It's gonna take some serious will power to keep myself from listening through this again. Only four songs in, in a noisy environment, and I gotta say, even if the rest sucks, this album is a real triumph. It's not just a return to 'classic" tricks, but an improvement on them with additional elements that make this album legitimately stand out from anything of their others. It's the same band as HTDAAB injected with nostalgia and some of the things we wish they could've taken the time to explore.

 

:edit: also funny how Eno seems to have had the opposite influence on U2 that he did with Coldplay. In VLV, Coldplay condensed almost every song to little more than 3 minutes. It was like they were overly paranoid that you'd be instantly bored if they added a couple extra bars. Whereas "No line on the horizon" is gloriously patient. U2 feel perfectly free in adding a couple minutes to a track, drawing out the intro or adding an extra guitar segment to the end. You can really take your time to soak in the vibes. U2 has improved where Coldplay failed last time.

I am really liking "Breathe" and "White As Snow." To me, this album is a very worthy effort. I will have to get away from it for awhile to see how it stacks up against the other U2 albums but, for now, I am very, very happy with the results.

Yeah, right now I'm coming down from the first listen (or 3rd :P) high. The way new albums generally work with me is I'll be uncertain at first glance, after a second listen I'm in love with it, but after a couple more listens I don't really care for it since I've beaten it to death by then. Even though I've listened to it way too much today, I don't think I can give an accurate review quite yet.

I fell asleep whilst listening to it the first time round. :laugh3:

 

It was a really long day though and I probably should've just gone to bed instead.

 

I'll give it a proper listen later.

I think I might cave tonight haha.

Not sure if I can wait another week. Especially since its spring break.

^^^^^^^doooooooooooooo ittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

:wink3::sneaky:

 

 

 

IT'S MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm predicting the next two singles will be "Magnificent", followed by 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"

 

I'm not sure about what's after that though...and Briggins, I'm sorry I left you flying solo by caving in my self. Don't let me discourage you, I just decided to listen on the myspace page because it's sort of endorsed by U2 themselves and I'm not actually downloading the files. There is something to be said though for waiting till you actually buy the album.

I think I might cave tonight haha.

Not sure if I can wait another week. Especially since its spring break.

 

If you can hold off, you are a better person than me. I always cave instantly. I totally get the satisfaction of opening the album on day of release. On the other hand, I also enjoy the excitement of listening to it before its out.

 

The MP3 version that I downloaded is a very clean copy. My understanding is that it was mistakenly leaked in Australia for a brief period of time on a legal download site. Those who got it then put it up on the internet, and away we go...

 

In fact, my iTUNES already recognizes all the track names. I bet the iTUNES Genius is going WTF when it scans my computer and sees the tracks on my playlist.

 

Let me know if you want it.

If you can hold off, you are a better person than me. I always cave instantly. I totally get the satisfaction of opening the album on day of release. On the other hand, I also enjoy the excitement of listening to it before its out.

 

The MP3 version that I downloaded is a very clean copy. My understanding is that it was mistakenly leaked in Australia for a brief period of time on a legal download site. Those who got it then put it up on the internet, and away we go...

 

In fact, my iTUNES already recognizes all the track names. I bet the iTUNES Genius is going WTF when it scans my computer and sees the tracks on my playlist.

 

Let me know if you want it.

 

 

yeah here is the lowdown on how it leaked (from atu2.com)

 

NLOTH LEAKS (AGAIN) ... THIS TIME BY UNIVERSAL AUSTRALIA

February 17, 2009

posted by: m2

 

For the second time this month, an online music store has started

prematurely selling No Line On The Horizon. This time, the Universal

Music Australia store has made the entire album available as digital

downloads, and fans all over the world are buying it up, putting it on

file sharing sites, and sending it to friends. The album's out there

now; no turning back.

 

Little did anyone know that NLOTH was also available on the Napster

Mobile online store. An @U2 reader found it and bought the album on

February 8th; it was available all last week, and finally removed

yesterday (Feb. 16).

Somehow I doubt that was an accident. Maybe I'm wrong, but wouldn't these stores be tempted to cheat the release date, so they'll be the only place that people can buy the album up until the actual release?

Eh...

 

Anyways, after giving my review, I chucked the entire album out of my iTunes library, Magnificent and all. I also hate the fact of playing albums too many times to the point of not caring, especially before the album even gets released (I pre-ordered NLOTH too)! For example, after so many times listening to VLVADALHF, I had to take constant breaks from it because I didn't want to lose the album's particular vibe that I felt from it during the first couple of playthroughs.

 

And U2 better release Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy and Breathe as their next three singles. In no way do I want to hear Stand Up Comedy on the radio.

^ yeah, I don't like Stand Up Comedy. I think it is the only definite skip I have found on the album.

 

I don't get the big deal over Magnificent. It's not that I don't like it, I just don't find it that special. I will keep listening. For the longest time, I did not like A Beautiful Day, and it is now one of my favorites.

 

I really like I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight and Breathe. The problem with this album, as far as singles go, is that the songs are too long. If they are going to be released as singles, they will have to create some radio edits.

 

No Line On The Horizon (the song) is still my favorite from the album. I think this song and Breathe will be grand in their live form.

U2 Attempt To Sell Their Shares In Live Nation

 

U2 have reportedly attempted to sell their shares in Live Nation after the value plummeted to just over a fifth of the original amount.

 

The Irish band signed a deal with Live Nation last March that tied them in for 12 years with the band being paid partly with stock.

 

U2 were given 1.6 million shares with Live Nation guaranteeing that they would be worth $25 million, when the market closed on Wednesday evening in New York they were worth just $6.1 million.

 

According to the Wall Street Journal Live Nation were they forced to make up the remaining $19 million, in an SEC filing Live Nation said they would do this with cash on hand or borrowed money.

 

Live Nation last year signed similar deals with Madonna, Jay-Z, Nickelback and Shakira – promising to pay out millions to artists in return for revenue from the 360 deals which encompassed concerts, fanclubs and merchandise.

 

Live Nation have moved to play down the U2 stock sale, with Chief Executive Micahel Rapino saying: "Madonna and U2 are the only two deals that did contain this provision. The Madonna business is great, and we look forward to monetizing our investment in U2 next year."

 

U2 are set to tour in 2009 with announcement expected to be made in market about the schedule.

This album is amazing! I'm so pleased with it! Moment of Surrender gives me chills and Magnificent and I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight are awesome songs...

Album comes on Spotify from tomorrow :)

^whats that?

Can someone explain why U2's Myspace is not streaming the album? Boots is the only track displayed on their page.

Click on the album cover next to it ;)

I tried that, still didn't work...:confused:

keep trying. When you first go to the page it switches to the black single cover below it. That's why only GOYB shows. Click on the other covers, and you get a different list of songs.

I must say that Get On Your Boots is growing on me.....Its a very catchy song

The album we have been waiting for, begging for has finally arrived! No Line On The Horizon. Its been just over 4 years, and after changing producers randomly, we have one of U2's masterpieces. This album sees U2 working closely with their 3 most decorated producers: Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno and my personal favorite, Daniel Lanois.

 

No Line On The Horizon - I hate to say this, if I were to describe this song in one word it would be: Overproduced. The lyrics are, very very good. The opening guitar/white do it for me though. It ruins the song, the B-side version, to me is a lot better.

Magnificent - Most people see this as a concert opener, I however do not. That said, the open got my attention really fast, then when he breaks into his sweet ass echo riff, I was blown away. This song has an energy to it, as with most of the album, driven by the new duo in U2, Edge and Adam. I havent heard these two gel together so well since Joshua Tree. Bono's melody's dont really add much to this track. An obvious single, and obvious favorite

 

Moment of Surrender - Now i read that this was a Lillywhite track, which it can not be. This one spells Eno. This is lyrically the most deep song U2 has written in a while. Not on the level of Kite and Sometimes You Cant Make It On Your Own, which hold an amazing power I connect to. Its deep on the level of a Bad, and One. Adam, does amazingly on this track, and it seems Edge finally broke out his sustainer again, although not as effective as in With Or Without You, it helps add to the mood of the song. This is one of the linch pin songs on the album, and awesome.

 

Unknown Caller - This is Edge's song, both instrumentally and vocally. Most of the "ohhhhhs" are Edge and Larry. This is one of the track I always skip. I havent been able to connect to this song at all. Just not feeling this one. But its okay we have:

 

I'll Go Crazy If I Dont Go Crazy Tonight - With this song all I have to say is: Edge is back! This is the strongest song on the album; their Viva La Vida, although it wont be nearly as successful. I love this song, lyrically it isnt the strongest, but defanitly stronger then some of the stuff. Once again driven by Edge and Adam.

 

Get On Your Boots - Easily the most criticized single ever! It took me one or two listens, but I loved this track from beginning to now. It is the obvious first single cause it the most like old U2. It is Vertigo 2.0. At that though, it fits perfectly on the album and changes the mood very quickly. This is the song Edge and Adam command most. Even Larry takes lead, there is a reason Bono is behind the band most of the time when they preform this song, because its theirs.

 

Stand Up [Comedy] - I havent made up my mind yet. It is the top played song on the album for me. I said earlier that Magnificent was the choice for most to open a show. This is the opener for me. Come on "Stand Up!" it works perfectly. Its a cool riff by Edge another song influenced by Jack White. To me this is the most like old U2. Adam and Larry driving the song, while Edge and Bono add that little flair that it needs. Sitting on it for a few days, my favorite track.

 

FEZ - Being Born - They let Eno out of the box on this one! Its nice to see something 100% different on this album. Id comment on Edges guitar work, but I've already heard it on the first half of the album. Nothing original about this track except the opening, i didnt know Fez meant Filler.

 

White As Snow - This song will be one of those you come to love later, its their Reign of Love. Its different, yet so much like U2. Its nice to hear the duo acoustics and a piano to top it all off. Its got a cool ambient feel to it. Upon my first few listens I hated it, but its growing on me. This will be my favorite in about 6 months I know it. To bad it will be nearly impossible to pull off live. I would say one of the best on the album, this albums Red Hill.

 

Breathe - Bono rapping? No. This is as blues as U2 will ever get. I know how tis song came to be. It was on that was born on the couch during some down time when they all just started playing. Its a straight up Dylan meets Springsteen mixed with Raconteurs. Its the most Rock and Roll they will ever get. Bono, singing in straight up blues style, this song is U2 does blues.

 

Cedars of Lebanon - good way to end the album, but i really dont have comment based on the one time Ive listened to it.

 

Overall 4.5/5, for what this album is, near perfection! It could lose some time, and some more amazing solo's by Edge. A groove or two by Adam and one more jaw dropping riff by Larry. This is one of the few albums of U2s that is meant to be listened to as an album. like Zooropa and Pop before it. This song will not be a commercial success not single wise at least. It was an album written to be an album. They brought back the blues and rock back, they dusted off Edges echo pedals and turned Adam up to 11.

 

This album is missing that one linch pin song though. It is missing that song that jumps out at you. Its missing a Viva La Vida, a Streets. That is why its 4.5 and not 5. Its a full album experience and for anything above casual fan easily in the Top 5 and for most but not all Top 3. For me its the latter, this album is no Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. IT can be, the only this that can prove it though is in 15 years, if it is still the same or better. Time will tell

 

I will finish with this statement: U2 and Coldplay can now never be compared again. They both had career albums in the last year, and they are both completely different. Yet both very amazing! Coldplay should be proud with their releases this year. They have separated themselves from U2 and should noe be recognized and this decades Greatest Rock Act.

I love the way the album starts off. No, long pretentious intro, just a no frills surge of distortion. Shooting you right into the middle of things.

 

"Unknown Caller" is probably my immediate favorite, along with "Magnificent"... The intro with bono's "sunshine" is simply blissful. The riff and vocal harmony is a clear throwback to the 80s. "Magnificent" is coincidentally the best ambassador for the rest of the album. It interchanges the 90s distortion with the chiming 80s riff's inside a 00's sort of structure.

 

Moment of Surrender is a bit indulgent but for someone who loves U2, it's a song to be cherished. You can really soak in the guitar and synths, particularly near the end.

 

"I'll go crazy..." Has an excellent, addictive riff, and should definitely be a single...although it's a little too ATYCLB for me. Sort of Dejavu' and formulaic. But I do like how at times in this album it's hard to distinguish the guitar from piano and keyboards.

I think it's pretty funny how on most U2 albums you can tell exactly what's going to be a single and what's not. It's not like Radiohead or Coldplay where it's very hard to guess. This in someway speaks to Radiohead not having songs that are generally radio-friendly and Coldplay having many. I see it though, that U2 is always thinking about the radio.

 

I may like Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy... and Breathe, but it seems all too clear that they will be the singles after Get On Your Boots. I'd say the only one I'm not sure about is Moment of Surrender, but I think that's only because I don't think the tune has great radio value - the lyrics have TREMENDOUS VALUE.

 

There are some songs that drive me mad on this album because they seem like with one tweak or another they could be great. Unknown Caller is the one that gets me the most. I hate the robotic voice shit. I don't usually swear, but it is absolute shit in my opinion. They completely ruin the song. I understand why it's there. But that has no place in any song. It's sounds ridiculous. One review said contrived...I couldn't agree more. I'm expressing this so harshly because it really bothers me that it fucks up the song. I love everything else so much. One part just ruins it for me. The bird in the beginning and the organ are just beautiful.

 

 

Anyways yeah. I had to get some of that out. I've been wearing this out. I'll probably need a break once my iTunes pre-order is finally available.

 

Hopefully neither of the bonus tracks are the No Line On the Horizon b-side. I didn't like it. Hopefully they're new!

Still hooked on "Walk On", albeit yesterday's hits for them; I'll have to give the latest efforts a listen!! How many fans do you think they have worldwide??