Thoughts from a first-time listener...

[Zoocoustic]

Just got done listening to HTDAAB for the first time...listened at loud volume on the home stereo. My thoughts, after one listen, are below:

Vertigo - of course, I had heard this one quite a bit before - still think it is a GREAT song! How can you not sing along?!

Miracle Drug - well, it was only one listen, but I didn't really find this song very interesting...I was thinking to myself "what's all the hype?!"

SYCMIOYO - I confess, I had already heard this one on the SNL performance. Good song, but I was thinking that the SNL live performance was better. Not surprising for U2.

LAPOE - OK, I'm sorry, this one I did NOT like. Maybe I need more than one listen. It was just so-so. I was expecting another Vertigo from what I had been reading on these boards.

COBL - I was getting a bit worried after LAPOE, but this song calmed me down. I loved it. It has a very "Streets" feel to it. Great song and I'm sure it will be excellent live.

ABOY - Not bad! Catchy, and I can see why it will be the second single.

AMAAW - Now, I was actually expecting this one to be bad, based on the lukewarm reviews I read, but I really liked this song! I kept thinking of Staring At The Sun, and how this song could sound great live in an acoustic version with Edge singing some strong harmony.

CFYT - I really liked this song. Can't put my finger on it yet, but it was great.

OSC - Another strong song. Really enjoyed this one as well.

OOTS - This one was very catchy to me, and I really hope to hear it live. I was singing along with this one quite a bit.

Yahweh - Again, like AMAAW, I was expecting to NOT like this song. However, I LOVED IT! To me, this was a highlight of the album, and I kept thinking how good this could sound live. Also, I came to the realization during this song just what a strong guitarist Edge is, and how much he brings to the table.

Overall, it was a very good listen. I was surprised to find that I liked, overall, the second half of the album better than the first half! Maybe that will change with repeated listens, but who knows. Anyway, I'm off to start my second time through......

 

[kiwilad]

Interesting review. Glad you liked Yahweh, isn't it a classic?!

I think you'll find MD will grow on you. Once the lyrics and melody of the chorus (the songs are in your eyes...) get stuck in your head you'll be able to take it in easier. I also found it disappointing on first listen, as it seemed to have no chorus. But it got me after about 5 listens. It really is a great song, but you need to give it time to grow on you.

 

[LPU2]

Yes, Miracle Drug is the "One" of this album. No obvious chorus at first, a challenging structure, but a song that has more lasting power than anything on this album. I've heard it a billion times now and I still can't get enough.

 

[Atomic Monkey]

Since I just finished my first listen, I might as well post too.

Well at 10:12 the bomb dropped and here's how it went:

Vertigo- I was totally into the CD quality here. Much fuller, much more going on. Amazingly, probably the worst song on the album.

Miracle Drug- Great stuff. I think this one will grow on me more. It's rockin and beautiful at the same time.

Sometimes- I LOVED the SNL performance so this was a bit of a letdown...a little too overproduced and less emotional. However, its a nice companion to the "live" version.

Love and Peace- Not my favorite, but I believe that it is a "grower". I completely love the bridge thing. They could have almost done a song with that piece of music.

City of Blinding Lights- Not as good as the raw TOTP version, but still one of my favorite U2 songs ever. This thing live? WOW!

All because of you- I liked this waaaaaay better than the TOTP performance. Reminds me of "Achtung" a bit. Great song and kind of one of the worst on the album...incredible!

A man and a woman- Didn't expect to like this one like I did. Possibly one of the best. Just perfect from beginning to end.

Crumbs from your table- I figured this wouldn't be good because I had heard that the last 3 songs were great and figured one had to suck. However, Crumbs rocks!!! I think it'll be great live too. Nice rockin outro.

One step closer- This is a nice change of pace. I've always liked slower U2 stuff (Grace, Peace on Earth, etc) so I enjoy this one.

Original of the Species- As much as I like the raw piano only version, this is a piece of art. I was listening to the Beatles last night and this is right on. In the future it could be considered one of U2's best.

Yahweh- Ya'll might not agree, but this is incredible. Great closer, almost perfect. I was in tears.

Overall, I like the album, but don't love it right away. I see this as being a good thing. I've never loved a U2 record right away. However, when this disc ended I knew I had just heard something incredible. We'll see what I think in a few days. I kinda wish that I hadn't heard any of the live versions. I gotta get used to these more polished/produced versions.

 

[EXIT_TO_THE_NORTH]

this album is not a 'love it right away' album. After 100 listens, I can easily say, from top to bottom, it's as good as JT — perhaps even better b/c of it's honesty and cohesiveness. This album is an open book on Bono and I feel honored as a listener.

 

[sue4u2]

I am so glad to hear the positive reviews of Crumbs.. This is my favorite off the album so far. It really has everything. The vocals the rock, lyrics, the ballard. Kick ass song.
Reviews were calling it weak and I could only believe they had not judged it on it's real merit.
Anyway my favorite after 2 to 3 weeks listening...
A MAn and a woman kills me, also. Not just because I am a woman either, so just get over that theory.

 

[EXIT_TO_THE_NORTH]

i'm male and it's in my top three, so there!

 

[Atomic Monkey]

Ah, we should start a poll thread:

Do you like AMAAW?
What is your sex?

We could do a little research project to see if its a "woman" song

 

[cseggleton]

I think what worried me after my first listen was the fact that I instantly liked it. It was not a grower like AB and POP. So what worries me now is will I grow tired of this album quicker than the others? I hope not...but if I do I just donwloaded the complete U2 from I-tunes so I will have plenty of other u2 to listen 2

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Yes, Miracle Drug is the "One" of this album. No obvious chorus at first, a challenging structure, but a song that has more lasting power than anything on this album. I've heard it a billion times now and I still can't get enough.

Words cannot describe how much I love this song. Even emoticons can't...
It's pure beauty! And the solo... Oh!
I get goosebumps EVERYtime I listen to it.

 

[DubbalinGirl]

Ah, we should start a poll thread:

Do you like AMAAW?
What is your sex?

We could do a little research project to see if its a "woman" song

I'm more interested in age bracket vs. whether the person likes the album. I'm starting to see a trend here and on other groups I frequent...

 

[Atomic Monkey]

I'm more interested in age bracket vs. whether the person likes the album. I'm starting to see a trend here and on other groups I frequent...

Cool, why don't we do it?