hard rock songs, not the 12 so many people were screaming for. I'm quite happy, but this board is going to be a mess again w/ ATYCLB and HTDAAB bashing.

 

[Rafiennes]

My guess is that Miracle Drug will sound like a pumped version of WGRYWH -- the slower tempo, but loud guitars

 

[U2girl]

I think Vertigo, Love and peace or else, All because of you and Yahweh will all be full of guitars.

IMO City of blinding lights and Sometimes you can't make it on your own will be the two ballads - and Edge said there's only a couple of them.

The rest is probaly mid-tempo, more or less.

So far I'm most interested to hear Love and peace or else, and Sometimes you can't make it on your own.

 

[Numb1075]

L&PoE sounds fantastic....That has become the one tune I am most eager to absorb.

Jim, thanks again for posting the review.

 

[Rafiennes]

My theory is that City of Blinding Lights is going to be the tune that they will want to eventually replace WTSHNN with on tour, it sounds like it could be one of those mid show songs that lift it up to a whole other level...but I like the show 'Charles in Charge' so what do I know?

 

[Jim]

The great thing about music is that you can have an opinion about a song, in the context of this discussion, 'Peace On Earth', but when you are confronted with a jarring incident in your life, be it personal or communal, some songs can take on resonance that didn't exist before. I lived in Ealing when in 2001 the IRA set of a bomb in a nearby pub. 'Peace On Earth' suddenly sounded different to me at that time. We were all around when 9/11 happened. When I nearly lost a close friend though alcoholism 'Kite' had a startlingly direct resonance for me.

I could go on and we all have our own personal examples.

Still, I don't listen to 'Peace On Earth' much now and I don't think it's U2's greatest song (I guess by that I mean that I wouldn't play it very often), but I'm glad it exists and it was a great song for me one day driving in my car and it might be again one day.

I was talking to a collegue recently about books, and how frustrated I get having 8 books on the go at once, and how I feel guilty for not finishing a book that I have started. Her response was that a book has a time and a place. If it isn't working for you leave it. It's not the right time, put it down. It may be that in 20 years you want to read the book again and it will suddenly make sense. I guess it's the same with music? We want it all now, but sometimes there just isn't a connection, or the connection arrives at another time... and that's OK.