Reflections on the Horizon
As a new moderator when No Line on the Horizon was released in 2009, I witnessed many passionate conversations on our forum about this album. There was no middle ground. Fans either loved it or despised it. I immediately belonged to the camp who loved it. U2 promised us something different, something special. To me, they delivered exactly that.
I consider “Moment of Surrender” one of U2′s finest songs and they proved it live. It is a powerful song about a person who has hit rock bottom. Hearing it is an emotionally draining experience every time for me. Adam’s bass on “Cedars of Lebanon” is remarkable. It sets the mood for the dark atmosphere in this song. “White As Snow” paints a beautiful image with its lyrics. Their most overtly religious album since October, No Line on the Horizon shares a special bond with that early work. “Magnificent” is the older and enlightened sibling to the younger voice in “Gloria” that has faith but is still confused.
U2 made an album that was not safe. It was not made of a lot of songs that would jump on the charts, but it is an album that deals with a story of spiritual destruction and desire for rebirth. “Unknown Caller” is a perfect example of this theme. I believe the songs are placed in the order that they are for a reason. Each lyric and each note is sung and played exactly when it is supposed to be. Make no mistake, U2 want you to “work” for this album. They want you to invest your time into listening and thinking about it. If you put the effort in, you will reap the rewards.
A year later, I have so much more appreciation for it. As I examine its layers and realize how each contributed to the sonic canvas, I now see how these artists created their masterpiece.
Last 4 posts by StrongGirl
- Meet Bono's Hero on World AIDS Day, 2010 - November 28th, 2010
- The Math Behind The Edge's Guitar Sound - November 16th, 2010
- A Holiday Gift From the Biggest Little U2 Fan in the World - October 30th, 2010
- Reunion in Paris for U2 and Peter Rowen - September 14th, 2010
Couldn’t agree more - it’s profoundly affecting. the greatest test of great music (or indeed any art) is that it lasts and weathers well. A year on this is certainly true and in my book it’s up there with Achtung Baby etc. Am now giving talks introducing it as an album in its own right.
I very much identify it with Unforgettable Fire and October. My initial judgment of NLOTH was favorable (in comparison to ATYCLB and HTDAAB) despite several stumbles that annoy me about the three middle songs “Crazy,” “Boots,” and “Comedy” (but don’t derail the disc in total).
For me, what sinks NLOTH beneath other 80s and 90s work (but not below its two predecessors) is some relatively lazy lyricism from Bono. For every great detail in “Moment of Surrender” there are unfocused and unfinished bits like the moon-June-spoon rhymes in “Cedars” or the recycled Bono-clichés of “Comedy.”
Even the title track, my personal favorite, is hobbled by a clumsy characterization in the 3rd verse. I get that B was trying to write in character, but I still say he should have tried a little harder in many places to make that work. And yet I have no problem with the oft-derided “cockatoo” lyric in “Breathe.” Go figure.
Anyway, all of that stuff above is relatively worthless in evaluating the album, because it’s just my opinion, and it’s not my album, it’s U2′s. Obviously the band made something they are proud of and at this stage of their career that’s definitely laudable.
The thing that impressed me the most, though, is how they tied the NLOTH songs to their back catalogue on 360: UFire, Your Blue Room, Ultraviolet, Electrical Storm—all we’re missing is some overlooked gems from October or Pop.
I guess the ultimate compliment for me about NLOTH is that it kept me interested despite its (perceived or misperceived) faults. I am intrigued by what Songs of Ascent might sound like.
Twelve months ago I was blown away by the album when it was released. I was struck by what sounded like an album finally, instead of just a collection of good songs. Twelve months later?!
I’ve always identified The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa as my favorite U2 albums. This album now firmly resides beside them as one of my favorites. Seeing the album live transformed Crazy into one of my favorite U2 songs ever. It also brought me around on Moment of Surrender.
Measured in terms of what songs I skip over? This is the most successful album since Zooropa, as I only ever skip the one, “White as Snow”, oh how I’d wished they left the original version of “Winter” in there instead.
And it is an “album” when i pull it out to listen. Like the other two I mentioned, I rarely pull it out to listen to one song, but instead the entire album. Once “NLOTH” starts, I’m usually there until “Cedars of Lebanon” give way to silence.
I’ve been kept interested for 12 months. It is still high in rotation. I’m excited to see songs from it performed live again this upcoming year. The polish hasn’t worn off in a year of listening. If anything, after seeing it live, I appreciate it that much more.
What a relief to hear some positive comments for once about this stunning album. So why didn’t it sell? Why did the band not get behind it? Why no Grammies? I’ve heard all the usual reasons - downloading, March release, recession, bad choice of first single …. These things combined don’t come close to explaining such a great album’s awesome unpopularity.
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.
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.
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…
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’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.
“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
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 !
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.
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!
Also, it’s great to see that there are lots of us NLOTH lovers out there! Let’s shout it out! 
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.