The one change I would have made to make this the most complete U2 album I've heard.

[popshopper]

so what if this song was a calculated move
U2 has been calculative like that since October (at least) when they included Fire because they reckoned it would make a single (ok, maybe not a successful calculated move but still ....)

Pride was a calculated move
most of RH
most of POP
and so on and so on

Simply put, I don't think they've ever between so shamelessly soulless when papping a song into an album. The song doesn't fit the mood of the album especially in the little 3 throwaway song section where it's easily the weakness song. It's just a completely incoherent song, some of the ironic lines are nice, the riff is pretty decent but it's probably the worst song they've ever put on a album, by virtue of how soulless and vapid it is and how much time they've obviously spent getting it that way.

The song is something Oasis would come up with on a bad day, as someelse mentioned it's like a bad Jesus Jones B-side.

 

[Needle_Chill]

The only part wrong with NLOTH is the three song section in the middle (Crazy Tonight, GOYB, and Stand Up Comedy). NLOTH to UC is killer and epic (and is the light side of the album). Fez-Being Born to Cedars of Lebanon is mysterious and powerful (the dark side of the album).

The middle is just cheese... although at times cheese can be good. I need a good dose of SUC or Crazy Tonight sometimes, but usually I just throw up in my mouth a little bit.

 

[cdirani]

I Love Stand Up Comedy!

I would never skip Stand Up Comedy. It's one of the best tracks U2 have ever recorded.

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

Stand Up Comedy rocks! And the lyrics are cool as well.

 

[MMP]

Mercy is one of the worst things U2 has ever done imo. And now that they know it's already out there I hope they never release it officially.

 

[nirniva]

EDIT: And insult Stand Up Comedy at your own risk.

 

[scottyT]

cedars is the weak link and not the best closer in my opinion, i'd rather have seen it as a b-side.

 

[mikal]

EDIT: And insult Stand Up Comedy at your own risk.

lol. it's funny because i actually defended my least favorite song on the album in this thread. i just hate it when people don't like a song and turn it into some conspiracy theory.

 

[U2opra]

I don't think the album is terrible, but I do believe it could've really been made/structured better by a few changes, for example something like this:

1. MAG
2. UC
3. FEZ
4. NLOTH
5. SUC
6. GOYB
7. MOS
8. Breathe
9. WAS
10.Crazy
11.COL

But this is just my opinion.

 

[windylad72]

Stand Up is an awesome song and one of their best in ages. Funky, rocky, loads of riffs, great melodies, touches of Oasis. I would open the show with this one. I can't believe people dismiss this as throwaway. I wonder what some of you listen to on this thread. Anyway, there's not accounting for taste i suppose!

Mercy is ok but it takes ages to get together and it doesnt half grate on the ears. Great singing from Bono though and that would've fitted on this album as his singing is fantastic on this album

 

[U2opra]

Stand Up is an awesome song and one of their best in ages. Funky, rocky, loads of riffs, great melodies, touches of Oasis. I would open the show with this one. I can't believe people dismiss this as throwaway. I wonder what some of you listen to on this thread. Anyway, there's not accounting for taste i suppose!

Mercy is ok but it takes ages to get together and it doesnt half grate on the ears. Great singing from Bono though and that would've fitted on this album as his singing is fantastic on this album

Stand Up - great song.

 

[ozeeko]

Stand Up Comedy isn't THAT bad of a song. I mean, it's listenable, the middle section is pretty cool, and the Edge's riff is pretty bad-ass. But on NLOTH it just doesn't fit! It sounds like a Duran Duran album track from the mid 90's. It's like if they put Big Girls Are Best on ATYCLB. Not a bad song, it's fun, but totally takes you completely out of the album.

 

[cpaxlvacy]

I love Stand Up Comedy, grat song, the only song i don't like on the album is the title song, i don't like the vocals melodies, itry and try and try to like this song, but i don't like it. Apart of that the album is a master piece.

 

[windylad72]

For all those who dont like it you've got to listen to this song dead loud!! Plugin your IPOD and give it a blast. I see the Led Zep comparison but not sure I can hear Duran Duran?

As for it not fitting the album people said this about Mysterious Ways on AB. Suddenly everyone's an expert on constructing albums and production........SUC has loads of layers and is fantastically put together. Go on give it a loud blast!!!!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

The album definitely works in it’s own way, and I don’t doubt that those middle three songs will be favourites for a lot of people, especially those that came over to U2 on the last couple of albums (particularly Bomb), but there’s a mood from 1-4 and 8-11 that is broken, holds it back from being a truly great ‘album’ album. It means you sort of snap out and listen to as a track by track album, or you buy in, go for the ride, and just accept that you’re stopping off at the U2 Karaoke Bar for a few drinks in the middle. Maybe a different tracklist or something could fix it, I don’t know. All I know is when I’m getting to the end of Unknown Caller I feel like I should be diving into something like Fez right there and moving on, not taking a little pop break. It’s like the album has an intermission.

That’s not trying to say that people who think it’s great as it is, or totally love those songs, or don’t feel the same way as me about flow or the journey or whatever are wrong – not at all. People also listen to albums in different ways and want different things from U2. But I think from 1-4 and 8-11 they are knocking it out of the park in a really special way, and that if they’d just connected those two blocks properly, you’d probably have as close to another AB or JT as you’re ever going to get from them at this stage and it would be getting recognized as such.

And while I completely see the merits in Crazy Tonight (great fun – probably the song off this album I get stuck in my head the most) and Boots (very good belter that I haven’t come close to overplaying so is still getting better for me with each listen), I’m sorry, but I see no good in U2 doing 00s Bon Jovi. I think Stand Up Comedy is from start to finish a total embarrassment. Way, way, way below them.

 

[U2girl]

The crazy boots suc(k) trinity is definitely the talk of this album...well, I actually don't mind Boots in the confines of the album, and while the stand up comedy has weak lyrics, it's saved for me by the delivery and guitar.

Crazy tonight - and from someone who so far liked all of their pop attempts - just misses the mark. And it's completely out of place on this album.

 

[Acrobad]

Personally I don't like White as Snow, reminds me of The Wanderer, the one U2 song I really really don't like. But it seems i am the only one....

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Soul rockin’ people appreciate the U2 Karaoke Bar break.
Rockin’ soul people don’t.

And with that, I will never quote that part of the song ever, ever, ever again outside of any "All Time Worst Lyrics" "Bonos Most Embarrassing Moment" type threads.

 

[popshopper]

The album definitely works in it’s own way, and I don’t doubt that those middle three songs will be favourites for a lot of people, especially those that came over to U2 on the last couple of albums (particularly Bomb), but there’s a mood from 1-4 and 8-11 that is broken, holds it back from being a truly great ‘album’ album. It means you sort of snap out and listen to as a track by track album, or you buy in, go for the ride, and just accept that you’re stopping off at the U2 Karaoke Bar for a few drinks in the middle. Maybe a different tracklist or something could fix it, I don’t know. All I know is when I’m getting to the end of Unknown Caller I feel like I should be diving into something like Fez right there and moving on, not taking a little pop break. It’s like the album has an intermission.

That’s not trying to say that people who think it’s great as it is, or totally love those songs, or don’t feel the same way as me about flow or the journey or whatever are wrong – not at all. People also listen to albums in different ways and want different things from U2. But I think from 1-4 and 8-11 they are knocking it out of the park in a really special way, and that if they’d just connected those two blocks properly, you’d probably have as close to another AB or JT as you’re ever going to get from them at this stage and it would be getting recognized as such.

And while I completely see the merits in Crazy Tonight (great fun – probably the song off this album I get stuck in my head the most) and Boots (very good belter that I haven’t come close to overplaying so is still getting better for me with each listen), I’m sorry, but I see no good in U2 doing 00s Bon Jovi. I think Stand Up Comedy is from start to finish a total embarrassment. Way, way, way below them.

I have nothing against a bit of a diversion in the middle of the album, I think Boots would have worked pretty well there by itself, and I think you could have another throwaway song in there somewhere but putting 3 together was a poor decision. Crazy is a nice little track but I just wished the album was more substantial in the middle. SUC is just plain cringeworthy though.

 

[nirniva]

Soul rockin’ people appreciate the U2 Karaoke Bar break.
Rockin’ soul people don’t.

And with that, I will never quote that part of the song ever, ever, ever again outside of any "All Time Worst Lyrics" "Bonos Most Embarrassing Moment" type threads.

That line was NOT bad! It was just...okay, yeah, it was bad.
Still like the song, though...not as awesome as, say, "Magnificent" or "Breathe", but I liked it better than WAS.

 

[Needle_Chill]

The crazy boots suc(k) trinity is definitely the talk of this album...well, I actually don't mind Boots in the confines of the album, and while the stand up comedy has weak lyrics, it's saved for me by the delivery and guitar.

Crazy tonight - and from someone who so far liked all of their pop attempts - just misses the mark.

Yes, thank you, I've been trying to state it in a concise way.

The Crazy Boots SUC(k) Trinity. I like it.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I have nothing against a bit of a diversion in the middle of the album, I think Boots would have worked pretty well there by itself, and I think you could have another throwaway song in there somewhere but putting 3 together was a poor decision. Crazy is a nice little track but I just wished the album was more substantial in the middle. SUC is just plain cringeworthy though.

Yeah, the album always needs something a bit different in the middle there. You could have gone from Unknown Caller into Fez-BB, maybe out of Fez-BB and into the kind of Stay/One-esque ballad that the album is missing (but one that still fits the mood and feel of the album), then into something quite catchy and light, but still a mood fit. The way Mysterious Ways works perfectly on Achtung. Then drop into Breathe, White as Snow, then another sort of moody but memorable/louder/faster track and off into the night with Cedars. Something like that anyway. Or of course once you remove the middle three you are almost giving the album a licence to be shaken up even further.

It’s funny, I’ve never been even remotely interested in shuffling tracklists on U2 albums before. I’ve always felt that we’re getting what they want, and that they generally get it perfect. I’ve never opened an alternate-tracklist thread, and totally skim over those posts. Does not interest me in the slightest. But I’m itching to see if a 2nd album later this year produces one absolutely outstanding album when mixed correctly with this.

 

[VintagePunk]

Suddenly everyone's an expert on constructing albums and production.

You've just hit on something that's amused me about this forum for years now. There are many so called "experts" among us, I guess. Doesn't matter than Lanois and Eno have produced some of the best albums of all time. Doesn't matter that between them they have about 70 or 80-odd years experience in the studio. Doesn't matter that they're two of the most highly regarded and respected producers out there. Nope. Interferencers know better, obviously.

 

[No spoken words]

You've just hit on something that's amused me about this forum for years now. There are many so called "experts" among us, I guess. Doesn't matter than Lanois and Eno have produced some of the best albums of all time. Doesn't matter that between them they have about 70 or 80-odd years experience in the studio. Doesn't matter that they're two of the most highly regarded and respected producers out there. Nope. Interferencers know better, obviously.

Amen, Canadian person.

 

[VintagePunk]

Amen, Canadian person.

Well, clearly if Interference poster X thinks that the tracklisting needs adjusting and that song Y should be replaced with song Z, Eno and Lanois were wrong and did a horrible disservice to the album. What other explanation could there be?

 

[No spoken words]

Well, clearly if Interference poster X thinks that the tracklisting needs adjusting and that song Y should be replaced with song Z, Eno and Lanois were wrong and did a horrible disservice to the album. What other explanation could there be?

Ha.

You'd think the interference experts would unite and open their own studio/form their own supe-rpowered band and reinvent music, history and time as we know it.

 

[VintagePunk]

Ha.

You'd think the interference experts would unite and open their own studio/form their own supe-rpowered band and reinvent music, history and time as we know it.

I want to buy an album produced by burger flippers, sales people, accountants, and students. Truly I do. I'm sure their musical vision will blow me away.

Fuck.

Eta - that said, I am fully on team music is subjective. If someone doesn't like something about the album, fine. But I think it'd be wise to realize that it's only a preference thing, and that the vast majority of people are very satisfied to listen to an expert's (Eno and Lanois, in this case) version of the album.

 

[quadcaster]

stand up comedy is an awsome song! mercy is shit, goodbye goodbye mercy!

nar im kidding, mercy isnt crap, but stand up is awsome

 

[ozeeko]

I want to buy an album produced by burger flippers, sales people, accountants, and students. Truly I do. I'm sure their musical vision will blow me away.

Fuck.

Eta - that said, I am fully on team music is subjective. If someone doesn't like something about the album, fine. But I think it'd be wise to realize that it's only a preference thing, and that the vast majority of people are very satisfied to listen to an expert's (Eno and Lanois, in this case) version of the album.

Who else but people who are really into music would have debates about tracklistings and album cohesion? Do you really think the average Joe out there gives a shit or even notices? No, it's just the people whom, for them, music is more than just a hobby or entertainment, it's what defines life for them. Also, a lot of musicians were formerly Burger flippers and students before getting their big breaks. What do you think, that Bono was always a singer? Don't you think at some point Edge might've moonlighted as a clerk/burger flipper/or whatever b.s. position he might have held to pay for things, such as his guitar? Come on, these guys are just like you and me. They aren't Gods. They once flipped burgers. If people want to argue over what makes an album sound great or more cohesive, all i gotta say is Thank God there's people who are out there that actually think about the music they're listening to. Maybe you'd like to live in a utopian world where everyone thinks everything is great, and then who would challenge our favorite artists?

 

[zoocarolina]

Mercy will see the light of day sometime either in a new album or a box set down the road, but I agree about the middle of the album, something changes after UC and then picks up again at WAS, it's a break, but this could be one heavy mother without Crazy and Stand Up in there. Looking forward to Winter.