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CD review: U2 ‘No Line on the Horizon’
U2
No Line on the Horizon
(Interscope)
The operative words for decoding the new U2 album are: Brian Eno. The longtime U2 producer is having quite the comeback, collaborating with David Byrne here (last year’s “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today”), producing Coldplay’s very own U2 record there (the Grammy-wining “Viva La Vida”).
Eno and longtime U2 co-helmer Daniel Lanois both get writing credits on all but two songs on “No Line On the Horizon” and the effect is more in line with Eno’s records with Byrne than something by those four blokes from Dublin.
Gauzy and proggy with spawling outros and angelic synths, think of “No Line,” which hits stores Mar. 3, as an Eno album with Bono belting and warbling over top. The other three are clearly playing - that’s obviously Edge’s guitar in there and Larry Mullen’s signature, militaristic semi-breakbeats abound.
But there’s a disconnect, like the band is playing the complicated songs and saving their creative juice for selling these songs on the road, which is what U2 does best, anyway.
The title track opener pops like the Big Bang, all widescreen atmospherics and some decent one-liners from Bono (“She said, ‘Time’s irrelevant, it’s not linear’/ Then she put her tongue in my ear” Ta-dow!). Bono’s gospel belt on “Moment of Surrender” contrasts nicely with the synth burbles and stealthy melodic lines, while “Magnificent” rhythms harken back to the band’s electronica-inflected 1997 album “Pop.”
In fact, “No Line” seems like a sequel to the much-maligned “Pop,” an album that had nothing to do with its title. Older and wiser now, the band is futzing with the formula, but there’s enough in the songs keeping with the sound of 21st century U2, Inc. that fans won’t run screaming.
“Unknown Caller” brings everything together - keyboard drone, rolling drums, bird calls, strings, interlacing star-light guitar lines, anthemic horns, a slightly goofy Edge guitar solo and Bono contrasting the natural (“Sunshine/sunshine/I was lost between the midnight and the dawning”) with the artificial (“Force quit!/And move to trash!”), a difference Eno has been playing with his whole career.
There’s also a terrible single (“Get On Your Boots”) and two high-octane non-Eno, Steve Lillywhite-produced songs (“Breathe” and the unfortunately titled “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”) that don’t make much sense with the rest of the record, but would have made a killer non-album single, say, eight or so months from now.
But for maximum Bono/Eno (Beeno?) effect, program your CD player 4-3-2-1-7-8-9-11, which carves a spotty 53 minutes into the best 41-minute prog rock album with Bono singing you’re going to hear this year.
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By Coogs
February 23, 2009 10:37 PM | Link to this
Amazingalbum. It’s a masterpiece
By Brian
February 24, 2009 5:24 PM | Link to this
I had to listen to this album over 10 times before I finally got it. I know it doesn’t have any real hooks at first glance, but give it time, it will grow on you.
By Canuck
February 25, 2009 8:27 AM | Link to this
I’ve been a U2 fan for over 20 years and after eagerly waiting 5 years since their last album I can say I’m disappointed. I’m more angry at Eno and Lanois. They should just stick to producing and let U2 be the musicians. This album definitely has to grow on you but it’s filled with useless 1 minute intros, campy lyrics and vocals… and Larry even uses the electric drums. I’m convinced ‘White As Snow’ is the worst U2 song every created as well. I’d give this album a 2 out of 5. 3 out of 5 on a good day.
By Scarecrow
March 2, 2009 11:05 AM | Link to this
The rearrangement of tracks is a good idea. I’d drop different tracks (dump Cedars of Lebanon, keep Breathe) but overall it’s an interesting way to listen to the album. Good ears on keeping tracks 7-8-9 in sequence. I thought the same thing first time I listened through it.
If this were really a sequel to “Pop”, I can only imagine what will be coming next.
By OnTheEdge
March 6, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this
I strongly disagree about Get On Your Boots being a terrible track. White as Snow is not their greatest number, but hardly their worst (Hello? “Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car”?). The reviewer didn’t even mention the seriously jamming Stand Up Comedy, which is one of their fullest, yet back to basic hard numbers yet. For having given the album four stars, the reviewer seems to still have some problems with the recording.