No Line On The Horizon: the most underrated album?

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It really isn't though. It seems as if the vast majority of EYKIW ranks SOI ahead of it although, who knows, maybe the honeymoon phase for that album has ended. I'm not about to run another series of polls to find out.

I haven't noticed this, but I don't frequent EYKIW regularly and I haven't visited the sub-forum in several years, so maybe I'm off the mark.


Passengers is underrated but the reasons for underrating it are idiotic and don't have all that much to do with music. Essentially, U2 sycophants are freed from their obligation to kiss ass because of the name technicality, allowing them to file the album as some failed Eno project. If it had been released as a U2 album, it would be as well regarded around here as Pop.

Totally agreed, although it definitely can't go pound-for-pound for Pop imo.
 
some of NLOTH's tracks just smack of a band recutting the songs hundreds of times (Magnificent, Unknown Caller, Boots, Breathe, even Moment of Surrender, great as it is, feels a bit staid).

Moment of Surrender was famously done in one take, though?

Whatever minor tweaks were added certainly doesn't equal "hundreds of times".
 
Haven't posted in ages but thought I'd chime in and say that I enjoy the last 4 albums a ton. Though I haven't listened to an individual album front to back in ages. My biggest gripe with U2 since the 90's has been the odd one or two really bad moments on each of the last four albums that have ruined an otherwise decent to great experience.

I have 3 playlists with about 10 tunes each that fit a different mood. The playlists in some ways feel more much cohesive than the albums themselves. One is Soulful/pop, one is more atmospheric/modern and the other is flat out Rock. A highlight for me is hearing Iris, New York, One step closer and Fez next to each other.

I wish they'd be more prolific and brave with their releases but they've had some very nice moments at a time when most bands are done for. Anyhow, NLOTH deserves another chance from me... will listen tonight.
 
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Decided to give this album a spin today. Yep. Cwazy Tonight and SUC are by far the two worst songs in U2's catalog (of songs that are considered A-Sides).

Enjoying the rest of the album though. I don't know. It's still hard to top the last 5 of SOI, but I will say that NLOTH and Fez-Being Born top any song on SOI as far as individual songs go.
 
Decided to give this album a spin today. Yep. Cwazy Tonight and SUC are by far the two worst songs in U2's catalog (of songs that are considered A-Sides).

Enjoying the rest of the album though. I don't know. It's still hard to top the last 5 of SOI, but I will say that NLOTH and Fez-Being Born top any song on SOI as far as individual songs go.

This is the feeling I always get. For me, NLOTH (song), Fez and even Magnificent are top tier U2. MOS, Breathe and Cedars also strong. But I always find myself skipping about 4 songs on No Line, where i only skip 1 sometimes on SOI.
I listened to some of SOI a couple days ago and damn if I wasn't really impressed. In fact Iris grew more on me, still think EBW is a really special song, and SFS, although the one song i sometimes skip, isn't "bad".
It's just a strong album, that i think if people listen to it away from expectation and what they think about last minute producers and delays and all that stuff, is a great album from them.

ps. - also listened to Crystal Ballroom again, and I truly think that it could have been a hit for them. Just love that song.
 
I like Crazy Tonight.

There. Someone had to say it.

Which is fine.

Listening to a few NLOTH songs right now. Fez is absolutely phenomenal, as is Cedars of Lebanon. That's the type of shit I want an album of from modern-day U2.

You must love your sleep then. :D

All joking aside, I'm actually someone that really likes Beach Sequence too. And Fez isn't too bad on the occasional listen that i give it.

The middle 3 are the sound of U2 being desperate for a radio hit and are very weak. I consider Unknown Caller to be one of the worst U2 songs of all time, essentially unlistenable.

Breathe, NLOTH, Magnificent and MOS are solid to very good U2 songs.

Those are the only four I ever really come back to. Or even Unknown Caller also on my end, mostly due to the instrumentals going on.
 
This is the feeling I always get. For me, NLOTH (song), Fez and even Magnificent are top tier U2. MOS, Breathe and Cedars also strong. But I always find myself skipping about 4 songs on No Line, where i only skip 1 sometimes on SOI.

I listened to some of SOI a couple days ago and damn if I wasn't really impressed. In fact Iris grew more on me, still think EBW is a really special song, and SFS, although the one song i sometimes skip, isn't "bad".

It's just a strong album, that i think if people listen to it away from expectation and what they think about last minute producers and delays and all that stuff, is a great album from them.



ps. - also listened to Crystal Ballroom again, and I truly think that it could have been a hit for them. Just love that song.



Yeah agreed. Song For Someone gets a really bad rep here. I'm in agreement that it's not a great song or anything but after listening to Crazy and SUC, I can definitely say I've heard worse than SFS.
 
Sometimes i just get mad listening to Unknown Caller and Stand Up Comedy. I just shake my head and wonder what they hell were they thinking... Crazy and Boots are not far behind.
 
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Yeah agreed. Song For Someone gets a really bad rep here. I'm in agreement that it's not a great song or anything but after listening to Crazy and SUC, I can definitely say I've heard worse than SFS.

Correct. SFS is much better than those, and Boots and UC. Just listened to Boots again. Jesus Christ. embarrassing.
 
The band during the recording of SUC:

- I know "For Your Love" is really good, but let's make it bigger!

- Edge. Give us more Zepplin.

- Oooh. Have you guys heard that "I'm a bitch" song?

- ooh. Maybe make the guitar solo sound like something from Achtung.

- but please bring it back to Zep.
 
Decided to give this album a spin today. Yep. Cwazy Tonight and SUC are by far the two worst songs in U2's catalog (of songs that are considered A-Sides).

Enjoying the rest of the album though. I don't know. It's still hard to top the last 5 of SOI, but I will say that NLOTH and Fez-Being Born top any song on SOI as far as individual songs go.

Hmm. I think MOS is the best "official" thing they've released from 2000- (I'd put only Mercy above it). And I admire Fez being on the abstract side and not being any kind of verse-chorus-verse format. I also love the title track for its writing and being an actual album introduction as opposed to a leadoff single like the 3 albums before it and the one following it. But I'd put Reach Around over both of those last two. Such a bouncy track that has great autobiographical content.

It's so disappointing how it wasn't even given a chance on tour. What a big tumble from originally opening the album.
 
Unknown Caller is a far more interesting and worthwhile track than Song for Someone. Virtually everything bad about 21st century U2 is contained in SFS, it's just missing an overproduced rock section.
 
Unknown Caller is a far more interesting and worthwhile track than Song for Someone. Virtually everything bad about 21st century U2 is contained in SFS, it's just missing an overproduced rock section.



I'd actually replace SFS with Crazy Tonight in your statement above. At least SFS has an autobiographical story to it.

I will agree that Unknown Caller is much more interesting.

Overall though, the hate for SFS is out of control a bit. Not an offensive song at all.
 
I'd actually replace SFS with Crazy Tonight in your statement above. At least SFS has an autobiographical story to it.

I will agree that Unknown Caller is much more interesting.

Overall though, the hate for SFS is out of control a bit. Not an offensive song at all.

At least Crazy Tonight has a memorable, catchy melody. It's dumb but mostly ruined by Bono's ill-advised lapses into falsetto.

SFS sounds like a love theme from a Disney movie that didn't make the cut because it wasn't good enough.
 
At least Crazy Tonight has a memorable, catchy melody. It's dumb but mostly ruined by Bono's ill-advised lapses into falsetto.



SFS sounds like a love theme from a Disney movie that didn't make the cut because it wasn't good enough.



The only memorable thing about Crazy Tonight is the Journey knock off guitar intro. It's an absolute embarrassment. SFS. Again, not interesting. But not a complete load of shit like Crazy Tonight. In fact, that song is so bad that I think we can say with 100% certainty that Larry is not on board with it.
 
NLOTH is a U2 album that only the most devoted U2 fans can truly love.

And at the end of the day, this runs counter to everything the band (or at least Bono) are about. They want, to their credit, to make new fans with every release. This is why B insisted on Boots and Crazy Tonight. Although it's unclear why he thought these tracks would have created new fans. To my ears, Crazy is catchy and tolerable, but not desirable. Boots (and SUC) are abominations.

But the real flaw in the album is its overt sense of self-importance. Songs like WAS, Magnificent and yes even MOS just reek of bombast and grandiosity. The middle three were meant to lighten the mood but they just made matters worse, like a sugar cube dropped into a Grand Cru Burgundy (with apologies to Burgundians).
 
Bombast and grandiosity is how they became huge. So it's ok on JT but not on No Line?

It's not for me to say whether it was OK or not. The market has decided and apparently did not want much to do with NLOTH.

These are 2 very different albums, from very different eras - for the band, its fans, the world. It is what it is.
 
It's not for me to say whether it was OK or not. The market has decided and apparently did not want much to do with NLOTH.

These are 2 very different albums, from very different eras - for the band, its fans, the world. It is what it is.

It suffered in the market because of the lead single, which was anything but grandiose and bombastic.

Had they released MOS first (which is really only grandiose), it might have been a different story.
 
It's not for me to say whether it was OK or not. The market has decided and apparently did not want much to do with NLOTH.

These are 2 very different albums, from very different eras - for the band, its fans, the world. It is what it is.



What does your perception of "the market" have to do with anything?

"Bombast and grandiosity" have always been a part of U2's MO. That has nothing to do with market.
 
It suffered in the market because of the lead single, which was anything but grandiose and bombastic.

Had they released MOS first (which is really only grandiose), it might have been a different story.

please read my post again. I clearly said that the middle three songs - which of course includes the lead single - were included to offset the rest of the album. i.e. to counter the bombast and grandiosity of the rest of the tunes.

but now that you brought it up - Boots is actually a bit bombastic. but there is so much wrong with this song that this is the least of its issues.

Re: MOS. No, it would not have been successful as a lead single. It would have done OK among the U2 flock. But that's about it.
 
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Very good album. Much better if you use this track list.

No Line On The Horizon
Magnificent
Moment Of Surrender
Unknown Caller
Soon
Breathe
White As Snow
Winter
Fez - Being Born
Cedars Of Lebanon

This would be a top 5 U2 album for me if it had looked for this. Much as I hate SUC and Crazy Tonight I actually quite like Boots but it just doesn't fit on the album, especially this superior version Mikal has listed.
 
It suffered in the market because of the lead single, which was anything but grandiose and bombastic.

Had they released MOS first (which is really only grandiose), it might have been a different story.

Yeah, I agree MOS would have been a perfect move but I can imagine the panic in the boardroom if/when they brought that up, it's a shame if that's what won the day.

It may not have been a huge hit but it would have been the kind of brave curve ball U2 have thrown in the past with their lead singles (WOWY, The Fly, Numb). MOS is a grandiose masterpiece, and grandiose is something U2 usually do really well.
 
Yeah, I agree MOS would have been a perfect move but I can imagine the panic in the boardroom if/when they brought that up, it's a shame if that's what won the day.

It may not have been a huge hit but it would have been the kind of brave curve ball U2 have thrown in the past with their lead singles (WOWY, The Fly, Numb). MOS is a grandiose masterpiece, and grandiose is something U2 usually do really well.

Totally disagree. Coming off of the love for HTDAAB, album of the year and all... the perfect play would have been either NLOTH or Magnificent as the lead single. I love MOS, but it would never have come within a mile of a radio station, and just isn't a song that would create interest in an album. Great song for diehard fans, not for 90% of casual fans and about 99% of the general public.
 
Great:
White as Snow
Cedars of Lebanon
No Line on the Horizon
Soon

Very Good:
Fez (Being Born)
Breathe
Unknown Caller
Moment of Surrender
Winter (Linear version)

Good:
Magnificent

Bad:
Get On Your Boots
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Stand Up Comedy

gonna spin this today after I go for a run
 
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I haven't listened to the album for a long while but there are the bones of a great record there. Boots really sunk the album. Just a terrible song. Magnificent is decent but I liked the pumped up version they played once on I+E much better than the original. As for Crazy Tonight, I'm glad it exists just for the awesome remix version during 360.

I think the title track stands among their best 21st century rockers, certainly leaps and bounds ahead of The Miracle. It may have made a decent first single. Fez is also a great track, inventive and energetic with wonderfully descriptive lyrics. MOS lives on the strength of Bono's vocal. White as Snow is also a great example of a low-key song done right.

The rest of the album? I can take or leave it.
 
Easily my 2000s+ album of choice. Crazy Tonight live remix and Boots fish out of water top their original forms. SUC is the only skippable track for me. Soon and Winter linear version are nice additions to the playlist. Rich in Edge guitar moments. Solos from MOS and Unknown Caller in particular. Sorely lacking from SOI.
 
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