No Line on the Horizon a Failure?

The article below was printed in the Irish Times today.  It's a shame that Lillywhite has put it this way.  The album wasn't a failure, it did sell quite well, though wasn't a massive success.  But the album got good reviews by most people as an artistic creation.  After two good but safe albums, U2 took a risk and experimented a bit, that was brave, and many people (not just fans) welcomed and appreciated that.  It's not a great album, but they are trying to do something different to move on, and I view it as a step in the right direction, away from safety of the Noughties leading towards a U2 that, in the future, can maybe surprise and excite us once more.  It's pity that Lillywhite and U2 just seem to just measure an album by its commercial success.  They are in a position where the money doesn't really matter, were they can really concentrate on the music, I do hope they don't slip back into safemode.  Lillywhite also talks of Bono's massive determination, I hope that trait isn't just geared to commercial success, I hope it's also drives an artistic integrity.

The thing that gives me hope for U2's musical future though is what they have been doing live on the current 360 Tour European leg.  Playing unrecorded/unreleased songs for the first time live doesn't sound like a band that will run scared.  I hope I'm right.

Producer Admits Last U2 Album Was Failure

Magnificent

Magnificent (which truly lives up to its name IMO), the second single from No Line On The Horizon, will be released on 4th May. U2 recently made a video to accompany the song in Morocco and this will be available to watch on U2.com soon. Meanwhile here's the cover of the single.

No Line On The Horizon - Take Two

Well here I am five days after the U2 album release, having had the chance to listen to it many times and for me to really sink into it (great description Captain, hope you don't mind me pinching it!) And , as expected, a lot of my views have changed.

Still love NLOTH, unbridled is the word that comes to mind when I think of it. The energy of it, music pounding away relentlessly, the way Bono's impassioned vocals soar - especially like the bit where he sings softly and then, wham, in comes the music full force, brilliant!

Magnificent too is still a favourite. It's much more classic U2 than NLOTH, but there's nothing wrong with that! I really like the intro building up to the vocals. This would be a good second single as non-avid-fans would easily like this song.

Another long intro for Moment of Surrender, and this is a song that has grown on me a lot. Love Edge's fab guitar solo that is a totally new style for him, lovely. Bono's voice is amazing on this and he's written some of the best lyrics on the album for this song. The sadness it evoked in me still is there.

Number four on the album, Unknown Caller, still is my least favourite. It doesn't capture me in any way. Edge's guitar and Bono's voice is there during the verses, but I don't like the chorus of male voices where Bono only just discernible, it doesn't feel like U2 for me.

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, God what a convoluted title! As I thought this song has grown on me as well. As I've listened to it I kept thinking "What song does this remind me of?" and then yesterday I realised, Original Of The Species, especially the chorus, but I feel this is a much better song. We'll all be singing along to this at the concerts! Again Bono is singing his heart out brilliantly here.

Again I'll miss GOYB, I've said all I can about that song.

Rockin' guitar on Stand Up Comedy, Edge almost going heavy metal! LOL! Great bass line and drumming, this song will really rock live. Not amongst my top five of the album, but I don't dislike it either.

For me the biggest surprise has been how Fez - Being Born has grown on me. I'm really loving the unusual rhythms within it, mixing east with west, and it's experimental nature. It's great that U2 are willing to put something like this on an album, this is them exploring music is a truly creative and open way. I admire any artist that is able to do this when it would be so easy to stick to a winning formula.

I liked White As Snow from that first listen last Monday, the purity of Bono's voice and the all pervading sadness is what struck me then. I still find it very evocative, sad and yet strangely beautiful. Bono has said this song is about a soldier dying in Afghanistan and the length of the song is the time it takes him to die. Yet even without knowing that, the overall feeling is of sadness. It also feels very intimate, like Bono's singing into your ear, you can hear each breath he takes -which considering the song's subject matter is quite poignant. I find it a very moving song, I just know I'll be crying if they play this live!

Breathe has continued to grow on me, good rocker, not sure if it'll be high in my top U2 songs list but I like it much more than I did.

Cedars of Lebanon is another song that hasn't grown on me much, good lyrics, but it hasn't really done it for me.

So quite a few changes in my views of No Line On The Horizon - as I knew there would be. I find it fascinating how snippets from songs from their past have crept into the new music. Moment of Surrender - the oh ohs at the end from Stay. Unknown Caller the hypnotic few guitar notes right through the song reminiscent of Bad. Crazy, touches of Original of the Species and some Ultraviolet "Baby's". Wonder if that was done on purpose, kind of reaching to their past, where they have come from with one hand, whilst taking the future firmly in hand with the other.

I feel really proud to be a U2 fan at the moment!

U2 On Letterman

What can I say? Lurrrrrve it!

Three Friends, One Album And U2

I've had a few days off blogging as my good friend - and fellow u2 fan and blogger - came to stay for a few days so we could listen to the new U2 album together for the first time. There was a real glut of U2 appearances in the UK last week both on radio and TV which was a treat, so much after years of so little from our lads! Now the PR focus has moved across the Atlantic and I'm left with the new album for my U2 fix.

Debbi and I were joined by another friend, Dawn who lives close to me yesterday to listen to No Line On The Horizon for the first time. We had all been very good and the only new songs we had heard were No Line On The Horizon, Breathe and Magnificent on their UK TV appearances.



As we listened I wrote down my very first impressions and feelings about the songs and that's what I've put here. I know my opinion will change as I listen to the album more, (and I will write an updated review in a while) but I want to convey what my very first views of the album was, so here goes!

No Line On The Horizon

I'd seen the live performance of this song already on The Culture Show and absolutely loved it on there and I feel the same about the album version. This is exactly how I love U2 to be, it has the passion, rawness and energy reminiscent of Mercy, a song that's a firm fave of mine. Great insistent, almost punkish guitar. Bono's voice a bit raw and rough round the edges, breaking with emotion. When Bono sings this way it touches me deep inside, I love the sheer abandon of it. And the song really rocks.

Magnificent

I'd seen this live too on the BBC rooftop performance, so it was not entirely new to me. Wonderful Edge guitar work, that vintage "waterfall" effect. This for me is the most classically U2 sounding song on the album. At one point Bono's woo hoos blend into Edge's guitar very much as happens With Or Without You. Gorgeous, soaring song.

Moment Of Surrender

Back to Bono's raw singing here, he is in amazing voice on this song. It has a very strong baseline and Edge plays as I've never heard him play before. There's a blanket of sadness hanging over this song. It is very long, maybe too long.

Unknown Caller

The beginning reminds me strongly of Bad. The chorus vocals don't sound like U2, who is singing there? This song doesn't do much for me at all.

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

This song has a strong vocal, think this one will grow on me, not sure at the moment.

Get On Your Boots

I've already written about this in an earlier post so won't write more now.

Stand Up Comedy

I hear touches of The Fly at times here. Quite a rocker, could be great live I think. I found it a bit disjointed, but think it will be a grower.

Fez - Being Born

Strong Moroccan influence, the wailing intro reminds me of the iman calling the faithful to prayer from the minaret. I feel Eno's influence here is very strong. The most experimental song, not sure if it works for me.

White As Snow

This is adapted from a traditional song and that is easy to hear, I like that. Beautiful song, Bono's voice is so wonderful nowadays, rich and full-bodied like a vintage wine, but with a slight roughness to it.

Breathe

I'd heard this song twice before on the Jo Whiley and Jonathan Ross shows and wasn't that keen on it then. But on listening to it on the album I am warming to it. Think it will be good live and that it will grow on me more.

Cedars Of Lebanon

I feel this song is more of an impression, a narrative than a song. It didn't really do much for me on the first listen.

So there we are, my brief first impressions of the songs on U2's album. Overall thoughts I have are that it is a brave album, it's not instantly commercial, it needs to be worked at and really listened to, it definitely is a grower. It is different to all they have done before, yet frequently there are touches of songs from their past within the new and that just seems right somehow.

It will take me time to get used to Bono writing in the third person, I am so used to him bearing his soul to us lyrically, but here many of the songs are in the third person and that feels different to me. A pall of sadness seems to hang over much of this album.

Edge's guitar work is as fabulous as ever, and we are hearing a lot of new stuff coming from him on this album. As I've mentioned before, Bono's voice here is wonderful! It has a richness, maturity and passion that is captivating.

I am pleased U2 have given us a release like this, after two good but "safe" albums I was wondering whether they had the guts to go out on a limb, were they still willing or able to experiment? This album shows us they still have the balls to be different and to show all the others how it's done. Whether it will be a big hit I'm not sure, maybe it's not commercial enough, but it certainly is a hit on an artistic level.

Strange Goings On.....

I've been thinking about NLOTH and it strikes me that it is having a painful and messy birth (well I wrote about my U2 marriage, so now I'm writing about a U2 birth!).

First working for a year or so with Rick Rubin, then binning all that work to start from scratch again with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

Then the rumoured release date is put back to March.

The proposed album cover is released to the public only for it to come out that the same cover picture, by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, has already been used for Deupree and Chartier's Specification.Fifteen, released in 2006. How come U2 or their people did not know that? It certainly takes the edge off it (forgive the pun!).

Then the first single from the album Get On Your Boots is released for airplay 19th January with the accompanying video due to be premiered January 30th. The video is pulled at the last minute. Then a rough cut of the video appears all over the Internet, complete with Getty Images watermarks that were the reason the video was pulled in the first place. Someone messed up big time and we all saw it. Now, seven days later U2.com says the video will be premiered on their website before 5pm GMT. It's 4pm now so they've got an hour to get it on there!

The final mess (hopefully!) is that the single release of GOYB has been put back in some European countries. No explanation has been given for this so far. There are rumours that the single will be available for free download, what, after all that Paul McGuinness said about people stealing music from the Internet??? But that is just a rumour so maybe there's nothing in it.

So, No Line On The Horizon has had a difficult, almost chaotic birthing process. For a band like U2, who are very controlling, that's quite worrying. Let's hope the birth goes smoothly and new life of this album makes it all worthwhile.

But Where's The Jazz?

Below is a quote from Niall Stokes, editor of Hot Press, on what he thinks of the album. Think there are only a handful of genres he doesn't mention! I'm a bit worried about country being in the description......

Get On Your Boots' is a great opening salvo from what is a brilliant album. "No Line On The Horizon is a huge record, full of big songs, powerful riffs and superb musicianship. It's more musically diverse that any U2 album since Rattle And Hum, mixing hard rock, psychedelia, pop, electronica, dance, folk, country, spiritual music and orchestral shadings in what is a fantastically heady brew. It will certainly challenge U2 fans, but my guess is that they'll ultimately be inspired. It's going to be a massive record. I can't wait to hear the songs live.

No Line On The Horizon - Official Tracklisting and Cover Image

U2 have announced the tracklisting for their new album, here's it is:

1. No Line On The Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Unknown Caller
5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
6. Get On Your Boots
7. Stand Up Comedy
8. Fez – Being Born
9. White As Snow
10. Breathe
11. Cedars Of Lebanon


Get On Your Boots, the first single from the album, will be available for download on February 15, and a "normal" release the next day.

The album cover is an image by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto (more info on him here). I really like the cover, love it's intriguing, mysterious, minimalist feel and it's a brave concept not to have the title or name of the band on the front.

More Eyeliner My Oh My!

There's a Q Magazine site that is almost fully live (except the Gallery) that includes a video showing a recent photoshoot in London, an article about some of the songs on the album (loads more new info), and a U2 quiz. Adam gives a great commentary during the video. For me all this bodes very well for the album, it almost has that feeling there was before Achtung Baby, that something really new was going to happen with the new music and image. I'm having problems at the moment with direct links to sites but here's the url for you to copy
http://promo.q4music.com/q4music/u2/

Just three things though:-

1. Don't let Bono loose again in a car in London, even with a Tom-tom, scary.

2. Don't keep that hat Bono

3. Do keep the eyeliner - love it

The Big U2 News is Here!

Let the countdown begin! At last the big news has been announced, below is the announcement from U2.com of the new album's title and release date:

No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2, will be released on Monday 2nd March 2009.

Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group’s 12th studio album and is their first release since the 9 million selling album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004.

Sessions for No Line On The Horizon began last year in Fez, Morocco, continued in the band’s own studio in Dublin, before moving to New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and finally being completed at Olympic Studios in London.

The album calls on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite