prolific.org

As published on atu2.com

Whatever they say to hype their albums about reinventing themselves, going back to their roots, incorporating dance or electronica, U2 always end up sounding like U2. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I can never remember the titles of U2’s previous two CDs. They weren’t bad and contained some great songs, but they weren’t memorable to me as albums. No Line on the Horizon is.

I’m not religious, I don’t bleed for Africa, I’m not keen on stadium rock. What turned me on to U2 was as much their military beat as a certain Celtic mysticism, their affinity with the European landscape, their singer’s do-or-die delivery and their big ideas.

For some fans, Achtung Baby is the touchstone in assessing a new album’s worth. For others it will always be Pop. My U2 is more ephemeral, present in moments found across their vast back catalog. You can hear echoes of these moments all over NLOTH.

“Moment of Surrender” reaches levels of intensity on par with “Bad” or “Please.” There’s a dash of “Van Diemen’s Land” with “White as Snow.” You’ll hear some Zooropa in “Magnificent” and “FEZ-Being Born,” the latter of which harks back to The Unforgettable Fire, while the first is the 00’s “Gloria”. “Unknown Caller” has roots in The Million Dollar Hotel. “Breathe” comes from the same songbook as “Gone.” And you may hate the single, but “Get On Your Boots” is probably their most Achtung Baby-like track in 20 years, and the title song borrows a riff from “The Fly.”

This is U2 doing what they’re best at: being U2. Except in “Stand Up Comedy,” where they attempt to be Led Zeppelin. Give it up, lads.

Thought I’d put the songs on U2’s No Line on the Horizon in order of favourites. This was harder than I thought. I’ll Go Crazy, Breathe and Stand up comedy are all competing for the honour of being my least favourite song on the album. I don’t mind I’ll Go Crazy, but I know I’ll go off it fairly soon and I may come to appreciate Breathe or Stand up comedy, despite the rock leaning.

1. Moment of Surrender
2. Cedars of Lebanon
3. No Line on the Horizon
4. FEZ-Being Born
5. Magnificent
6. White as Snow
7. Unknown Caller
8. Get On Your Boots
9. I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
10. Breathe
11. Stand up comedy

I didn’t at first but now I’ve heard the album a few times, I’m starting to hear the influences that were mentioned to me over the last few months. Kraftwerk (Being Born particularly, but No Line as well) more so than Portishead. Bits and pieces remind me of the Babel-soundtrack, but that’s obviously the band’s recording sessions in North-Africa paying off. A lot of the songs feature piano, which always reminds of Bowie.

Moment of Surrender takes me to a similar place as Kite did, but darker, more raw. It works on the tear ducts even if I’m not sure why. Must be something in the vocal.

A propos of nothing… I don’t think I’ve ever heard a rockband’s lyrics been picked on quite as much as U2’s. So Bono’s King of Clunk. You know, they do advise newsreaders to speak with a quirk. Why? Because it makes you listen.

I’m clearly in full U2-apologist mode and thus no fun anymore. Hey, I used to write in to the NME’s reader’s column to defend them. At least I gave up on that in the 80s.