Inessentials: The Blog

In listening to the new U2 album, I decided to record my reactions to each song as it was playing. You’ll get my initial reactions, including the rating I gave the song in iTunes. (Note: I constantly re-rate songs in iTunes, so these numbers will change. Also, iTunes ratings for me often have less to do with how good I think a song is and more to do with how often I want them to show up in my smart playlists.) My reactions below the fold.

Also, read my friend Kevin’s reactions, get an overview of critical response, and see my early response to the last U2 album.

“No Line on the Horizon” – 5

Wow. I wasn’t expecting this. What a great way to start the album. Why wasn’t this the first single?

“Magnificent” – 4

Haven’t heard a riff like the one that precedes the verse since War, at least. This song would work on any of the first three albums; I could also heard it on Zooropa and maybe Pop. I don’t think it sounds dated, just that it sounds like the solid, mid-tempo tunes that have always been a U2 staple – the sort of song that is missing from the last album, and why that one never felt cohesive as an album.

“Moment of Surrender” – 3

Now we’re firmly rooted in the mid-90s. This is Passengers all over again. Also reminds me of “North and South of the River” and “Your Blue Room” from the “Staring at the Sun” single. Bono’s vocals are front and center, much as they were on the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack. Edge’s guitar solo goes nowhere, but I like the group vocals on the second half. I hear a lot of “Stay (Faraway, So Close)” in this one, and not just in the Oh-Oh’s at the end. I have a feeling this one is really gonna grow on me over time.

“Unknown Caller” – 2

If you don’t recognize The Edge’s guitar work at the beginning of this song, you have never heard a U2 song in your life. Interesting mix: instead of highlighting Bono’s vocals (as on the last couple tracks), Edge’s guitar work is dominant. Not a fan of the talk-singing. This song isn’t going anywhere, but it also doesn’t feel like it’s trying to get somewhere and failing, it’s just content to be what it is. The album’s slowing down as we near the end of Side A.

“I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” – 3

This sounds like it was written to be a single, but I’m not hearing a hit. If this song is anything like the last album (which is its obvious home), it’ll keep building until it gets somewhere exciting, stay there for 30 seconds, and disappoint by coming back to the safe zone. Now comes the bridge: let’s see what they do with it. This works as a nice album cut, despite the irritating title repeated too often in the lyrics. Yup, they went somewhere special with the bridge, but brought it back to Mundanesville. When will they finally let loose? (See “City of Blinding Lights” and “Original of the Species.”)

“Get on Your Boots” – 4

The only song I’ve heard before now. I like it on the album, even if it barely charted on the radio. The verses and chorus are much too fun for the weak lyrics. The “if women ruled the world” concept is pretty uninteresting. And has there been such a weak bridge since they ruined “Last Night on Earth” for the radio single version?

“Stand Up Comedy” – 2

Not liking this. “Stand up”? Really? It’s like it’s written to be a protest song, but without an ounce of soul. There’s a hundred bands on the radio that could have written this song (and to be clear: that is not a compliment). The bridge saves this song; the second half is much stronger than the first. I could get behind this riff.

“FEZ-Being Born” – 2

U2 is telling us quite clearly that this album was recorded in and meant to be played in North Africa, but they are making it much too literal in the intro. The place of recording hasn’t mattered since Achtung Baby. This is a bold choice: not much happens for four minutes, and they’re choosing to put a song on the album that is going to have no legs on its own, but contributes to a full album. I guess they learned their lesson from the collection of singles passing as their last album.

“White as Snow” – 3

Bono’s channeling Leonard Cohen and all the other songwriters he idolizes. It’s nice to hear him try to be a songwriter instead of a rock star. Not sure if it’s working (reminds me too much of the Edge-penned “Van Diemen’s Land”). I’m trying to figure out if the second half of this album is really weak, or if it will eventually work for me – as it did on their best albums: the wonderful journey of night-into-dawn (Achtung Baby) or a gorgeous musical landscape (The Joshua Tree); this half will take the longest to appreciate.

“Breathe” – 4

There’s an interesting sound happening here. No song yet (except the title track) has felt this fully realized in all of its parts. No single aspect stands out. It doesn’t feel special, but it does feel complete. I’m interested in checking out the lyrics to this one. Okay, now there’s the guitar work I wanted to hear. Reminds me of “Acrobat” and “Love is Blindness” from the end of Achtung. Let’s hope that comparison holds up.

“Cedars of Lebanon” - 3

I hear a lot of “Love is Blindness” and Zooropa and Passengers. I’m suprised that they’re mining their mid-nineties sound so thoroughly after their last two albums tried to capture the mid-eighties magic; I was expecting more of that. I’m not sure if the Kanye and JT fans that they need to remain the biggest show on earth are willing to listen to this, but I’m grateful for another Achtung/Zooropa.

Overall, I hear a really solid album. They don’t seem to be trying as hard to dominate the radio; instead, they worked on putting together a true album. I think that will pay off in the long run among their devoted fans and for feeling that they’ve stayed true to their artistic vision. I don’t see them earning a lot of new fans with this record, if for no other reason than because we live in the age of the single, not the album.