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  1. oh and btw


    think again anyone who assumed that Viva La Vida could ever have a chance at standing up to this album lol

    love Coldplay but magnificent alone kicks Viva La Vida imo. WEell...im off to cancel my pre-order(dont judge I dont have a job right now lol)...love you guys...mean it...MUCH LOVE
  2. Alan Cross blog says Paul Mcg. say the album will hit Digital 12 mid. est. They should just release it for all of the fans who are holding out.
  3. Rolling Stone new cover say
    U2 5 star Masterpice!
    unfortunate that freaking Taylor Swift is on the cover. So not much of a keep sake. But U2 should be on the cover over the next couple of months.
  4. Originally posted by thebonodrums:oh and btw


    think again anyone who assumed that Viva La Vida could ever have a chance at standing up to this album lol

    love Coldplay but magnificent alone kicks Viva La Vida imo. WEell...im off to cancel my pre-order(dont judge I dont have a job right now lol)...love you guys...mean it...MUCH LOVE


    The picture of Larry in your avatar is actually a photo taken of him after the first rehersal of Magnificent....he's yelling.."THIS IS MAGNIFCENT BABY!!!"

  5. Originally posted by thebonodrums:oh and btw


    think again anyone who assumed that Viva La Vida could ever have a chance at standing up to this album lol

    love Coldplay but magnificent alone kicks Viva La Vida imo. WEell...im off to cancel my pre-order(dont judge I dont have a job right now lol)...love you guys...mean it...MUCH LOVE


    i know! i always said Viva was the greatest album of the year, and i guess it is since this came out this year. This kills any new album to come out this year or last year or forever haha
  6. Originally posted by jasvan:Rolling Stone new cover say
    U2 5 star Masterpice!
    unfortunate that freaking Taylor Swift is on the cover. So not much of a keep sake. But U2 should be on the cover over the next couple of months.


    nice!! I don't think even ATYCLB got 5 stars? This surely deserves it, 3rd masterpiece for sure
  7. And so we have No Line On The Horizon, U2's attempt at creating the third 2000s classic. And it succeeds, in so many more ways. The Pro-Tools have (supposedly) disappeared, the band has recorded these songs to the best of their abilities (so they say) and recorded 11 very different songs to what we heard on All That You Can't Leave Behind or How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.



    No Line On The Horizon - sounds mixed between the last nine years and the first ten years adorn this song, with both Bono and Edge contributing to vocals.

    Magnificent - mixed with simple keyboard sounds and electronic drumming, I got a feeling that U2 had been listening to Levitate. It has that same structure, or Scarlet from October, even.

    Moment of Surrender - an ambitious attempt at ambience. Described as 'this album's one', I don't see it as that, but I see it as something which only U2 could only pull off, with success.

    Unknown Caller - a beautiful song with simple lyrics. The harpsichord and horns are employed for the song, with the birds of Fez contributing and a great solo towards the end of the song. The beginning parts around 15 seconds in are identical to that with Brian Eno's 'bloom experiment'. This could end up as two ideas: an anthem for the live shows to start, or a song that represents nerds all around the world.

    I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight - one of those U2 songs like 'Sweetest Thing'. Completely unexpected after the first four songs, with a hint of early 60s pop songs.

    Get On Your Boots - as I mentioned, an odd song for the entire album. Apart from that, there's great electro sounds (yes, I know it was mentioned already), and from that earlier Q Magazine review, where are these hip-hop twists? It sounds like an angry twist. Regardless, cool tune but remains the odd member here. When we first heard this all those months ago, I thought the beginning beat sounds like Slug from Original Soundtracks and the so-called 'hip-hop twist' was the middle of Miami. Anyway...

    Stand Up Comedy - along with the last two songs, I think the idea is to finish off the trio of upbeat songs; but it does have some great and true-to-life lyrics about the lead singer. It'll be great in concert, but I just don't feel or gel with it here.

    Fez / Being Born - one of the more challenging songs on this record. Why U2 thought it was half an idea to stick already-used-lyrics in there, I'll never know. But it sounds like nothing the band have ever done before. More Bloom-like sounds, and it could have remained an instrumental. I like the vocals in it, but I guess it's meant to represent birth. Which listening to it, it sounds like what you'd hear when you're first coming out of the womb.

    White As Snow - what is with the constant use of Bloom-sounds? Regardless, the third classic on this album. Very quiet and sort of a conceptual song with memories of past.

    Breathe - come on Bono, you can rap! Not really, but the drumming, the quick left-right scratching sounds and piano make Breathe a very capable song to hold against it's own against any of the newer contemporary stuff.

    Cedars of Lebanon - and so, we're at the tail-end of the album. And Cedars of Lebanon was a song well worth waiting for. It's another challenging song, but I love the ghost-lyrics. A beautiful way to end a challenging but wonderfully classic album. Odd lyrics, but listening to it, and the rapping in the background, makes you hear what a solider or ex-armed-forces will tell you stories like. Cedars sounds like it's leaving the album open for a second chapter...


    So, No Line is a challenging album, and one that can't just be listened to as singles. It's one of those real conceptual rock pieces and deserves a good listen to all 54 minutes. 9/10.
  8. Hmmm, well I listened to the album twice.

    And I can see why some people may be disappointed.

    It is definitely not another AB or JT, just doesn't have the focus or purity of execution that made those masterpieces. I do like the range of styles on the album though, makes things more interesting, if less cohesive.

    The title track, i'm not sure is better than NLOTH2, the choruses in this one are more low key, and the fantastic 'No Line' background vocals at the end of 2 are missing. It is less repetitive though.
    But just doesn't have the same kind of energy that 2 did.

    Magnificent is great though, one of the best songs on the album, sounds like something from The Unforgettable Fire, and has a great keyboard/synth intro.

    MoS was a big disappointment for me, the instrumentation was too sparse and not interesting enough. The first verse was well sung and interesting, the rest however were rather oddly sung and didn't rhyme correctly etc. The chorus is pretty bad too , the way they sing it in unison makes it sound like something from ATYCLB, very cringey with no real hook to it. It doesn't sound like a U2 song at all, reminds me of some 70s band.
    Any comparision with One is heresy.
    I actually think a much better long song would be Mercy (especially if it was reworked).

    Unknown Caller is another great track, possibly the best song on the album, however they seem to have replaced Bono's double tracked vocals from the Beach Clip version, with vocals featuring Bono and the Edge. This sometimes means their not quite in unison, and sometimes lyrics are sung with slightly annoying accents (eg. Restart and Reboot Yourself). This dilutes the effect of the song somewhat, the guitar solo is also slightly more distorted on the album.

    Crazy Tonight is a typical U2 pop song, and isn't hard to like. Except for the IGCIDGCT bits he sings at the ends of choruses, which stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the song. Maybe I'll get used to them.

    GOYB definitely sounds better in this company.

    SUC is another great tune (with a monster riff), that unfortunately has some rather cringeworthy bits as well "soul rockin people moving on" (what is he Bob Marley?).

    Fez-Being Born has the Eno ambience give way surprisingly quickly to a cool electro funk line. Then it probably gets a bit too long and repetitive for my liking (and doesn't go anywhere) , but I suppose it's the nature of the song. So it's unlike Zooropa (the song) which ends on a high note.

    White As Snow, is another song I don't know what to make of. There are basically no hooks at all, it's very much a moody folk song. That doesn't have the melody of Van Diemen's Land, nor is it as good as the Wanderer either.

    Then we come to Breath, which I have to say is a standout, great lyrics, great rhythm, great singing (eg. how they sing 'Breathe'). The addition of Arabic cello and piano keeps things interesting, and gives it a different feel to the similar stadium rock stuff you'd find on HTDAAB.

    Cedars of Lebanon, is a quite interesting as well, beat and rhythm are good, not sure about some of the lyrics though (Soldier brings oranges he got out from a tank) and I dislike the whiny, Edge sung 'Return the call to home' interjections .

    So the album, was a bit of a disappointment for me, it is definitely a challenging record. Maybe it will grow on me. I have yet to decide what the best song is, currently it's a three way match between Magnificent, Breathe and Unknown Caller.

    While there are a lot of great concepts on the album, I wish certain tracks were better executed. After listening to VLV, I had my hopes up that Brian Eno could do this for U2 as well.
    On VLV the songs I like, have basically no part of them that I dislike, or make me cringe etc,

    Bono's vocals sounds worse than on Bomb at times, intentionally or not.
    I wish U2 would know not to go over the top sometimes, with all the vocalisations, and extra choruses and melodrama that too often plague the bands post 2000 work.

    PS: I also think there are problems with the mastering (though it could just be the quality of the leak), theres too much bass, which creates an annoying wall of sound effect, that drowns out some of the subtleties.
  9. My review!!!

    The second listen i had was immediatly after the first of the album in full, from start to go, no skips, the second hearing was a blur, i think i was still trying to digest what i heard first time around, i couldn't seem to find any clarity listening second time around, thats becuase the first listen still had a tight hold on me, and that is a bloody good thing, my mind was numb, in shock almost.

    The hype was big, bigger than big in fact, and it certaintly didn't disappoint, if anything, it's going to take hold on many peoples lives for at least the next month non stop, there could be a few relationship issues if your other half doesn't share the same passion towards U2, fortunatly mine was gob smacked when i gave her a first listen.

    The sounds are fresh, the lyrics are strong and personal, the layers are thick, there are alot of factors with this album, it's not just a throwaway disc, it will need quite a few listens, perhaps months, years in fact, is it a classic, a masterpiece? i guess we won't really know that for quite sometime, but the sings are extremely good.

    The record was instant, but also needs further listening, with so many layers, you simply cannot take everything in at once, it mixes old & new, Bono's voice has never sounded as good since the mid 90's Unforgettable Fire, Adams bass just cut me right in half, i was glad my first listen was blaring through my speakers, Edge crosses many boundaries, breaks out of his comfort zone and Larry lays down some unforgettable grooves.

    The opening title track "No Line On The Horizon" is a great start, almost screaming verses, we have heard the remix, number 2, but this takes the band back to being a band, it's perhaps not the strongest song on the record, and thats probably a good thing, we don't want the album to go downhill from the start. 7/10

    "Magnificent" is next, i think we have found that strongest track, wow, yeah baby, this is U2 by numbers, this is Where The Streets Have No Name meets A Sort Of Homecoming, this will take off, and as many suggested, classic U2. 9/10

    "Moment Of Surrender" is the albums token ballad, has a dreamy feel about it, but Bono raises the bar, he attacks this smooth ballad with such passion, this has the markings of a masterpiece, it just grows & grows, they will not be able to keep this away from staduims. 9.5/10

    "Unknown Caller" has that signature Edge guitar riff, a little safer but also takes it to a new place, could be the dark horse, doesn't sound overally as exciting as the last 2, but could in many ways be a favourite in years to come, there is just something about this piece. 8/10

    "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" will apparently be the next single, it has that instant effect, very commercial like with Boots, it's not the strongest track here, in fact it's probably bottom 3 or 4, but it's still a groovy little number. 7/10

    "Get On Your Boots" smacked me in the face, layed me out, and hammered me against a wall when i first heard it, i had it on repeat for a few days, yet it still didn't leave my side, very fresh, very different from anything else on the album, very in your face, by no means the strongest song even though it was released as the first single, some like it, some are not so sure, i'm in the positive side. 7.5/10

    "Stand Up Comedy" is a funky little beast with kick ass guitar riffs, will take the stage in a similar way to Bullet The Blue Sky, this along with the past 2 songs very much take the record into familiar settings, the commercial section of the album, almost in many ways quite refreshing, we don't want a full commercial record, yet we don't mind a few thrown in for good measure. 8.5/10

    "Fez" takes that commerciality and slams it out the door, it's a "cool" little Eno styled piece that could easily fit in with the Unforgettable Fire or Joshua Tree, the partner song "Being Born" is just a beauty, it's not going to take on stage, but it's going to last with time. 9/10

    "White As Snow" is the second ballad, and simply beautiful, a gospel song in many ways, i thought a U2 album could only hold 1 great or very good ballad on each record, this holds 2, it sounds like a very personal song, and i guess thats the way many fans are going to see this, 9/10

    "Breathe" breaks out, the mood was calm, almost falling asleep, but BAM, another one that smacks you between the eyes, another song that will last, although it's very instant at the same time, i could imagone Crazy Tonight being swept aside in years to come, this one will hold it's own. 9/10

    "Cedars Of Lebanon"finishes things off U2 style, 40, Love Is Blindness, Wake Up Dead Man all fit in the same category, it finishes in a rush, then you want to go back to the start again and take all what you just experienced in again, NLOTH 2 as the bonus track doesn't fit, i keep finding myself either stopping it or restarting without that pop version, which i do like, it just doesn't flow with the rest of the album. 7/10

  10. Great reviews guys. I'll just say it was a tough first listen for me. I would say for sure not to judge it to quickly after the first listen, there are alot of things on this album that are going to have to grow its not an instant classic, but a potential masterpiece moving forward
  11. Originally posted by Doc32:Great reviews guys. I'll just say it was a tough first listen for me. I would say for sure not to judge it to quickly after the first listen, there are alot of things on this album that are going to have to grow its not an instant classic, but a potential masterpiece moving forward



    My review was after about 10 listens, and even had a break between a few, but yes, the real test in time is long term...i have listened on my stereo [have very good DB Dynamic speakers and subby], and in the headphones LOUD.

    My next test is in the car.
  12. I'll post a review sometime soon. So many thoughts floating around. Damn this album gets better and better
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.