Okay, so let's acknowledge the obvious - yes, I got a copy of U2's new CD before it came out. What was I supposed to do? If you've been a huge fan your entire adult life (and then some) and a good friend offers you a copy, are you going to turn it down? Besides, I'm still buying the CD when it's released this Tuesday. Because it's the right thing to do. And it'll have lots of cool artwork.
So here's what you're going to do on March 3rd - you, too, are going to go to your nearest record store, or Target-type place, or log on to itunes or Amazon.com. And you're going to purchase No Line On The Horizon, because you really should get this album sooner rather than later. It's that simple.
And I know what you're thinking - this is just another U2 fanatic who thinks anything these guys put out is automatic gold. Not so. The fanatic part; yes, I confess, as I've alluded to in a previous blog. But I was never a huge fan of Rattle and Hum, and it took me years to warm up to Pop. I'm a fan to be sure, but I'm still a discerning music critic (or, as my wife likes to claim, a "music snob").
The bottom line is that both the fan and discerning music critic in me thinks that NLOTH is a solid album. Rolling Stone's review gave it five stars (which translates to "a classic" on their grading scale) and calls it the best since Achtung Baby. And that's saying a lot, since their most recent two, All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, weren't exactly shabby. I guess when you work for four years on something it's gonna be good (well, on second thought, there was Chinese Democracy, and Guns 'N Roses spent thirteen on that). But it continues to amaze me how these four Irish guys who've been playing music since the late 70's - Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton - persist in making solid music that not only speaks to the current generation of music listeners but is timeless in its own right. And the fact that they delve into issues of great cultural/political/spiritual significance is icing on the cake.
NLOTH opens with the title track, which was released a few weeks ago via Spin's website, the second song released off the record. It's interesting that the mix on Spin's site is different from the album - I like the album version better. It's a somewhat strange song to begin with, but it still gets you in the mood.
Then you come to the second track, Magnificent. And this is when you realize you're in for something special. It has a rather lengthy beginning for the first 44 seconds, but you know it's building up to something. You're slightly thrown off when this very 80's synthesizer pops in, and then the 45th second hits and you're in full-force with a classic Edge guitar riff. And it feels like home. The song lasts for over five minutes, but you honestly can't tell. It's a beautiful tune that in my humble opinion is the album's best. It's also one of the more overtly spiritual. I've always loved the fact that Bono never gets preachy but engages that intersection of faith and life in a poetic, thoughtful and honest manner. I know U2 would never want a song of theirs to be considered in the "praise & worship" category, but this one comes pretty close in a U2 sort of way. It's hard not to raise your hands to the heavens on this one.
Moment of Surrender follows, all 7:24 of it. Yeah, strange place for a song of that length to be (more on that later). This one has a bluesy-feel to it, and Bono is belting out the verses in a raspy sort of voice that strikes an emotive chord. This one feels more like its length than the one before it, but you still soak up every second.
Next comes Unknown Caller, a great tune that has an incredibly catchy chorus. Bono and the guys chant the lyrics in almost cadence-like fashion and it works perfectly. Edge gets to shine on this song, with a lead that hints throughout the early parts of the track and then kicks in full-force at the conclusion. This is probably the closest thing he has to a true "signature solo" on the record, but the fact that you don't really notice him at any one place is kind of a compliment - he's playing excellent throughout. Oh, and it clocks in at six minutes, but again - it doesn't seem that long at all.
The album's two fun songs come right in the middle, the poppy I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight and the now-familiar Get On Your Boots. I've had trouble trying to categorize the latter - at points it smacks of something out of a "beach-bingo" type movie, until the screaming guitar reminds you it's a rock song. I was kind of puzzled why this track comes in the middle of the album and not at the beginning, as it would make a great lead-off. Then again, after listening through the album a second time I realize it's actually placed very well (Rolling Stone described it as a kind of "halftime" break - and I think a great beginning to a vinyl's second side). As an aside, the boys did a great job opening up the Grammys with this a few weeks back. Let's take a look-see, shall we?
Nice....
The album moves into its second half. Stand Up Comedy is a great rockin' tune with a classic line demonstrating that even Bono doesn't take himself seriously all the time, and neither should we: Stand up to rock stars, Napoleon is in high heels // Be careful of small men with big ideas. Here's to humility...sort of. FEZ-Being Born is to NLOTH what 4th of July was to The Unforgettable Fire, although at a faster tempo - an ethereal instrumental that winds up morphing into a full-fledged tune. Which brings up an interesting point - there are a lot of Unforgettable Fire moments on this album. Not imitations, but hints of an earlier time. Kind of cool.
White As Snow follows,
and I must confess - I could've done without this track (see, I can be objective).
A little too folksy for my tastes - and I have nothing against folk music at all. I just don't care to hear U2 do it. Maybe it'll grow on me. Breathe comes next,
a tune with a good beat and some of Bono's "stream-of-consciousness"
lyrics. And, perhaps, a direct Biblical reference: Nine 0 nine, St John Divine, on the line, my pulse is fine. John 9:9? Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Look it up and decide for yourself.
Cedars of Lebanon wraps things up in much the same way that Mothers of the Disappeared did for The Joshua Tree and The Wanderer for Zooropa. It
also contains the album's single profanity, which means I cannot play the album in its entirety for my two boys, thus
furthering their U2 indoctrination. Oh well.
Whew. You listen
to all eleven tracks and you're ready to go at it again. And you realize a
few things. First, you realize how deep this album is - not just in message or mission, but in musicality. This is rich stuff with lots of texture to it. I
like the comment one music buff made about NLOTH on his blog, the Lefsetz Letter -
he observed that it's a great 70's album. And in case you're wondering, he meant it as a compliment.
That was back in the day when every song on an album mattered; when records were more than
a vehicle for one or two radio-friendly tunes accompanied by a bunch of
filler. It's obvious that the boys from Ireland put a lot of time,
thought, and work into this project from start to finish.
My only complaint - and it's an incredibly small one - is the song order. There's still that part of me that wants Get On Your Boots to lead things off (a.k.a. Vertigo
on the last album). And I can't find any rationale for having a 7+
minute song bat third - it would've made more sense to have Moment of Surrender come
much later. Still, I imagine the lineup will make more sense as
I continue to listen to it (these guys and producers Brian Eno and
Daniel Lanois have a pretty good track record when it comes to making albums, after all).
The
long and short of it, folks, is that this is an excellent album that you'll want to add to your collection as soon as possible. It's yet
another great musical venture from a timeless band. I mean, it's just
amazing to think that I've been listening to these guys since the days
I took algebra, got braces on, went to my first homecoming dance. That
dates me, I know, and I don't care. It's incredibly rare to have music and musicians who stand the test of time like that. Here's hoping they have many
more years in them. I, for one, will enjoy every minute of the ride.
One last thing, and then I'll shut up. Here are some links to U2-type stuff that might pique your interest:
http://www.u2.com - official band website. Become a member and you get cool stuff and first dibs on concert tickets when they come your way (which will be this summer, so I hear).
http://atu2.com - every band has numerous unofficial sites that covers news, etc. etc. This is by far the best.
http://u2log.com/ - the official U2 blog.
U2 Sermons - this is a cool site, based on a book that came out a few years ago titled Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching The U2 Catalog. It looks at U2's music through a theological/biblical lens.
U2 biblical references - along the same lines, this link (off the atu2.com site) chronicles the numerous biblical references in U2's songs.
These are just a few. There are many, many more. If you find others worthy of mention, please add them in the comments below!
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Okay, sorry, one last thing. Sweet video of U2 performing "Magnificent" on a rooftop concert last week for BBC. I'm done now. For real.






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