Yeah....so I finally got around to listening to the new album!

What a concept!

Overall I think it's an excellent album. Not my favourite, but certainly great and growing on me the more I listen. It's definitely one of these albums where you hear different things each time and it has a lot of depth. Funnily enough, the first time I listened to it I was thrilled, the second time I thought "uhoh...this isn't as good as I thought" and then continued to have a range of positive and negative feelings for the next 5 or so listens. I'm still trying to figure it all out.

Before I say more about the album, I have to say I don't agree with all the biting criticism of ATYCLB and HTDAAB that I'm hearing everywhere. I think there are some FANTASTIC songs on both of those albums...songs that I consider utmost classics (Walk On, Kite, COBL, OOTS, Miracle Drug,)..I mean come ON! I enjoyed the last two albums very much, and just because they aren't JT and AB, doesn't mean they aren't excellent. And what fantastic tours they spawned!

Speaking of U2 bashing being in vogue...I remember that time our small group had
coffee with Bono in Toronto during Zoo TV it was all the rage to dis Rattle & Hum. In fact, the group I was with was very vocal in their distaste of the movie and the album and Bono seemed quite glum about it but seemed to agree, so I kept my mouth shut. I should have said how much I enjoyed both, but I chickened out. So that's why I felt the need to say a good word about the last two albums.

Anyway, back to the album at hand. First of all for me, songs are all about melody and majesty,something that U2 possesses in spades. This is not their most melodic or majestic album, but it has its moments.

I am not a fan of the speak singing. Maybe in small doses, but they overdo it on this album. Stand Up Comedy would be SO much better if it were sung and not spoken. I'm not a big Bob Dylan fan (I appreciate him, but never go out of my way to listen to him - perhaps that's my loss!) so that comparison doesn't help much. I do LOVE the instrumental part of that song - it's got a great groove. It's definitely in my top 3 on the album, I just think it would be better without the talking.

I actually can't STAND the fist half of Breathe, (and that cockatoo lyric!! It makes me cringe!!!) but then suddenly as of Edge's solo it becomes a great and soaring song. I don't get it.

I think Magnificent is highly overrated, but it is growing on me, so who knows...after I see it live in the stadium I might like it better. It's just that people go on and ON about it. Maybe it's the subject matter (I'm a spiritual person - a hopeful and open minded agnostic is how I'd put it - but sadly I can never really relate to the Christian aspect of U2 - I wish I could!) or maybe it's that it sounds like a long lost track from October (both the sound and the subject matter)...I don't know. But it did sound a lot better when played on Letterman, with Edge's guitar more up front.

Moment of Surrender is my favorite for sure (love it!) followed by Unknown Caller, which I also love!!

NLOTH is very good, I love the verses but the chorus falls a little flat for me. I had hoped to hear it on Letterman, but oh well.... Crazy tonight is enjoyable, but I'm not jumping out of my chair, as Simon Cowell would say. It's Paul's fave track on the album I think. I'm not so sure about that falsetto either. It's quite distracting.

I really like Boots...very catchy and contrasts nicely with the other songs.

I just don't get White as Snow. I am listening and listening and trying and trying...but it's not doing it for me. I actually like Being Born a lot better. Cedars is just another of these moody end of record songs...not really my cup of tea.

Wow, that sounded a lot more critical than I meant it to. But that might be a good sign. I hated AB when I first heard it and look how that turned out! I have no doubt that I will adore it after my first live show....and I guess that will be April 3 when I go to Toronto to hear Elevation debut the new songs!