God Part III
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Great post. Roll on #2
NLOTH Album Reviews Pt 3
- Thread starter Irishteen
- Start date
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catlhere
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
There is already a thread for the album discussion though, right?
I think that's the one I closed earlier, over 1000 posts.
Aardvark747
Blue Crack Addict
great review buddy!
Yeah, I definitely see your point. I may agree with you on HTTT. I do think that TUF and AB will both get good reviews once they are re-released. And I'm expecting a good review of NLOTH as well.
Anyways, I tend to get worked up about Pitchfork because it's such an easy target, and since it has introduced a ton of good music to me I respect it a lot.
Edit: If anything, I think 5.0 is too much for ATYCLB. Specially if you consider that they gave a 0 to Zaireeka (I'm conceding your point here, you see)
Yeah, I'm also expecting good reviews for those two. But I can't imagine NLOTH getting more than 8.0. (Which is pretty good actually, but I think it worths 9.5)
Oh, I'm sure Pitchfork is a great place to discover a lot of stuff. I would read it if I didn't had such a problem with some arrogant reviews (Zaireeka is one of them, btw.)
U2democrat
Blue Crack Addict
oceane you used one word that could sum up the whole album for me: cinematic. As I was walking to and from classes on campus today listening to it on my iPod it felt like being in a movie (it's also grey and rainy here).
As I was walking to class during FEZ-Being Born, I thought that it felt like a truly epic soundtrack to a movie taking me around the world.
I'm looking forward to taking it in my car this weekend and just driving around for an hour soaking in the songs via better speakers and changing scenery.
As I was walking to class during FEZ-Being Born, I thought that it felt like a truly epic soundtrack to a movie taking me around the world.
I'm looking forward to taking it in my car this weekend and just driving around for an hour soaking in the songs via better speakers and changing scenery.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
My excitement with bomb was mostly due to the fact that it was new U2. I loved the songs, and still do, but the overwhelming sense of relief to have the new U2 cd took over from it all. It was setteld into a mid-range U2 album for me.
This is an entirely different kettle of fish. My excitement for the new U2 has dissipated before this was leaked due to the 45 second clips, and the short space of time between the leak and the actual release. I feel I appraised the songs more for what they are, without having my head totally full of delerium.
My first impression is that it is their most consistant record. On every album prior to this, I can always find songs to skip (I love them all, but if I have, say 40 minutes, and Pop is on in the car, I'll skip a few).
When I was ranking the songs, I found GOYB was at 11 with a bullet. I LOVE GOYB btw. That may be because it is the one I know, but somehow, I feel it is more due to the fact that this album has no weak tracks. There is no "One Step Closer" or "Wild Honey" or "Playboy Mansion" or Some Days Are Better Than Others" or TTTYAATW" you get what I mean.
In terms of longevity, it is the fact that the songs are far more densly layered than Bomb that gives me hope. I think some here will become tired of Stand Up quickly (for the lyrics more than anything else). But even on a 10th listen right through, the songs reveal more and more.
Initial impressions (in order of preference):
Unknown Caller
On first listen I was blown away by the transition from intro to chorus/verse. The mix on Edge's guitar may be slightly loud, but repeat listens justify it as a beautiful clean guitar part that adds oodles of texture. The chorus gives me goosebumps each time I hear it. Edge's solo is fantastic. He is the master of the understatement. It's not an overly intricate part, but, in typical Edge fashion, it is PERFECT for the song, and expresses feeling in a much cleaer and more succinct way than any lyric could.
Magnificent
I am dumbfounded by the criticism of the electronics in the intro. It transforms what could have been a standard U2 classic into something for the ages. It instantly draws you in, and like any good bottle of wine, gets better and better with age. Each time I hear the chorus I feel like doing a 'Michael Stipe' dance. It is the most ecstatic and emotive song they have ever written. The perfect number 2.
Breathe
I must admit now, since we have the songs, that while I loved the sounds in the beach clip, the vocal syncopation had me worried. Not any more. The pre-chorus vocal melody is probably the best on the album. I'm at work now, and this is the song that has been in my head since my last full listen to the album. With some solid live performances, this could move up in my rankings.
Crazy Tonight
Yes it is pure pop, but it is perfect pure pop. Bono's voice is amazing, and the little intro line (stolen from Love Actually if I'm not mistaken) harkens back to the sound of SYCMIOYO, but sounds more like a celebration of life, rather than the lament of death. Bono's best vocal in the chorus. Never before has he sung so high with so much power. I do suspect this is as high as this song will go in my rankings, but in a fantastic group of songs, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Moment of Surrender
The line "I did not notice the passer's by, and they did not notice me" is probably the sadest line on the album. With all that is said about Bono's ego, this line, longing for anonymity and normality is just so striking, especially as it is juxtaposed with the self-deprication of Stand Up Comedy. I think this will be the biggest 'grower' on the record. Initially it is striking, but each listens reveals more gold and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Cedars of Lebanon
The emotional core of the record. The honesty and longing in Bono's voice, and the haunting beauty in the Edge's backing vocal paint a sparse and desperate landscape. An understated song, that on just about any other U2 album would be in my top 3.
White As Snow
This song would be higher if it weren't for the generic country bass line. I love the imagery, and the overall soundscape created. It speaks volumes to the albums quality that this song is ranked at 7.
No Line On The Horizon
The perfect opener to what may turn out to be U2's best record. What a fresh change that the opener is actually a traditional opening song, rather than just the first single! A simple song that serves its purpose more than any other song on the record. The layering and build out FAR outstrip the b-side version and introduce the record perfectly.
Stand Up Comedy
The most interesting song interms of riffing and lyrics. Won't have the longevity that some others have, so is perfectly placed at number 7. A very groovy song that stylistically is different enough to the rest of the album to warrant its place, but definately fits the overall textures and themes. Probably the most 'fun' song on the disc.
Fez-Being Born
The weirdest and most interesting song. The lyrics do seem to have only been added for the sake of having lyrics (and I am one of those guys who actually likes Bono's voice, so it's not entirely a bad thing). The melody is slow providing a stark contrast to the pace of the rest of the band. The intro is one of my favourite sections on the album, and is a perfect transition from the more 'traditional U2' middle section and the more experimental final section.
Get On Your Boots
I do love this song. The album's strength is that the lead single is the worst song on it. The chorus is still suprising to me. I love Edge's backing vocals throughout this record, and here is probably the most effective example.
Overall I feel this record will be remembered by most in their top 5. It amazes me that a band in their 33rd year is producing some of the best music of their lives. To me, anyone who says they like this album more than JT or AB is much more justified than anyone saying it about HTDAAB.
In my opinion the strength of the album lies in the fact that it is one of each members best performances.
I would say it is one of Bono's best records. His voice is more powerful than ever before. It is easily his best vocal performance since Achtung Baby, and could be argued that it surpasses it.
It is Edge's best performance. He combines classic Edge tones and effects, and brings them into the present day. He is clear, and perfectly fits every moment. He is the most emotional guitarist in the world right now. He also has some of his best solos on here. Contrast the solo in Unknown Caller to the solo in All Because of You and you will see what i mean about fit-for-purpose.
Adam is totally on his game. I don't like the bass line in WAS, which probably places this as his 3rd best album for me, behind War and TUF. He isn't just playing root notes, but gets some amazing counter-melodies going.
Larry is branching out 'into the sound'. This is the first time I can recall hearing him competing for front-line honours. Drum fills, drum intros, and complex parts reminiscent of the Unforgettable Fire make this his best performance.
This is an entirely different kettle of fish. My excitement for the new U2 has dissipated before this was leaked due to the 45 second clips, and the short space of time between the leak and the actual release. I feel I appraised the songs more for what they are, without having my head totally full of delerium.
My first impression is that it is their most consistant record. On every album prior to this, I can always find songs to skip (I love them all, but if I have, say 40 minutes, and Pop is on in the car, I'll skip a few).
When I was ranking the songs, I found GOYB was at 11 with a bullet. I LOVE GOYB btw. That may be because it is the one I know, but somehow, I feel it is more due to the fact that this album has no weak tracks. There is no "One Step Closer" or "Wild Honey" or "Playboy Mansion" or Some Days Are Better Than Others" or TTTYAATW" you get what I mean.
In terms of longevity, it is the fact that the songs are far more densly layered than Bomb that gives me hope. I think some here will become tired of Stand Up quickly (for the lyrics more than anything else). But even on a 10th listen right through, the songs reveal more and more.
Initial impressions (in order of preference):
Unknown Caller
On first listen I was blown away by the transition from intro to chorus/verse. The mix on Edge's guitar may be slightly loud, but repeat listens justify it as a beautiful clean guitar part that adds oodles of texture. The chorus gives me goosebumps each time I hear it. Edge's solo is fantastic. He is the master of the understatement. It's not an overly intricate part, but, in typical Edge fashion, it is PERFECT for the song, and expresses feeling in a much cleaer and more succinct way than any lyric could.
Magnificent
I am dumbfounded by the criticism of the electronics in the intro. It transforms what could have been a standard U2 classic into something for the ages. It instantly draws you in, and like any good bottle of wine, gets better and better with age. Each time I hear the chorus I feel like doing a 'Michael Stipe' dance. It is the most ecstatic and emotive song they have ever written. The perfect number 2.
Breathe
I must admit now, since we have the songs, that while I loved the sounds in the beach clip, the vocal syncopation had me worried. Not any more. The pre-chorus vocal melody is probably the best on the album. I'm at work now, and this is the song that has been in my head since my last full listen to the album. With some solid live performances, this could move up in my rankings.
Crazy Tonight
Yes it is pure pop, but it is perfect pure pop. Bono's voice is amazing, and the little intro line (stolen from Love Actually if I'm not mistaken) harkens back to the sound of SYCMIOYO, but sounds more like a celebration of life, rather than the lament of death. Bono's best vocal in the chorus. Never before has he sung so high with so much power. I do suspect this is as high as this song will go in my rankings, but in a fantastic group of songs, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Moment of Surrender
The line "I did not notice the passer's by, and they did not notice me" is probably the sadest line on the album. With all that is said about Bono's ego, this line, longing for anonymity and normality is just so striking, especially as it is juxtaposed with the self-deprication of Stand Up Comedy. I think this will be the biggest 'grower' on the record. Initially it is striking, but each listens reveals more gold and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Cedars of Lebanon
The emotional core of the record. The honesty and longing in Bono's voice, and the haunting beauty in the Edge's backing vocal paint a sparse and desperate landscape. An understated song, that on just about any other U2 album would be in my top 3.
White As Snow
This song would be higher if it weren't for the generic country bass line. I love the imagery, and the overall soundscape created. It speaks volumes to the albums quality that this song is ranked at 7.
No Line On The Horizon
The perfect opener to what may turn out to be U2's best record. What a fresh change that the opener is actually a traditional opening song, rather than just the first single! A simple song that serves its purpose more than any other song on the record. The layering and build out FAR outstrip the b-side version and introduce the record perfectly.
Stand Up Comedy
The most interesting song interms of riffing and lyrics. Won't have the longevity that some others have, so is perfectly placed at number 7. A very groovy song that stylistically is different enough to the rest of the album to warrant its place, but definately fits the overall textures and themes. Probably the most 'fun' song on the disc.
Fez-Being Born
The weirdest and most interesting song. The lyrics do seem to have only been added for the sake of having lyrics (and I am one of those guys who actually likes Bono's voice, so it's not entirely a bad thing). The melody is slow providing a stark contrast to the pace of the rest of the band. The intro is one of my favourite sections on the album, and is a perfect transition from the more 'traditional U2' middle section and the more experimental final section.
Get On Your Boots
I do love this song. The album's strength is that the lead single is the worst song on it. The chorus is still suprising to me. I love Edge's backing vocals throughout this record, and here is probably the most effective example.
Overall I feel this record will be remembered by most in their top 5. It amazes me that a band in their 33rd year is producing some of the best music of their lives. To me, anyone who says they like this album more than JT or AB is much more justified than anyone saying it about HTDAAB.
In my opinion the strength of the album lies in the fact that it is one of each members best performances.
I would say it is one of Bono's best records. His voice is more powerful than ever before. It is easily his best vocal performance since Achtung Baby, and could be argued that it surpasses it.
It is Edge's best performance. He combines classic Edge tones and effects, and brings them into the present day. He is clear, and perfectly fits every moment. He is the most emotional guitarist in the world right now. He also has some of his best solos on here. Contrast the solo in Unknown Caller to the solo in All Because of You and you will see what i mean about fit-for-purpose.
Adam is totally on his game. I don't like the bass line in WAS, which probably places this as his 3rd best album for me, behind War and TUF. He isn't just playing root notes, but gets some amazing counter-melodies going.
Larry is branching out 'into the sound'. This is the first time I can recall hearing him competing for front-line honours. Drum fills, drum intros, and complex parts reminiscent of the Unforgettable Fire make this his best performance.
bonoz
War Child
Man I'm not in a position to listen to this albnum and I haevn't listened to it yet. But I'm really looking forward to going home and downloading it.
Moment of Surrender has me crumbling to my knees like a small schoolboy. As a past church goer.....you can feel the spirit moving through this one. I have to disagree with dan_smee with his remark of "I did not notice the the passers by and they did not notice me". This is dripping with Danny Lanois. It also has a bit of reggae Adam...... the pulsating rhythmic bass like in a rocksteady Marley tune. Trust me. This is more than a grower.
"Playing with the fire till the fire played with me."
"Playing with the fire till the fire played with me."
Harley.GirlU2
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
i'll write mine tomorrow at school 
Yahweh_OMG
New Yorker
Ocane, great post, was really cool reading you and I share about 99% of what you wrote! 
Harley.GirlU2
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Ok i'll say about crazy tonight...
adypole
Refugee
No less than a hostile uproar can be expected as a consequence of the drug I take-the substance I live off and the lands it takes me to... My heroin, my hero. The legendary U2, however, are apparently too uncool for school.
Yet little do my classmates understand that it is this very group that left behind footsteps Coldplay and the killers can only stumble to sink their feet into... so go on, give it a go yourself, dig your teeth into the gorgeous sound of no line on the horizon: sway to the infectious beats whilst the epic chants within drench you in a downfall of pounding melodies and ambitious sounds, punching through your speakers and shooting into the atmosphere, now a sonic wonderland, an open landscape where the music can reign free as you ride into the sunset on the wild horses that emerge from the chiming guitar of Horizons second track, magnificent: a mystical synergy of passionate vocals and a striking drum beat that sustains a level of energy in this story of love and beauty: ‘’only love...can leave such a mark...’’ proclaims vocalist Bono, engaging his listeners as their adrenaline kicks off into outer space. This is rock...from another planet.
I’m 14, and one of a minority. We’re the proud outcasts in that so few of my generation will give bands like U2 a chance. This is a heads up to you lot out there: perhaps it’s time to give them that chance?
Adrian Pole
Ady(Pole)
(On U2-No line on the horizon is out on the 25feb/3&2ndMarch 09)
*****
Yet little do my classmates understand that it is this very group that left behind footsteps Coldplay and the killers can only stumble to sink their feet into... so go on, give it a go yourself, dig your teeth into the gorgeous sound of no line on the horizon: sway to the infectious beats whilst the epic chants within drench you in a downfall of pounding melodies and ambitious sounds, punching through your speakers and shooting into the atmosphere, now a sonic wonderland, an open landscape where the music can reign free as you ride into the sunset on the wild horses that emerge from the chiming guitar of Horizons second track, magnificent: a mystical synergy of passionate vocals and a striking drum beat that sustains a level of energy in this story of love and beauty: ‘’only love...can leave such a mark...’’ proclaims vocalist Bono, engaging his listeners as their adrenaline kicks off into outer space. This is rock...from another planet.
I’m 14, and one of a minority. We’re the proud outcasts in that so few of my generation will give bands like U2 a chance. This is a heads up to you lot out there: perhaps it’s time to give them that chance?
Adrian Pole
Ady(Pole)
(On U2-No line on the horizon is out on the 25feb/3&2ndMarch 09)
*****
Yahweh_OMG
New Yorker
Fez-Being born is a grower.... it's great, great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats to U2 for still comming up with songs like that, so innovative and atmospheric.
Congrats to U2 for still comming up with songs like that, so innovative and atmospheric.
Harley.GirlU2
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Crazy Tonight,
When I heard from the first time on the Wal-Mart clips I was sure that I was going to love it and I wasn’t wrong. It’s a joy song; remembers me the feeling of listening Where The Streets Have No Name. I want to run and scream when I hear it.
I think U2 got what they want in this song. Bono voices looks so amazing and different of everything that he has sung until now, the melody is to perfect. It’s something that can get into your mind and make you smile.
I just loved it.
When I heard from the first time on the Wal-Mart clips I was sure that I was going to love it and I wasn’t wrong. It’s a joy song; remembers me the feeling of listening Where The Streets Have No Name. I want to run and scream when I hear it.
I think U2 got what they want in this song. Bono voices looks so amazing and different of everything that he has sung until now, the melody is to perfect. It’s something that can get into your mind and make you smile.
I just loved it.
adypole
Refugee
EDIT: wups.
adypole
Refugee
Nice twist, well written!
jonnytakeawalk
Refugee
This was from the previous closed thread.
Has got to be one of the funniest things I have read here. Lemon Melon you're hilarious
oceane
Refugee
You write really well for a 14 year old
I can imagine you must feel lonely in your age-group as a U2 fan, but rest assured that as your friends get a bit older, more and more will turn to U2, once they stop caring about being cool. You're just a bit ahead of your time!Even I, an 'older' fan (28), sometimes get comments that being U2 fan is not particularly cool in 2009, but who cares? It's not what it's about.
adypole
Refugee
You know, it's hard to fit the description of a stunning song into a simple headline. Perhaps I should just call this passage, well, 'stunning' and leave it at that, but then people would refuse to invite me into their homes through fear of my head making their walls expand and bulge like a fat parcel. Why is it that U2 can manage to call a song 'magnificent' and not be instantly judged as egotistic bastards, yet I can't? Maybe it's because Bono is, has, and always will be that anyway, or perhaps it's just because their music is worthy of their titles. Because, frankly, no line on the horizon is one hell of an album!
Ady(Pole)
Adrian Pole 2009
Ady(Pole)
Adrian Pole 2009
Shawn Bonneau
New Yorker
It is published on my website
SMB
SMB
Mrs. Garrison
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Every time I hear I'll Go Crazy, and its godawful falsetto/"baby, baby, baby" parts, I'm wondering if they'll actually go about 7.5.
Don't bet on it.
Okay. My left testicle has its own blog, you want to know what it thinks of the album?
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
"Restart and re-boot yourself" is an apt lyric. Much of U2's output this decade prior to this album was, in the opinon of a considerable number of people, much more pedestrian than their output from previous decades. My personal opinion - it's not at all that it was bad - I enjoy a good number of tracks from ATYCLB and HTDAAB, but getting enjoyment out of a track and being moved by a track aren't the same thing, and most(not all) of those two records don't move me - it was that it was below what I knew they were capable of - listen to what they did on the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, recorded in 1999/2000, and you know that they were still evolving as musicians, and that their ability to make music of depth didn't go anywhere when they recorded Vertigo - it was just hidden. It is being hidden no more here. That's not to say every track is a deep and evocative - there are rockers too!
No Line On The Horizon, as far as rockers go, is the opposite of Vertigo. It is 100% buildup, where as Vertigo was all about instant gratification, and that is a good thing. It's a great opener, and it's really growing on me. At first I was waiting for a little more melody in Bono's vocals, but then I realized that that isn't what this song is about. It's about everything going on behind Bono. It's atmospheric, lush, intense, and it just keeps building up and never letting up. Every time I listen to it, I feel the adrenaline, and I'm just waiting for an explosion that never comes. And not giving us that explosion was the right decision. The closest it gets is when Bono goes up an octave and is joined by Edge on vocals in the last repetitions of the chorus. It's perfect. Rather than an all-out explosion, it's a restrained and controlled peak that harnesses all of the power that's been built up throughout the song - which is a lot - and focuses it all on the listener's soul, and that moves the listener, where as an all-out explosion wouldn't have that focus, would make your whole body move as you jump around the room, and while you'd be excited, you wouldn't be moved. A sensational opener. Easily their best opener to an album since Zooropa(though it's not better than Zooropa - Zooropa is just that good).
Magnificient is, to me, the most U2-sounding song on this record. It is a common complaint in these parts that U2 have tried too hard this decade to sound like themselves. But there's a difference between U2 trying to sound like themselves by trying to recapture the essence of their past songs, and U2 trying to sound like themselves by trying to sound like the guys who made those past songs would sound in 2009. Rather than trying to duplicate their older sound, they're trying to evolve it here. They're taking their sound from, I'd say, October through The Joshua Tree, and applying all of the musical and personal growth they've made over the years to it instead of just trying to echo it, and this is the result. The riff is one of those eternal sounding riffs. Simple, but eternal. It may go down as one Edge's greatest. It's a really simple song actually, but it could go on forever. The intro is great, the way it starts out dark and spacey and techno-y, like it's gonna be a Depeche Mode song or a Pink Floyd song or something, and builds into that amazing riff. The verse melodies are sort of hypnotizing, and they simply act as a set-up for the riff and chorus. That little oh-oh-oh-oh hook Bono uses at the end of the verses as a springboard into the chorus is perfectly placed. The outro is gorgeous, with Bono's falsetto, the drums, the backing vocals, the moroccan-sounding strings, which then give way to a final repetition of the chorus. This doesn't sound like U2 trying to sound like U2. This just sounds like U2. I think this track is a little bit overrated on this forum already, but it's too early for all of that. Great, great track. It seriously sounds like the band who made the October album. I mean, listen to 'Fire' and this back-to-back. It's uncanny.
Moment Of Surrender is my favorite track on the record thus far. Brilliant. While people were praising Original Of The Species as a great ballad, I was hoping that the band that made Stateless would come back someday. Here they are. There are no words. Just brilliant. One of the early reviews from the listening sessions - the one that was blatantly hating on it - made a comment about U2 trying this song live a half a dozen times before never playing it again. That will probably happen with at least one song. I just hope it isn't this one. I can picture the crowd holding up the lighters. Except that that seems too cliche for a song as evocative and moving as this. THIS is how U2 should have followed up Pop and MDH. THIS was the natural evolution of their musicianship. Oh, and can we stop already with the freaking about about the ATM lyric? Bono isn't the first person to use the phrase 'ATM Machine'. It may be incorrect but it's common. Google it. I got nearly 900,000 hits. Anyway. I'm sort of blown away by this. And relieved. It's been a decade since U2 touched territory like this. I had total faith that they were still capable of this, but not proof. Here is the proof.
Unknown Caller is a joyful pseudo-prog rocker. The 'sunshine' intro is Beatlesque, and it gives way to a riff that, in the beginning, sounds kind of like the Walk On riff...but that is short lived, and this song is anything but Walk On. The riff quickly transforms into a slightly proggy riff underneath the instantly catchy oh-oh-oh-oh-oh melody. The instrumentation in the verses, as well as the shouting parts of the chorus, are very Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-esque, and it's amazing to hear that in a U2 song. What's cool is that instrumentation behind the first and second verse aren't identical, which makes the song as a whole more musically diverse. I love that. The outro is incredible. I hear synthesizers and an ORGAN playing together as Edge plays his solo, which is perhaps his best on the record - it sounds vaguely like his solo from Please, but maybe even better. Wow. It's hard to articulate this song.
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight is the second most U2-sounding song on the record. The backing track during the verses sounds, to me, sort of like the backing track of 'Bad' if it were sped up. The melody in these verse is simply, not hooky, but hypnotising. The chorus starts out in full Bono-belting fashion, works its way into a great hook with 'as you start out the climb', and then transforms into a shout-it-out-to-the-world style finish line, I KNOW I'LL GO CRA-ZY IF I DON'T. GO. CRAZY. TONIGHT! The 'Baby, baby, baby' coda was a brilliant surprise...almost like an homage to Ultraviolet(Light My Way), from nearly two decades ago. The melody there is infectious and adrenaline-pumping. Bono nails the vocal here. This song was expected to be some kind of cheesy pop song. I don't think it's cheesy at all. I think it's a brilliant pop song, with a chorus that walks up to the border between pop and rock and then backs up.
Get On Your Boots is Get On Your Boots. Probably the weakest song here, but that's not really saying anything. I still love the chorus and I still think the 'Let me in the sound' parts are some of the coolest things U2 has put on a record in their career.
Stand Up Comedy should be a huge single. One of the early reviews claimed that it sounded the same as Crumbs From Your Table. Perhaps fleetingly, here and there, for a like a second, if you listen real hard. But to me, it's more The Fly meets Holy Joe, and that's just as kick-ass as it sounds. The riffs in this song are some of the heaviest and trippiest U2 have had in a while, and the song itself is just catchy as hell. The melody accompanying 'out from under your beds' is the kind of hook that can put a song at the top of the charts. The bridge melody starting at 2:58 is incredible and a great surprise, when the song could have finished without it. The Bono is in fine form here. Love it.
Fez-Being Born is like Moment Of Surrender for me in that it is proof that the U2 that were intent on fucking up the mainstream a decade and a half ago still exist. Amazing. The first part of it straight up could be Sigur Ros, and for U2 to record something like that blows my mind. The second part of it is like a cross between The Unforgettable Fire's title track and songs from the soundtrack of the 1984 fantasy cult classic, 'The Neverending Story'. Parts of the melodies here put the image of the Ivory Tower in my head. The lyrics are intriguing and abstract, and I like them a lot, but the song doesn't need them to be brilliant. I actually an instrumental version of this song without Bono's vocals could be an interesting B-Side for one of the singles. Just absolutely fucking drool-worthy. Sigur Ros, Zooropa-style transitions, The Unforgettable Fire-esque atmospherics, Neverending Story-style melodies, all in one U2 song? Just WOW. I'm sad for the people who think this song is 'meandering' and 'goes nowhere' and 'is too weird', because this is one of the most inspiring, beautiful things U2 has put on record in a long, long time. In fact, that meandering quality is precisely what makes it so great. It's not a song looking for radio airplay. It's not a song that's begging for attention. It's just art.
White As Snow is another gem. This is unlike anything U2 have ever done. There's some 'Hands That Built America' vibe here, but this is a different animal than that - this is much less melodramatic and over-the-top. The melodies are sweet but melancholy, the lyrics are good, and the song as whole is a slow-burning builder in a way that only U2 songs can be. The point near the end when it reaches its climax, finally building all the way up to a scaled-down reprise of Unknown Caller's chorus melody, is sublime. The song starts out sad, but gets less and less so as the song goes on, and by the time it gets to the Unknown Caller reprise, the sadness has built all the way into restrained yet pure joy. But then after this, it gets sad again, ending with 'if only a heart could be as white as snow'. There is a longing that drives this song. It's as if the speaker starts out sad, longing for days gone by, and then as he gets lost in those memories, he suddenly feels more joyful, and then he snaps out of it and realizes they are only memories and he's still here and now, and he gets sad again. Beautiful song.
Breathe is a good song. I love it. But not as much as some of the others. I dig Bono giving the Dylan stream-of-consciousness vocal style a try, and he's actually pretty damn good at it. The chorus is obviously huge. One of the most sing-along-able choruses on the album, and it will be a killer live. The instrumental coda is really, really good, but I think Edge's solo, while good, is one of those solos that he'll make into a different monster live.
Cedars Of Lebanon, like Moment Of Surrender and Fez-Being Born before it, overjoys me because it is proof that the band that made Zooropa and Passengers and MDH is still here and is still willing to put out music like this under their own moniker. The lyrics, overall, are are some the finest Bono has written in over a decade. The atmosphere is perfect, and the the short, one-line chorus is hauntingly beautiful. Best closer since Wake Up Dead Man, maybe Love is Blindness, and follows in the grand tradition of U2 albums finishing on a dark song.
Eno and Lanois are all over this album. Their influence cannot be overstated. Eno and Lanois - especially Eno - take U2 to another level. Period. I'm sorry, but I just don't think Steve Lillywhite could produce anything close to this evocative and layered. This is far and away U2's best-produced album since Zooropa, which as an Eno-Edge-Flood collaborative effort.
Bono is vocally stronger and more powerful than he's been since Achtung Baby and Zooropa. He's not quite what he was from 1987-1989, but there are things he's doing now that he never could've done then too. He used his lower register much more back then, but he never could've hit the high notes then the way he's doing now. He's technically a better singer than he was then, even if his voice doesn't quite have the power it did then. It's still just as good as it was on Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Just as good. And considering the state of his voice between 1998 and 2001, that's just a great thing to know.
Adam and Larry are more present and more exciting on this album than they've been since Pop. They've been kind of muted on ATYCLB and HTDAAB, but they're back in full force.
The thing that stands out about this album, the thing they've done with this album that they haven't done since Zooropa, is that they're clearly not worrying about singles anymore. They've brought artistry back. People talk about the 'every song is a single' philosophy that U2 has had in recent years, and people attribute it to ATYCLB and HTDAAB. But it started on Pop. Discotheque, Do You Feel Loved, If God Will Send His Angels, Staring At The Sun, Last Night On Earth, Gone, Please...all were single material. I think Pop is brilliant, but it doesn't have the avante-garde nature of Zooropa and Passengers. Not only is this the most cohesive album they've put since Zooropa, but some of the tracks truly fit that avante-garde territory. And that makes me happy, because outside of the MDH stuff, U2 hasn't been willing to go there for a long time.
"I don't wanna be in a crap band, and the minute U2 becomes a crap band, we're, you know, we're all out of here. And crap does not mean, it's not measured in sales, or even relevance, it's about the sense of adventure, is it still there, are you still blowing your own mind, are you still growing as a musician, and as a songwriter, and as a person, and I think, I think that in U2 we are, right now."
I posted this quote recently and said that more than anything else, I hoped this album would prove that the spirit of that quote is still alive in Bono and the rest of the band. It has, with flying colors. I think they blew their own minds again. They've certainly blown mine. And in that respect, they've rebooted themselves.
1.Moment Of Surrender
2.Fez-Being Born
3.No Line On The Horizon
4.Magnificent
5.Stand-Up Comedy
6.Unknown Caller
7.Cedars Of Lebanon
8.White As Snow
9.I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Crazy Tonight
10.Breath
11.Get On Your Boots
I think. But it could change. And I'm in love with all of them.
No Line On The Horizon, as far as rockers go, is the opposite of Vertigo. It is 100% buildup, where as Vertigo was all about instant gratification, and that is a good thing. It's a great opener, and it's really growing on me. At first I was waiting for a little more melody in Bono's vocals, but then I realized that that isn't what this song is about. It's about everything going on behind Bono. It's atmospheric, lush, intense, and it just keeps building up and never letting up. Every time I listen to it, I feel the adrenaline, and I'm just waiting for an explosion that never comes. And not giving us that explosion was the right decision. The closest it gets is when Bono goes up an octave and is joined by Edge on vocals in the last repetitions of the chorus. It's perfect. Rather than an all-out explosion, it's a restrained and controlled peak that harnesses all of the power that's been built up throughout the song - which is a lot - and focuses it all on the listener's soul, and that moves the listener, where as an all-out explosion wouldn't have that focus, would make your whole body move as you jump around the room, and while you'd be excited, you wouldn't be moved. A sensational opener. Easily their best opener to an album since Zooropa(though it's not better than Zooropa - Zooropa is just that good).
Magnificient is, to me, the most U2-sounding song on this record. It is a common complaint in these parts that U2 have tried too hard this decade to sound like themselves. But there's a difference between U2 trying to sound like themselves by trying to recapture the essence of their past songs, and U2 trying to sound like themselves by trying to sound like the guys who made those past songs would sound in 2009. Rather than trying to duplicate their older sound, they're trying to evolve it here. They're taking their sound from, I'd say, October through The Joshua Tree, and applying all of the musical and personal growth they've made over the years to it instead of just trying to echo it, and this is the result. The riff is one of those eternal sounding riffs. Simple, but eternal. It may go down as one Edge's greatest. It's a really simple song actually, but it could go on forever. The intro is great, the way it starts out dark and spacey and techno-y, like it's gonna be a Depeche Mode song or a Pink Floyd song or something, and builds into that amazing riff. The verse melodies are sort of hypnotizing, and they simply act as a set-up for the riff and chorus. That little oh-oh-oh-oh hook Bono uses at the end of the verses as a springboard into the chorus is perfectly placed. The outro is gorgeous, with Bono's falsetto, the drums, the backing vocals, the moroccan-sounding strings, which then give way to a final repetition of the chorus. This doesn't sound like U2 trying to sound like U2. This just sounds like U2. I think this track is a little bit overrated on this forum already, but it's too early for all of that. Great, great track. It seriously sounds like the band who made the October album. I mean, listen to 'Fire' and this back-to-back. It's uncanny.
Moment Of Surrender is my favorite track on the record thus far. Brilliant. While people were praising Original Of The Species as a great ballad, I was hoping that the band that made Stateless would come back someday. Here they are. There are no words. Just brilliant. One of the early reviews from the listening sessions - the one that was blatantly hating on it - made a comment about U2 trying this song live a half a dozen times before never playing it again. That will probably happen with at least one song. I just hope it isn't this one. I can picture the crowd holding up the lighters. Except that that seems too cliche for a song as evocative and moving as this. THIS is how U2 should have followed up Pop and MDH. THIS was the natural evolution of their musicianship. Oh, and can we stop already with the freaking about about the ATM lyric? Bono isn't the first person to use the phrase 'ATM Machine'. It may be incorrect but it's common. Google it. I got nearly 900,000 hits. Anyway. I'm sort of blown away by this. And relieved. It's been a decade since U2 touched territory like this. I had total faith that they were still capable of this, but not proof. Here is the proof.
Unknown Caller is a joyful pseudo-prog rocker. The 'sunshine' intro is Beatlesque, and it gives way to a riff that, in the beginning, sounds kind of like the Walk On riff...but that is short lived, and this song is anything but Walk On. The riff quickly transforms into a slightly proggy riff underneath the instantly catchy oh-oh-oh-oh-oh melody. The instrumentation in the verses, as well as the shouting parts of the chorus, are very Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-esque, and it's amazing to hear that in a U2 song. What's cool is that instrumentation behind the first and second verse aren't identical, which makes the song as a whole more musically diverse. I love that. The outro is incredible. I hear synthesizers and an ORGAN playing together as Edge plays his solo, which is perhaps his best on the record - it sounds vaguely like his solo from Please, but maybe even better. Wow. It's hard to articulate this song.
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight is the second most U2-sounding song on the record. The backing track during the verses sounds, to me, sort of like the backing track of 'Bad' if it were sped up. The melody in these verse is simply, not hooky, but hypnotising. The chorus starts out in full Bono-belting fashion, works its way into a great hook with 'as you start out the climb', and then transforms into a shout-it-out-to-the-world style finish line, I KNOW I'LL GO CRA-ZY IF I DON'T. GO. CRAZY. TONIGHT! The 'Baby, baby, baby' coda was a brilliant surprise...almost like an homage to Ultraviolet(Light My Way), from nearly two decades ago. The melody there is infectious and adrenaline-pumping. Bono nails the vocal here. This song was expected to be some kind of cheesy pop song. I don't think it's cheesy at all. I think it's a brilliant pop song, with a chorus that walks up to the border between pop and rock and then backs up.
Get On Your Boots is Get On Your Boots. Probably the weakest song here, but that's not really saying anything. I still love the chorus and I still think the 'Let me in the sound' parts are some of the coolest things U2 has put on a record in their career.
Stand Up Comedy should be a huge single. One of the early reviews claimed that it sounded the same as Crumbs From Your Table. Perhaps fleetingly, here and there, for a like a second, if you listen real hard. But to me, it's more The Fly meets Holy Joe, and that's just as kick-ass as it sounds. The riffs in this song are some of the heaviest and trippiest U2 have had in a while, and the song itself is just catchy as hell. The melody accompanying 'out from under your beds' is the kind of hook that can put a song at the top of the charts. The bridge melody starting at 2:58 is incredible and a great surprise, when the song could have finished without it. The Bono is in fine form here. Love it.
Fez-Being Born is like Moment Of Surrender for me in that it is proof that the U2 that were intent on fucking up the mainstream a decade and a half ago still exist. Amazing. The first part of it straight up could be Sigur Ros, and for U2 to record something like that blows my mind. The second part of it is like a cross between The Unforgettable Fire's title track and songs from the soundtrack of the 1984 fantasy cult classic, 'The Neverending Story'. Parts of the melodies here put the image of the Ivory Tower in my head. The lyrics are intriguing and abstract, and I like them a lot, but the song doesn't need them to be brilliant. I actually an instrumental version of this song without Bono's vocals could be an interesting B-Side for one of the singles. Just absolutely fucking drool-worthy. Sigur Ros, Zooropa-style transitions, The Unforgettable Fire-esque atmospherics, Neverending Story-style melodies, all in one U2 song? Just WOW. I'm sad for the people who think this song is 'meandering' and 'goes nowhere' and 'is too weird', because this is one of the most inspiring, beautiful things U2 has put on record in a long, long time. In fact, that meandering quality is precisely what makes it so great. It's not a song looking for radio airplay. It's not a song that's begging for attention. It's just art.
White As Snow is another gem. This is unlike anything U2 have ever done. There's some 'Hands That Built America' vibe here, but this is a different animal than that - this is much less melodramatic and over-the-top. The melodies are sweet but melancholy, the lyrics are good, and the song as whole is a slow-burning builder in a way that only U2 songs can be. The point near the end when it reaches its climax, finally building all the way up to a scaled-down reprise of Unknown Caller's chorus melody, is sublime. The song starts out sad, but gets less and less so as the song goes on, and by the time it gets to the Unknown Caller reprise, the sadness has built all the way into restrained yet pure joy. But then after this, it gets sad again, ending with 'if only a heart could be as white as snow'. There is a longing that drives this song. It's as if the speaker starts out sad, longing for days gone by, and then as he gets lost in those memories, he suddenly feels more joyful, and then he snaps out of it and realizes they are only memories and he's still here and now, and he gets sad again. Beautiful song.
Breathe is a good song. I love it. But not as much as some of the others. I dig Bono giving the Dylan stream-of-consciousness vocal style a try, and he's actually pretty damn good at it. The chorus is obviously huge. One of the most sing-along-able choruses on the album, and it will be a killer live. The instrumental coda is really, really good, but I think Edge's solo, while good, is one of those solos that he'll make into a different monster live.
Cedars Of Lebanon, like Moment Of Surrender and Fez-Being Born before it, overjoys me because it is proof that the band that made Zooropa and Passengers and MDH is still here and is still willing to put out music like this under their own moniker. The lyrics, overall, are are some the finest Bono has written in over a decade. The atmosphere is perfect, and the the short, one-line chorus is hauntingly beautiful. Best closer since Wake Up Dead Man, maybe Love is Blindness, and follows in the grand tradition of U2 albums finishing on a dark song.
Eno and Lanois are all over this album. Their influence cannot be overstated. Eno and Lanois - especially Eno - take U2 to another level. Period. I'm sorry, but I just don't think Steve Lillywhite could produce anything close to this evocative and layered. This is far and away U2's best-produced album since Zooropa, which as an Eno-Edge-Flood collaborative effort.
Bono is vocally stronger and more powerful than he's been since Achtung Baby and Zooropa. He's not quite what he was from 1987-1989, but there are things he's doing now that he never could've done then too. He used his lower register much more back then, but he never could've hit the high notes then the way he's doing now. He's technically a better singer than he was then, even if his voice doesn't quite have the power it did then. It's still just as good as it was on Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Just as good. And considering the state of his voice between 1998 and 2001, that's just a great thing to know.
Adam and Larry are more present and more exciting on this album than they've been since Pop. They've been kind of muted on ATYCLB and HTDAAB, but they're back in full force.
The thing that stands out about this album, the thing they've done with this album that they haven't done since Zooropa, is that they're clearly not worrying about singles anymore. They've brought artistry back. People talk about the 'every song is a single' philosophy that U2 has had in recent years, and people attribute it to ATYCLB and HTDAAB. But it started on Pop. Discotheque, Do You Feel Loved, If God Will Send His Angels, Staring At The Sun, Last Night On Earth, Gone, Please...all were single material. I think Pop is brilliant, but it doesn't have the avante-garde nature of Zooropa and Passengers. Not only is this the most cohesive album they've put since Zooropa, but some of the tracks truly fit that avante-garde territory. And that makes me happy, because outside of the MDH stuff, U2 hasn't been willing to go there for a long time.
"I don't wanna be in a crap band, and the minute U2 becomes a crap band, we're, you know, we're all out of here. And crap does not mean, it's not measured in sales, or even relevance, it's about the sense of adventure, is it still there, are you still blowing your own mind, are you still growing as a musician, and as a songwriter, and as a person, and I think, I think that in U2 we are, right now."
I posted this quote recently and said that more than anything else, I hoped this album would prove that the spirit of that quote is still alive in Bono and the rest of the band. It has, with flying colors. I think they blew their own minds again. They've certainly blown mine. And in that respect, they've rebooted themselves.
1.Moment Of Surrender
2.Fez-Being Born
3.No Line On The Horizon
4.Magnificent
5.Stand-Up Comedy
6.Unknown Caller
7.Cedars Of Lebanon
8.White As Snow
9.I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Crazy Tonight
10.Breath
11.Get On Your Boots
I think. But it could change. And I'm in love with all of them.
Mrs. Garrison
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
popacrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
No Line on the Horizon: You can hear a lot of Eno work on this one, meaning that it's very spacy and ambient at times but unmistakably U2. Bono channels the 80's on his vocal take and it works here. The verses flow nicely into the chorus leading up to the obligatory Oh-oh-oh bridge in the middle of the song. Good song that's indicative of what's to follow for the rest of the album. It's a more complex song than Vertigo, and for the first time since Zooropa (1993), the lead single is not the first song on the album.
Magnificent: An electronic intro that will be sure to remind some people of the Killers, which is ironic because the Killers remind many of U2. Regardless, the intro leads into a familiar Edge guitar work using his delay pedal. The drumming and rhythm carry this song. The melody is subtle and builds up perfectly into the chorus. This will likely be the second or third single. On the U2 fanboards out there, this is many people's favorite. The melody and delivery of the final part of the chorus leading to the bridge and end of the song is one of my favorite moments on the album, "Just a fight till we die, you and I will magnify, oh oh oh Magnificent"
Moment of Surrender: One of U2's longest songs, clocking in at 7:24. Amazingly, this was recorded in just one take. And I say amazingly and mean it because this is a band that, for just this album, mixed five, re-recorded three and ditched two songs in the final 24 hours of making this album. They will tinker and toy with anything and everything. And the fact that they didn't on this one is excellent. Bono's voice sounds better than it has since probably the ZooTV days on this one. A very moody and reflective song that the piano, bass and drums carry throughout. Early reviews that called it the "new One" are mistaken. And I don't mean that from a quality standpoint, they are just two very different songs. The verses melody is full of desperation and gives way to almost a hymnal chorus. The song does not feel like it's 7 and a half minutes long. In my opinion it will go down as one of their finest songs when the dust settles. Not an easily accessible song, but already one of my favorites off the album. Again one of my favorite moments after the last chorus, I did not notice the passers by and they did not notice me giving away to again the obligatory Oh-Oh-Oh with a great keyboard arrangement in the back.
Unknown Caller: Completing one of the longest streak of U2 songs on an album, following Magnificent (5:24), Moment of Surrender (7:26), Unknown Caller comes in at 6:03. A very subtle and quiet opening which does indeed have bird sounds from the riad where they recorded this in Fez above Edge's familiar chiming guitar. Bono said the song was about a man at the end of the rope when his cell phone buzzes the man instructions. Obviously, with the 3:33 in the morning when the numbers fell off the clock face, the "Unknown Caller" is God. Some excellent lyrics and a great delivery really depict the tired frame of mind. The group chant chorus also works well, even if it's a bit funny and has a Mac shout out "Force Quit! And move to trash!" The song has one of the Edge's better solo's that he's done. The organ preceding adds a lot to the song. I chalk that to Daniel Lanois. Not an easy song to get into at first, definitely a grower, but there is a lot going on and in the end, it works well.
I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight: After two long, moody songs full of atmosphere, here comes likely the second or third single. It's easily one of U2's more joyous songs and the "happiest" song since Beautiful Day. It's a great pop song. People who were fans of the last two albums will likely flock to this song. It's unmistakably U2, with an interesting melody in the verses that won't immediately stick with you, but it's very very good. A bit of self-depreciation from Bono with "The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear." Amen. The chorus is not how I expected it to sound, and I mean that in a great way. The song climaxes nicely after a small Edge solo (you know, the 3 or 4 note one we're accustomed to by him Wink ), before erupting nicely into the prechorus that sticks nicely and finally "We'll shout out into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light, You know we'll go crazy if we don't go crazy tonight." I had my doubts on this one just by the name of it, but it's a very very well done pop song.
Get on Your Boots: Interesting that it was the lead single. Aside from I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Crazy Tonight it is probably the most accessible track on the album. Some people will say it reminds them of Vertigo, which I guess is fair since it's a bass driven song, but it's not completely fair. It's got a more complex chorus which is one of the more interestingly layered ones they've done this decade. The "Meet me in the sound" breakdown is still super cool in my book. It's a fun rock song with lyrics that aren't throwaway. Not my favorite off the album, but I still really enjoy the song.
Stand Up Comedy Funky rock song. Reminds me a lot of "Come Together" by the Beatles. The lyrics are a bit obvious, probably the most obvious on the record, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Bono said it was about beating down hypocrisy. Self depreciation mode again: Stand Up to rock stars, Napolean is in high heels, Josephine be careful of small men with big ideas." Despite being very direct and preachy to an extent (not as bad as you'd think), it's one of my favorites off the album. Very funky, very rock, and not like the typical U2 rock song, but it is at the same time.
Fez-- Being Born: Definitely the most experimental track. For anybody familiar with U2's back catalogue, think Unforgettable Fire meets Zooropa. Samples the "Let me in the sound" from the aforementioned Get On Your Boots before switching gears from sounds from the city of Fez with a drum loop and electronic noises into a funky electronic song, the "Being Born" part of it. The lyrics are used almost as an instrument in this song. But if you actually discern them, they're very good. Bono really is in top form on this album, both with his voice and with his lyrics.
White as Snow: The first thing I thought of when I heard the intro to this was Kid A by Radiohead. It gives way to one of the tracks where Bono sings from character; a dying soldier in Afghanistan. Very intimate song, and one that you'll either love or hate. I'm leaning more towards the love side (shocking, I know.) A different style for U2, almost like a country song. The melody is partially taken from "O Come O Come Emmanuel." At first I didn't like it, but it's definitely grown on me on only my first few listens.
Breathe: I was anticipating this, Magnificent and Moment of Surrender the most. Trip hop beat and cello opening give way to grunge guitar and ranting verses. Dylan-esque delivery on the verse. The guitar and cello amazingly work well. Of course, they're no stranger to strings in rock songs. (Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me, Kill Me.) Contains some of my favorite lyrics and melodies, "Every day I die again and again and reborn; Every day I have to find the courage to walk out into the street, with arms out, got a love you can't defeat, neither down, nor out, there's nothing you have that I need, I can breathe." In only a way that U2 can seemingly do, they turn an angry song into one of their most uplifting chorus'. This will be a song that is a staple live. Sounds silly, but a cello breakdown in the middle of the song? Awesome. The Edge's guitar takes off on this song as well.
Cedars of Lebanon: After a heavy rock song, the album comes to a subtle close. A spoken word style of singing as Bono sings in character of a war correspondent. Haunting and chilly is one way to describe it. "Return the call to home" breakup a few times in the song reminds me a lot of Radiohead. Not an immediately accessible song. Full of atmosphere and definitely not radio friendly. The album concludes with one of my favorite lines: "Choose your enemies carefully, cause they will define you; Make them interesting because in some ways they will mind you; They're not there in the beginning but when the story ends; Gonna last with you longer than your friends." In my opinion, it's their best album closer since Love is Blindness on Achtung Baby.
On a whole, I obviously can't rank it yet against the rest of their history. It's far too early for that. That said, I am confident it will stand the test of time and wind up as their third masterpiece next to the Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Every time you listen to it, you pick up on something else. That can be credited to the Lanois and Eno production team. The album will be a grower. And that's a good thing, after two very direct albums. U2 change, and they've not only changed up musically progressed with this album as well. The single-oriented fans and casual fans will not immediately be happy with this album. Fans of U2 from the 80's and 90's who haven't been keen on the past two offerings should be very satisfied with this album. Fortunately for me, I like the 80's, 90's and 00's offerings. Their latest is no let down and has surpassed my expectations. Well done, U2, you did it again.
For the iPod generation and the people who will only want to hear the quick, in your face songs, I suggest: Magnificent, Stand Up Comedy, I'll Go Crazy if I don't go Crazy Tonight and Breathe. For the fans that are after an actual album, enjoy what should be hailed in four or five years, if not now, as their third true masterpiece. Also, this is easily U2's most spiritual album since October. And I love it even more for that.
Magnificent: An electronic intro that will be sure to remind some people of the Killers, which is ironic because the Killers remind many of U2. Regardless, the intro leads into a familiar Edge guitar work using his delay pedal. The drumming and rhythm carry this song. The melody is subtle and builds up perfectly into the chorus. This will likely be the second or third single. On the U2 fanboards out there, this is many people's favorite. The melody and delivery of the final part of the chorus leading to the bridge and end of the song is one of my favorite moments on the album, "Just a fight till we die, you and I will magnify, oh oh oh Magnificent"
Moment of Surrender: One of U2's longest songs, clocking in at 7:24. Amazingly, this was recorded in just one take. And I say amazingly and mean it because this is a band that, for just this album, mixed five, re-recorded three and ditched two songs in the final 24 hours of making this album. They will tinker and toy with anything and everything. And the fact that they didn't on this one is excellent. Bono's voice sounds better than it has since probably the ZooTV days on this one. A very moody and reflective song that the piano, bass and drums carry throughout. Early reviews that called it the "new One" are mistaken. And I don't mean that from a quality standpoint, they are just two very different songs. The verses melody is full of desperation and gives way to almost a hymnal chorus. The song does not feel like it's 7 and a half minutes long. In my opinion it will go down as one of their finest songs when the dust settles. Not an easily accessible song, but already one of my favorites off the album. Again one of my favorite moments after the last chorus, I did not notice the passers by and they did not notice me giving away to again the obligatory Oh-Oh-Oh with a great keyboard arrangement in the back.
Unknown Caller: Completing one of the longest streak of U2 songs on an album, following Magnificent (5:24), Moment of Surrender (7:26), Unknown Caller comes in at 6:03. A very subtle and quiet opening which does indeed have bird sounds from the riad where they recorded this in Fez above Edge's familiar chiming guitar. Bono said the song was about a man at the end of the rope when his cell phone buzzes the man instructions. Obviously, with the 3:33 in the morning when the numbers fell off the clock face, the "Unknown Caller" is God. Some excellent lyrics and a great delivery really depict the tired frame of mind. The group chant chorus also works well, even if it's a bit funny and has a Mac shout out "Force Quit! And move to trash!" The song has one of the Edge's better solo's that he's done. The organ preceding adds a lot to the song. I chalk that to Daniel Lanois. Not an easy song to get into at first, definitely a grower, but there is a lot going on and in the end, it works well.
I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight: After two long, moody songs full of atmosphere, here comes likely the second or third single. It's easily one of U2's more joyous songs and the "happiest" song since Beautiful Day. It's a great pop song. People who were fans of the last two albums will likely flock to this song. It's unmistakably U2, with an interesting melody in the verses that won't immediately stick with you, but it's very very good. A bit of self-depreciation from Bono with "The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear." Amen. The chorus is not how I expected it to sound, and I mean that in a great way. The song climaxes nicely after a small Edge solo (you know, the 3 or 4 note one we're accustomed to by him Wink ), before erupting nicely into the prechorus that sticks nicely and finally "We'll shout out into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light, You know we'll go crazy if we don't go crazy tonight." I had my doubts on this one just by the name of it, but it's a very very well done pop song.
Get on Your Boots: Interesting that it was the lead single. Aside from I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Crazy Tonight it is probably the most accessible track on the album. Some people will say it reminds them of Vertigo, which I guess is fair since it's a bass driven song, but it's not completely fair. It's got a more complex chorus which is one of the more interestingly layered ones they've done this decade. The "Meet me in the sound" breakdown is still super cool in my book. It's a fun rock song with lyrics that aren't throwaway. Not my favorite off the album, but I still really enjoy the song.
Stand Up Comedy Funky rock song. Reminds me a lot of "Come Together" by the Beatles. The lyrics are a bit obvious, probably the most obvious on the record, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Bono said it was about beating down hypocrisy. Self depreciation mode again: Stand Up to rock stars, Napolean is in high heels, Josephine be careful of small men with big ideas." Despite being very direct and preachy to an extent (not as bad as you'd think), it's one of my favorites off the album. Very funky, very rock, and not like the typical U2 rock song, but it is at the same time.
Fez-- Being Born: Definitely the most experimental track. For anybody familiar with U2's back catalogue, think Unforgettable Fire meets Zooropa. Samples the "Let me in the sound" from the aforementioned Get On Your Boots before switching gears from sounds from the city of Fez with a drum loop and electronic noises into a funky electronic song, the "Being Born" part of it. The lyrics are used almost as an instrument in this song. But if you actually discern them, they're very good. Bono really is in top form on this album, both with his voice and with his lyrics.
White as Snow: The first thing I thought of when I heard the intro to this was Kid A by Radiohead. It gives way to one of the tracks where Bono sings from character; a dying soldier in Afghanistan. Very intimate song, and one that you'll either love or hate. I'm leaning more towards the love side (shocking, I know.) A different style for U2, almost like a country song. The melody is partially taken from "O Come O Come Emmanuel." At first I didn't like it, but it's definitely grown on me on only my first few listens.
Breathe: I was anticipating this, Magnificent and Moment of Surrender the most. Trip hop beat and cello opening give way to grunge guitar and ranting verses. Dylan-esque delivery on the verse. The guitar and cello amazingly work well. Of course, they're no stranger to strings in rock songs. (Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me, Kill Me.) Contains some of my favorite lyrics and melodies, "Every day I die again and again and reborn; Every day I have to find the courage to walk out into the street, with arms out, got a love you can't defeat, neither down, nor out, there's nothing you have that I need, I can breathe." In only a way that U2 can seemingly do, they turn an angry song into one of their most uplifting chorus'. This will be a song that is a staple live. Sounds silly, but a cello breakdown in the middle of the song? Awesome. The Edge's guitar takes off on this song as well.
Cedars of Lebanon: After a heavy rock song, the album comes to a subtle close. A spoken word style of singing as Bono sings in character of a war correspondent. Haunting and chilly is one way to describe it. "Return the call to home" breakup a few times in the song reminds me a lot of Radiohead. Not an immediately accessible song. Full of atmosphere and definitely not radio friendly. The album concludes with one of my favorite lines: "Choose your enemies carefully, cause they will define you; Make them interesting because in some ways they will mind you; They're not there in the beginning but when the story ends; Gonna last with you longer than your friends." In my opinion, it's their best album closer since Love is Blindness on Achtung Baby.
On a whole, I obviously can't rank it yet against the rest of their history. It's far too early for that. That said, I am confident it will stand the test of time and wind up as their third masterpiece next to the Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Every time you listen to it, you pick up on something else. That can be credited to the Lanois and Eno production team. The album will be a grower. And that's a good thing, after two very direct albums. U2 change, and they've not only changed up musically progressed with this album as well. The single-oriented fans and casual fans will not immediately be happy with this album. Fans of U2 from the 80's and 90's who haven't been keen on the past two offerings should be very satisfied with this album. Fortunately for me, I like the 80's, 90's and 00's offerings. Their latest is no let down and has surpassed my expectations. Well done, U2, you did it again.
For the iPod generation and the people who will only want to hear the quick, in your face songs, I suggest: Magnificent, Stand Up Comedy, I'll Go Crazy if I don't go Crazy Tonight and Breathe. For the fans that are after an actual album, enjoy what should be hailed in four or five years, if not now, as their third true masterpiece. Also, this is easily U2's most spiritual album since October. And I love it even more for that.
mikeuk
War Child
This is what makes us such a broad fan base \\\\\\-different tracks/styles push our buttons For me ( a fan since Boy) Stand Up doesn't really work - pure joy and UC not far behind _ but maybe too long ? still trying to comprehend the beauty overal Mike
oceane
Refugee
Great review, and you really hit a chord with your mention of the Neverending Story. This movie was my favourite when I was a very small kid, and the title song is one of my earliest musical memories. Being Born evoques some of the feelings of early, pre-JT U2 for me, and in some ways I can't quite explain, I can feel the link between the emotion I got when I was discovering early U2 and the movie. I never thought about that before but wow, this is deep stuff
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