I am here to eat NLOTH crow.....

[walkon274]

Well, I am not sure this deserves its own thread, but I come to eat my humble pie.

I'm sure many of you posters on here are annoyed to the fullest with most of my posts downgrading the new album. Well I'm here to admit that I actually am beginning to dig it. Even GOYB which I absolutely detested about a month ago. Not sure if I've just beat it into my head or if it took a while for me to get it, but I actually like it.

Perhaps I spoke too quickly, or had unrealistic expectations, or just had not fully digested it. Though I will still say there are pieces of it that I do not particularly care for, I think this album is pretty good. Not great, but not bad either. I'd give it a 6.5 or 7/10.

It should be interesting how some of these songs come alive live on tour.

 

[derrick_rossign]

Give me a slice, because I was not impressed with the album at first as well, but after some more listens, it moved up from about my 7th favorite U2 album to my 3rd or fourth.

 

[Tizer]

Was interested by it on first few listens and every time I have it on..i love it a little bit more.

 

[Morgoth321]

It's an album that rewards repeated listens, but I still don't think it's an absolute classic. In my very personal opinion, Unknown Caller and Stand Up Comedy are pure filler, utterly forgettable (obviously many people will disagree, but that's OK). I Think I'll Go Crazy... (etc - what was wrong with just 'Crazy Tonight'?) is a good pop song with a lovely little instrumental break near the end, but ruined by some of Bono's most risible rhyming ever. GOYB sounds more appropriate in the context of the album, but it's still too close stylistically to Vertigo and Elevation to be truly memorable.

But...

When the album is good, it is astonishing. Moment Of Surrender is absolutely stupendous, indescribably wonderful. When you listen to it, the world ceases to matter for seven minutes of bliss. Cedars Of Lebanon might be the best lyric Bono's ever written. Magnificent is just that. Breathe gets better and better with every listen. NLOTH (either version) is one of the best songs they've ever written. White As Snow is unexpectedly sparse and hauntingly beautiful. Fez-Being Born is elusively appealing.

NLOTH is three-quarters of a great album. But for a band that's been active since the late 70s, it's a wonderfully challenging and diverse listen. U2 are still relevant in 2009, and what more can be said?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

It's an album that rewards repeated listens, but I still don't think it's an absolute classic. In my very personal opinion, Unknown Caller and Stand Up Comedy are pure filler, utterly forgettable (obviously many people will disagree, but that's OK). I Think I'll Go Crazy... (etc - what was wrong with just 'Crazy Tonight'?) is a good pop song with a lovely little instrumental break near the end, but ruined by some of Bono's most risible rhyming ever. GOYB sounds more appropriate in the context of the album, but it's still too close stylistically to Vertigo and Elevation to be truly memorable.

But...

When the album is good, it is astonishing. Moment Of Surrender is absolutely stupendous, indescribably wonderful. When you listen to it, the world ceases to matter for seven minutes of bliss. Cedars Of Lebanon might be the best lyric Bono's ever written. Magnificent is just that. Breathe gets better and better with every listen. NLOTH (either version) is one of the best songs they've ever written. White As Snow is unexpectedly sparse and hauntingly beautiful. Fez-Being Born is elusively appealing.

NLOTH is three-quarters of a great album. But for a band that's been active since the late 70s, it's a wonderfully challenging and diverse listen. U2 are still relevant in 2009, and what more can be said?

I agree with a lot of what you said, but definitely not your thoughts on Unknown Caller. This is truly a great song and i love what they have done with it. The chants, the message, so different from anything this band has ever done. I love the arrangement, the bird sounds, the message, everything. I dont see how this effort was filler, but by all means to each their own.

 

[ndmaxfield]

When Achtung Baby came out, it took my sister blaring it over the house stereo for two months before it grew on me. U2 has been my favorite band ever since...something about the psychology of their music. Your brain starts comparing it with all the other garbage out there, and suddenly appreciation blooms.

 

[wolfwill23]

Give me a slice please. Did not like the album on the first listen. I think I was really wanting Achtung II, which this album is not - It's No Line On the Horizon! But after seeing the songs live, I get them. Now I'm really starting to love this album. Can't wait for the tour! Nice job guys!

 

[ramblin rose]

When the album is good, it is astonishing. Moment Of Surrender is absolutely stupendous, indescribably wonderful. When you listen to it, the world ceases to matter for seven minutes of bliss.

I like this thread. I couldn't agree more with you about MOS. I hope U2 realizes how special this song is and doesn't put in a closet. They need to put this on the setlist, seriously.

 

[KevLW]

Quite simply, I can't stop listening to the damn thing! Of course it's not perfect - SUC still leaves me cold but all told it is an extraordinary effort. This band never ceases to amaze me. They have added so much joy to my life over 25 years and continue to do so!

 

[broker]

I was thinking these same thoughts this morning as I blasted the album throughout the house. I think Moment of Surrender is exquisite, astonishing, sublime - I had tears in my eyes the first time I heard it (and my husband has been giving me crap about it ever since) - I don't know when the last time a song did that to me. After the first few listens, I was in love with about a third of the album and was unsure about the rest - now, I am really appreciative, and drinking it in with each listen - and once again grateful to the band for inspiring me and being a real source of joy in my life. (And yes, hearing songs like Crazy Tonight live has definitely increased my affection for them).

 

[sue4u2]

Welcome aboard everyone.
Glad you could join us. We're in for an incredible ride.


Edited to say: bet some critics will feel the same, yet not have the guts to admit it. No worries, who needs em..

 

[Clawgrabber]

This is exactly what I wanted from a U2 album. I told my friend two months ago when he asked what i wanted "I honest want to put in the new U2 record and scratch my head for a while before it clicks"

Those are always the best album experiences. That's how I started out with U2 in the first place. I seriously bought Achtung Baby after realizing there were five radio hits on there (this was back in 1992) and then after listening to it all the way through one time, deemed it "too depressing" (there is a lot of talk about death on that one... or so I thought) and shelved it for six months.

Then one day I tried it again and I was hooked.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

NLOTH is great, at some moments it's fantastic, lot's of moments actually, but I've listened to NLOTH followed by Achtung Baby 2 times in a row today (yeah 4 hours of music in a row) and there is no contest at all between the 2.
That being said, lots of NLOTH songs need to be heard many times in order to get them or like them, or understand them. This is what makes a good record. AB was the same, still is for me.

 

[Rob33]

NLOTH is great, at some moments it's fantastic, lot's of moments actually, but I've listened to NLOTH followed by Achtung Baby 2 times in a row today (yeah 4 hours of music in a row) and there is no contest at all between the 2.
That being said, lots of NLOTH songs need to be heard many times in order to get them or like them, or understand them. This is what makes a good record. AB was the same, still is for me.

NLOTH is brand new...AB is 20 years old....no contest at all between the 2....?

...and then you specifically point out how one must listen "many times in order to get them"....what am I missing here...

Lets give it some time....I'm sure your opinion of NLOTH will be much different in 5 years....10years? 20 years?! Think about it...

 

[nirniva]

Why did WalkOn LIE about not liking the new album?

 

[walkon274]

Why did WalkOn LIE about not liking the new album?

Hahaha, (foot in mouth)

 

[mikal]

Well, I am not sure this deserves its own thread, but I come to eat my humble pie.

I'm sure many of you posters on here are annoyed to the fullest with most of my posts downgrading the new album. Well I'm here to admit that I actually am beginning to dig it. Even GOYB which I absolutely detested about a month ago. Not sure if I've just beat it into my head or if it took a while for me to get it, but I actually like it.

Perhaps I spoke too quickly, or had unrealistic expectations, or just had not fully digested it. Though I will still say there are pieces of it that I do not particularly care for, I think this album is pretty good. Not great, but not bad either. I'd give it a 6.5 or 7/10.

It should be interesting how some of these songs come alive live on tour.

good to see you're coming around.

 

[rihannsu]

I think the biggest obstacle to liking this album is expectations and baggage. Many will listen in the beginning with very critical ears but later when you're just playing it and not really trying to figure it out is when it will get you. In other words the key to the album is surrender. You have to surrender your expectations, your preconceptions, and your ideas of cool or lame or embarrasing. One of the reasons that I think the live performances help is that when you can see Bono as well as hear him you absorb new insights into the songs. Since I'm a recent fan as far as really exploring their music I found that seeing Bono sing the songs made a real difference in how I related to the songs. For instance, I couldn't get why people went on and on about Bad until I saw the song performed. MOS is one that may be like that as well.

I was thinking about this earlier today because of someone's comment that they didn't like a certain song because they expected it to "take off" and it never did. If they can get past that expectation and let the song be what it is they may like it better. Kind of like WOWY in a sense because I can imagine that when that song first came out the expectation of a big solo when Edge actually just stays minimal surely threw people at first but the songs is actually more powerful in it's simplicity. NLOTH will take repeated listenings for people to get to the point of just experiencing the songs instead of thinking about them too much.

I also think that listening to the album completely without skipping tracks is important. This is clearly an album and needs to absorbed as such for a while to be truly appreciated. I find that I need to listen to it as an album and it bothers me when I have to interupt it.

Dana

 

[nirniva]

Hahaha, (foot in mouth)

It's okay. We still love you.
Nice to see an upbeat thread like this after suffering through the 20-page-long, brutally off-topic flame war on the Songs Of Ascent thread, by the way.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, we need a :footinmouth: smilie around here. Any mods reading this?

 

[angel_28]

YAY!..even I admit some songs on NLOTH didn't really hit me at first either...Unknown Caller for a few days I thought I don't like this song at all...but I kept listening now its up there as one of my favorites thus my siggy
Even NLOTH was meh at first...but it has grown on me too..
The only 2 songs I am having problems getting into is WAS and Fez...both great, but I doubt a few months from now I will be listening to them

 

[nirniva]

I also think that listening to the album completely without skipping tracks is important. This is clearly an album and needs to absorbed as such for a while to be truly appreciated. I find that I need to listen to it as an album and it bothers me when I have to interupt it.

Dana

THIS. With a few exceptions (Magnificent, for one,) I have trouble listening to this album anything but all the way through. In fact, can't even listen to NLOTH (the song) without going onwards! It's such a perfect opening track, it just doesn't feel right otherwise.

 

[Niceman]

I think the biggest obstacle to liking this album is expectations and baggage. Many will listen in the beginning with very critical ears but later when you're just playing it and not really trying to figure it out is when it will get you. In other words the key to the album is surrender. You have to surrender your expectations, your preconceptions, and your ideas of cool or lame or embarrasing. One of the reasons that I think the live performances help is that when you can see Bono as well as hear him you absorb new insights into the songs. Since I'm a recent fan as far as really exploring their music I found that seeing Bono sing the songs made a real difference in how I related to the songs. For instance, I couldn't get why people went on and on about Bad until I saw the song performed. MOS is one that may be like that as well.

I was thinking about this earlier today because of someone's comment that they didn't like a certain song because they expected it to "take off" and it never did. If they can get past that expectation and let the song be what it is they may like it better. Kind of like WOWY in a sense because I can imagine that when that song first came out the expectation of a big solo when Edge actually just stays minimal surely threw people at first but the songs is actually more powerful in it's simplicity. NLOTH will take repeated listenings for people to get to the point of just experiencing the songs instead of thinking about them too much.

I also think that listening to the album completely without skipping tracks is important. This is clearly an album and needs to absorbed as such for a while to be truly appreciated. I find that I need to listen to it as an album and it bothers me when I have to interupt it.

Dana

This is a really good post!

 

[Lila64]

Nice to see people coming around

foot in mouth you say? These are all I could find..

 

[ramblin rose]

THIS. With a few exceptions (Magnificent, for one,) I have trouble listening to this album anything but all the way through. In fact, can't even listen to NLOTH (the song) without going onwards! It's such a perfect opening track, it just doesn't feel right otherwise.

Yeah, I have the same problem. When I listen to MOS I think of repeating it, but then I get this overwhelming urge to just continue listening.

 

[ShipOfFools]

I loved NLOTH at first listen, and it grew into one of my favorite albums. It's one of those albums that you fall in love with slowly over time.

 

[Niceman]

I've loved the album since the beginning, but I'm actually even warming up to Winter.. Yes, it needs a little work, but there's something there....

 

[EmitFlesti]

After ten straight days of listening, I'm not sick of it yet; and it only seems to get better and better.

To mention just two other fairly recent much-hyped releases for comparison, I was bored with Viva la Vida and In Rainbows after a few hearings.

 

[coolian2]

about the fourth time i listened closely, i listened trying to think of what i'd hate about it in a year.

nothing came to mind. (someone clever will bookmark this post and when/if i start bitching about the album, will post the link)

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

this might be the first time (in the history of the internet, at least) where more people might like an album/rank it higher among other U2 albums now than when it first leaked.

 

[astepcloser24]

I definitely agree that it takes a while to get into the album. It's an album that if you stick with it, it will grow on you. When I heard the songs a few weeks ago, I wasn't impressed. I actually texted a couple people and I was like, 'I waited 4.5 years for THIS?' Now, I'm glad I stuck with it. I'm in love with it. It's on constant replay on my iPod, iTunes, and in my head.