Review: U2's New How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

maestroxl · 11-23-2004, 11:46 PM

The new U2 album was released today. But thanks to <a href="http://bittorrent.com/">BitTorrent</a>, I've been enjoying it since last Tuesday. I've been following the ups and downs, starts and stops of the album ever since it began to be discussed not so long after the close of the Elevation tour in '02. There had been speculation that it might be released last fall, but ultimately the band decided it needed more, so back they went into the studio, armed with a new producer and fresh determination.

The result is an album not intended to yield--like U2's output of the previous decade so determinedly pursued--musical breakthrough and critical acclaim. Their second album of the new century, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (HTDAAB), is thoroughly musical, just not revolutionarily so. The waning years of a century, and certainly of a millennium, have historically accompanied a sense of impending apocalypse. With the 2000 year mark approaching, the '90s saw the future come alive in Hollywood, in science and technology, and in Achtung Baby and Zooropa. U2 redefined themselves, and arguably the rock album and tour with the Zoo TV tour during the first half of the decade. Edge, Larry and Adam with extra help from producer Brian Eno crafted twitchy keyboards, searing guitars, intricate and off-balance drum loops and leaping, insistent bass lines. Out front, Bono borrowed from Bowie and fashioned an outsized persona to evangelize for a new, sophisticated rock -n- roll in the most overpowering, sensory-overloaded stadium tours seen before or since.

U2 attempted to push the sonic envelope one step too far to be able to keep up with themselves, and mismanaged the production and release of 1997's Pop. Though it sold between 7 and 8 million copies worldwide (1.5 here in the states), it fell far short commercially of previous efforts like 1991's Achtung Baby (over 8 million sold in the U.S. alone), 1988's Rattle and Hum (over 5 million), and the mother of them all, 1987's The Joshua Tree (over 10 million in the states, almost 15 million worldwide).

2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind (ATYCLB) came along, and essentially found four guys playing their instruments in the same room together again. More than its pared-back electronica, more than just a return to roots, U2 were searching for how they best complimented each other and how they could best make music together, rather than how they could best push the techno-musical envelope. In other words, it was more about making music than musical history.

I am a fan of their '90s work. I think Achtung Baby is either their second-best or best album or tied with The Joshua Tree for the honor, depending on the week. Zooropa had the spunky "Lemon" and the timeless "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" as well as one of my favorites "The First Time". I even liked Pop ... a lot. It has some of U2's grooviest and most flat-out rocking tunes, like "Do You Feel Loved?", "Mofo", "Gone" and "Please". I heard U2 pushing the limits and wasn't necessarily ready for them to pull back. But I was very happy with ATYCLB, and still adore "Kite", "When I Look at the World" and "Grace".

HTDAAB caught me by surprise. As I said, I had been hearing about the album for a couple of years, but hadn't heard any of the material and wasn't quite sure what to expect. "Vertigo" came out, and my ears tingled with anticipation. It sounded so dirty and raspy and punky. I had heard rumors that the new album was going to be guitar-heavy, a return to punk, real rock-and-roll. Now that I know the album, I'm not sure which, if any, of those labels fits best. What I can say is that the songs are instantly interesting and gradually unforgettable.

Let's get the clunkers out of the way. I don't care for "Original of the Species". Aside from the couple of lyrics that make me cringe ("I’ll give you everything you want/Except the thing you want"), my ear has a hard time with the transition from the verse to the chorus. It just feels like the chord should resolve somehow differently to me. And though I think "Crumbs From Your Table" is a good song, it just feels like it was destined for a B side ("Cool down mama, cool off" -huh?), and in the final reckoning had the right tempo or lyrics to plug in to a slot.

Now, for the rest. "Vertigo" is a solid opener and a natural first single. The Edge's guitar is radioactive and Adam plays the hell out of that delicious bass groove. Yes, it's slightly silly, but it's also fun. "Miracle Drug", like most of its companion songs, is a "builder"--that patented U2 creation that births gently and becomes a monster by the bridge before exploding in chiming guitar, pulsing bass, crashing drums and crooning Bono. It introduces one of the potent themes on the album: "I’ve had enough of romantic love/I’d give it up, yeah, I’d give it up".

This theme resurfaces in "A Man and A Woman" (whose guitar and melody take me strangely back to "Love Comes Tumbling" on the old EP <i>Wide Awake In America</i>): "I could never take a chance/Of losing love to find romance". Its cousin, "All Because of You", harkens back to "Desire". The energetic drums keep it pumping through the pedestrian verse to the rocking and soaring chorus. It easily contains the best rhyme on the album--force the third line to rhyme with the first two--"I like the sound of my own voice/I didn't give anyone else a choice/An intellectual tortoise/Racing with your bullet train".

"Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and "One Step Closer" both deal with Bono's dad's death in 2001. The latter is a nice song (and the favorite so far of two female coworkers) but I prefer "Sometimes...". It's perfectly crafted, and should become a serious hit. "Yahweh" is a benedictory in line with "40", "Wake Up, Dead Man" and "Grace". It's less melancholy than "Wake Up..." less poignant than "Grace" and more upbeat and hopeful like "40".

Now, the two gems on the album are "Love and Peace or Else" and "City of Blinding Lights". "City of Blinding Lights" is an instant arena classic. It starts with a driving rhythm in the guitar, then the keyboards take over with a winding riff that descends finally into the main theme. It sets a flowing yet insistent tone that instantly makes you feel at home. Adam's bass comes into the picture and Edge takes a breath before rejoining the sound and providing the usual atmospherics. Then the chorus surges ahead. An unlikely "Ooh" chorus catches you off guard and before you can blink your fist is pounding the air shouting, "Oh! You! Look! So! Byooootifullll tonight!" The bridge pauses the action enough for a quick breath, but it's quickly back into the fray and bouncing all the way to the end.

Finally, "Love and Peace..." was a huge surprise for me and is an all-out assault on the senses. It warms up steadily for almost a minute with a dirty synth riff and an "ah" chorus before the first lyrics appear and the drums start skipping into the picture. But just when you wonder where it's going, it kicks into high gear. "Lay down your treasure/Lay down now brother," insists Bono. "We need some release/We need love and peace." You nod your head and play your air guitar until suddenly the music floats for a "Beautiful Day"-like bridge: "The troops on the ground/Are about to dig in/And I wonder where is the love". Then it happens. We touch the ground for a moment, and as you put your ear to the train track you can hear it coming. Far off at first, then closer and faster a siren begins to wail. It's a bloody emergency as the triplets ring out from Edge's upper register like the French police in hot pursuit. Larry joins in and echoes the siren on his snare before the whole thing comes to a breathless halt. It's fucking fantastic, and I dare say U2 have done few tunes so well.

Easily a four-star product, U2 have delivered an 11-song set that speaks well of their past accomplishments and bodes very well for whatever lies ahead. It's clear they've still got the spark, so the question is where do they go from here. The first destination is Miami in March to kick off the new tour. Their setlist in the surprise NYC gig Monday included the following songs from the new album, "Vertigo," "All Because Of You," "Miracle Drug," "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," "City of Blinding Lights," and "Original of the Species". We'll see what all they end up playing on the tour, but whatever it is, it's great to have a new album and thrilling to have one this electric.

jorgelito · 11-24-2004, 12:53 AM

Wow,

That is an excellent review - Very well written and thought out. But even more, I found it useful and informative. I was already feeling intrigued by the iPod commercials and wanted to find out more.

I suggest you send your review to some publication: Rolling Stone, Spin, metro newspaper...hey,you never know...

I will be picking up this album this weekend.

I am also looking forward to more of your reviews. What other groups/albums/artists/songs have yopu written about?

Jadedfox · 11-24-2004, 01:34 AM

Vertigo, in my opinion, is the best song on the album.

--jaded

snowy · 11-24-2004, 05:16 AM

Great review. Like with all of U2's albums I'm really hesitant to come out and say that I have a favorite song right off the bat, simply because I know my mind will change about 5,000 times. I suppose that's one of the things I love about U2--they make albums, not singles. If a song happens to be a single, great--but there are all these other awesome songs on the album. I know HTDAAB will turn out to be the same way.

And I'm with you, maestroxl...Pop is one of my favorite U2 albums...definitely underrated.

gdr2004 · 11-24-2004, 08:38 AM

Awesome review! I'm loving every single track of it. Joshua Tree can't be beat though IMHO.

Harry Cox · 11-24-2004, 12:54 PM

It has been playing constantly in my CD player since I got it yesterday.

Arroe · 11-24-2004, 02:42 PM

I can't stand their new single.... just sounds so bad to me.

That's my opinion, I never really cared for U2. Don't hate me!

QuasiMojo · 11-24-2004, 05:39 PM

Holy Geez!
This is one of the best(if not THEE best)written fan reviews I've ever read.
Maestroxl...if you're not touring with U2 you ought two.

I've only heard "Vertigo" and it has piqued an interest already picked. Your interesting review makes me want to delve a little deeper...sooner.

Thanks : )

maestroxl · 11-24-2004, 08:35 PM

I appreciate everyone's positive feedback. I'm a programmer and project manager right now, but I've been wanting for a while to be a writer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorgelito

I suggest you send your review to some publication: Rolling Stone, Spin, metro newspaper... I am also looking forward to more of your reviews. What other groups/albums/artists/songs have you written about?

Thanks for the encouragement. This is my first review of any substance. I think I will see if the local weekly has any interest. My only other reviews have been the bite-sized Amazon.com variety, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000HYVZ/ref=cm_aya_asin.title/002-7651165-1879267?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance">this one</a> of a Beethoven/Tchaikovsky disc.

BEG4MERCY · 11-24-2004, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadedfox

Vertigo, in my opinion, is the best song on the album.

--jaded

true that! so catchy, plus it's everywhere

the cd's not too bad, i still prefer their best of 80s-90s cd

jorgelito · 11-25-2004, 12:01 AM

*gasp* maestroxl, you're my new friend...*sniff* And you like classical too!

Could jazz be next?

I'm going to check out your review. If you want, I'll let you know what I think later.

maestroxl · 11-25-2004, 01:21 PM

Criticisms always welcome!

maestroxl · 03-08-2005, 08:11 PM

To follow up, now that I've been listening for several months... My favorite songs are now "City of Blinding Light" and "All Because of You". "A Man and a Woman" is close behind. I still dislike "Original of the Species". I hadn't noted it in my original review, but thought it interesting that all the songs on this album have a definite ending, unlike perhaps all of their other albums where at least one or more songs fade out at the end.

11-23-2004, 11:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
maestroxl buck fush Location: Tucson, AZ	Review: U2's New How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb The new U2 album was released today. But thanks to <a href="http://bittorrent.com/">BitTorrent</a>, I've been enjoying it since last Tuesday. I've been following the ups and downs, starts and stops of the album ever since it began to be discussed not so long after the close of the Elevation tour in '02. There had been speculation that it might be released last fall, but ultimately the band decided it needed more, so back they went into the studio, armed with a new producer and fresh determination. The result is an album not intended to yield--like U2's output of the previous decade so determinedly pursued--musical breakthrough and critical acclaim. Their second album of the new century, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (HTDAAB), is thoroughly musical, just not revolutionarily so. The waning years of a century, and certainly of a millennium, have historically accompanied a sense of impending apocalypse. With the 2000 year mark approaching, the '90s saw the future come alive in Hollywood, in science and technology, and in Achtung Baby and Zooropa. U2 redefined themselves, and arguably the rock album and tour with the Zoo TV tour during the first half of the decade. Edge, Larry and Adam with extra help from producer Brian Eno crafted twitchy keyboards, searing guitars, intricate and off-balance drum loops and leaping, insistent bass lines. Out front, Bono borrowed from Bowie and fashioned an outsized persona to evangelize for a new, sophisticated rock -n- roll in the most overpowering, sensory-overloaded stadium tours seen before or since. U2 attempted to push the sonic envelope one step too far to be able to keep up with themselves, and mismanaged the production and release of 1997's Pop. Though it sold between 7 and 8 million copies worldwide (1.5 here in the states), it fell far short commercially of previous efforts like 1991's Achtung Baby (over 8 million sold in the U.S. alone), 1988's Rattle and Hum (over 5 million), and the mother of them all, 1987's The Joshua Tree (over 10 million in the states, almost 15 million worldwide). 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind (ATYCLB) came along, and essentially found four guys playing their instruments in the same room together again. More than its pared-back electronica, more than just a return to roots, U2 were searching for how they best complimented each other and how they could best make music together, rather than how they could best push the techno-musical envelope. In other words, it was more about making music than musical history. I am a fan of their '90s work. I think Achtung Baby is either their second-best or best album or tied with The Joshua Tree for the honor, depending on the week. Zooropa had the spunky "Lemon" and the timeless "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" as well as one of my favorites "The First Time". I even liked Pop ... a lot. It has some of U2's grooviest and most flat-out rocking tunes, like "Do You Feel Loved?", "Mofo", "Gone" and "Please". I heard U2 pushing the limits and wasn't necessarily ready for them to pull back. But I was very happy with ATYCLB, and still adore "Kite", "When I Look at the World" and "Grace". HTDAAB caught me by surprise. As I said, I had been hearing about the album for a couple of years, but hadn't heard any of the material and wasn't quite sure what to expect. "Vertigo" came out, and my ears tingled with anticipation. It sounded so dirty and raspy and punky. I had heard rumors that the new album was going to be guitar-heavy, a return to punk, real rock-and-roll. Now that I know the album, I'm not sure which, if any, of those labels fits best. What I can say is that the songs are instantly interesting and gradually unforgettable. Let's get the clunkers out of the way. I don't care for "Original of the Species". Aside from the couple of lyrics that make me cringe ("I’ll give you everything you want/Except the thing you want"), my ear has a hard time with the transition from the verse to the chorus. It just feels like the chord should resolve somehow differently to me. And though I think "Crumbs From Your Table" is a good song, it just feels like it was destined for a B side ("Cool down mama, cool off" -huh?), and in the final reckoning had the right tempo or lyrics to plug in to a slot. Now, for the rest. "Vertigo" is a solid opener and a natural first single. The Edge's guitar is radioactive and Adam plays the hell out of that delicious bass groove. Yes, it's slightly silly, but it's also fun. "Miracle Drug", like most of its companion songs, is a "builder"--that patented U2 creation that births gently and becomes a monster by the bridge before exploding in chiming guitar, pulsing bass, crashing drums and crooning Bono. It introduces one of the potent themes on the album: "I’ve had enough of romantic love/I’d give it up, yeah, I’d give it up". This theme resurfaces in "A Man and A Woman" (whose guitar and melody take me strangely back to "Love Comes Tumbling" on the old EP <i>Wide Awake In America</i>): "I could never take a chance/Of losing love to find romance". Its cousin, "All Because of You", harkens back to "Desire". The energetic drums keep it pumping through the pedestrian verse to the rocking and soaring chorus. It easily contains the best rhyme on the album--force the third line to rhyme with the first two--"I like the sound of my own voice/I didn't give anyone else a choice/An intellectual tortoise/Racing with your bullet train". "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and "One Step Closer" both deal with Bono's dad's death in 2001. The latter is a nice song (and the favorite so far of two female coworkers) but I prefer "Sometimes...". It's perfectly crafted, and should become a serious hit. "Yahweh" is a benedictory in line with "40", "Wake Up, Dead Man" and "Grace". It's less melancholy than "Wake Up..." less poignant than "Grace" and more upbeat and hopeful like "40". Now, the two gems on the album are "Love and Peace or Else" and "City of Blinding Lights". "City of Blinding Lights" is an instant arena classic. It starts with a driving rhythm in the guitar, then the keyboards take over with a winding riff that descends finally into the main theme. It sets a flowing yet insistent tone that instantly makes you feel at home. Adam's bass comes into the picture and Edge takes a breath before rejoining the sound and providing the usual atmospherics. Then the chorus surges ahead. An unlikely "Ooh" chorus catches you off guard and before you can blink your fist is pounding the air shouting, "Oh! You! Look! So! Byooootifullll tonight!" The bridge pauses the action enough for a quick breath, but it's quickly back into the fray and bouncing all the way to the end. Finally, "Love and Peace..." was a huge surprise for me and is an all-out assault on the senses. It warms up steadily for almost a minute with a dirty synth riff and an "ah" chorus before the first lyrics appear and the drums start skipping into the picture. But just when you wonder where it's going, it kicks into high gear. "Lay down your treasure/Lay down now brother," insists Bono. "We need some release/We need love and peace." You nod your head and play your air guitar until suddenly the music floats for a "Beautiful Day"-like bridge: "The troops on the ground/Are about to dig in/And I wonder where is the love". Then it happens. We touch the ground for a moment, and as you put your ear to the train track you can hear it coming. Far off at first, then closer and faster a siren begins to wail. It's a bloody emergency as the triplets ring out from Edge's upper register like the French police in hot pursuit. Larry joins in and echoes the siren on his snare before the whole thing comes to a breathless halt. It's fucking fantastic, and I dare say U2 have done few tunes so well. Easily a four-star product, U2 have delivered an 11-song set that speaks well of their past accomplishments and bodes very well for whatever lies ahead. It's clear they've still got the spark, so the question is where do they go from here. The first destination is Miami in March to kick off the new tour. Their setlist in the surprise NYC gig Monday included the following songs from the new album, "Vertigo," "All Because Of You," "Miracle Drug," "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," "City of Blinding Lights," and "Original of the Species". We'll see what all they end up playing on the tour, but whatever it is, it's great to have a new album and thrilling to have one this electric. __________________ be the change you want

11-24-2004, 01:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jadedfox Egocentric Location: World of Warcraft	Vertigo, in my opinion, is the best song on the album. --jaded __________________ There is no fucking you, there is only me.

11-24-2004, 05:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Great review. Like with all of U2's albums I'm really hesitant to come out and say that I have a favorite song right off the bat, simply because I know my mind will change about 5,000 times. I suppose that's one of the things I love about U2--they make albums, not singles. If a song happens to be a single, great--but there are all these other awesome songs on the album. I know HTDAAB will turn out to be the same way. And I'm with you, maestroxl...Pop is one of my favorite U2 albums...definitely underrated. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

11-24-2004, 05:39 PM	#8 (permalink)
QuasiMojo King Knave Location: Lancaster	Holy Geez! This is one of the best(if not THEE best)written fan reviews I've ever read. Maestroxl...if you're not touring with U2 you ought two. I've only heard "Vertigo" and it has piqued an interest already picked. Your interesting review makes me want to delve a little deeper...sooner. Thanks : ) __________________ AzAbOv ZoBeLoE

11-25-2004, 01:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
maestroxl buck fush Location: Tucson, AZ	Criticisms always welcome! __________________ be the change you want

11-24-2004, 12:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	Wow, That is an excellent review - Very well written and thought out. But even more, I found it useful and informative. I was already feeling intrigued by the iPod commercials and wanted to find out more. I suggest you send your review to some publication: Rolling Stone, Spin, metro newspaper...hey,you never know... I will be picking up this album this weekend. I am also looking forward to more of your reviews. What other groups/albums/artists/songs have yopu written about?

11-24-2004, 08:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
gdr2004 Crazy Location: CA	Awesome review! I'm loving every single track of it. Joshua Tree can't be beat though IMHO.

11-24-2004, 12:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
Harry Cox Insane	It has been playing constantly in my CD player since I got it yesterday.

11-24-2004, 02:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Arroe Insane Location: USA	I can't stand their new single.... just sounds so bad to me. That's my opinion, I never really cared for U2. Don't hate me!

11-25-2004, 12:01 AM	#11 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	gasp maestroxl, you're my new friend...sniff And you like classical too! Could jazz be next? I'm going to check out your review. If you want, I'll let you know what I think later.

03-08-2005, 08:11 PM	#13 (permalink)
maestroxl buck fush Location: Tucson, AZ	To follow up, now that I've been listening for several months... My favorite songs are now "City of Blinding Light" and "All Because of You". "A Man and a Woman" is close behind. I still dislike "Original of the Species". I hadn't noted it in my original review, but thought it interesting that all the songs on this album have a definite ending, unlike perhaps all of their other albums where at least one or more songs fade out at the end. __________________ be the change you want