It has been tough to ignore U2 over the past week and a half (not that I'd want to). With stints on Letterman and Good Morning America, and an impressive ad campaign, it was easy to get excited about their new album, No Line on the Horizon.
I have only had it for a few days (thank you $3.99 Amazon MP3). Early impressions are good. I don't know that I'd agree with U2's self-proclaimed "Revolution of Music As We Know It" claims, but it is a darn good rock album.
Get On Your Boots
When I first heard Get On Your Boots on the radio last month I quickly tagged it to a one-hit-wonder from my Jr. High days: Wild Wild West by Escape Club. At least one other person on Youtube agrees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihO74PzCp8
Other tracks of early interest:
Other tracks of early interest:
7 - Stand Up Comedy
This is my current favorite on the album, and it includes my favorite lyric so far: "Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady."
2 - Magnificent
This is Blake's favorite (age 5). He often gets stuck on one song in the car, and asks for it to be played over and over. We've gone through Bon Jovi, Jason Mraz, and various others. I'm excited that he knows what he likes.
I've also overheard him singing, "Get on your boots! Yeah, yeah!" around the house this week.
9 - O come, O come Emmanuel (err... White as Snow)
Janelle pointed out early on that this song sounds eerily familiar -- it starts VERY similar to the classic Christmas ballad. That being said, I'm a fan of this one too.
Overall, I'm liking the album a lot; I haven't listened to much else since I got it. To me, artists like U2 are modern-day poets (though I'm sure modern-day poets disagree -- I just don't know any and don't listen to their stuff). I love to hear what artists have to say and to experience the way they choose to express it.
If you haven't heard the album yet, you can listen to every track on U2.com. Here's the direct link: http://www.u2.com/soundandvision/index
What do you think? A revolution? Just good marketing?
4 comments:
I haven't listened to anything from the album yet except for the much overplayed "get on your boots" (apparently a reference to sex prophylactics in Africa fyi).
As for the marketing of this, it has been ingenious. U2 was on the British airwaves so much BBC was renamed the Bono Broadcasting Corp. Then just this week there 3 separate 1 hour specials on BXR. It is crazy the publicity they have gotten and much of it for free it seems (not having been privy to the actual details).
One final thought, modern day poets only wish they could be as good as Bono and the gang.
I am thrilled that Blake is obsessed with Magnificent because I am too! BTW, I also heard him break out into 27 Jennifers today. I love the new U2 album. But I am shamelessly biased on all things Bono - the guy could sing about fuzzy pink dice and I would feel
inspi(red).
I just heard "Magnificent" on the hard rock station (100.1) on the way home. I wonder if it's the next single...
It takes days (maybe weeks) before I can articulate my thoughts and feelings on anything U2. My review is brewing.
I appreciate the early thoughts. Magnificent really is, isn't it. That was one of the songs they sang from the BBC rooftop and on Letterman. So we can be assured it will be in the concert.
BTW, like any U2 song, Boots has many layers, not just condoms. Bono discusses it in more depth in the New York Times. Regardless, the song is best enjoyed at high volume with strong bass. Otherwise, it loses half its strength. At the concert, many will be won over to the song is my prediction.
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