I still love HTDAAB. It was the first U2 album I bought, but even after I've heard everything else, it's still a really great album with consistently solid tracks.

When the album came out I was so excited. I'm pretty sure I had a countdown on my MSN status for about 90 days leading up to it.

I'm watching the Vertigo live from Milan DVD, its great.

Oh yeah, I remember that. Short DVD, but the performance was a lot better than 'Live from Chicago' where Bono had throat issues. Really illustrates how amazing the band is live, by milking their already awesome songs for all they're worth.

Haha, yeah they sure have milked that live DVD cow. I think they're worth it. (I've bought all their live DVDs)

WHat time is letterman on? I might have to become an insomniac for a week.

11:30 PM

Why is everyone still bashing Atomic Bomb for the hundredth time?

It's Pitchfork. They bash everything.

No Line On The Horizon, A First Impression

Undercover, February 11, 2009

Paul Cashmere

 

Undercover was privy to a private listening session for the U2 album today and it is damn good. Although it is not "the next big step for U2," it is very much the sound of U2 you love.

 

That is thanks mostly to the joint production resource of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and additional production by Steve Lillywhite. All three had similar duties on 1984's The Unforgettable Fire and the sound I am hearing from No Line on the Horizon is very much sourced from that work.

 

The album will conjure up the past when you hear it, mainly because they production team individually have worked on many of the U2 albums since The Unforgettable Fire and they each bring their own sound to U2.

 

While I've only had one listen to the album from beginning to end, my first impression is that this album won't rock the boat with U2 fans. If you loved the old stuff, you will like the new.

 

Track by track:

 

No Line on the Horizon - This one is techno, thump. In sound it sits somewhere between 1993's Zooropa and 1994's Pop.

 

Magnificent - And The Edge show up for work! This is one of the few songs on the album that sounds like any of their recent work. This one wouldn't be out of place on 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind.

 

Moment of Surrender – This is the album's epic. It is one of those slow, building tracks and fits with The Unforgettable Fire in sound.

 

Unknown Caller – Another slow one, I was thinking The Joshua Tree as a first impression. While The Joshua Tree came initially to mind, there is something strangely "Broadway show" about this in parts.

 

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight – Damn, Bono beat some old country guy to the title. It sounds like it should be a country and western song but isn't. In fact, it is one of the rockier songs on the album. Think Rattle and Hum album for a fit.

 

Get On Your Boots – Well, you already know this one. '60s meets the Escape Club. (Go on, admit it, you thought of "Wild Wild West" when you heard it the first time as well.)

 

Stand Up Comedy – Funky. It would sound good on Rattle and Hum.

 

FEZ - Being Born – This is the most different song on the album from anything else they have done. In fact, the production technique is more in line of some of the experimentations George Martin did on later Beatles. It starts out atmospheric (Eno) but gets a bit of grunt happening.

 

White As Snow – Another slow one. The Unforgettable Fire for fit. There are some nice Irish influences in the song structure as well. I can't say Irish trad music has been very prevelant in the U2 sound before like it is here.

 

Breathe – An uptempo rock song. A good one for Achtung Baby.

 

Cedars of Lebanon – Bono really sings on this ballad. It's dreamy and laidback, a mellow end to the album. It is again very The Unforgettable Fire in sound.

 

 

No Line on the Horizon was recorded at U2 HQ Dublin, Raid El Yacout in Fez, Platinum Sound Recordings Studios in New York and Olympic Studios in London. It will be released at the end of this month.

 

http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=5231

Magnificent would fit ATYCLB? Please, it's probably the closest thing U2 will get to The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree in this album; it's the U2 I really know and love.

I'm so pumped for the release!!! :D

Yeah,it should be out finally

i have to say that i did not like no line on the horizon at all. i know its just the alternative version, but i thought it was pretty bad and boring. i hope the album version is better. i also hope this album doesnt massively disappoint me.

I actually liked the alternative version. But don't worry, you haven't seen anything yet. My views of this album has changed quite a bit during these past few weeks. ;)

How much of it have you heard?

There was a good review of the album in the current issue of Word Magazine, the reviewer liked it.

Magnificent would fit ATYCLB? Please, it's probably the closest thing U2 will get to The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree in this album; it's the U2 I really know and love.

 

Me too. Unforgettable Fire illustrated the sort of avante-garde ambient flavor that I'm a completer sucker for, while Joshua Tree was just a perfect album! (I wonder if Bono ever did find what he was looking for... :thinking: I mean it hass been over twenty years)

 

...less than two weeks to go for NLOTH!!! :dance:

The Joshua Tree:Yucca brevifolia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sadly, the Yucca Brevifolia from the album cover died sometime back in 2000. :cry:

I was not involved in any pre-buzz for any other U2 album because I was a U2 fan before HTDAAB but I was not a "current" U2 fan, meaning I had no large scale knowledge of the band.

 

Now that I'm fully entrenched in U2, I'm not quite sure to make of all the reviews and buzz around this album. Some people are saying its like Zoorapa and others are saying its like The Unforgettable Fire.

 

Some say its a huge departure from the last two albums and others say its pretty consistently U2 (which doesn't seem to make much sense unless you consider "how" U2 plays music as opposed to what music they play - which is largely varied).

 

I guess I'm fairly nervous. I listened to the album clips and only found a few remotely impressive. I guess this album is going to be a grower. I guess thats what I want to an extent. It's just I always think the best albums are the ones that grow for a little while and then you can get into them. That doesnt mean once the music finished growing that it becomes less interesting or nuanced, its just I don't want to force myself to listen music I think I dislike.

 

This is just fears though, I don't know if any will materialise.

 

Now that I'm fully entrenched in U2, I'm not quite sure to make of all the reviews and buzz around this album. Some people are saying its like Zoorapa and others are saying its like The Unforgettable Fire.

 

Some say its a huge departure from the last two albums

 

.

 

Judging by the previews, I think it's all three of those in a weird way...

Judging by the previews, I think it's all three of those in a weird way...

 

I know. Which leads me to think this could be the biggest mess or the most beautiful masterpiece. It's really hard to tell.

Or the messiest masterpiece ever! Pollock meets Da Vinci! :P

So, stupid Briggins. I thought the album came out on March 20th. I'm excited its 2 weeks before that though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rNiAQZwXJo

Its cool seeing Will.i.am in there. I am so excited for this. 10 more days till the Ireland release!

 

From the previews. This is their best stuff since Joshua Tree. The bass grooves sound amazing. Edge in full, well...Edge mode. From the new songs Bono is singing in very hard keys, and singing very well.

 

All the reviews have been positive, for the most part. This will be a classic, because for the first time in a long time they are going back to the blues, and the recorded and cut 5 songs in 24 hours! More bands need to do this! I miss bands cutting album in virtually one day.

U2 PLANNING ANOTHER ALBUM IN 2009

February 14, 2009

posted by: m2 The Observer has a terrific article by Sean O'Hagan about the making of No Line On The Horizon, which includes the revelation that U2 is planning to release another album before the end of 2009. Bono describes the next album as "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage." There's also a 3-minute video from various recording sessions, lots of background on the album and songs, and ... just go read it!

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-on-the-horizon

^Is it just me, or do Coldplay and U2 copy each other like...all the time!