Rate: No Line on the Horizon Album

[jameskinsella]

Another poll should be conducted to see how time has affected people's take on it.

I suspect the votes for 'Masterpiece' and 'Extraordinary' will fall off a cliff.

 

[Nick66]

Another poll should be conducted to see how time has affected people's take on it.

I suspect the votes for 'Masterpiece' and 'Extraordinary' will fall off a cliff.

I can't remember how I voted in this poll...probably 8 or 7, and I still pretty much feel that way.

 

[jameskinsella]

I think I gave it, or would've given it, a 'Good - 6' rating at the time. I'd lower that to average or mediocre now.

Reading through the first few pages of the thread is certainly interesting.

 

[TinKnight]

Another poll should be conducted to see how time has affected people's take on it.

I suspect the votes for 'Masterpiece' and 'Extraordinary' will fall off a cliff.

It's very funny going back and reading the hyperbole.

Then again, this is coming from someone who, at one point, briefly, had Songs of Innocence as his number one album

 

[rennowba]

Another poll should be conducted to see how time has affected people's take on it.

I suspect the votes for 'Masterpiece' and 'Extraordinary' will fall off a cliff.

When it first came out I loved it. Listened to it non stop.

Now I'd put it in the bottom 2 of u2 albums.

Breathe,mos ,magnificent and nloth are decent tracks but the rest I never ever listen to. And even those 4 I very rarely go back to.

Don't like it at all really, where as I still listen to songs of innocence from start to finish regularly, without skipping a track.

 

[deltau922]

I had it as my fourth fav u2 album at the time, now it’s probably 5th or 6th. I don’t like the first track but love the rest of them. Think I’ll go listen to it right now!

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

I had it as my fourth fav u2 album at the time, now it’s probably 5th or 6th. I don’t like the first track but love the rest of them. Think I’ll go listen to it right now!

It's such a bewildering album. I truly believe it was a hair away from being their 3rd masterpiece, they just overbaked it and lost the vibe that inspired them to go to Fez, settling on mediocre gloss that was cringe-worthy and pretty bland. Bono's lyrics need a second pass at times, but especially after watching Linear I feel there was gold there, buried beneath crap. Next time you're curious, try this on:

1. Kingdom
2. NLOTH 2
3. Magnificent
4. Moment of Surrender
5. Fez/(Being Born) (The second part drags for me)
6. Breathe
7. Unknown Caller
8. Crazy Tonight (single version)
9. White As Snow
10. North Star (Linear version)
11. Cedars of Lebanon
12. Winter (piano version from Linear)

This in my book gets it closer to what I feel could have been their "Low", an odd but solid twist for their audience with an ambient and experimental edge. It also would have aged a hell of a lot better. If you hate Crazy (depends on the day for me, I did like it live), cut it and add Being Born back in after Fez. Crazy does, however (this version at least), oddly fit perfectly after Unknown Caller. Both work.

I'll admit- during the contact high of new release I voted NLOTH high, then hated it, then resequenced it as above and now love it. Like really love it, maybe below JT, AB, TUF but pretty close after that. It holds up and would have made the tour make so much more sense, setlist-wise.

 

[rennowba]

Close to being a 3rd masterpiece? Totally disagree with that, it's easily in my bottom 2 of u2 albums. Never ever go back to it, I did like it when it came out though

 

[Nick66]

Close to being a 3rd masterpiece? Totally disagree with that, it's easily in my bottom 2 of u2 albums.

NLOTH can never been in the bottom two, so long as Bomb and SOI exist.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Close to being a 3rd masterpiece? Totally disagree with that, it's easily in my bottom 2 of u2 albums. Never ever go back to it, I did like it when it came out though

Not in my bottom 2 but close. It has too many misfires and the good/great songs of which there are 3/4 of are not enough to pull this one out of my bottom half of U2 albums

 

[rennowba]

NLOTH can never been in the bottom two, so long as Bomb and SOI exist.

Mad how everybody's opinions are different ain't it, I'd easily put soi in the top 5 I like bomb aswell

 

[CosmoKramer]

Mad how everybody's opinions are different ain't it, I'd easily put soi in the top 5 I like bomb aswell

I love Bomb.

Vertigo- Edge really is on fire
Miracle Drug- great song save for the top of a baby head line
STYCMIOYO- good song although the voice cracks bother me and keep this one down a little for me
COBL- classic U2 chorus!
ABOY- not a bad rock song

SOI I have always liked but I also understand some people’s gripes about the lack of Edge and great choruses. It also has a lot of solid songs but very few good/great songs.

 

[kabigon]

I like a lot of bits of Bomb and Nloth but are they better than any U2 album from the 80s or 90s? Nope.

 

[CosmoKramer]

NLOTH for me:

NLOTH- 6 it’s not a bad song but it doesn’t do anything for me. The chorus, melody and lyrics are very forgettable

Magnificent- 10 classic U2 sound

MOS- 8 its a solid tune and has a lot of interesting things going on in it. It 7 min long, which is a little excessive.

Unknown Caller- 4.5 huge missed opportunity. The lyrics are awful and the melody is very bland. I heard an earlier version on YouTube from a documentary where the lyrics were more relatable and it would have been a better song for me had they left them in.

Crazy Tonight-8 it’s a fun song and if Bono’s voice doesn’t crack not once but TWICE, this might have been a great song for me

Boots-6 those lyrics....ugh! But the guitar work is cool and I like the bridge, so it’s not s complete mess

SUC- 5 those lyrics....barf. The song has some cool sounds going on but nothing that makes me want to open my car windows and blast the song(especially when the little old lady part comes on)

White as Snow- 4 boring snooze fest

Fez- 3 I get it, people love when U2 gets experimental with their sound and a lot around here like the song but this just isn’t my bag. Too slow and nothing catchy or that makes me get into the song.

Breath- 9 love this song. Some borderline lyrics about Ju Ju men and stocks and cockatoos but I always enjoyed this one.

Ceaders- 2 or 3. Nothing interesting at all going on for me. Bono doesn’t sing, he speaks the lyrics and I don’t care for that raspy delivery. The lyrics are also spotty (oranges anyone) and it’s not a cool mellow song ala MOS and it’s definitely not a fun song. Really don’t like this song

Soon- 4/5 its really just someone chanting “soon” (is guessing) over and over with some drumming and light production. Not much to like or hate.

NLOTH 2- 6 I like the rawness better than the album cut but similar to the album cut, nothing here gets me going too much.

 

[J_Frank_Parnell]

Wasn't around for the poll eons ago, but I happen to love good old En Loth. My life was miserable at the time and i was glad it came along when it did. Yep, the usual smidge of lyrical .. missteps But, eh, on the other hand, "every eye looking every other way, counting down till the pain would stop" -- effing brilliant. When Bono writes a clunker lyric, I just look past it ... in favor of the overall body of work. Plus Edge's music can cover a multitude of sins

Maybe Larry should write the words? Hehe - the world's tersest lyrics

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

Mad how everybody's opinions are different ain't it, I'd easily put soi in the top 5 I like bomb aswell

This, and the countless remixes of NLOTH songs, indicate the legacy of a band unsure of how to play the music they were making at the time. I would have leaned into the world music vibe, especially with Eno around, but they didn't.

All said, while I love the album in its resequenced form, I understand the gripes. I think removing that middle 3 from this, and keeping the single edit from Crazy and scrapping Being Born (it just drags and the lyrics are pretty vacant) does wonders. I go back and forth on what was the biggest misstep of their post AB career, NLOTH or Pop. As time goes on, i actually think it was the former. And what we're seeing now and last album (delays, umpteen producers, odd collaborations, missed promotional opportunities) is a comtinued recoil from that.

 

[BVS]

This, and the countless remixes of NLOTH songs, indicate the legacy of a band unsure of how to play the music they were making at the time. I would have leaned into the world music vibe, especially with Eno around, but they didn't.



All said, while I love the album in its resequenced form, I understand the gripes. I think removing that middle 3 from this, and keeping the single edit from Crazy and scrapping Being Born (it just drags and the lyrics are pretty vacant) does wonders. I go back and forth on what was the biggest misstep of their post AB career, NLOTH or Pop. As time goes on, i actually think it was the former. And what we're seeing now and last album (delays, umpteen producers, odd collaborations, missed promotional opportunities) is a comtinued recoil from that.

How do remixes indicate a band unsure? They've been doing multiple remixes since AB. And I think it was Eno who was the biggest opponent to the world music idea.

 

[Catman]

Next time you're curious, try this on:

1. Kingdom
2. NLOTH 2
3. Magnificent
4. Moment of Surrender
5. Fez/(Being Born) (The second part drags for me)
6. Breathe
7. Unknown Caller
8. Crazy Tonight (single version)
9. White As Snow
10. North Star (Linear version)
11. Cedars of Lebanon
12. Winter (piano version from Linear)

This... is a pretty good sequence. Though I prefer the album version of the title track, it works better as an opener, IMO, than following Soon, so I appreciate the alternate mix here. However, while I really do enjoy Cedars, it just doesn't work for me following North Star. Also, I kinda prefer the soundtrack version of Winter--aside from the improved lyrics (i just can't w/ those final couple of quatrains), the song builds to a stronger denouement for the record than its earlier incarnation.

But yeah, thanks for this superior alternate universe version of NLOTH ;D

 

[popacrobat]

10. North Star (Linear version)

???

 

[rennowba]

How do remixes indicate a band unsure? They've been doing multiple remixes since AB. And I think it was Eno who was the biggest opponent to the world music idea.

Yeah I wouldn't put to much into the remixes being done, theve being doing this since 1990. It's just a way of maybe tapping into another market.

I remember seeing Paul oakenfold once and he played a dance mix of vertigo. I was loving it

 

[CosmoKramer]

Yeah I wouldn't put to much into the remixes being done, theve being doing this since 1990. It's just a way of maybe tapping into another market.

I remember seeing Paul oakenfold once and he played a dance mix of vertigo. I was loving it

They’ve been doing remixes since War. Two Hearts and New Year’s Day were both solid with the latter being really good. This assuming they were done at that time and not after the fact.

 

[rennowba]

They’ve been doing remixes since War. Two Hearts and New Year’s Day were both solid with the latter being really good. This assuming they were done at that time and not after the fact.

I know there was a New Year's Day remix done in the I think it was, called musique v u2. That was released and charted here in the uk. Could have been another made in the 80's though.Not so sure on the two Hearts beat as one remix

 

[Nick66]

U2 has been doing remixes forever. It's nothing new.

What is new is throwing a bunch of them out there simultaneously with a new song and hoping one sticks, before the single itself has a chance to get any kind of real traction. That does, IMO, speak of a lack of confidence in the song. IMO it's not a dynamic and fun release strategy...it's just confusing to everyone who doesn't follow every variation on every note of music U2 puts out. Hearing people talk about how the Klingon mix or whatever the hell it was is going to really be the one to take off is one of the more bizarre and sad conversations I've seen around here.

So yeah, of course they lack confidence in the song. If they felt confident about it they wouldn't have been tinkering with it to the last second and be putting multiple versions into the marketplace competing for airtime.

This is just the latest version of what's been going on since they got cold feet on NLOTH.

 

[BVS]

This is just the latest version of what's been going on since Pop.

Fixed

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

How do remixes indicate a band unsure? They've been doing multiple remixes since AB. And I think it was Eno who was the biggest opponent to the world music idea.

Larry was the biggest opponent. He said, in NME I believe (paraphrasing), "We have all this stuff inspired by Fez, much of it very far out, but what do we do with it? What can we make of 10 minutes of rhythmic drums? We had to find songs out of what were just sounds." It was Eno who brought them to the Fez world music festival in the first place.

You're right on the remixes though. I misspoke. What I meant to convey was the multiple "false starts" on a song. How many different versions of NLOTH, Crazy, Boots, and Winter exist, compared to Magnificent, MoS, and Breathe, which were more fully formed from the start. They seemed to be putting trial balloons out for different versions of a song. These aren't remixes, these are fully adjusted compositions of one song. That tells me they were unsure of what song fit their theme. That trend sadly had continued on SOI and now with SOE. Maybe they just did a better job of hiding this earluer, but it seemed excessive to me starting with NLOTH.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

???

https://youtu.be/liBVZWeEOuk

 

[BVS]

Larry was the biggest opponent. He said, in NME I believe (paraphrasing), "We have all this stuff inspired by Fez, much of it very far out, but what do we do with it? What can we make of 10 minutes of rhythmic drums? We had to find songs out of what were just sounds." It was Eno who brought them to the Fez world music festival in the first place.



You're right on the remixes though. I misspoke. What I meant to convey was the multiple "false starts" on a song. How many different versions of NLOTH, Crazy, Boots, and Winter exist, compared to Magnificent, MoS, and Breathe, which were more fully formed from the start. They seemed to be putting trial balloons out for different versions of a song. These aren't remixes, these are fully adjusted compositions of one song. That tells me they were unsure of what song fit their theme. That trend sadly had continued on SOI and now with SOE. Maybe they just did a better job of hiding this earluer, but it seemed excessive to me starting with NLOTH.

Have you ever listened to the Salome tapes? This is how they've always worked.

It's just that technology has allowed them to fully flesh out ideas quicker than before, and they've decided to release them.

Wasn't even aware of other versions of Boots or Crazy other than remixes.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

This... is a pretty good sequence. Though I prefer the album version of the title track, it works better as an opener, IMO, than following Soon, so I appreciate the alternate mix here. However, while I really do enjoy Cedars, it just doesn't work for me following North Star. Also, I kinda prefer the soundtrack version of Winter--aside from the improved lyrics (i just can't w/ those final couple of quatrains), the song builds to a stronger denouement for the record than its earlier incarnation.

But yeah, thanks for this superior alternate universe version of NLOTH ;D

Thanks mate. I actually go back and forth on North Star where I have it above or behind Crazy. I actually think it forms a nice cohesive flow between Crazy and WAS but on the other hand helps to break up two downbeat tracks in the resequenced list I shared. Today I listened to it after Crazy and it worked perfect. The Winter soundtrack version is nice, but the piano version to me, thematically, has that killer ending stanza about "so glad you made it home" that seems to work amazingly after Cedars. I envisioned Side A as a man traveling the world, life in composite, with Side B being the man discovering war, famine, and heartache everywhere he went, ultimately dying. This is what Bono communicated as an early treatment of the album's theme, so I gave it a shot. Plus, that orchestral bit is a perfect album ender to me.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

Have you ever listened to the Salome tapes? This is how they've always worked.

It's just that technology has allowed them to fully flesh out ideas quicker than before, and they've decided to release them.

Wasn't even aware of other versions of Boots or Crazy other than remixes.

I love the Salome and AXTUNG BEIBI stuff. And yeah, it feels raw and unbridled. It's fun, but much of it is messy. I much prefer the finished product. Same with Pop, ATYCLB, even Bomb. NLOTH was the first time I remember preferring the alternate cuts, which were fully mixed and seemed album ready, which was a new one for me. Before the mixes sounded different or a bit unpolished. Perhaps you're right on the technology, but it also feels like they guessed and made last minute calls (the U2.com documentary teases at that) based on a lack of full confidence in their original versions.

 

[BVS]

https://youtu.be/liBVZWeEOuk

Pretty sure that's fan made.