Comments on: Reflections on the Horizon http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:54:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Stereotype http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232752 Stereotype Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:39:13 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232752 im with daveB on this one. I kinda forced myself to like it too, but now, a year after its release, I hardly listen to it. NLOTH (the song) is boring imo., the other version of it was much better and shold have been on the album. Magnificent is classic U2 and a great song, but could almost fit in on any U2 album. MOS is too long, but otherwise great. UC is really good, and the horn section is probably the albums highlight for me - original in a very good way. Then it goes way downhill - the next 3 songs are just crap with some small ok moments here and there. Should all have been B-sides imo, and they dont fit in on the album. Fez is ok but doesnt really go anywhere. White as Snow and Breathe are great songs, and Cedars of Lebanon is ZZZZZZZZZ. So there u have it: 5 good to great songs, and 6 boring or crap, makes it a mediocre and skizo album all in all. The potential for more was there, but U2 didnt dare to go all the way. Shame. im with daveB on this one. I kinda forced myself to like it too, but now, a year after its release, I hardly listen to it. NLOTH (the song) is boring imo., the other version of it was much better and shold have been on the album. Magnificent is classic U2 and a great song, but could almost fit in on any U2 album. MOS is too long, but otherwise great. UC is really good, and the horn section is probably the albums highlight for me – original in a very good way. Then it goes way downhill – the next 3 songs are just crap with some small ok moments here and there. Should all have been B-sides imo, and they dont fit in on the album. Fez is ok but doesnt really go anywhere. White as Snow and Breathe are great songs, and Cedars of Lebanon is ZZZZZZZZZ.
So there u have it: 5 good to great songs, and 6 boring or crap, makes it a mediocre and skizo album all in all. The potential for more was there, but U2 didnt dare to go all the way. Shame.

]]> By: teresa_88 http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232419 teresa_88 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:39:41 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232419 wow... I'm with you 100%. Nobody could have said it better and brought up so many insightful observations on the album. It truly is a masterpiece, and as all great masterpieces, the more you listen to it, the more it grows, evolves, acquires new and different and deeper levels. Great blog! :D Also, it's great to see that there are lots of us NLOTH lovers out there! Let's shout it out! :D wow… I’m with you 100%. Nobody could have said it better and brought up so many insightful observations on the album.

It truly is a masterpiece, and as all great masterpieces, the more you listen to it, the more it grows, evolves, acquires new and different and deeper levels.

Great blog! :D Also, it’s great to see that there are lots of us NLOTH lovers out there! Let’s shout it out! :D

]]> By: DaveB http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232298 DaveB Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:33:27 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232298 Well, Im a naysayer. I forced myself to like No Line for about a month. I desperately wanted it to be a great U2 album. But the flaws just started coming out of the woodwork, and there were many. Crazy Tonight is a blatant attempt to be hip on young pop radio (whatever happened to the Bono who didnt care about "the pop kids"?) Stand Up has some of Bono's worst lyrics not to mention the surprisingly annoying drone of Edge's background vocal "love love love love love". Musically, the album is littered with so many recycled u2 "isms" its shameless. We get a few new sounds here and there, but for every french horn or cello bit, there are five riffs we have heard before. Many have proclaimed this album to be "experimental" "daring" or "breaking new ground". I dont buy it. Well, Im a naysayer. I forced myself to like No Line for about a month. I desperately wanted it to be a great U2 album. But the flaws just started coming out of the woodwork, and there were many. Crazy Tonight is a blatant attempt to be hip on young pop radio (whatever happened to the Bono who didnt care about “the pop kids”?) Stand Up has some of Bono’s worst lyrics not to mention the surprisingly annoying drone of Edge’s background vocal “love love love love love”. Musically, the album is littered with so many recycled u2 “isms” its shameless. We get a few new sounds here and there, but for every french horn or cello bit, there are five riffs we have heard before. Many have proclaimed this album to be “experimental” “daring” or “breaking new ground”. I dont buy it.

]]> By: jujumyth http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232239 jujumyth Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:39:23 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232239 Thank you very much SG for your reflections on NLOTH ! I really like this idea that No Line On The Horizon is their most religious album since October and I have thought about this. The lyrics of this album are magnificent, so poetic but very complex, certainly the best of Bono for a long time.I think that this album is becoming better and better with time ! It grows like a pearl, may be Bono refound the suitcase stolen in 1981 with all the lyrics of ...October ! Thank you very much SG for your reflections on NLOTH ! I really like this idea that No Line On The Horizon is their most religious album since October and I have thought about this.
The lyrics of this album are magnificent, so poetic but very complex, certainly the best of Bono for a long time.I think that this album is becoming better and better with time ! It grows like a pearl, may be Bono refound the suitcase stolen in 1981 with all the lyrics of …October !

]]> By: syronix http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232229 syronix Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:29:29 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232229 "there are fans out there who feel as passionate about the album as I do." I'm also one of them! :-) As many of you remarked, it's one album you HAVE to listen from the beginning to the end... and it's amazing nowadays, when most of the bands or of the singers just have one or two relevant songs in each piece of work. Regarding my favourite NLOTH's song, I started with Magnificent... so open, so wide, so well done. Now the best for me is Moment of surrender and sometimes it's so moving that I cry... mainly in that middle part: "my body's now a begging bowl...". I love Bono's voice singing those lyrics. I think that NLOTH will grow in the future too; I hope that many new fans will be conquered by this wonderful album :-) “there are fans out there who feel as passionate about the album as I do.”
I’m also one of them! :-)
As many of you remarked, it’s one album you HAVE to listen from the beginning to the end… and it’s amazing nowadays, when most of the bands or of the singers just have one or two relevant songs in each piece of work.
Regarding my favourite NLOTH’s song, I started with Magnificent… so open, so wide, so well done. Now the best for me is Moment of surrender and sometimes it’s so moving that I cry… mainly in that middle part: “my body’s now a begging bowl…”. I love Bono’s voice singing those lyrics.
I think that NLOTH will grow in the future too; I hope that many new fans will be conquered by this wonderful album :-)

]]> By: StrongGirl http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232225 StrongGirl Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:18:10 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232225 I've enjoyed reading all of your reflections. My fellow moderator, Donal, has written his thoughts on the album as well. You can read it on the main page in this week's Off The Record column. I respect everyone's opinion, but I must admit it makes me smile to see that there are fans out there who feel as passionate about the album as I do. I’ve enjoyed reading all of your reflections. My fellow moderator, Donal, has written his thoughts on the album as well. You can read it on the main page in this week’s Off The Record column.

I respect everyone’s opinion, but I must admit it makes me smile to see that there are fans out there who feel as passionate about the album as I do.

]]> By: Becky http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232224 Becky Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:47:04 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232224 I listened to NLOTH almost non-stop last year, leading up to and after seeing shows in Dublin and Houston. I put it away over the holidays and started listening to it again recently. I personally think this album is among their best. It moves from start to finish very easily; it's hard for me to stop at any point because I like to listen all the way through. I am not crazy about all of the individual songs but I love the album in its entirety and its theme of surrender. I appreciate the layered and complex musical quality of this album. Every time I listen, the music takes me somewhere different. The bass and drums remind me of some of their early albums and I agree with comparisons to UF and October. I like how they included bits and pieces of music, lyrics, melodies and harmonies from earlier works. It is surprising this album hasn't received more credit/sales/awards but I do think it will continue to grow on people over time (as Achtung Baby and POP have) and earn the recognition it deserves. Looking forward to what's next....hopefully they won't keep us in suspense another four or five years! I listened to NLOTH almost non-stop last year, leading up to and after seeing shows in Dublin and Houston. I put it away over the holidays and started listening to it again recently.

I personally think this album is among their best. It moves from start to finish very easily; it’s hard for me to stop at any point because I like to listen all the way through. I am not crazy about all of the individual songs but I love the album in its entirety and its theme of surrender.

I appreciate the layered and complex musical quality of this album. Every time I listen, the music takes me somewhere different. The bass and drums remind me of some of their early albums and I agree with comparisons to UF and October. I like how they included bits and pieces of music, lyrics, melodies and harmonies from earlier works.

It is surprising this album hasn’t received more credit/sales/awards but I do think it will continue to grow on people over time (as Achtung Baby and POP have) and earn the recognition it deserves.

Looking forward to what’s next….hopefully they won’t keep us in suspense another four or five years!

]]> By: U2Wanderer http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232219 U2Wanderer Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:09:13 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232219 Keir - people usually look at me weird when i rhyme off my favorites. NLOTH, TUF, Zooropa, and actually Original Soundtracks No 1 is high on the list as well. Yes The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are fine albums, but I find more to love in the chaos of the albums I mention above... Keir – people usually look at me weird when i rhyme off my favorites. NLOTH, TUF, Zooropa, and actually Original Soundtracks No 1 is high on the list as well. Yes The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are fine albums, but I find more to love in the chaos of the albums I mention above…

]]> By: Keir http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232216 Keir Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:51:32 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232216 Good call from U2Wanderer re: Zooropa; I totally forgot to add that to my Ufire/October comparison. Those three certainly are similar to NLOTH in many ways. Good call from U2Wanderer re: Zooropa; I totally forgot to add that to my Ufire/October comparison. Those three certainly are similar to NLOTH in many ways.

]]> By: BRS http://www.atu2blog.com/reflections-on-the-horizon/2407/comment-page-1/#comment-232215 BRS Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:28:31 +0000 http://www.atu2blog.com/?p=2407#comment-232215 Some great thoughts here, definitely. I tend to concur regarding the "relative lazy lyricism" comment -- and the slips between first and third person bug me a bit. Still, I [heart] this album. Some great thoughts here, definitely. I tend to concur regarding the “relative lazy lyricism” comment — and the slips between first and third person bug me a bit. Still, I [heart] this album.

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