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"Don't lie down. Get up." -- Bono, 2002 |
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"Don't lie down. Get up." -- Bono, 2002 |
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Column: off the record...,vol. 9-401
@U2,
March 14, 2010
One year on (and two weeks) from its original release, No Line on the Horizon deserves a review recap. NLOTH to NHOTH Many people have commented on recent U2 albums not having an "album" feel. This is because U2 makes albums much differently now than they did 10 years ago. The U2 album process is a much lengthier affair, spanning dozens of recording sessions, and sometimes more than one producer. This process can sometimes suck the life out of an album's theme or focal point, or that overall album feel. To achieve a cohesive album feel is often (but not always) managed, because of a more limited time period or a disciplined rigidity of themes explored. The lengthier period can also lead to thinking too much, making unnecessary changes and losing the essence of the original idea. This album is no different; it's not really an album in the conventional sense. It's a collection of U2 tracks written and recorded over at least a three-year period, but it's their best collection of tracks over the past 15 years. Twelve months on, "Unknown Caller" still stands out for me as one of the best tracks on the album. It's a Brian Eno loop with birds singing, into an unmistakeable Edge riff, into a chorus that just won't get out of my head. It's still in there 12 months later, and there is no sign of it coming out. It works fantastic in the live setting, albeit slightly under-paced for that environment. But that's just one track; as an album, NLOTH is probably their best album in over 10 years. There are of course many standouts on ATYCLB and HTDAAB, but as an album standing on its own two feet, this is my firm favourite U2 long-player since Zooropa. I was disappointed overall with ATYCLB and HTDAAB as they were too safe, too unexperimental. No real ground was broken on either of these two albums. The 2000 album was risk averse and a partial product of unwarranted Pop backlash. The follow-up was more like part two. Don't get me wrong, both have outstanding individual tracks, and the quality is good, just not quite good enough for a U2 album. U2 have set the bar very high, and that is a good thing. No Line has a much better collection of songs, and I feel U2 have broken new ground on this album. The title track alone is a breath of fresh air, and it was a relief to hear that the opening track was not a lead single, which was the case with the previous two albums. "Breathe" is a real rocker, and while "Get On Your Boots" is an odd first single, it fits well as a centrepiece on this collection. "Moment of Surrender" is, well, just beautiful. There is no filler on this collection; they are all very different and clearly, carefully chosen, when we hear that tracks like "Winter" and "Every Breaking Wave" are left off. I just love the sequence of the songs, particularly the run of tracks from "Crazy" to "Cedars of Lebanon." That's as diverse as U2 have ever produced over seven tracks on any album. If there is one theme running through this album, it's an African theme. On initial listens, it seemed there had been a toning down of this influence, which was widely spoken about in the two years before the release. But it's there: It's in Eno's keyboards; it's in the African birds from Morocco where some of the recordings were started; it's there in the backing vocals and in the chanting style; and it's in those African instruments used subtly on some of the tracks. This album was underrated when released and remains underrated 12 months on. I am more convinced of this now than I was six months ago. This will be one of their most enduring of their recent albums. It takes a while to get this album; it's heavier than one might initially think. The third-person lyrics are also a refreshing change. U2 is in very good shape going forward; to quote one band member in 1987: "I still feel our best work is ahead of us, not behind us." Continuing the annual review theme, U2 tour statistics were not surprisingly No. 1 in the Billboard top 25 tours of 2009. As usual, the overall revenue and attendance figures are impressive. What was more interesting to me was the breakdown of the figures between the two continents: 53 percent more revenue from the European shows, which had just four extra gigs. One wonders: had the tour been an indoor jaunt around North America, would the reverse be the case? Maybe not. The world economic meltdown has played a part, and the music industry is also in a downward spiral. But it is clear that either U.S. fans just didn't buy tickets and the touring strategists knew this by announcing fewer gigs than expected, or they have a preference for indoor shows. With the 2010 touring schedule now fully complete, the staggering of the gig announcements was somewhat frustrating, and there must surely be a lesson there for the future. Thankfully, hopes of gigs in Ireland and the U.K. are still alive for next year, at the time of writing at least, as this tour is very likely to continue into 2011. The last month or so has seen me indulge in a bit of an Edge feast. First up, I finally got to see It Might Get Loud, as it's only recently released in Europe. I really enjoyed the film. The contrasting styles of the three famous guitarists were a pleasure to watch. Jack White really shone in this film, but other highlights included Edge's visit to his childhood school in Mount Temple, where the famous note went up on the notice board. The various jamming sessions were also a treat. I also recently got my hands on a rare remix of one of my favourite Edge solo tracks. It's "Remix 2 of Heroine" which was on the Captive soundtrack, released way back in 1986. This remix is only available on vinyl and was a B-side to the single "Heroine." While the incredible Sinead O'Connor vocal is lower in the mix, it gives the track an even more haunting feel to it. Finally, I was looking through some old VHS tapes and found an interview with the Edge that I had not seen in a while. An Edge interview is accurate and to the point. If you want to know what's going on with U2, just ask The Edge, not Bono. For those waiting for a new U2 album anytime soon ... when I blogged in October, I was somewhat optimistic about a new album in the next six to nine months. But now? Well, we might get a single or an E.P. As for a new album? It looks to me like it is a case of NHOTH: No Hope on the Horizon! Till the next time. © @U2/Murphy, 2010.
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