(10-13-2004) U2 Album Review -- The Sun*

[dsmith2904]

U2 Album Review

IT is the most hotly-anticipated album of the year — and it’s as explosive as its title.

U2’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb goes back unashamedly to what the band do and love best — anthemic, majestic, triumphant rock and roll.

Setting their stall out as they mean to continue, first single Vertigo, out on November 8, is big, angry and jagged. Thrusting guitars drive it along at a relentless pace and set the tempo for the rest of the tracks.

These include Miracle Drug, best song on the album, Original Of The Species, second best, Crumbs From Your Table and City Of Blinding Lights — both of which are polished, epic numbers reminiscent of material from The Joshua Tree.

While these songs are the keystone of U2’s 11th studio album, they’re not what How To Dismantle is all about. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own is a touching ballad.

And for fans of the work BONO did with BRIAN ENO on the PASSENGERS’ Soundtracks album, One Step Closer is a beautiful, electronic, ambient number.

Of course, Bono’s political views creep in On Love And Peace Or Else and Yahweh — the Hebrew word for God — but they never get in the way of the great music. The album is a return to form for Dublin’s finest — but then being off form is something U2 just don’t do.

The quality here is bound to send CHRIS MARTIN into a spiral of paranoia about COLDPLAY’s forthcoming release.

How To Dismantle will be released on November 22.

I give it 11 out of 10.

-- The Sun

Thanks paulrg!

 

[TwoAmericas]

WOW!!!!!

I can't wait for the album to come out. It seems every album they put out is better the last, and it sounds like this is even more the case. I never thought they could put out a better album than ATYCLB.

Nov. 22, baby....

I will be waiting on line...

 

[caroltheone]

 

[bsp77]

Great review. The album better be better than ATYCLB. While a good album, it is too dull to meet the standards set with JT and AB.

 

[AtomicBono]

11 out of 10... I cannot wait. This album is going to be brilliant...and then when it's played live...

 

[phommel]

I need it now~!

 

[Zoocoustic]

More good news; will be interesting to hear this album first-hand.

 

[U2democrat]

gaaah!!!!!

 

[Teta040]

We'll know it's a REALLY good album when the sceptics--such as Spin, the Village Voice, and Certain NY TImes critics give it an "A". Or at least if Entertainment Weekly gives it a B+. Certain publications in the US have big U2 fans among their crix--notably the LA Times and USA Today. Not to mention Rolling Stone.

I'm sure all the non-Yanks on here can think of local equivalents in either catagory.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

I think that's a good review.

 

[U2 addict]

I particularly love the Coldplay remark

 

[U2 addict]

 

[drivemytrabant]

AHHHHHHH COME ON NOVEMBER!!!

 

[babyman]

 

[Hawk269]

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

AWESOME.

The quality here is bound to send CHRIS MARTIN into a spiral of paranoia about COLDPLAY’s forthcoming release.

 

[edgeboy]

im really sick of people comparing u2 and coldplay, first off,
coldplay does'nt even sound like u2 and they're a good band but
nowhere close to u2.

 

[zoostationuk]

November cant come quick enough

PK

 

[ewen]

Great review. The album better be better than ATYCLB. While a good album, it is too dull to meet the standards set with JT and AB.

couldn't agree with you more.

As a die-hard fan since 82 ATYCLB, to me, was U2's most commercial, selling-out to the public album and I kind of thought that's it, in terms of the future, the death of my favourite band is nigh. But it sold because it appealed to the mainstream. Uninspiratational music (i didn't say bad music) matched by the most uninteresting photography on the sleeve of any U2 album cover (bar 'October' probably, funnly enough my first ever U2 purchase). It's U2's "nice" album and most people know that "nice" usually goes hand-in-hand with "dull". Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the album but it's not as ballsy or as inspirational as the others and after 4 years it rarely gets played on my CD player anymore. I'm basing these personal opinions on comparing ATYCLB to every other U2 album.

Anyway, that's the past, this new album is sounding like it's the anti-ATYCLB......fantastic!!! Vertigo has already inspired (there's that word again) me to pick up and play my bass after eight years gathering dust. Had my first band jam last saturday and it's "all because of you" U2.

Aaaargh, I just want to break into someplace and steal a copy of that album! November is far too long away, i need a hobby, something to keep my mind of it!

that's all folks, thank you for tuning in, and sorry if you love ATYCLB but they're just my humble personal opinions.