cobl04
45:33
I will post the Herald Sun's review on Thursday 
Can't wait to read it
Can't wait to read it
NLOTH Album Reviews - Professional / Web / Mag Reviews ONLY
- Thread starter Sicy
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
catlhere
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
U2 album sure to grow on you
Heath McCoy, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
U2: NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
(Universal)
4 out of 5
- - -
Get On Your Boots? I, for one, would love to, because that number -- the crashing kickoff single from U2's new album, No Line On The Horizon -- is pure fun.
A lusty hard rocker with the sort of bump and grind we don't often hear from U2, there's a silliness to the track which, in spirit, recalls the 1997 techno misstep Discotheque (though Get On Your Boots is infinitely superior to that embarrassment). With it's anthemic glam-pop chorus, dark dance grooves and thick, dirty rock rhythms it makes for a fantastic single.
But be aware, the tune doesn't reflect the album No Line On The Horizon as a whole. Planted firmly -- almost obnoxiously -- in the middle of the disc, it's as if Get On Your Boots were a conscious and much needed break from the album's truer and more sombre mission. Perhaps it was almost placed there as a quick blast of heat, to temper a rather chilly soundscape.
No Line On The Horizon is certainly the most ambient, artsy disc that U2 has come out with this decade. In some respects, it hearkens back to the electronic sounds that the iconic Dublin band toiled with to both brilliant and bad effect in the '90s, and at other moments, a touch of Radiohead's influence can be heard.
But more than anything else, the album recalls David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy. The Berlin Trilogy is a trio of cold, bold albums that The Thin White Duke recorded in the 1970s, in collaboration with Brian Eno, who is -- more than coincidentally -- a major force on No Line On The Horizon. Eno co-produces the disc with Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite and he's got a hand in co-writing more than half of the songs, too.
To be sure, much of the album will take time to grow on people. It's not immediate stuff. But for the most part, U2's experiments hold up beautifully.
On the title track, a dark shimmering wall of sound ushers in the proceedings with a shuffling beat and a soaring Bono vocal. Magnificent feels at first like an electronic spoof of Black Sabbath's Iron Man until the electronic vibes roll out Bono's romantic lyrical imagery. Moment of Surrender and the oddly paranoid Unknown Caller are in a similar vein -- icy, atmospheric ballads for the computer age.
That's not to say that the album is robotic however. Those sounds mingle with the organic nicely, with horns, organs and a sharp Edge guitar solo bringing the latter track to the sort of epic finale that only U2 can deliver.
It has to be noted though that many of No Line On The Horizon's best moments occur when U2 steps into the light. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight isn't great, but it's an unabashedly love struck pop ballad that makes for another nice diversion. Stand Up Comedy is closer to Get On Your Boots than anything else on the disc, with a meaty axe line from Edge.
But the album's strongest track is the one which finds U2 recapturing the power and the lush, atmospheric grandeur for which they're best known. That would be Breathe, which rumbles in on a bed of percussion courtesy of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and another mighty Edge riff with Bono delivering a great, picturesque lyric, his normally smooth vocals bordering on raving.
While it loses steam occasionally, for the most part No Line On The Horizon is a very impressive disc that proves U2 is still adept at pushing boundaries and refusing to be stagnant.
© The Windsor Star 2009
Heath McCoy, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
U2: NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
(Universal)
4 out of 5
- - -
Get On Your Boots? I, for one, would love to, because that number -- the crashing kickoff single from U2's new album, No Line On The Horizon -- is pure fun.
A lusty hard rocker with the sort of bump and grind we don't often hear from U2, there's a silliness to the track which, in spirit, recalls the 1997 techno misstep Discotheque (though Get On Your Boots is infinitely superior to that embarrassment). With it's anthemic glam-pop chorus, dark dance grooves and thick, dirty rock rhythms it makes for a fantastic single.
But be aware, the tune doesn't reflect the album No Line On The Horizon as a whole. Planted firmly -- almost obnoxiously -- in the middle of the disc, it's as if Get On Your Boots were a conscious and much needed break from the album's truer and more sombre mission. Perhaps it was almost placed there as a quick blast of heat, to temper a rather chilly soundscape.
No Line On The Horizon is certainly the most ambient, artsy disc that U2 has come out with this decade. In some respects, it hearkens back to the electronic sounds that the iconic Dublin band toiled with to both brilliant and bad effect in the '90s, and at other moments, a touch of Radiohead's influence can be heard.
But more than anything else, the album recalls David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy. The Berlin Trilogy is a trio of cold, bold albums that The Thin White Duke recorded in the 1970s, in collaboration with Brian Eno, who is -- more than coincidentally -- a major force on No Line On The Horizon. Eno co-produces the disc with Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite and he's got a hand in co-writing more than half of the songs, too.
To be sure, much of the album will take time to grow on people. It's not immediate stuff. But for the most part, U2's experiments hold up beautifully.
On the title track, a dark shimmering wall of sound ushers in the proceedings with a shuffling beat and a soaring Bono vocal. Magnificent feels at first like an electronic spoof of Black Sabbath's Iron Man until the electronic vibes roll out Bono's romantic lyrical imagery. Moment of Surrender and the oddly paranoid Unknown Caller are in a similar vein -- icy, atmospheric ballads for the computer age.
That's not to say that the album is robotic however. Those sounds mingle with the organic nicely, with horns, organs and a sharp Edge guitar solo bringing the latter track to the sort of epic finale that only U2 can deliver.
It has to be noted though that many of No Line On The Horizon's best moments occur when U2 steps into the light. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight isn't great, but it's an unabashedly love struck pop ballad that makes for another nice diversion. Stand Up Comedy is closer to Get On Your Boots than anything else on the disc, with a meaty axe line from Edge.
But the album's strongest track is the one which finds U2 recapturing the power and the lush, atmospheric grandeur for which they're best known. That would be Breathe, which rumbles in on a bed of percussion courtesy of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and another mighty Edge riff with Bono delivering a great, picturesque lyric, his normally smooth vocals bordering on raving.
While it loses steam occasionally, for the most part No Line On The Horizon is a very impressive disc that proves U2 is still adept at pushing boundaries and refusing to be stagnant.
© The Windsor Star 2009
catlhere
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
U2 Finds There's Much Virtue on 'The Horizon'
By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 24, 2009; Page C01
"I was born to sing for you," Bono intones on "Magnificent," one of the standout songs on U2's at-times-magnificent new album, "No Line on the Horizon." "I didn't have a choice but to lift you up."
Oh, stop rolling your eyes.
In considering U2's music, it's important to remember that there are two Bonos. There's the soul-searching poet-singer who is forever fascinated with love, salvation and the human condition. And there's the self-appointed, self-righteous soapbox-mounting global savior.
Although the latter Bono is seemingly well-intentioned, he can be kind of insufferable; as a result, it's becoming increasingly difficult to hear U2's music without filtering it through your feelings about the other Bono, that strident, sanctimonious swirl of idealism, agenda and ego. And yes, the two Bonos are sometimes one -- but they're almost always conflated, making the singer the Sean Penn of rock-and-roll.
As it turns out, his band is still worth hearing on occasion, if you can set aside that filter.
Streaming this week on U2's MySpace page and scheduled for release March 3, U2's latest studio album is (mostly) a winning set whose centerpiece lyric can be found on "Get on Your Boots," the slashing, buzzing, bad choice for a lead single in which Bono sings: "Let me in the sound/Let me in the sound/Meet me in the sound."
For the album is more of a textural triumph than anything, with the Dublin quartet reuniting with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, with whom they've had a little bit of success ("The Unforgettable Fire," "The Joshua Tree," "Achtung Baby") to craft a thickly layered soundscape in which the overall feel of the music is more important than Bono's words themselves. Which is why the band scrapped its early sessions with super-producer/song doctor Rick Rubin, who tends to stress melody, musicianship and lyrical construction and intent; this album is more about atmospherics and rhythms than standard songcraft. That's true even melodically, as some of the album's tunes, including "Get on Your Boots," feature fairly weak melodies.
Thematically, "No Line on the Horizon" is about love and war, about feeling disconnected and discombobulated, and about redemption, religion and the ridiculousness of being Bono. Indeed, on "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," a warmed-over arena-rocker from the band that perfected the rafter-reaching form, Bono sings that "the right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear." And in "Stand Up Comedy," over a heavy guitar riff and lumbering, pseudo-funk groove, Bono takes a self-deprecating swipe at his somewhat diminutive self, singing: "Stand up to rock stars/Napoleon is in high heels/Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas." (Glad to know he's in on the joke.)
The standouts, though, are the songs with the more textured and adventurous music and arrangements, such as "Magnificent," which opens with a growling guitar riff, pulsating electro-beat and some synth flourishes before the Edge's chiming guitar and Bono's soaring voice ring out and Larry Mullen's steady, whip-sharp drumming transforms the rhythm into something truly invigorating.
"Moment of Surrender" is another highlight, an entrancing seven-minute epic anchored by a video-game bass line and a steady drum pattern accented by twitchy, rhythmic sound effects and lifted by cello, organ, a few bluesy guitar licks and Bono's soulful wailing as he plays the role of lost soul. The vocal harmonies on the choruses sound like something out of a church in some distant, dystopian world; the woozy, slightly detuned piano adds to that impression, even if it's a Coldplay trick. (Not that U2 shouldn't be able to borrow from a band that's taken so liberally from U2, even enlisting Eno to produce its most recent album.)
In "Unknown Caller," Arcade Fire seems to be the lender on both the chanted, multi-voice chorus ("Go! Shout it out! Rise up!") and the bridge, what with its pipe organ, horns and xylophone/glockenspiel accents. The somewhat obtuse song opens with the sound of chirping birds, includes a Middle Eastern flourish, some wordless vocals and also one lyric that threatens to ruin the whole enterprise: "Restart and reboot yourself/You're free to go."
Bono isn't exactly in peak poetic form throughout the album. For every sharply written song, a la the contemplative "White as Snow" -- written in the voice of a dying soldier to the melody from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" -- there's a loudly barking dog, such as the distorted, driving garage-rock title track that opens the album and the lead single, "Get On Your Boots," which sounds like a "Pop" B-side. At its worst, "No Line on the Horizon" sounds like a collection of songs scrapped during earlier album sessions.
But at its best, it's the sound of a band pushing itself forward, figuring out a way to remain relevant while its frontman soap-boxes and saves the world.
DOWNLOAD THESE: "Moment of Surrender," "Magnificent," "White as Snow"
By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 24, 2009; Page C01
"I was born to sing for you," Bono intones on "Magnificent," one of the standout songs on U2's at-times-magnificent new album, "No Line on the Horizon." "I didn't have a choice but to lift you up."
Oh, stop rolling your eyes.
In considering U2's music, it's important to remember that there are two Bonos. There's the soul-searching poet-singer who is forever fascinated with love, salvation and the human condition. And there's the self-appointed, self-righteous soapbox-mounting global savior.
Although the latter Bono is seemingly well-intentioned, he can be kind of insufferable; as a result, it's becoming increasingly difficult to hear U2's music without filtering it through your feelings about the other Bono, that strident, sanctimonious swirl of idealism, agenda and ego. And yes, the two Bonos are sometimes one -- but they're almost always conflated, making the singer the Sean Penn of rock-and-roll.
As it turns out, his band is still worth hearing on occasion, if you can set aside that filter.
Streaming this week on U2's MySpace page and scheduled for release March 3, U2's latest studio album is (mostly) a winning set whose centerpiece lyric can be found on "Get on Your Boots," the slashing, buzzing, bad choice for a lead single in which Bono sings: "Let me in the sound/Let me in the sound/Meet me in the sound."
For the album is more of a textural triumph than anything, with the Dublin quartet reuniting with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, with whom they've had a little bit of success ("The Unforgettable Fire," "The Joshua Tree," "Achtung Baby") to craft a thickly layered soundscape in which the overall feel of the music is more important than Bono's words themselves. Which is why the band scrapped its early sessions with super-producer/song doctor Rick Rubin, who tends to stress melody, musicianship and lyrical construction and intent; this album is more about atmospherics and rhythms than standard songcraft. That's true even melodically, as some of the album's tunes, including "Get on Your Boots," feature fairly weak melodies.
Thematically, "No Line on the Horizon" is about love and war, about feeling disconnected and discombobulated, and about redemption, religion and the ridiculousness of being Bono. Indeed, on "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," a warmed-over arena-rocker from the band that perfected the rafter-reaching form, Bono sings that "the right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear." And in "Stand Up Comedy," over a heavy guitar riff and lumbering, pseudo-funk groove, Bono takes a self-deprecating swipe at his somewhat diminutive self, singing: "Stand up to rock stars/Napoleon is in high heels/Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas." (Glad to know he's in on the joke.)
The standouts, though, are the songs with the more textured and adventurous music and arrangements, such as "Magnificent," which opens with a growling guitar riff, pulsating electro-beat and some synth flourishes before the Edge's chiming guitar and Bono's soaring voice ring out and Larry Mullen's steady, whip-sharp drumming transforms the rhythm into something truly invigorating.
"Moment of Surrender" is another highlight, an entrancing seven-minute epic anchored by a video-game bass line and a steady drum pattern accented by twitchy, rhythmic sound effects and lifted by cello, organ, a few bluesy guitar licks and Bono's soulful wailing as he plays the role of lost soul. The vocal harmonies on the choruses sound like something out of a church in some distant, dystopian world; the woozy, slightly detuned piano adds to that impression, even if it's a Coldplay trick. (Not that U2 shouldn't be able to borrow from a band that's taken so liberally from U2, even enlisting Eno to produce its most recent album.)
In "Unknown Caller," Arcade Fire seems to be the lender on both the chanted, multi-voice chorus ("Go! Shout it out! Rise up!") and the bridge, what with its pipe organ, horns and xylophone/glockenspiel accents. The somewhat obtuse song opens with the sound of chirping birds, includes a Middle Eastern flourish, some wordless vocals and also one lyric that threatens to ruin the whole enterprise: "Restart and reboot yourself/You're free to go."
Bono isn't exactly in peak poetic form throughout the album. For every sharply written song, a la the contemplative "White as Snow" -- written in the voice of a dying soldier to the melody from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" -- there's a loudly barking dog, such as the distorted, driving garage-rock title track that opens the album and the lead single, "Get On Your Boots," which sounds like a "Pop" B-side. At its worst, "No Line on the Horizon" sounds like a collection of songs scrapped during earlier album sessions.
But at its best, it's the sound of a band pushing itself forward, figuring out a way to remain relevant while its frontman soap-boxes and saves the world.
DOWNLOAD THESE: "Moment of Surrender," "Magnificent," "White as Snow"
catlhere
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I have no clue if either are old or not. Just noticed someone bumped the thread and it had been a while since any reviews were posted so I looked for the most recent ones.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
Umm yes, because human beings are always one dimensional.
Off to a psychology course with you, dude.
Apart from the totally unnecessary part about Bono's personality, I found that a decent review, even though it's - again - obvious that the guy has a hard time saying something positive about the band and the music. Come on, you can do it, it's not that hard.
phommel
Refugee
Does anyone know the story of Irish independent...
Those people seem t hate U2? It's not that I mind bad reviews, but they haven't been writing anything positive concerning U2 for a long time. Does Ireland not love her own band anymore?
Those people seem t hate U2? It's not that I mind bad reviews, but they haven't been writing anything positive concerning U2 for a long time. Does Ireland not love her own band anymore?
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
No, the Irish Independent has been very harsh about U2 in recent years, there were a lot of bashing articles, so I'm not suprised by this review.
There is a short album review in one of Germany's most reputable newspapers, the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the review is, based on their general attitude towards the band, fairly positive, there are some things I disagree about, but they recommend the album and say U2 can still make good music. The title says: God has become music, which is pretty strong.
Also the German Spiegel, very critical towards U2 and Bono in particular, has a positive review: 9 out of 10 points. Not bad.
There is a short album review in one of Germany's most reputable newspapers, the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the review is, based on their general attitude towards the band, fairly positive, there are some things I disagree about, but they recommend the album and say U2 can still make good music. The title says: God has become music, which is pretty strong.
Also the German Spiegel, very critical towards U2 and Bono in particular, has a positive review: 9 out of 10 points. Not bad.
Dragonfave
New Yorker
2 and a half stars from Balitimore Sun 
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
Hey, that's not a bad review. Most reviewers need something to bitch about, but overall I think this review is really positive.
21/2 stars out of what?
21/2 stars out of what?
Irishteen
Blue Crack Addict
That review seemed pretty positive, 2 and a half out of 4 is it? If it's 5 that's pretty weird
chrissybaby
Refugee
^ Terrible review, seems like the reviewer has scanned Wikipedia for his facts and even then managed to get them wrong....
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
What a total idiot 
Clear U2 hater. And Bono in particular.
And so many errors.
It's disgusting what kind of people can become journalists.
Clear U2 hater. And Bono in particular.
And so many errors.
It's disgusting what kind of people can become journalists.
cjboog
Refugee
Here is what I have to say to the person who wrote that last review...
RANT:
What the f**k is seriously so wrong with a famous person using their fame for a good cause? What the f**k is wrong with saving lives? I've seriously never understood the people who hate Bono and say he should "shut up" about Africa. WHY!?!? Hardly anyone else seems to be saying anything about it! He's a f**king ROCK STAR who gets RESULTS when it comes to the things he's passionate about. What the hell pisses people off so much about the fact that Bono tries to save lives that they can't write a f**king balanced review of his MUSIC without trashing his "ego" and all that shit. What a bunch of insecure f**kers!
END RANT
RANT:
What the f**k is seriously so wrong with a famous person using their fame for a good cause? What the f**k is wrong with saving lives? I've seriously never understood the people who hate Bono and say he should "shut up" about Africa. WHY!?!? Hardly anyone else seems to be saying anything about it! He's a f**king ROCK STAR who gets RESULTS when it comes to the things he's passionate about. What the hell pisses people off so much about the fact that Bono tries to save lives that they can't write a f**king balanced review of his MUSIC without trashing his "ego" and all that shit. What a bunch of insecure f**kers!
END RANT
Based on the preview of its new issue, NME gives to NLOTH 7/10.
NME.COM - The world's fastest music news service, music videos, interviews, photos and free stuff to win
NME.COM - The world's fastest music news service, music videos, interviews, photos and free stuff to win
roy
Refugee
Dragonfave
New Yorker
3 stars from RTE (that's one more star than HTDAAB). Don't forget to use the "User Rating".
RT?.ie Entertainment: U2 - No Line on the Horizon
And that "Drowned in Sound" review pissed me off.
RT?.ie Entertainment: U2 - No Line on the Horizon
And that "Drowned in Sound" review pissed me off.
cdirani
War Child
What a total idiot
Clear U2 hater. And Bono in particular.
And so many errors.
It's disgusting what kind of people can become journalists.
That's my point...reviews do suck big time, they are pointless and personal. More than absurd.
AtomicBono
ONE love, blood, life
What pisses me off is how every review feels the need to preface with their feelings about Bono, which are almost always negative. If they like the album, they do so begrudgingly - "despite how annoying Bono is, well, the album isn't too bad." How about you just judge the music for what it is instead of bringing in your negative bias? Also, Bono > you. So stfu.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
exactly. it seems like every professional review comes with an agenda.
cdirani
War Child
Bono could be relaxing in Eze, instead he tries his best to help poor African families defeat AIDS. That's why it's annoying to ignorant and selfish people who just care about their arses.
sue4u2
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I used to get DIS newsletter, but they raved on and on about groups I didn't know anything about, then dissed every band that had any kind of popularity. I unsubscribed to them a few years back. They never said anything of interest to me. I see they are still at it.
catlhere
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Bono really rubs people the wrong way it seem. Oh well, their loss.
LyricalDrug
Rock n' Roll Doggie
I just wish Bono wouldn't sing so much about his fame / rock star status. As someone posted yesterday, it's not really anything that an average listener can identify with. He never used to do this, but it's really taken off on the last few albums. It's great when he sings about "speeding through the subway / through the stations of the cross" and writes about universal human situations. But when we get "last of the rock stars," and "some things you shouldn't get too good at / like smiling, crying, or celebrity" ... and "beware of little men with big ideas / Josephine - Napoleon" and "I was born to sing for you" etc., then I can understand how that would grate on people a little.
thefly1979
Acrobat
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 336
3 stars from RTE (that's one more star than HTDAAB). Don't forget to use the "User Rating".
RT�.ie Entertainment: U2 - No Line on the Horizon
And that "Drowned in Sound" review pissed me off.
the most interesting thing on this drowned in sound review is the fact that DIS is from the same one who made "THE QUIETUS", and there they´ve got much more credits from the editor.
and this editor from DIS like crazy tonight and compare it to ac/dc..how weird is that?
The Quietus | Features | Track-by-track: | U2 No Line On The Horizon Track-By-Track Album Review
buzzkill27
War Child
Obviously not as good as HTDAAB then
Really? what did they give HTDAAB? an 8
......no way that album competes on any level with this one
oceane
Refugee
AMEN. I'm so happy some people feel like this too. I'm seriously shocked at the amount of crap Bono has been getting lately, including from many U2 fans. I think it says a lot about how self-centered people really are
I think some of the crap he gets is his own fault--I do recognise that he can get a bit annoying and sound self-righteous to many, especially when his campaigning stuff might come into the music and the live shows a bit too much. But still, the work he has done has produced astonishing results, and I never doubted for a minute his sincerity. People are so cynical about social activism, it's truly sadening.
thefly1979
Acrobat
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 336
3 stars from RTE (that's one more star than HTDAAB). Don't forget to use the "User Rating".
RT�.ie Entertainment: U2 - No Line on the Horizon
And that "Drowned in Sound" review pissed me off.
this one from RTE is a real good one I think. "There should be no fear about venturing into the unknown, and no worries about getting lost along the way."
i love that. because thats the point. they should take more risks and things will grow again. even this album divide the critics totally, the next one could be have more depth. that would be great.
thefly1979
Acrobat
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 336
AMEN. I'm so happy some people feel like this too. I'm seriously shocked at the amount of crap Bono has been getting lately, including from many U2 fans. I think it says a lot about how self-centered people really are
I think some of the crap he gets is his own fault--I do recognise that he can get a bit annoying and sound self-righteous to many, especially when his campaigning stuff might come into the music and the live shows a bit too much. But still, the work he has done has produced astonishing results, and I never doubted for a minute his sincerity. People are so cynical about social activism, it's truly sadening.
all of them should shut up. this guy safed so many Lives. they aren´t in the position to criticise him.
thelaj
Refugee
The thing I am noticing is a clear split between people who "get/like" the experimentation (MoS, UC, GOYB, Fez etc.) and those who don't - and think those songs are weak and suggest we need more "classic, solid U2" (Magnificent, Breathe, Crazy Tonight etc.)
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