MERGED ----> Q Review of HTDAAB + Q Magazine, what a joke

[tkramer]

For me it goes like this:

1/5 = bad record
2/5 = so so record
3/5 = good record
4/5 = excellent record
5/5 = the perfect record

Exactly. The only thing I would add is that to be five stars it must not only be perfect, it must refine the course of rock music. To me only two albums came out in the DECADE of the 90's that were that good. AB and OK Computer. It's possible this album will land between AB and POP. That's not only ok, it's two steps above great. And really, this is one person's opinion. And you got to know they only heard it the one time at the preview session, which makes it even more suspect, as all music needs a few listens to truly get the proper feel.

 

[roy]

For me it goes like this:

1/5 = bad record
2/5 = so so record
3/5 = good record
4/5 = excellent record
5/5 = the perfect record

U2_Guy, I didn't realise you were such an expert. Given your analysis, I would expect Q mag to only allocate 5 stars once every 2 years on average. Is that the case?

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I actually got Q today, but didn't realise there was a U2 review until this thread alerted me...after all you think it would say on the cover "U2 album review inside!" but it doesn't which is quite strange...



Anyhow, I will type a few things in from the review.



First, they list "Original Of The Species" as the "Essential Track"


"SYCMIOYO complements the great Stuck' with a revision in subject: its a lament for Bono's recently deceased father. Original Of The Species and All Because Of You will make strong singles"

 

[tkramer]

If you think 4/5 Q is bad, wait till you see the reviews in those snotty indie magazines/websites like NME, pitchforkmedia.com....but Q's rating is a good indication of what rolling stone, uncut, mojo will give it.

Actually pitchforkmedia likes vertigo. They gave it a warm review and something like a 3 or 3.5 star rating. So a good start I'd say.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Some more:

"ABOY features a heavily manhandled acoustic guitar. It's the Edge who makes this record: embellishing the so-so Yahweh until it becomes something more interesting"



"There are many highlights"

 

[roy]

Uh...do you base your opinions on other people's? NME only gave Achtung Baby 7/10 when it came out and to me there is no way that is an accurate score.

U2 albums have been traditionally weak second side, including Achtung baby.

 

[purpleblackeye]

the very best albums are the ones that need repeated listens. U2's work has always been like that.....if you like something instantly, chances are you'll get sick of it instantly too....guess everybody knows this

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

"While never going as far as actually reheating former glories, here U2 have effectively sampled themselves. It's a very u2 record. Taking up 2000's single Beautiful Day, The Edge explained he had revisited his "Coca-Cola riff"- by which he meant it was his classic trademark, not that it made your teeth hurt - after three albums in denial. The Coca-Cola riff makes another appearance here, along with an arsenal of guitar noises that bring to mind a particularly impatient boy with a new box of fireworks: there's tricks going off all over the place. SYCMIOYO sends a single repeated note ringing through digital delay, City Of Blinding Lights piles on the slide and distortion."

 

[roy]

the very best albums are the ones that need repeated listens. U2's work has always been like that.....if you like something instantly, chances are you'll get sick of it instantly too....guess everybody knows this

Even music critics?

 

[ludilobrate]

Review from Q is f.....shit.everyone who wants to see real review of HTDAAB should visit this website www.otvoreni.hr<croatian site>
they rated album by 11 and scale was from1 to 10...which means new album will be MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TC2290]

4 out of 5 is not excellent.

It's good.

You are actually wrong, read Q's reviewing system.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

"Bono's lyrics continue to be a an inpenetrable hotchpotch of allegory, humanist egotism and Christian longing. There's nothing as direct as One here, and plenty that U2 fans will remember from before: the rain is still poisoned, the bullets still rip the sky and a brown-eyed girl is still moping about somwhere"



"Crumbs From your Table never quite comes together as a memorable tune"



"Its a small gripe. speaking to Q last month, Bono explained that U2's continuing motivation was "not becoming crap like eveyrone else does".

"With their 11th studio album, they've succeeded in not becoming crap quite admirably."

 

[nurse chrissi]

what does Edge say in the postcard?

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

On Fast Cars:


"The casbah-vibed closing-and UK-only-track Fast Cars is a thrilling curio; offbeat without sacrificing its tune at the conceptual altar."








Thats pretty much most of the review, a lot shorter than I expected and much of it is a ramble about U2's past. so there isn't much meat there.

 

[U2_Guy]

U2_Guy, I didn't realise you were such an expert. Given your analysis, I would expect Q mag to only allocate 5 stars once every 2 years on average. Is that the case?

Once you give up on sarcasm you gonna be a much happier person.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

U2 albums have been traditionally weak second side, including Achtung baby.

The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Ultraviolet, Acrobat, Love Is Blindness...hmm doesn't look like a "weaker" side 2 to me...don't be so pompous and jaded Roy.

 

[tkramer]

"I'm tired and I want to go to bed, I had a little drink about an hour ago and it went right to my head."

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

The Edge postcard says:


"Dear Q

Making videos is very dull. - I hate the whole business of doing a video, but even more I hate paying for them..we pay and MTV get them for free. FREE! totally Freeee!! Ha! Ha! only joking..I love MTV "up MTV" MTV you are brilliant...


xx MTV"

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Ok I'm done!


*tired*

 

[U2_Guy]

Thanks Jack.

 

[nurse chrissi]

The Edge postcard says:


"Dear Q

Making videos is very dull. - I hate the whole business of doing a video, but even more I hate paying for them..we pay and MTV get them for free. FREE! totally Freeee!! Ha! Ha! only joking..I love MTV "up MTV" MTV you are brilliant...


xx MTV"

thank you!!!
Love the edge....

 

[Lo-Fi]

I think some people have been caught in the hype and have believed what the band have said, that this is their finest work. You want for them to say that as they've lived the record for the past two years of their lives. They need distance to be truly honest about it.

What we have from Q magazine is an honest review. 4/5 is an excellent mark, I didn't expect this record to be the next AB or TJT. They've produced an excellent record, but not a classic, to me, there's nothing wrong in that at all. And please, don't start saying 'ATYCLB got 4 as well, so this record is gonna be as crap as that one'. Different reviewers have different opinions on what they view as 4 star record.

Public Enemy said it best, as did U2 at one point, don't believe the hype.

It looks like it's gonna be an excellent record, but just wait a few more weeks and you can judge for yourself if you think it's a classic.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Thanks Jack.

You are welcome. The only negative thing in the review is the comment on Crumbs From Your Table, I think they were hesitant to give it the full 5/5 because Q seems all too concerned with following other magazine trends these days.

 

[VertiGone]

No mention of Miracle Drug??

 

[roy]

The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Ultraviolet, Acrobat, Love Is Blindness...hmm doesn't look like a "weaker" side 2 to me...don't be so pompous and jaded Roy.

Wow..... Mysterious Ways, Ultraviolet and Acrobat, you seriously think they are true great U2 recordings?

The nearest U2 have come IMO to a great second side is with the JT. Red Hill Mining Town, In Gods Country, One Tree Hill (best ever) and EXIT but even that (just like Achtung Baby) was the lesser of two sides.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Review from Q is f.....shit.everyone who wants to see real review of HTDAAB should visit this website www.otvoreni.hr<croatian site>
they rated album by 11 and scale was from1 to 10...which means new album will be MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where is the review on the site? Thanks.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

No mention of Miracle Drug??

It mentions something briefly about a lyric from MD, but nothing else, like I said its not that great a review really, pretty insubstantial.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Wow..... Mysterious Ways, Ultraviolet and Acrobat, you seriously think they are true great U2 recordings?

The nearest U2 have come IMO to a great second side is with the JT. Red Hill Mining Town, In Gods Country, One Tree Hill (best ever) and EXIT but even that (just like Achtung Baby) was the lesser of two sides.

Mysterious Ways has one of U2's most memorable riffs and is a great pop-rock song that stands up even today. Acrobat is the great underrated tune of that album, and Ultraviolet is a solid 8/10 tune...not everything has to be a 10/10 Streets Roy. Your standards are ridiculously high.

 

[Rastat]

Mmmm... translation of the croatian review, please?

Thank you...

 

[patrickU217]

Is it reaylly important what music mags think of the album? For sales maybe, but its still the music that counts to us u2 fans. Here in Holland u2 always got a great response, but AB was rated only so-so by Dutch leading music magazine OOR, complaining that the original u2 sound had disappaered. On first listen i thought they were right, but the album kept on growing on me and has become my favourite u2 album. It still is. The fact is that those music reviewers have to listen to a lot of albums every month, so they often only listen to it once and write a review. 10 listens later the review could be very different. I still think the album will be great, and i hope that on first listen i get the feeling it is a weak and disapointing album. Because then i know it will be a masterpiece in the end.