Review:

on 2012-03-12 CharlesMartel Said:

Five years after I swore to myself that I would never buy another album by U2, what did I do? I bought another album by U2. And almost as soon as I had got it, I regretted it. I am sad to say that any credibility that U2 had has flown right out of the window with the release of this album. And I saw it coming, it's just that I didn't act on my premonition before it actually happened. From a band who once produced some good, if a little generic, albums, and one smasher in "Under a Blood Red Sky", U2 have now become a parody of themselves.

What is it that has brought U2 so low? Well, Bono may be a preachy, self-righteous, sanctimonious twat, but it's not that. The Edge may be a bit of a shredder, but it's not that. Larry Mullen may be like one of those wind up teddy bears banging a snare drum, but that's not it. The band as a whole may not be unable to refrain from sneaking in references to their religion at every turn, but that's not it. No, what has brought U2 to this depressing point is that they are as boring as paint drying and have nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing to say any more that is worth hearing.

There, I have said it. My break with U2 is now complete. And long overdue it is too!

U2 have been around for too long, and like many artists who have achieved this, they have lost a lot of what made them worthy in the first place. U2 have become the equlvalent of the Rolling Stones from two decades later. Revered, but past it. Except that at least Mick and the boys experienced the life while they were doing it. And life is what is sorely missing in this album. It is as if Bono and the crew had picked up their Bibles and were standing around waiting for the Rapture when someone asked if they had time to crank out another album before they departed to those Elysian Fields. Regrettably the Rapture didn't come soon enough.

I listened to this once and in all honesty could not tell you a thing about the songs except that they failed utterly to move me in any way whatsoever. Putting apart the self-parody that U2 have become, this album is stunning only insofar that it is unappealing, no, it is unsightly. No, it is ugly. This is downright ugly. Its ugliness lies in its lack of creativity, in its blandness, in the sense that these guys are not even trying any more.

Surely these guys have got enough money by now that they don't need to do this any more? I mean, I can just picture them all in retirement - The Edge surrounded by guitars so he can play those same chords all day; the two who didn't adopt pseudonyms sitting in a retirement home somewhere in California; and Bono, dear old Bono, probably wearing those stupid sunglasses and standing in front of a mirror telling everybody to feed the poor or something, wondering when one of his best mates is going to kiss him, thereby giving him the opportunity to be dragged before a cruel judge and sacrificed for all our sins. "Oh Father, he screams, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

"Because you stopped making decent music a decade ago", retorted the Almighty.
Rating: 1/10

Review:

on 2010-04-06 Jonathan_Kroening Said:

First off, a caveat: I do not consider myself a U2 critic although i am a U2 listener. I'm not "a big fan" of U2 but I have listened to every album they've released so I do have some knowledge of their body of work. I do not consider myself a critic of U2 because I don't usually analyze their music. For me, their music is something that i usually give 3 out of 5 stars, it's not great, but it's good, and it's always consistent.

Too much consistency, however, is a problem. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Well in art, if it ain't broke, break it. Creativity lives in unfamiliar territory.

In U2's past two outings, they have tried (in vain) to get back to the magic of All That You Can't Leave Behind. On each successive release we find that U2 employs a patented formula that is designed to produce three primary singles. On All That You Can't Leave Behind listeners were gifted with "Beautiful Day", "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of", and "Elevation".

On their next album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, the formula remains the same, only the names change. "Beautiful Day" has become "City Of Blinding Lights", "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is now "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", and "Elevation" is the eerily similar older brother to "Vertigo". Of course, the melodies are different, the chord progressions have changed, and the lyrics are not verbatim, but the purpose that each track serves is identical. The feel that these three personalities bring to each U2 album remain staid.

Then on the most recent release, the album in question here, No Line On The Horizon, "Beautiful Day" is as "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight", "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is found in "Moment Of Surrender", and "Elevation" is mimicked in "Get On Your Boots", the lead single.

The complaint here is not that the formula doesn't work, it really does and will continue to work for as long as U2 want to make music; no, the complaint here is that this isn't the best that U2 has to offer. 18 years ago U2 ventured down a road that took nearly two decades of wandering to right itself again. This road began with Achtung Baby and culminated in All That You Can't Leave Behind. But this road was not aimless and wasted. The experimentation U2 implemented on subsequent albums Zooropa and most notably Pop showcased a propensity for art that many who have only heard their last three albums would never know they were capable of. It takes a few miscues to get it right, just ask Radiohead who have alienated a number of critics and listeners alike for their electronica diversions found in Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail To The Thief. But eventually they found their way and produced a masterpiece in In Rainbows that may go down as one of the best rock albums of the past few decades, rivaled only by their own OK Computer. But I digress...

The point is, if U2 is the "greatest band in the world" they need to make music that sounds like it's the greatest in the world, not simply more of the same. Bono claims in the lyrics of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" that "the right to appear ridiculous is something [he] hold[s] dear". If this is true, appear ridiculous! Please! Do something that is risky. Make an album just for you, not for the throngs of listeners who would follow you to the ends of the earth. In fact, you can be as creative and experimental as you want and they'll like you regardless.

The lyrics throughout the album lack clarity, save for the one poetic gem "Cedars Of Lebanon", and are littered with 21st century vocab stunts such as "force quit and move to trash", "restart and re-boot yourself", and "the DNA lotto may have left you smart". Frankly, Bono is capable of more than these gimmicks.

In addition to the regurgitation of past hit songs, there are also reworked melodies strewn throughout, most easily caught in "White As Snow". If you're wondering why the song reminds you a bit of Christmas, it's not because it's talking about snow, it's because the melody is torn straight from the pages of your hymnal ("O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"). Overall, the effort appears to be lacking. This album just feels lazy. Come on U2, sing us a new song.

Some positive notes for you optimists out there...

There is a sweet guitar riff that drives "Stand Up Comedy", my favorite rock jam of the album. And there are a lot of decent songs on the album overall, in fact the majority of them are decent, just not great. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is my favorite track on the album because of the uplifting chorus (which you can always count on from U2) and "Moment Of Surrender" is also an enjoyable listen.

2.5 / 5 stars

- Jonathan Kroening
http://www.itsjustmusic.net
Rating: 5/10

on 2009-03-06 Sinist3r Punk Said:

This cover reminds me of NIN and Kev brings up a good point about U2 not being able to look at the camera for some reason
Just plain weird
Not Rated

on 2009-03-06 kev_stev Said:

so bland! probably would've gotten a 5 if bono didn't wear eyeliner. what's with the album art? and the band's liking for taking pictures where they gaze into the distance?
Rating: 3/10

on 2009-03-06 hstisgod Said:

This may be one of these records the whole site agrees to play frisbee golf with
Not Rated

on 2009-03-06 Sinist3r Punk Said:

Oh god they made another album
I wonder who will do the editorial
Dennis pretty much summed up the album
Not a whole lot to offer
Not Rated

Review:

on 2009-03-06 dscanland Said:

Yes, I am a bit of a closet U2 fan. More because my wife is enamored with Bono and the boys. Regardless, each album I listen to with quite intensity looking for something to latch onto. Most of the time it's a song that never gets released as a single. Overall, I found No Line On The Horizon to be the weakest album from the Irish boys. But I did find one gem on the album that is worth seeking out. It's the track "Moment of Surrender". I don't know what it is that drew me to this song. It's a bit lengthy for a U2 track but still a decent one. The rest you will probably dismiss. I may find something else later on but after a few listens this is the only real quality track I've found.
Not Rated