U2 Album: “No Line on the Horizon”

If you are hoping that U2 has gone back to their Joshua Tree days then you haven't been listening to U2 over the years. U2 has always been about change they have never really stayed in the same place their whole carrier. They do what they feel is passionet, and meaningful to them hoping that us as the listeners will feel the same. This album is Amazing! It does sound different, but you can really feel the passion that was put into it. U2 once again has made a classic album, I love it from track one to track eleven. I totally recommend buying it!

What an amazing album! U2 continues to reinvent themselves and NLOTH is more proof that they are successful. If you are looking for Joshua Tree stuff or even All That you Can't Leave Behind, you won't find it here. Those albums are masterpieces/classics and I can see this album there someday. This album is different, and I would have to say there aren't a lot of quote on quote radio friendly songs, but we do have a lot of well written music that all compliment each other well. Highly recommended to anyone!

While it's far too early to be making definitive judgements of U2's No Line On The Horizon, a few conclusions about what this album is and is not can be drawn after only limited listening. I'll have to qualify myself as a 'casual' fan, however; through the years I've found myself connecting mainly with songs in the same vein as the first three tracks of The Joshua Tree, and other than "One", from Achtung Baby, U2 fell off my radar until the last two albums gave me "Stuck In A Moment...", "Walk On" and "Sometimes You Can't Make It...". There are, of course, other styles and songs much to my liking, but when a new U2 record comes out, the midtempo, beautifully melodic, more in the mainstream-type gems are what I listen for. So, if you have similar tastes, my thoughts on NLOTH are geared toward you.

> This is NOT a 'commercial' record. That's not to say this album won't sell, but that the producers' attempts at churning out a few radio hits didn't work, IMO. There are plenty of 'catchy' parts of songs, especially in the first five tracks, but in general these songs just aren't set up to become mega-hits.

> The Edge is in top form on this record. The guitar work here is nothing short of brilliant.

> Most of the big 'music critics' and fans of some of U2's more experimental efforts should find lots to like, especially when comparing this to the band's previous two albums. This is quite the artistic endeavor...U2 did not 'play it safe' here. This is a record that combines a bit of 'classic' U2 sound with a heavy dose of fresh, exploratory music.

> On the flip side, if those last two albums (or even The Joshua Tree) are your favorites, you may be disappointed. I think you'll find the first half of the record to have some redeeming qualities. For example, the chorus of "Moment Of Surrender" is outstanding, with beautiful harmonies and melody. It's perhaps the strongest song of all, but its length of over 7 minutes would call for major editing to get it into radio-shape...likewise with "Unknown Caller", my favorite from a musical standpoint. The guitar/bass combination is spine-tingling, but while there's good melody in the 'verse', the vocal chanting in the same note wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, and it's 6 minutes long (radio edits required). "Magnificent" is fairly decent all around and could be a radio hit, but it still doesn't stack up well when compared to the songs I mentioned in my introduction.

> Many of the songs have moody, pulsating and/or atmospheric instrumental intros, most of which are very sonically interesting.

> For the more casual U2 listener who favors 'mainstream' sound, the middle and bottom half of this record doesn't have a lot to offer. I thought the choice of putting out "Get On Your Boots" as a first single to be quite strange...it's mainly groove-based and not melodic at all. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is one of those 'in-between' type songs...you want to like it, you kind of like it, yet it sounds a little 'forced' and not genuine to me. Bono goes a little crazy when he throws in a couple of odd-sounding falsetto notes about 30 seconds in...that certainly doesn't help matters. On many of the songs toward the end Bono does more talking than he does singing, and while they are somewhat interesting sonically, the beautiful melodies are missing. "White As Snow" is a laid-back hymn with sparse instrumentation reminiscent of songs from a Western...it's kind of nice but I'm not sold yet.

> At least the album starts strong. The opening title track is a high-energy rocker with an aggressive vocal and a memorable chorus. Throughout the record Bono's vocals are loose, ragged and edgy as opposed to controlled and pure.

With a band as diverse as U2, you won't always find what you're looking for (pardon the pun). For some, NLOTH will eventually be considered a masterpiece. But for more casual fans like me hoping to hear fresh takes (not remakes) of the classic, midtempo, melodic, memorable mainstream stunners that U2 has delivered before...well, we're kind of left in the dust with this release and will have to wait for the next one with fingers crossed.

U2 has produced an incredible piece of work. I was shocked (in the best possible way!) when I heard this album! It's sonically interesting, and definitely new ground for U2. For that reason, it may take some getting used to by old and new fans alike.

The album starts out with new sounds (at least for U2) and interesting themes and characters in the first four songs. Of those, "Magnificent" and "Moment of Surrender" are instant standouts. But, with each new listen, new songs surprise me. In this case, "Unknown Caller" has proven to be a song that with a few listens begins to amaze. The middle of the album is probably more familiar territory sonically. "Crazy Tonight", "Boots", and "Stand Up Comedy" feel like the U2 of this decade and stand somewhat apart from the rest of the songs on this album. "Crazy Tonight" was probably my original favorite. "Boots" has taken some criticism, but it's a great song and I really don't see what the fuss is about (especially for those that liked "Vertigo", as "Boots" has a very similar feel to it). "Stand Up Comedy" breaks down into a groove that is very "Beatlesque"--quality! But the more I listened to the album, the more I realized that for me, the real stars are the final four tracks. The four together have a perfect flow, and harken back sonically to the first four songs on the album (and lyrically to the middle three). "White as Snow" and "Cedars" are hauntingly beautiful and "Cedars" provides a brilliant finish to the album. "Fez" is another song that I almost overlooked the first couple of listens. Then suddenly I realized how brilliant it is. It's the song I want to drive home to in the evening after a long day at work. Indeed, it's a travel song, so very fitting. And "Breathe" is a song that I can't get enough of. It's soulful and bluesy. And it has that same uplifiting and insprirational spirit that U2 has become known for. But, it's not indulgent.

The box set is beautifully done--even the box itself is impressive. The book is very well put together. The interview spans around 8 pages, with the remainder of the content being very artistic photography of the band, studio sessions, etc. "Linear" is interesting and will take watching again to form a full opinion. It's a "moving pictures' film (no dialogue, but a movie set to the music of the album). An extremely interesting concept for the album that perhaps falls short of it's full potential. But, I love this idea. The digipack version of the album included in the box set is fantastic! Overall, I have to say that this has been put together extremely well. I have a few issues (typos in the lyrics, for example), but given the immense quality of the album, along with a well put together art box, I can't give this anything but the highest rating.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm still debating from an objective point of view if the box set is worth $65. I don't know. I do know that I'm happier for having it on my shelf and am therefore glad to have spent the money. If you have the money, definitely consider buying this set, as it's a fine addition to your music collection.

Aah, those U2 fans. It used to be you had the critics who were hard to please. Now you have over 100 reviews on Amazon one day after it's out, and all of the reviewers think they're right. As a non-U2 fan, but someone who likes their music among much else that's out there, this new CD strikes me as a pleasant surprise. The songs are catchy, joyeus even. U2 fans will crave the searing vocals of yore, but to my ears Bono sounds better than ever. And the band seem to have fun. The information will make you believe that the album is "experimental" and may require repeated listens to be enjoyed. That's only for hitparade crowd. Every song is well crafted, readily accessible, and well delivered. The band deserve credit for coming out with an album like this, which bears the indelible U2 stamp, but nonetheless covers new ground. I hope they keep going.