No Line On The Horizon

As I write this, I'm listening to the NEW U2 album!! Yeah that's right - No Line On The Horizon comes out on Tuesday in stores everywhere in the US.... but CDs are SOOOOOO 2003 folks! And for those of you who have to wait, let me give you a real time review. If you don't like U2, I'll see you tomorrow....

Track 1 - "No Line On The Horizon"
Good Guitar Intro - not necessarily their usual track 1 intro that is off the beaten path (think Achtung, Zooropa, ATYCLB).... Bono doesn't count incorrectly in some random language on this one either. Sorry to disappoint those fans of Spanish. I like the guitar riffs, but Bono's singing a little too high. Chorus is definitely good, but the verse is kind of boring, nothing to the melody. Definitely

Track 2 - "Magnificent" (dedicated to Adam T. Dickinson)
I swear that's what my CD liner says!!! This is more typical of a random start to a song that builds up to the guitar explosion that we're used to from these 4. Takes Bono 1:16 before he sings something. Catchy tune and much better fitting of Bono's voice.

Track 3 - "Moment of Surrender"
Strange.... not sure how else to describe this one. You knew it was going to be a ballad (every 3rd track on U2 albums are ballads).... write this one up with "God Will Send His Angels" as songs I could pass on them performing live. Again it's 1:17 before Bono sings, and he's back to singing way too high in his register. Note to Bono, you can't hit the 1986 high notes anymore.

Track 4 - "Unknown Caller"
A little space age type song that is just ok. Good chorus though. In the words of Simon... "forgettable"

Track 5 - "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Now we're talking - this one is worth listening to. Bono stays under control despite a title that plays to the multi-personality Bono... go figure, the one time we expect randomness, it comes out kind of predictable.

Track 6 - "Get On Your Boots"
The song already on the radio, which to me sounds like it was written for an iPod commercial. Seriously, can you see the green background with the shadow of someone holding a white ipod and headphones bouncing around????? Try again.... It's just an ok song.

Track 7 - "Stand Up Comedy"
I enjoyed this one best so far - good "U2" type guitar and straight forward rhythm part. Bono uses his voice well in this one. Good song all around, may have to come back and enjoy this one again... and again.... and again...

Track 8 - "Fez - Being Born"
I swear we're playing back in the days from Passengers circa 1995. Strange... I guess if you go with the "Being Born" concept, I can hear it... maybe??? Again, we wait 2 min to hear something actually being sung to resemble a "song". Next....

Track 9 - "White As Snow"
This one sounds like it's from a soundtrack, not a studio album! I'm picturing the moment when Clint Eastwood comes home to see his mountain ranch burned to the ground, his wife and son have been kidnapped by the bad guy - so after contemplating what happened (sees it in blurry slow motion), he gets on his horse and starts riding through the mountain snow with only a shotgun at his side. That's the only thing he needs for "justice". It's a slow song that is ok.

Track 10 - "Breathe" (not a Faith Hill remake)
Again, what's with the weird long guitar intros? There are too many syllables to squeeze in onto the melody, but I think that's the point. I actually dig this one though. Well written and catchy. I don't care for the computerized "String Quartet" that sounds nothing like an actual string quartet. This will be one of their encores while on tour! My prediction!

Track 11 - "Cedars of Lebanon"
The Political Track of the CD... you knew they had to have one. And as a lot of the last tracks go, it's strange and very different from the rest of the album. Not sure how they would do this one live. Very very strange....

Overall, a decent album. Not sure it's worth the wait, but then again it's U2. They can do whatever they want and people like me are going to buy it... or download it...

Go get it - you know you want to.