A little perspective.
There are few revelations when in it comes to music. Moments of clarity. A few for me.
- Realizing that The Beatles sang ALL of those songs. (And in less then 10 years)
- That I loved Rap Music.
- That if I actually like Country Music for reasons more then that Hot Girls liked it too. (I’m still bitter about this.)
- That Prince was kind of important and that I really should’ve back him in the 80’s other then that other guy. (I was a kid. Okay. I didn’t really understand Michael Jackson.)
- And this is the important one for the blog. When I was like 15, I figured out that the same people who sang “Mysterious Ways” also sang, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”.
After realizing that U2 was U2, I did some back tracking. There were albums that I liked most of them and their albums where their were 2 or 3 awesome songs and bunch of ehhhh… But I did realize that they were kind of awesome and special, but you know also that I kind of missed the WORLD WIDE LOVING U2 bandwagon. I mean they had already put out Zooropa, been through the most of their rockstar excess, and would soon put out Pop. So a lot of hating had started.
So I’ve only been able to really get excited about some of their least Awesome Cds. And after How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, I was kind of like, ok, good stuff guys, but please next time, make a real album. Not just a CD, front loaded with some good singles, or crap about peace and some not so great songs at the end.
I mean it really is The Joshua Tree’s fault. They were following the formula of that album, without recreating a whole cd of great songs. So be it.
No Line On The Horizon takes a lot of steps in the right direction. And it takes a few in the wrong direction. It’s nowhere near the Masterpiece a few reviews have called it, but it’s not a terrible blunder of crap that some have called it. And the biggest problem in most cases is that you really can’t compare it to their other work.
I mean, I mean this in the least abrasive way possible, they kind of are our generations Beatles. (Radiohead, could also claim this, but really, they don’t give a shit enough about what people think of their music to really qualify,) And we’ve kind of entered the period that the Beatles never got to, because they broke up. So basically, we’re in the 70’s solo years. And this album feels that way.
It’s not a greatest hits album. It’s not a pastiche, but it’s like on some songs they’ve decided to revisit certain interests and other songs they hit up some other interests and in the middle, they dumped a bunch of songs they hoped could be rock radio hits (which they probably won’t be, but I never really liked “The Sweetest Thing.” So what the F do I know.)
So let’s review. And I’m not going to compare it to their other work. I’m going to go at it like if I was like 12 or something, or a Killers fan. (which is really an impossible task, because you either Like U2 or not, and if you are the kind of person to like them, you probably really like them and their songs, whatever.)
Things I liked.
- I liked how much of the theme was being lost in your world and how you need to feel. But sometimes it’s hard to feel anything.
- I also liked how much of the album was about letting go, not fighting and breathing, which are very yoga like concepts. Live in the Moment.
- I liked all of the minute long intros to the songs. They kind of wash over and then all of the sudden the song kicks in, and you’re like HELL YEAH. (In a kind of mellow Hell Yeah way.)
- I like that it really is a head phones album, but that it also works when you’re driving, especially if the weather sucks, or you’re depressed.
- Liked that they didn’t fear failing on some of these songs, or tried to write some of the lyrics with character.
- You actually might be able to do yoga to this cd and not feel bad about it.
- Much of it is weird.
- I liked how they didn’t front load the cd with the best songs. Means I’ll listen to the whole thing more.
Songs I liked.
- “Magnificent” Really Good Song. Gets you really into the album in a way that “No Line On the Horizon,” kind of doesn’t. I mean it kind of is pretty standard U2 music. But it’s really well done. “
- “Breathe” – Wow. U2 makes a song that tells you to Breathe, and live, because that’s the most important thing, it’s like “Beautiful Day” but about something else. But the verses are really dense, but it works and he says “joojoo man, joojoo man.” It’s great. Great singalong.
- “White as Snow” Simple, Pretty, Deep lyrics that don’t feel like Bono tried too hard. Not the kind of song that you expect from U2. It’s like a lot of those not so great songs at the end of All That You Can’t Leave Behind, or How to Dismantle, they finally figured out a way to make them work with this song. But it’s a grower.
- “Unknown Caller” I thought I was going to hate this song, with it’s weird Computer terminology shouts during the chorus. The thing is if you just get used to it, there is a lot of awesomeness to appreciate. And damn if the opening doesn’t lead up to a pretty great song that nails it and is pretty inspiring. And a great singalong.
- “Moment Of Surrender” The idea might be better then the song. It’s kind of slow, and dark. But the lyrics are good. And again, when you’re depressed you’re there with Bono and it works.
Things I didn’t like.
Some of those lyrics that give the songs character are terrible. (“Get On Your Boots.”
- That you can really feel the differences between the quality of the recordings. I know they recorded this in many places, but dammit there needs to be some sound quality consistency. It’s not that any of it is bad, but in the middle, suddenly the Open Sound texture earphone space is shut down for a WALL OF SOUND attack, squeezed compressed feel, and then it goes back to open sound.
- The BABY BABY BABY middle eight of “I’ll go Crazy if I don’t go Crazy Tonight.” It kind of screws the song up, and the chorus never really reaches the point the lyrics want to take it, but it’s a happy song, so I don’t dislike it.
- Again they did not nail the sequencing of the CD.
Songs I didn’t like.
- “Get On Your Boots”. It’s really the worst song on the album, thank god. There really is not a whole lot of change up in the song. The chorus sucks. But it’s ok background music, and I do like the Meet Me In the Sound bit at the end.
- “Fez- Being Born”. This is not really a song. It’s more like the B-side of a single or a 5 minute Outro to another song. (But it’s alright for like background.)
The Others in order of liking to ehhhhh…kind of liking.
- “No Line On the Horizon.” Good Beat. Nice Moments. Chorus breezes in a way I do like. Pretty good. Just don’t love.
- “I’ll crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight.” Damn it. It’s a happy song. Just not as awesome as it could be. Kind of seems like a sellout single.
- “Ceders of Lebanon.” Not bad. But not memorable. Kind of a solemn close to an album.
- “Stand Up Comedy.” Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t.
OVERALL WRAP:
I really like more of the songs then the ones that I don’t like or don’t care for. And that’s kind of a big deal. It’s better then their last two albums and might be as good as Pop and Zooropa. I think I like this CD more then Coldplay’s. But I might not. And I’m kind of okay with that. Because no matter what Coldplay does they don’t inspire. They don’t make one of my shit days a little better. I don’t hear their songs and say, yeah, Chris Martin is really speaking to me. And that’s what U2 can do. And on this album they’re really doing that. So it’s special.
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