popsadie
Acrobat
...I have an advance copy of the album, one of the perqs of reviewing music for Paste Magazine. No, I can't make copies, so please don't ask. It's nothing personal. There's just this nasty little copy protection doothingy embedded with my name and a refenence to my copy of the album, which would be a dead giveaway, and I'd prefer to not make my next posting from jail. 
But I really, really like this album. It's a return to the straightforward, no frills rock of the early albums Boy, October, and War. The band sounds 20 years younger, and fully rejuvenated. And these songs rock. Longtime producer Daniel "I Can Ruin Any Album I Touch" Lanois, master of intrusive sonic gauze, is nowhere to be found, having been replaced by Steve Lilywhite, who produced the early albums. And anybody who's been wondering why Bono is so reticent about his faith (I'm not one of them, but those folks are out there), had better sit up and take notice. This is how to do it. This is how to make a rock 'n roll album that will appeal to the masses and not compromise one's Christian faith. Dare I say it? This might be the best U2 album yet.
I jumped on the U2 bandwagon with the release of Boy back in 1980. And although every album has its good-to-great moments, I really prefer the early albums. I thoroughly dislike the Lanois/Eno production values that, IMO, have "plagued" the band for, what, twenty years now. When you have one of the greatest and most distinctive guitarists in the world, why would you want to tone him down and, pardon the pun, take off the edge?
In any event, this album has restored my faith in U2. They just may be the best rock 'n roll band in the world. Again.
But I really, really like this album. It's a return to the straightforward, no frills rock of the early albums Boy, October, and War. The band sounds 20 years younger, and fully rejuvenated. And these songs rock. Longtime producer Daniel "I Can Ruin Any Album I Touch" Lanois, master of intrusive sonic gauze, is nowhere to be found, having been replaced by Steve Lilywhite, who produced the early albums. And anybody who's been wondering why Bono is so reticent about his faith (I'm not one of them, but those folks are out there), had better sit up and take notice. This is how to do it. This is how to make a rock 'n roll album that will appeal to the masses and not compromise one's Christian faith. Dare I say it? This might be the best U2 album yet.
I jumped on the U2 bandwagon with the release of Boy back in 1980. And although every album has its good-to-great moments, I really prefer the early albums. I thoroughly dislike the Lanois/Eno production values that, IMO, have "plagued" the band for, what, twenty years now. When you have one of the greatest and most distinctive guitarists in the world, why would you want to tone him down and, pardon the pun, take off the edge?
In any event, this album has restored my faith in U2. They just may be the best rock 'n roll band in the world. Again.
's to Daniel.
It's hard to believe the music gets better!
