Can you elaborate on this? When does it crawl when it should soar? And what U2 album doesn't do this?
I’ll elaborate and before everyone gets panties in bunches this is MY opinion and while you may disagree, no need to attack. Also know that while we have different opinions, one of us is wrong and it’s most likely not me
It’s all about pacing. Like any good movie or novel or anything with artistic merit. You need to keep the pacing going. Otherwise you’re meandering. Also, your opening is everything. It lets you know the type of (for lack of a better word) journey you’re gonna be going on.
So when NLOTH sneaks in (quite possibly one of the best songs U2 has written in a long time) and attacks you with this beautifully bombastic sound (not one, not two, but THREE separate drum parts) a helluva melody and it just lets you know that you are in for some energy.
And then…Magnificent starts and it’s kind of plodding ahead and then it slowly builds to…a bit of a mid-tempo song with some tremendous singing but it kind of sounds like the guys are tuckered out. The guitars are great, the synths are great but it doesn’t have that second punch we need (i.e. Zoo Station / EBTTRT or Discotheque / DYFL or ASOH / Pride) If you start out strong, don't follow up with the immediate slow down (BD / SIAM or Vertigo / MD)
Then, while they’ve got you slowed down, they give us Moment of Surrender (and here’s where I’m gonna get shit) MOS, while a beautiful song, doesn’t go anywhere. It goes on and on and never really ascends at any point. It’s got a great melody, a fantastic slide solo, but it’s kind of…just…there…
Based on every interview everyone on this board has most likely read, I’m sure to be in the room while that song arrived must have been an other worldly experience. But we’ll never be in that room at that moment. (so badly want to make a Stuck In A Moment Of Surrender joke but I can’t really formulate it right now) So while the songs MOS were compared to (WOWY and One) eventually get to a crescendo, this song does not.
So then you’re now really chugging along and we get…Unknown Caller. A good tune, still in the mid-tempo range, though. From there it’s three tunes – one slightly faster, the next really faster, then slow fast tunes. And the last three tracks, acoustic-y ballad, bluesy, dark rocker and then moody ender. It just sounds disjointed to me. I can’t even listen to the album in its current track listing. I rearrange it and make it more enjoyable for myself (one of the bad side effects that iTunes has had on The Album)
Hopefully that answered your question and angered next to no one.