New Music: U2, No Line on the Horizon; Bell X1, Blue Lights on the Runway
When two Irish bands release new albums at the same time, you know it’s going to be a good week. The differences between these two bands, their albums and the manner of their release, however, could not be more stark. U2 is pondering their mortality and trying to live up to their past, after two good-but-not-great efforts (at least, compared with the stellar level of say, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby), while Bell X1 is just coming out of its turbulent adolesence after their inspiring breakout album, Flock.
The way these two albums are getting to fans is perhaps their most marked difference. Bell X1 has been an indie darling of sorts, popping up on TV shows and music critics top ten lists, but you know you’re an indie band when you release an album and the most exposure you can hope for is a decent review in a music magazine. By contrast, U2 has pulled out all the stops, even for them. The marketing machine is in full roar and the band is just everywhere, including an unprecedented weeklong run on Letterman (presumably, Joaquin Phoenix will not be stting in). Somehow though, the over-the-top marketing effort is coming off as less as a crass hard sell and more as evidence that this iconic band has made an album that they are unabashedly proud of and they just want to make sure you know it.
And wow, when they’re right, they’re right. This is an album that will stand unashamed, with its head held high, alongside the very best the band has ever done. And yes, that’s saying something. There are obvious corollaries here with past work (and let’s face it, how could there not be), with “Get on your Boots” leading the way as the inoffensive, danceable offspring of “Elevation” and “Vertigo.”
There are other throwbacks that are more welcome (Edge’s chiming guitar riffs and Bono’s self-referential lyrics on “Magnificent” pay homage to The Unforgetable Fire in the best possible way) and a couple that are a little less so (The slow-moving beat and earnest chord progression of “Moment of Surrender” sounds way too familiar and gets a little precious), but there are also many departures: Edge is waaaaaay hookier than he has ever been, with a focus on bringing you in and keeping you there rather than showing off his electro-sonic vitrtuosity. His guitar, in general, is more growly and industrial sounding than at any time since Achtung, and it’s good to have that sound back again.
The bottom line is that most of the songs on this album would have made the top three on most previous U2 albums. Even when the band inevitably goes all experimental and quirky, like on “Fez, Being Born” (which, to me, is the weakest track) it still works well enough. The album hits its hottest and highest point with “Breathe,” a grand old guitar-driven hard-rocking moan-fest in the vein of “Bullet the Blue Sky” that features a keyboard part, of all things (who’s going to play that on tour?).
A new U2 album can be anything from a mild disappointment (Pop) to life-altering event (Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby). Put this one in the latter category.
Blue Lights on the Runway is a less ambitious album, but that’s probably a good thing. We all know the pitfalls of swinging for the fences when following an earlier success. It’s an unfortunate part of life for a band like Bell X1 (and any other moderately successful, younger band from the British Isles, it seems), that you can’t make an album without getting compared to a certain other band from the UK that had breakout success a few years ago (and no, I’m not going to mention that band’s name, because comparisons to it are like a plague and must be stopped).
But comparing this album with its predecessor is much more instructive, and it’s here that the album is really placed in context. Flock’s greatness came primarily from it’s emotion and energy. This album is more confident and mature–which, admittedly, is not always a good thing. In this case, however, the band mostly manages to build on the success of the previous work while exploring new directions in electronica and blues-influenced sounds and beats (which is, I guess, what the title is getting at).
But before you decide that this is Bell X1′s Rattle and Hum, take a listen to tracks like “Light Catches Your Face” which may be the most achingly beautiful ballad written in years. Bell X1 is not U2 yet, but it is a band that knows exactly what it’s doing and where it’s going, and it’s making some great music on its way there. This album is a solid step forward in that journey.
good review MCQ — thanks.
Comment by Supergenius — March 3, 2009 @ 9:32 pm
If a song is comparably good to “Bullet the Blue Sky”, then that by itself is enough to get my interest.
Comment by danithew — March 3, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
Nice reviews. I’ve gone from maybe purchase to probably purchase on the U2 album.
Comment by jjohnsen — March 3, 2009 @ 11:12 pm
Haven’t heard either of these albums yet, thanks for the reviews.
Surprised you didn’t mention that the first U2 single sounds a lot like Queens of the Stone Age. Does the rest of the album?
Comment by Susan M — March 3, 2009 @ 11:22 pm
Susan, Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of that comparison. I’ll have to listen to Queens again. Any particular track?
Comment by MCQ — March 3, 2009 @ 11:30 pm
I am on my fourth time through with the U2 album and it is definitely one that grows on you. Nothing really jumps out and grabs you from the start but as I keep listening it is really getting good. I am not disappointed at all. Initial favourites are:
Moment of Surrender
Unknown Caller
I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight.
Stand Up Comedy
White as Snow
And I have seen rumours of a second album before the year is out featuring some more of the experimental stuff they came up with working on this album. Possible including some reggae influences.
Comment by TStevens — March 4, 2009 @ 7:44 am
Amazon has the new U2 album on sale as a digital download right now for $4. I still don’t think I’ll get it. MCQ’s review aside, I’m hearing terrible things (on par with Zooropa, etc.) about it.
Comment by BTD Greg — March 4, 2009 @ 8:28 am
Wow. I’ll have to get it. I was so ridiculously underwhelmed by that single they released and the intentionally flat singing. (It drove me bananas) It sounds like it is more like their last one in that it doesn’t grab you but grows on you.
I’ll have to try it.
Comment by Clark — March 4, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Greg, that’s funny: Time magazine didn’t like the album but they put Zooropa in the “essential-must have” category. Other than Time, most of the reviews have put this album in the good to great category. For example, Rolling Stone gave it five stars, Entertainment Weekly gave it an A-.
Opinions will differ, of course, but listen to the tracks online. Once you listen a few times, I don’t think there’s any way you can conclude that this is a terrible album. You may not agree that it’s one of their best, but I think you will find that, at minimum, there are some good songs here.
Comment by MCQ — March 4, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
What’s the album’s Metacritic score? I was led to believe that the Rolling Stone review was an outlier.
Comment by BTD Greg — March 4, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
I actually liked Zooropa a lot. It wasn’t in the realm of their four prior albums but I think was a bit unfairly slammed. (The Johnny Cash song alone is a classic) Pop was pretty lame – it felt unfinished. But the songs were catchy. Dismantle was the one that I think divided a lot of people. It was an excellent album but without their typical catchy songs. As I said their current single sucks in my opinion. So I’m curious as to what else they have. Even though I love Dismantal with one exception there’s no song that makes me put it into a mix. Rather it’s an album I listen to whole.
Comment by Clark — March 4, 2009 @ 2:20 pm
Greg, the metacritic score is 74, with RS and Blender both giving 100 scores. EW comes in at 91 and there are a lot of 80s. The scores at the bottom of the scale come from, in my opinion, less credible sources.
Clark, I mostly agree with that, although I think I like the new single more than you do. I just think it’s formulaic. The one classic song that came out of Dismantle was “City of Blinding Light” which, in my opinion, should be on every U2 mix.
Comment by MCQ — March 4, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
Zooropa was awful. I can’t remember being more disappointed in an album.
Dismantle and ATYCLB were okay but there were too many songs that never stuck. There was really only one great song from each album, City of Blinding Lights and In a Little While.
I think POP was the last good complete album they’ve made. Do You Feel Loved, If God Will Send His Angels, Gone, Miami, If You Wear that Velvet Dress, and Please all make my U2 mix.
Comment by Tim J — March 4, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
I see a title with “U2″ and “Bell X1″ that whets my Cold War aerospace apetite, and then . . . just a music review.
Comment by John Mansfield — March 4, 2009 @ 4:08 pm
MCQ: what Tim J said about Pop, except I’d add even more of the songs to my U2 favorites list.
Clark: U2 admitted that Pop was rushed, hence the remakes on their subsequent Best Of album.
Comment by BrianJ — March 4, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
Jeez, what kind of a world is it where people proclaim Zooropa and Pop (?!) to be two of U2′s greatest albums? I feel like I’ve stepped into bizarro-land.
Comment by BTD Greg — March 4, 2009 @ 4:50 pm
LOL, Greg. I don’t think POP is one of their best. I just think it’s their best since Achtung Baby. If we’re ranking albums, I’d go something like:
Joshua Tree
Unforgettable Fire
Achtung Baby
War
Boy
October
Rattle & Hum
Pop
All That You Can’t Leave Behind
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Zooropa
Comment by Tim J — March 4, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
I agree, Greg. Zooropa and Pop are my two least favorite, although I think both have some good points. That’s why I was surprised by the Time article that put Zooropa in the top three.
Tim, I like everything on ATYCLB (with the exception of “Wild Honey”), but I would put “Kite,” “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On” at the top of my list from that album.
I think you are definitely in the minority in your view of Pop as an album.
John, yes, there is a distinct similarity in the names of U2 and Bell X1, and in the names of these two albums. The fact that they came out on the same day makes me believe that Bell X1 is continuing a long tradition of patterning themselves after U2.
Comment by MCQ — March 4, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
Oh, I get it Tim. That’s not so unusual, although I think most people would rank the last two albums higher than that.
Comment by MCQ — March 4, 2009 @ 5:34 pm
[...] Please see my review of these new albums here. [...]
Pingback by New Music: U2, No Line on the Horizon; Bell X1, Blue Lights on the Runway « MCQESQ — March 4, 2009 @ 7:26 pm
Brian, I honestly didn’t know they remixed them on their Best of. I’ll have to check that out now.
Tim, I can’t believe you put Rattle and Hum so low. And I love Unforgettable Fire (it has my all time favorite song Bad on it) but I couldn’t put it above War, Achtung Baby or Joshua Tree. October I’m mixed on. However overall it’s hard to rank since so many of their albums are fantastic.
Comment by Clark — March 4, 2009 @ 7:27 pm
Tim J: now that you’ve committed that sacrilege, please rank your children as well.
Comment by BrianJ — March 4, 2009 @ 7:29 pm
HA!
After Joshua Tree I could really put Fire, Achtung, and War in just about any order. I think from beginning to end Achtung is probably the strongest of the three, but Unforgettable Fire has some amazing tracks like A Sort of Homecoming, Bad, and a personal fave Elvis Presley and America. And MLK is probably my favorite closing track of any U2 album though “40″ comes pretty close.
I might move R&H up a spot on my list past October, but I couldn’t put it past any of the others. Now, had they included a few more of the live tracks that were in the movie like Bad (awesome live) or Running to Stand Still I might be more inclined.
I thought the first half of ATYCLB was really, really good. But I could do without the second half.
Comment by Tim J — March 4, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
And while I dig the Johnny Cash song on Zooropa, U2′s best pairing with a washed-up country star will always be with Willie Nelson for Slow Dancing.
Comment by Tim J — March 4, 2009 @ 10:50 pm
Washed up? That was during Cash’s renaissance with his collaborations with Rick Rubin. Arguably the most productive era of his whole career.
Comment by Clark — March 4, 2009 @ 11:19 pm
Tongue-in-cheek.
Comment by Tim J — March 4, 2009 @ 11:27 pm
There you go. Once again proving I’m an idiot.
I finally got the album. I’m listening to it now and am about halfway through it. The rest is better than that single they released. It’s very, very unlike anything they’ve done. Parts really remind me of their pre-Joshua Tree stuff. Other parts have that weird 80′s vibe as well but pretty unlike U2. More like experimental stuff from that era.
Thus far it hasn’t hit me like the other albums did. It’s like their 80′s stuff that wasn’t as catchy. You liked it because you liked the album, but there’s definitely none of their great songs thus far.
Comment by Clark — March 5, 2009 @ 1:16 am
Thus far I’m starting to dig it. I think Moment of Surrender would definitely make it onto a playlist.
I really wanted to like Breath and it may still grow on me. But right now I kind of feel that, for lack of a better phrase, they are trying to hard. It does hearken to some classic U2 pieces though.
No Line on the Horizon I like a lot too. It’s not great and is a bit unoriginal. But it works on its own terms. (And they don’t sing flat)
Standup Comedy is a bit fluffy but is easily the most catchy tune on the album and probably would make a playlist.
White as Snow is trying to be something but comes off like a bit of an “edgy” Christmas song ballad somehow. Maybe I’ll like that more later.
Comment by Clark — March 5, 2009 @ 1:44 am
I think Zooropa needs another listen from many people. It seems that conventional wisdom did that album wrong. Given everything that has come since then, that album stands out as distinctly lacking in cheese. “Numb” and “Lemon” are gimmicky but “Lemon” sounds effortless and unforced in its weird way and “Stay” is a masterpiece. The sound is also quite good.
JT>War=UF>Boy>Achtung Baby>Zooropa>October=R&H>The Rest
Comment by Pinko Punko — March 5, 2009 @ 3:20 am
Call me a heathen, I own Achtung Baby and that’s it. The rest has a few good songs here and there. I sampled this new one on itunes, and nothing grabs me.
Comment by Ben — March 5, 2009 @ 10:14 am
Heathen!
Comment by TStevens — March 5, 2009 @ 11:12 am
Zooropa was, I thought, a natural progression from Achtung Baby during the development of techno in the 90′s. If I recall it was originally going to be a mini-album like they used to do in the 80′s and they just had too much stuff. I really like it.
This one, while definitely having pre-Joshua Tree 80′s vibe also is a new move for U2 like Zooropa was. I can’t decide yet if it is better or worse than Zooropa. Thus far I think its catchier than Dismantle but I like Dismantle a little better. But I’ve only listened to the new one twice. With the exception of two tracks Dismantle didn’t catch me immediately.
Comment by Clark — March 5, 2009 @ 11:16 am
I finally got around to listening to it. I can definitely see how it could grow on you. I’m surprised they went with “Boots” for their first single as it’s among the 2 or 3 worst tracks on the album.
The first three songs are all very, very good. I keep going back and forth on “Unknown Caller”. Just when I was about to hit skip, it would grab me back in.
“I’ll Go Crazy…” is decent. I skipped “Stand Up for Comedy” and don’t care to listen to it again. Weird song.
“FEZ” is meh. “White as Snow” is good but a bit boring. “Breathe” could really grow on me. I’ve heard bad things about “Cedars of Lebanon”, but I kind of like it. In fact, I think that’s the kind of stuff U2 needs to do more of. Slow the pace down a little, keep it simple, and let Bono do his thing (See: “In a Little While”).
Comment by Tim J — March 5, 2009 @ 12:58 pm
Anyone listen to Neko Case’s latest? I just got it although I’ve not had a moment to listen to it yet. I’ve heard it’s quite good.
Comment by Clark — March 5, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
Clark, don’t change the subject.
Tim, it’s “Stand Up Comedy” not Stand Up For Comedy,” and it’s now my favorite song on the album.
I had to go to court today in Provo, so I listened to the U2 album all the way there and back. It really benefits from repeated listening, especially the slower songs. The biggest surprises to me were that I really have now come to like “Moment of Surrender” and “White As Snow.” At first, I thought “White As Snow” sounded a bit like a song I dislike from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (I know, weird, right?) but after several listens now, I really like it, especially the lyrics. I even like Fez now.
Another surprise was “Stand Up Comedy.” I had previously not paid much attention to it but on repeated listens the guitar riff as addictive as crack and the lyrics are hilarious (sample: “Stop helping God across the street like a little old lady”). This is just an amazing rock song.
“I’ll Go Crazy…” is also one that only gets better the more you hear it. Oddly, I felt the same way about “Get On Your Boots.” I think it’s supposed to be fun, and doggone it, it is fun!
Comment by MCQ — March 5, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
This album has really grown on me. But I have to concur with Tim. Who on earth thought Get On Your Boots was the track to lead with? (Of course I was pretty curious about some of the tracks they’ve picked in the past as well)
I’d have led off with No Line on the Horizon which has become my favorite song on the album. (Although I still really like Stand Up Comedy”)
So no love for Neko Case…
Comment by Clark — March 6, 2009 @ 11:36 am
Clark, you should review it. Love Neko.
Comment by Supergenius — March 6, 2009 @ 11:39 am
I agree, review it Clark!
I think the first single is chosen by the label. It’s always the one they think is most “marketable.” Usually, it’s not the best song on the album, but maybe it is the most “accessible” by the largest group of people (if that makes sense).
Comment by MCQ — March 6, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
So far my favorite song on the album is “Breathe” with “No Line on the Horizon” maybe coming next.
I’ve only had a couple of listens. Maybe it will grow on me more. I don’t yet feel this album standing out from the crowd (of other U2 albums) in any exceptional way.
At the same time, I’m aware that a number of people say it gets better as you listen to it more and I haven’t been blasting this at home – just listening to it lightly in the background at work.
Comment by danithew — March 6, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
Okay – I’ve given the album a few more listens and it’s already becoming more interesting. I’m going to have to hold off judgment for awhile until I’m more familiar with the whole thing.
Comment by danithew — March 6, 2009 @ 3:03 pm
I’ve now changed my mind again on my favorite song. It’s now “Unknown Caller.” It reminds me just a little bit of “Bad” which is my favorite U2 song ever.
Comment by MCQ — March 6, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
I’m no good reviewing albums.
I’ll say I really like the new Neko Case album although like most of hers before it’s mixed. There’s nothing on it quite as haunting as say Furnace Room Lullaby from the album of the same name. But a few tracks come close. The album definitely has more of a 60′s feel to it with a bit of Mazzy Star thrown in by way of Nancy Sinatra. (Which is a good thing)
I never really got into The New Pornographers. I’ve thought her solo stuff was always much better. This is for the most part a really parred down album. Very simple. It’s almost more folksy in an early 70′s way than most of her other albums that had much more of a country vibe. As such I think I like it better than several of her albums. (Say Starbucks where she seemed to be channeling Loretta Lynn a tad too much)
I’ve only listened to it twice so far. (I’ve been captivated by U2 since my third listening) Nothing on the album though really grabs me the way Twist the Knife, Furnace Room Lullaby, South Tacoma Way, or Knock Loud did off various earlier albums. In a way it’s like U2. I like it. But there’s no one song that really, really grabs me the way prior albums had.
Comment by Clark — March 6, 2009 @ 11:58 pm
Having listen to it endlessly, plus the Fordham clips on you tube, I am going with I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t go Crazy Tonight as my favorite.
Comment by TStevens — March 7, 2009 @ 9:59 pm