U2 – No Line on the Horizon

I really like U2. They’re one of my favorite bands, and although there’s some of their music that I really love and some of it which I really don’t love, I think they’re a great band and always manages to provoke and engage with their music.

I’m going to try something a little bit different over the next 11 days. I’m going to go through and do a track-by-track review of the disc. It’ll be a good chance for me to put on my music analysis hat again and try to figure out what Bono’s singing about and how it provokes and engages me.

Album cover - photograph by Hiroshi Sugimoto

Album cover - photograph by Hiroshi Sugimoto

A few inital thoughts before I get into the song-by-song. Overall, I think the album’s got a really good feel. It’s not as “pop” (generally hooky and radio friendly) as How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but it feels like U2 all throughout. I’ve heard a few people react somewhat negatively to their first single, “Get Your Boots On”, but I think that it’s one of the farthest departures from more classic U2 on the disc… so I think most U2 fans would enjoy it.

The one thing that did bother me when I first picked up the disc is cover. I really love the simplicity of it and was following the press on it before it was released, so I was a bit dissapointed that the big equal sign in the middle was actually a sticker… and mine was crooked. The visually effects of it were a bit ruined, but if it bothers me enough I might just take it off.

As for highlights (and lowlights) from the album, check back in 12 days once I’ve gone through it track by track! As usual, I welcome any discussion – or disagreement – so feel free to let me know what your impression is!

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