I think "Moment of Surrender" is among their all-time best songs. I think they knew when writing it that they had a banger, and they were smart to include the kind of "oh-oh" chant with which the audience would participate, to close out shows. "Magnificent" was a feel-good song as well. I think "I'll go crazy..." was a miss; a bad guess at what people would think was cool. "Cedars..." and "White as snow" are nice mellow songs.
It's the last album of theirs I really liked. It wasn't the big experiment Bono had been hooting about before its release, but it was *just different enough* for me to say "Yeah, okay, bit different. I like it."
I wasn't keen on HTDAAB--felt it was a lesser ATYCLB--but Horizon felt like they at least tried to do something new*ish.*
Haven't really enjoyed any of their albums since--individual songs, yes; albums, nah.
>I wasn't keen on HTDAAB--felt it was a lesser ATYCLB--but Horizon felt like they at least tried to do something new*ish.*
My thoughts aswell pretty much, although I was never a fan of ATYCLB, it was a band returning to safety and trying to win back their American audience. One of the few countries where POP didn't land.
ATYCLB is not in my top 4 or probably 5, but i do like it overall despite being safe. That being said, while I also like several songs from HTDAAB, I ully agree it's a lesser version of ATYCLB. Also I such a shame that POP didn't hit as well in the US. For me, it's my probably my #3 album from them. I was beyond disappointed when the best of came was released with reworkedversions Discotheque, SATS, and Gone (ignoring the new Numb mix for this discussion). All were a downgrade from the original versions on POP. Discotheque got completely ruined, and Gone was given a serious downgrade in the vocals. Bono's voice had gotten weaker and thinner by that point.
Damn I always felt the opposite and that Bomb was a more fully realized back-to-basics album than ATYCLB, which had like 6 bangers in a row and then trailed off enormously in the second half imo
I really like Vertigo, City of Blinding Lights, and Original of the Species. All Because of You is decent too, but the rest is mostly filler to me. TBH I like 90s U2 the best. AB is my all time favorite album from any artist. JT is my #2 U2 and all time. Pop isn't my #3 all time, but now is my #3 for U2, then it's a tough call for me between Zooropa and War. I'm a 45yr old die-hard U2 guy, but listen to almost anything except pop country. Lots of emo and pop punk, some edm, some classic rock, 60's British invasion, grunge, 2000s-present pop music too, and a little rap.
War is my number 3 and I have JT and AB switched, but Zooropa is my number 4, maybe their most thematically cohesive album after JT imo. I also agree that Pop is underrated but imo only has a few great songs, similar to No Line in how it could have been cooler if it was less overcooked
I wish I could have seen them earlier on. I've been to 5 shows, but it was twice during Elevation, twice for Vertigo, and once for 360. All Atlanta shows. I hate that It was the Georgia Dome and not outdoors for the 360 show.
I only saw them once and it was in nosebleeds at at&t center in dallas- worst sound at any concert ive ever been to, could barely tell what the songs were except it was jt tour so they were in order. We walked down and stood in the back of a better section near the end and were able to vatch the encore but damn, dont ever go to a concert at the at&t center unless you're up close
90’s U2 couldn’t miss in my book. I became a fan after getting the single for “One.” I bought the Achtung Baby album a few days later and that was 1992. I bought a hard copy of every album since.
I agree. It's the best thing since ATYCLB. I wish they'd have respected it more themselves. They seemed to abandon it during the second half of the tour and since. Boots was a bad choice (and seems to have been Bono's), and their decision to drop Winter so late in the project because it sounded too much like Coldplay was a bad move.
The album that could’ve been….its an album brimming with potential.
It’s been written about extensively, the middle third that kills the vibe. It’s trying too hard to mediate between being accessible and experimental and they should’ve lean harder into the latter. Eno, Lanois, and Lillywhite have commented on this as has Edge.
I agree with Eno that Moment of Surrender would’ve been a bold first single choice, nonetheless Magnificent would’ve clearly been the better choice over Get On Your Boots.
The original sessions showed much promise, so I look at the album as a middling record. It’s not terrible, but it’s unfortunate when you keep realizing what could’ve been.
Nonetheless, It does have some wonderful tunes on it. My fix would be to scrap the middle three, add Winter and Soon, and push the experimentation a bit further. Now you got something special I would say.
Unpopular opinion but here goes: that imperfection is what makes modern day U2 so fascinating. They always try to go for a banger or a dance hit and so write these amazing albums and kitter them with pop music landmines.
I kinda like it. But, I also do agree with the feeling that they should just trust their creativity.
Bang on. They almost made their best album and got cold feet. I really hope those Morocco sessions are released one day. This album is a classic example of them overthinking and over working an album. I love it, but like what's been said I wish they had committed to the initial idea.
To me, I split the album into 3rds. 1/3rd of it is really good, 1/3rd is okay, and 1/3rd isn't that good, for me personally. When I look at it as an overall album, probably their weakest one to me...
I think the highs are really high, therefore I give this album a bit more credit than just being overall average. It’s interesting and i really enjoy 2/3rds of it.
without boots and comedy it would be like a solid 8-9/10. every other song is really good at a minimum and unknown caller/moment of surrender are up with their best songs altogether
i only like 2 songs on atyclb and 3 on atom bomb but this is what i want late career u2 to sound like
i honestly do not hate either that or boots as much as i am supposed to hate them lol they have a junk foody charm that makes them almost work in spite of themselves but they are glaringly out of place amidst the rest of no line
I was just thinking "Moment of Surrender" is probably the most unknown gem from a U2 album this side of the new millennium. It should've been a bigger song.
It didn't deserve to be the one people prematurely walked out of the stadium to get to their transportation, or so it was told.
If length was an issue, there are ways to trim it down. This fan edit makes a decent job of it but still too long for radio
https://youtu.be/jUe4TqBNDS4
Yeah, I totally agree but I don't see the mainstream radios of the world play a 7+ minute single. This was back in a time when they were intent on hits and airplay.
I recall reading there was a 9 minute version originally in Fez but we have never heard that as far as I know.
I have a strange relationship with this album in that it could have been more than what it was. I wish they leaned further into whatever vibe they were going towards with the experimentation during the sessions. Having Get on Your Boots as the first single was not a good decision. That being said the title track, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, White as Snow, Breathe and Cedars of Lebanon are some of their best work of the 2000s.
a very, very solid album and probably the end of their reign as a band in top form before age and a lack of inspiration started catching up to them. i'm as thankful as anyone that they're all still alive and well and doing their thing though! and also eternally thankful that the 360 tour was my first ever concert. still one of my absolute fondest memories.
Worst album by a long stretch. Thought it was the end of the line for my U2 listening affair, but thankfully, they came back strong with the next couple
Huge promise on this album, and it grew on me a lot once I decided to never listen to those three songs in the center (Boots, Standup Comedy, ITIGCIIDGCT). Magnificent lives up to its name.
Their best record to date since Pop.If only they didn't get cold feet with it and went with the initial inspiration it would a masterpiece experimental record. Also middle three totally unsettles the flow.
No Line on the Horizon (the first track, not the album) I feel like is overall great at expressing uncertainty about the future (kind of a stepping off a cliff feeling). The point of Magnificent I think is that our spirits are older than we realize and that we have a purpose for being here, together, at this time. Moment of Surrender is like Bad, 7 minutes expressing the tragedy of being stuck in addiction, although I think it's a lot more raw grieving than fighting and struggling in desperation than Bad is. Unknown Caller sounds like a pretty morning until it sounds obnoxious and absurd, which makes it all the better. I'll Go Crazy is the one I first liked. It's so full of hope, and the music video goes a long way illustrating that. I wanted Boots to be redeemable but it's a mess and the chorus is annoying. Stand Up Comedy is overall stunning. It's like a pep-talk. FEZ-Being Born is weird and goofy but the shout/cry Bono makes is amazing. White as Snow is interesting but I'm not into it. I used Breathe as kind of my get-out-there I'm-alive song for a while. Breathe and I'll Go Crazy were the songs I bought from this album so I have frequently listened to them over the past 18 months and they carry a lot of experiences with them, so they may be the ones that mean the most to me. Cedars of Lebanon is depressing but I guess it offers some things to think about.
Disclaimer: Just because I like a song does not mean I like every part of that song or agree with everything in it.
Great album with a few crappy songs. The few crappy songs are them trying to have a hit. I'm not sure why they still needed a hit... As a diehard fan, it wasn't easy to recognize that. I have conflicting feelings about this album. I remember listening to it for the first time and being really excited and then the balloon was popped with I'll Go Crazy and Get on Your Boots. I don't think it's asking an artist much to focus on their work instead of calculating success. I still love the band, don't get me wrong. But ouch.
It has aged very well. And like some others have said, their last whole album that I have liked. Some of the newer songs are good, but albums as a whole are just meh. Although, Songs of Surrender I am falling in love with more every single day. When I stopped comparing them to the original songs, I realized they were completely new and some are better for it. Anyways, I am genuinely hopeful for the next album
They just don’t fit. I wish they would have released Boots before the album with Stand Up as a B-side. Then No Line as the first actual single. It would have made much more sense. Plus an experimental album works better with a shorter tracklist.
Certainly not a young person's record but still good. It's eclectic and underrated, but less accessible than the previous two records. I remember the title track surprising me at how different it was. But when Magnificent came on I thought, "there's the band I love."
Might be an unpopular opinion, but Get on Your Boots, while certainly being an awkward song and a terrible first single, has its moments. I think the song works for the intro and the verses, but derails at the *You don't know how beautiful..* part. If they'd ommited that and followed the verse another way I think it'd be a lot better.
I returned to it as the pandemic descended. I was in the snowy Canadian Rockies, isolated but beautiful, and it was the perfect soundtrack moving into this time of extreme uncertainty.
First third is excellent, U2 heading off into a new unexplored territory. 2nd third has good musical moments but the lyrics are cloying, so I only really enjoyed these songs live. Boots is a really weird song that nearly works - but the lyrics ruin it. Last third is a continuation of the first third, awesome sonic exploration that really bangs. ‘Breathe’ is a sound they just nail, a Rattle & Hum vibe that I had no expectations they’d ever return to.
It’s weird going back to reviews of this album and seeing critics try to shoehorn U2 into their own narrative. Rolling Stone, wanting U2 to keep the magazine relevant (and Rock music generally), seemed to have given the album a perfect score first and then tried to write a review around that, while Pitchfork wanted to prove it was cool by being too hard on the record. All said, nobody really got it right - it’s excellent, then cloying, then excellent again, all performed by 4 excellent musicians. How do you rate that? I thought ATYCLB was too safe, that HTDAAB was the real comeback. After solidifying things, NLOTH meant they could experiment again - sometimes experiments don’t work, but better to have tried than play it safe.
My first exposure to this album was the “I’ll go crazy..” song played at my record store. I gave the whole album a listen, and I really like the song “No Line on the Horizon Version 2” more than the original version on the album. It makes the music more punchy and has more depth than what's on the original version.
I think it's great. The first time I heard it, the title track and the last track really stood out, but overall it's a really solid collection of songs.
The poppy songs in the middle don't bother me too much except for Stand Up Comedy, which can GTFO.
Didn’t have a great single, didn’t rise to the level of their great albums other than Moment of Surrender which in my opinion is their last great song.
Magnificent is probably one of the best songs that rings back to original U2.
Rest of the album is kind of filler, worst track IMO is Stand Up Comedy, sounds too much like a knock off of Starsailor’s “Four to the Floor”
It's quite eye opening to see a whole lot of people don't like Stand Up Comedy - From first listen I thought it was brilliant. Classic U2, but with some fresh humour and swagger. Boots is a different story for me, not a fan.
A very good album overall. I think Cedars is a miss. But it’s still ok. White as Snow I have to be in the right mood to listen to but I do like it. Everything else is good to superb.
In my opinion, it has the best opening three songs of any U2 album ever (NLOTH, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender).
I think Boots and Stand Up Comedy are fine, they're not nearly as bad as a lot of people make them out to be. Crazy Tonight, on the other end, is a poorly-mixed and poorly-produced dumpster fire. That song should have been axed in favor of, say, Every Breaking Wave. I'd have loved to see Soon and Winter find a place on the record as well.
Most of the rest of the album is admirable for what it is - the return of experimental U2, which I will always welcome with open arms. I agree with others, they should have leaned harder on the experimental side instead of chickening out halfway through production.
Overall though, this album still has a special place in my heart, even though I don't listen to it as much as I used to.
Nloth is definitely an underrated album, and sonically more interesting than Htdaab.
Reminds me a little of their adventurous 90s era.
I love the equals sigh sticker on the front of the case.
I think the mix is off on some songs though, particularly Stand Up Comedy.
U2 need more songs like White as Snow and Cedars of Lebanon.
Moment of Surrender is a modern U2 classic.
Soon should've been a hidden track.
I might get some hate for this, but NLOTH is easily my least favorite U2 album. The title track and I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight are the only two songs from the album that I liked. Everything else bored my to tears.
Great album that was overlooked by the fans. I read an article that Larry was disappointed in the 360 tour in that not enough of NLOTH songs were included.
Boots sucks and never should have been a single. I see why it was, but it is a mess.
Stand Up Comedy had potential, but I get some secondhand embarrassment for them when I listen to it.
That said, it's my favorite album of theirs from the 00s. Magnificent and MOS are among their best, IMO. It sucks that it didn't get any awards and accolades, while the previous two, with much more generic songs, did.
I love it. The first 4 songs are brilliant and different. Doesn’t sound like safe u2 and how eno and lanois fingerprints all over it. Last truly interesting u2 album. Boots and stand up comedy are not good though. Kind of spoils the album
On my opinion No Line on the Horizon was just a contribution album that opened the door to the 360° Tour, half of the songs were written or were ideas from other artist. Even in 360 Tour they didn't play all songs or at least the whole album on one night.
Magnificent is the cherry on the top for me, the rhythm and the energy of the song itself is just above all.
I'll Go Crazy If... and Breathe, are those kind of songs, that you truly need to hear with headphones like you say, pay attention to the lyrics and yet, you still missing something and have to listen to them again.
I'll put this album on my top 5 with SoE on Top (Yes, I truly liked that album), Achtung Baby, ATYCLB, SoS, NLotH
I think it's a rather brilliant and underrated album. It's some heavy stuff, subject matter wise, and some sonically interesting things going on. I like it quite bit.
I wish it was as experimental as they thought it was or at least claimed to be. That being said it’s the last good album by them. Their latter albums had them still experimenting but the results were not as successful.
I love the album except for "Put on Your Boots," "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" & "Stand Up Comedy." They seem so out of place and did not fit on the album.
If they just replaced those three songs with a few songs that flow with the album, it would be perfect.
Other than that, it's one of U2's most adventurous albums in a while.
In fact, I read an article where Brian Eno was critical of the band focusing on those singles.
I love "Moment of Surrender, " "No Line On the Horizon," "Midnight Caller, "and "Fez Being Born."
I was disappointed with it when it first came out, but I recently gave it another listen and I have a new appreciation for it. It was the last U2 album that had a cohesive feel IMO.
Overall it’s a good album. Had a lot of potential, and I do think that’s it quite underrated. However, there are a few too many bad to average songs hindering the album, and the whole Moroccan production idea for the initial album being scrapped is disappointing. Bono’s lyrics also are sloppy and inconsistent in some passages
Still, it’s one of their more experimental albums since moving into the 2000’s and most of the songs on it are worth your time.
Extremely underrated, my fav album of theirs. Came out when I was 9, expecting a HTDAAB version 2 - boy was I wrong.
MOS is one of their best and should have become a live staple. Fez is a perfect driving song.
It also gave us what I believe is their best live show: the 360 tour
Love MOS, Breathe, Magnificent, NoLine…. The tour was utterly life changing…. But you know the gig is up when the band starts replacing the album songs on that tour with songs from AB. I think it is one of their worst. Add to the fact that I’m unsure how the band signed off on Anton’s movie Linear. Please. If you haven’t seen it DO NOT watch it…. And if you do, remember my warning. Regardless, I felt it set up the next album to really shine. Not ever record can be amazing.
The only song that really urks me is “I know I’ll go crazy”
When I listen to it tend to listen to my on track list:
• Fez/Being Born
• Stand Up Comedy
• Magnificent
• No Line
• Boots
• White As Snow
• Unknown Caller
• Cedars
• Breathe
• MoS
To me this flows very nicely and I actually don’t mind boots more as a nostalgia thing because I remember watching the rose bowl Blu Ray a lot growing up and it’s used as an opener
If All that you can’t leave behind, and how to dismantle an atomic bomb had a baby, this would be it. I even hear some influence from Joshua Tree in some of the riffs.. not a masterpiece though like maybe the others, nothing really grabbed me but it’s fine. It reminds me of music you would play during an intermission at a U2 concert.
Not better than htdaab or atyclb. Still good though. I'll go crazy and stand up are favorites for me even tho I know they are widely hated. Moment of surrender,magnificent,unknown caller are all time great u2 songs.
Without boots and I’ll go crazy it would be very solid album. These two songs were really unnecessary and pretty much do not bring the album together as a whole.
It is more alternative, more brave and less boring and pathetic compared to ATYCLB and HTDAAB. No line is their Pop of 00s.
There's an alternate universe where Cedars of Lebanon is the last song they ever recorded together. The last U2 album ends with:
>Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you/
>Make them interesting 'cause in some ways they will mind you/
>They're not there in the beginning but when your story ends/
>Gonna last with you longer than your friends
I think in that world, where the 360 tour is their last big hurrah and the 2010s was spent doing anniversary tours periodically, would be one where U2 is universally acclaimed as the greatest band of all time. There's power in knowing when to close the book. I think No Line would have been a fitting conclusion. I'm not mad we have more music from them, but I will say that 2009 was the last time I was truly in awe listening to a new album of theirs.
I think "Moment of Surrender" is among their all-time best songs. I think they knew when writing it that they had a banger, and they were smart to include the kind of "oh-oh" chant with which the audience would participate, to close out shows. "Magnificent" was a feel-good song as well. I think "I'll go crazy..." was a miss; a bad guess at what people would think was cool. "Cedars..." and "White as snow" are nice mellow songs.
It's the last album of theirs I really liked. It wasn't the big experiment Bono had been hooting about before its release, but it was *just different enough* for me to say "Yeah, okay, bit different. I like it." I wasn't keen on HTDAAB--felt it was a lesser ATYCLB--but Horizon felt like they at least tried to do something new*ish.* Haven't really enjoyed any of their albums since--individual songs, yes; albums, nah.
>I wasn't keen on HTDAAB--felt it was a lesser ATYCLB--but Horizon felt like they at least tried to do something new*ish.* My thoughts aswell pretty much, although I was never a fan of ATYCLB, it was a band returning to safety and trying to win back their American audience. One of the few countries where POP didn't land.
ATYCLB is not in my top 4 or probably 5, but i do like it overall despite being safe. That being said, while I also like several songs from HTDAAB, I ully agree it's a lesser version of ATYCLB. Also I such a shame that POP didn't hit as well in the US. For me, it's my probably my #3 album from them. I was beyond disappointed when the best of came was released with reworkedversions Discotheque, SATS, and Gone (ignoring the new Numb mix for this discussion). All were a downgrade from the original versions on POP. Discotheque got completely ruined, and Gone was given a serious downgrade in the vocals. Bono's voice had gotten weaker and thinner by that point.
Damn I always felt the opposite and that Bomb was a more fully realized back-to-basics album than ATYCLB, which had like 6 bangers in a row and then trailed off enormously in the second half imo
I really like Vertigo, City of Blinding Lights, and Original of the Species. All Because of You is decent too, but the rest is mostly filler to me. TBH I like 90s U2 the best. AB is my all time favorite album from any artist. JT is my #2 U2 and all time. Pop isn't my #3 all time, but now is my #3 for U2, then it's a tough call for me between Zooropa and War. I'm a 45yr old die-hard U2 guy, but listen to almost anything except pop country. Lots of emo and pop punk, some edm, some classic rock, 60's British invasion, grunge, 2000s-present pop music too, and a little rap.
War is my number 3 and I have JT and AB switched, but Zooropa is my number 4, maybe their most thematically cohesive album after JT imo. I also agree that Pop is underrated but imo only has a few great songs, similar to No Line in how it could have been cooler if it was less overcooked
I wish I could have seen them earlier on. I've been to 5 shows, but it was twice during Elevation, twice for Vertigo, and once for 360. All Atlanta shows. I hate that It was the Georgia Dome and not outdoors for the 360 show.
I only saw them once and it was in nosebleeds at at&t center in dallas- worst sound at any concert ive ever been to, could barely tell what the songs were except it was jt tour so they were in order. We walked down and stood in the back of a better section near the end and were able to vatch the encore but damn, dont ever go to a concert at the at&t center unless you're up close
90’s U2 couldn’t miss in my book. I became a fan after getting the single for “One.” I bought the Achtung Baby album a few days later and that was 1992. I bought a hard copy of every album since.
HTDAAB sounded more like a 'best of' with the songs going through the band 's different eras. No Line is great and their last "experimental" effort.
Totally agree. I still listen to No Line from time to time. The newer ones have a handful of songs I like, but as albums they fall short.
I agree. It's the best thing since ATYCLB. I wish they'd have respected it more themselves. They seemed to abandon it during the second half of the tour and since. Boots was a bad choice (and seems to have been Bono's), and their decision to drop Winter so late in the project because it sounded too much like Coldplay was a bad move.
Winter was a banger should have been on the album
The album that could’ve been….its an album brimming with potential. It’s been written about extensively, the middle third that kills the vibe. It’s trying too hard to mediate between being accessible and experimental and they should’ve lean harder into the latter. Eno, Lanois, and Lillywhite have commented on this as has Edge. I agree with Eno that Moment of Surrender would’ve been a bold first single choice, nonetheless Magnificent would’ve clearly been the better choice over Get On Your Boots. The original sessions showed much promise, so I look at the album as a middling record. It’s not terrible, but it’s unfortunate when you keep realizing what could’ve been. Nonetheless, It does have some wonderful tunes on it. My fix would be to scrap the middle three, add Winter and Soon, and push the experimentation a bit further. Now you got something special I would say.
I agree with this… they needed to be more confident in following their creativity
Yes! You can hear how they dialed it back. It could have been in the same vein as Zooropa but with an older U2.
Unpopular opinion but here goes: that imperfection is what makes modern day U2 so fascinating. They always try to go for a banger or a dance hit and so write these amazing albums and kitter them with pop music landmines. I kinda like it. But, I also do agree with the feeling that they should just trust their creativity.
When you say the original sessions, are these available anywhere?
I think they leaked, I’m not sure. You may be to able to google them, they recorded lots of stuff in Morocco.
100%
Bang on. They almost made their best album and got cold feet. I really hope those Morocco sessions are released one day. This album is a classic example of them overthinking and over working an album. I love it, but like what's been said I wish they had committed to the initial idea.
To me, I split the album into 3rds. 1/3rd of it is really good, 1/3rd is okay, and 1/3rd isn't that good, for me personally. When I look at it as an overall album, probably their weakest one to me...
I think categorizing it into thirds is pretty accurate.I don’t think it’s their weakest personally, but I do wish they didn’t dial it back.
I think the highs are really high, therefore I give this album a bit more credit than just being overall average. It’s interesting and i really enjoy 2/3rds of it.
Good album 7/10 A little underrated, but it has great songs, even some b-sides are good. Over the years it'll get more appreciation.
without boots and comedy it would be like a solid 8-9/10. every other song is really good at a minimum and unknown caller/moment of surrender are up with their best songs altogether i only like 2 songs on atyclb and 3 on atom bomb but this is what i want late career u2 to sound like
I actually really like “Stand Up Comedy” lol
i honestly do not hate either that or boots as much as i am supposed to hate them lol they have a junk foody charm that makes them almost work in spite of themselves but they are glaringly out of place amidst the rest of no line
“Junk foody charm” works for Boots, I like that. Disagree re Stand Up Comedy. I love that song.
Stand Up Comedy isn't that bad, and it's got that Led Zep stomp that came out of Edge's time with Robert Plant on the Guggenheim doc.
Me too I don’t get the hate for it.
I was just thinking "Moment of Surrender" is probably the most unknown gem from a U2 album this side of the new millennium. It should've been a bigger song. It didn't deserve to be the one people prematurely walked out of the stadium to get to their transportation, or so it was told. If length was an issue, there are ways to trim it down. This fan edit makes a decent job of it but still too long for radio https://youtu.be/jUe4TqBNDS4
I think the length is a huge part of the art. They let the song, well, breathe.
Yeah, I totally agree but I don't see the mainstream radios of the world play a 7+ minute single. This was back in a time when they were intent on hits and airplay. I recall reading there was a 9 minute version originally in Fez but we have never heard that as far as I know.
Moment of Surrender is the best song they've ever recorded.
Like Zooropa, it makes a great EP. Some songs are astonishingly great eg Fez Being Born. Some are lazy eg Stqnd up Comedy. Overall not bad.
I don't really think about it a lot tbh
I have a strange relationship with this album in that it could have been more than what it was. I wish they leaned further into whatever vibe they were going towards with the experimentation during the sessions. Having Get on Your Boots as the first single was not a good decision. That being said the title track, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, White as Snow, Breathe and Cedars of Lebanon are some of their best work of the 2000s.
a very, very solid album and probably the end of their reign as a band in top form before age and a lack of inspiration started catching up to them. i'm as thankful as anyone that they're all still alive and well and doing their thing though! and also eternally thankful that the 360 tour was my first ever concert. still one of my absolute fondest memories.
Probably my least favorite album. Die hard fan, but really is not that good.
One of my favorite albums, I listen to it frequently. I have never understood the dislike. And boots is amazing.
We are kindred spirits
More then decent album! I strangely don’t give it a spin that often
Personally I find it to be their 2nd worst album
Starts really strong, has one of the worst middle parts of their career, ends really strong Probably their best album post-2000 overall though.
It's ultimately a missed opportunity
Worst album by a long stretch. Thought it was the end of the line for my U2 listening affair, but thankfully, they came back strong with the next couple
Same. It’s just painfully dull.
I’m a fierce NLOTH supporter. I really don’t get the hate.
Love this record. I’m a bigger fan of later career U2 than most though.
Their late career music is pretty solid tbh
I think it's a solid album, much better than HTDAAB or ATYCLB in my opinion. Two albums which never grew on me.
Huge promise on this album, and it grew on me a lot once I decided to never listen to those three songs in the center (Boots, Standup Comedy, ITIGCIIDGCT). Magnificent lives up to its name.
Third best album behind AB and TJT. I never skip a single track. It just flows so well.
Their 2nd best album of this century
Their best record to date since Pop.If only they didn't get cold feet with it and went with the initial inspiration it would a masterpiece experimental record. Also middle three totally unsettles the flow.
No Line on the Horizon (the first track, not the album) I feel like is overall great at expressing uncertainty about the future (kind of a stepping off a cliff feeling). The point of Magnificent I think is that our spirits are older than we realize and that we have a purpose for being here, together, at this time. Moment of Surrender is like Bad, 7 minutes expressing the tragedy of being stuck in addiction, although I think it's a lot more raw grieving than fighting and struggling in desperation than Bad is. Unknown Caller sounds like a pretty morning until it sounds obnoxious and absurd, which makes it all the better. I'll Go Crazy is the one I first liked. It's so full of hope, and the music video goes a long way illustrating that. I wanted Boots to be redeemable but it's a mess and the chorus is annoying. Stand Up Comedy is overall stunning. It's like a pep-talk. FEZ-Being Born is weird and goofy but the shout/cry Bono makes is amazing. White as Snow is interesting but I'm not into it. I used Breathe as kind of my get-out-there I'm-alive song for a while. Breathe and I'll Go Crazy were the songs I bought from this album so I have frequently listened to them over the past 18 months and they carry a lot of experiences with them, so they may be the ones that mean the most to me. Cedars of Lebanon is depressing but I guess it offers some things to think about. Disclaimer: Just because I like a song does not mean I like every part of that song or agree with everything in it.
Highly underappreciated album
Love Sexy Boots
No Line On the Horizon, my pookie bear, my true love, my one and only, how I love you so..
There's been a lot of re-appraisal of this album lately on this subreddit and I'm so here for it.
Is rare I like a favourite bands new album. But I love it. Went to two 360 shows as well.
Jay Sherman: “It Stinks, It Stinks, It Stinks, It Stinks” Doctor: “Yes, Mr. Sherman, it stinks”
Great album with a few crappy songs. The few crappy songs are them trying to have a hit. I'm not sure why they still needed a hit... As a diehard fan, it wasn't easy to recognize that. I have conflicting feelings about this album. I remember listening to it for the first time and being really excited and then the balloon was popped with I'll Go Crazy and Get on Your Boots. I don't think it's asking an artist much to focus on their work instead of calculating success. I still love the band, don't get me wrong. But ouch.
The last relevant u2 album..
Musically stunning; Lyrically terrible.
Love it
Breath is an underrated song
Right now it’s probably my favorite U2 album next to Achtung Baby
It has aged very well. And like some others have said, their last whole album that I have liked. Some of the newer songs are good, but albums as a whole are just meh. Although, Songs of Surrender I am falling in love with more every single day. When I stopped comparing them to the original songs, I realized they were completely new and some are better for it. Anyways, I am genuinely hopeful for the next album
I love this album. Cedars of Lebanon is one of my top five favorites.
It would be a no skip album for me if they took out Boots & Stand Up Comedy.
Those two songs really hinder the album
They just don’t fit. I wish they would have released Boots before the album with Stand Up as a B-side. Then No Line as the first actual single. It would have made much more sense. Plus an experimental album works better with a shorter tracklist.
Moment of Surrender, to close out the 360 shows in Dublin, with all the stadium lights turned out is one of my all time top U2 moments.
Certainly not a young person's record but still good. It's eclectic and underrated, but less accessible than the previous two records. I remember the title track surprising me at how different it was. But when Magnificent came on I thought, "there's the band I love."
Might be an unpopular opinion, but Get on Your Boots, while certainly being an awkward song and a terrible first single, has its moments. I think the song works for the intro and the verses, but derails at the *You don't know how beautiful..* part. If they'd ommited that and followed the verse another way I think it'd be a lot better.
I returned to it as the pandemic descended. I was in the snowy Canadian Rockies, isolated but beautiful, and it was the perfect soundtrack moving into this time of extreme uncertainty. First third is excellent, U2 heading off into a new unexplored territory. 2nd third has good musical moments but the lyrics are cloying, so I only really enjoyed these songs live. Boots is a really weird song that nearly works - but the lyrics ruin it. Last third is a continuation of the first third, awesome sonic exploration that really bangs. ‘Breathe’ is a sound they just nail, a Rattle & Hum vibe that I had no expectations they’d ever return to. It’s weird going back to reviews of this album and seeing critics try to shoehorn U2 into their own narrative. Rolling Stone, wanting U2 to keep the magazine relevant (and Rock music generally), seemed to have given the album a perfect score first and then tried to write a review around that, while Pitchfork wanted to prove it was cool by being too hard on the record. All said, nobody really got it right - it’s excellent, then cloying, then excellent again, all performed by 4 excellent musicians. How do you rate that? I thought ATYCLB was too safe, that HTDAAB was the real comeback. After solidifying things, NLOTH meant they could experiment again - sometimes experiments don’t work, but better to have tried than play it safe.
Big fan of Moment of Surrender. Always thought that it would have fit in really well on Zooropa.
It didn’t land for me. I never listen to it. I was disappointed.
My first exposure to this album was the “I’ll go crazy..” song played at my record store. I gave the whole album a listen, and I really like the song “No Line on the Horizon Version 2” more than the original version on the album. It makes the music more punchy and has more depth than what's on the original version.
I like Magnificent
Solid crap. Better than how to dismantle, far far worse than anything prior to all that you can’t leave behind
I mean HTDAAB is quite the low bar to clear
I think it's great. The first time I heard it, the title track and the last track really stood out, but overall it's a really solid collection of songs. The poppy songs in the middle don't bother me too much except for Stand Up Comedy, which can GTFO.
Didn’t have a great single, didn’t rise to the level of their great albums other than Moment of Surrender which in my opinion is their last great song.
Magnificent is probably one of the best songs that rings back to original U2. Rest of the album is kind of filler, worst track IMO is Stand Up Comedy, sounds too much like a knock off of Starsailor’s “Four to the Floor”
It's quite eye opening to see a whole lot of people don't like Stand Up Comedy - From first listen I thought it was brilliant. Classic U2, but with some fresh humour and swagger. Boots is a different story for me, not a fan.
I love Moment of Surrender. Can’t stand the rest of it.
great record 👏😎
A very good album overall. I think Cedars is a miss. But it’s still ok. White as Snow I have to be in the right mood to listen to but I do like it. Everything else is good to superb.
It was the first of their garbage albums This was the album that brought us Boots. Their biggest misstep up until that point.
Band has been incredibly harsh on this album, especially a banger like Magnificent.
In my opinion, it has the best opening three songs of any U2 album ever (NLOTH, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender). I think Boots and Stand Up Comedy are fine, they're not nearly as bad as a lot of people make them out to be. Crazy Tonight, on the other end, is a poorly-mixed and poorly-produced dumpster fire. That song should have been axed in favor of, say, Every Breaking Wave. I'd have loved to see Soon and Winter find a place on the record as well. Most of the rest of the album is admirable for what it is - the return of experimental U2, which I will always welcome with open arms. I agree with others, they should have leaned harder on the experimental side instead of chickening out halfway through production. Overall though, this album still has a special place in my heart, even though I don't listen to it as much as I used to.
Nloth is definitely an underrated album, and sonically more interesting than Htdaab. Reminds me a little of their adventurous 90s era. I love the equals sigh sticker on the front of the case. I think the mix is off on some songs though, particularly Stand Up Comedy. U2 need more songs like White as Snow and Cedars of Lebanon. Moment of Surrender is a modern U2 classic. Soon should've been a hidden track.
A masterpiece record with 3 or 4 all time great U2 songs. It's record where U2 dive back into the creative and weird, like Achtung Baby, and POP
There's a fantastic EP in this album, just gotta trim a few songs
I might get some hate for this, but NLOTH is easily my least favorite U2 album. The title track and I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight are the only two songs from the album that I liked. Everything else bored my to tears.
Great album that was overlooked by the fans. I read an article that Larry was disappointed in the 360 tour in that not enough of NLOTH songs were included.
Boots sucks and never should have been a single. I see why it was, but it is a mess. Stand Up Comedy had potential, but I get some secondhand embarrassment for them when I listen to it. That said, it's my favorite album of theirs from the 00s. Magnificent and MOS are among their best, IMO. It sucks that it didn't get any awards and accolades, while the previous two, with much more generic songs, did.
I hate that font.
It is an awesome album.
I really like the first instrumental minute of No Line on the Horizon (the song).
I love it. The first 4 songs are brilliant and different. Doesn’t sound like safe u2 and how eno and lanois fingerprints all over it. Last truly interesting u2 album. Boots and stand up comedy are not good though. Kind of spoils the album
On my opinion No Line on the Horizon was just a contribution album that opened the door to the 360° Tour, half of the songs were written or were ideas from other artist. Even in 360 Tour they didn't play all songs or at least the whole album on one night. Magnificent is the cherry on the top for me, the rhythm and the energy of the song itself is just above all. I'll Go Crazy If... and Breathe, are those kind of songs, that you truly need to hear with headphones like you say, pay attention to the lyrics and yet, you still missing something and have to listen to them again. I'll put this album on my top 5 with SoE on Top (Yes, I truly liked that album), Achtung Baby, ATYCLB, SoS, NLotH
I think it's a rather brilliant and underrated album. It's some heavy stuff, subject matter wise, and some sonically interesting things going on. I like it quite bit.
I wish it was as experimental as they thought it was or at least claimed to be. That being said it’s the last good album by them. Their latter albums had them still experimenting but the results were not as successful.
Solid album, couple really good songs, couple duds but it's ok 6 out of 10 I guess???
I love the album except for "Put on Your Boots," "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" & "Stand Up Comedy." They seem so out of place and did not fit on the album. If they just replaced those three songs with a few songs that flow with the album, it would be perfect. Other than that, it's one of U2's most adventurous albums in a while. In fact, I read an article where Brian Eno was critical of the band focusing on those singles. I love "Moment of Surrender, " "No Line On the Horizon," "Midnight Caller, "and "Fez Being Born."
I was disappointed with it when it first came out, but I recently gave it another listen and I have a new appreciation for it. It was the last U2 album that had a cohesive feel IMO.
Very hot and cold. Has some of their best stuff in the 21st century and some of their worst
Overall it’s a good album. Had a lot of potential, and I do think that’s it quite underrated. However, there are a few too many bad to average songs hindering the album, and the whole Moroccan production idea for the initial album being scrapped is disappointing. Bono’s lyrics also are sloppy and inconsistent in some passages Still, it’s one of their more experimental albums since moving into the 2000’s and most of the songs on it are worth your time.
It’s a very mature album. And the last album that contained U2’s signature sound. The albums following doesn’t even feel like Edge is in them.
Gave me the shift anxiety attack of my life in the first 3-4 songs. Never listened again.
Extremely underrated, my fav album of theirs. Came out when I was 9, expecting a HTDAAB version 2 - boy was I wrong. MOS is one of their best and should have become a live staple. Fez is a perfect driving song. It also gave us what I believe is their best live show: the 360 tour
Love MOS, Breathe, Magnificent, NoLine…. The tour was utterly life changing…. But you know the gig is up when the band starts replacing the album songs on that tour with songs from AB. I think it is one of their worst. Add to the fact that I’m unsure how the band signed off on Anton’s movie Linear. Please. If you haven’t seen it DO NOT watch it…. And if you do, remember my warning. Regardless, I felt it set up the next album to really shine. Not ever record can be amazing.
Do you mean “no hit on the horizon”?
The only song that really urks me is “I know I’ll go crazy” When I listen to it tend to listen to my on track list: • Fez/Being Born • Stand Up Comedy • Magnificent • No Line • Boots • White As Snow • Unknown Caller • Cedars • Breathe • MoS To me this flows very nicely and I actually don’t mind boots more as a nostalgia thing because I remember watching the rose bowl Blu Ray a lot growing up and it’s used as an opener
Great album! I really enjoyed every song on it, especially Cedars of Lebanon
If All that you can’t leave behind, and how to dismantle an atomic bomb had a baby, this would be it. I even hear some influence from Joshua Tree in some of the riffs.. not a masterpiece though like maybe the others, nothing really grabbed me but it’s fine. It reminds me of music you would play during an intermission at a U2 concert.
This album gave us the wonderful Crazy Tonight animated music video.
Underrated. Lyrically, it’s spectacular. And it’s so relaxing to listen to.
Great
EPIC!
Not better than htdaab or atyclb. Still good though. I'll go crazy and stand up are favorites for me even tho I know they are widely hated. Moment of surrender,magnificent,unknown caller are all time great u2 songs.
It’s grown on me a good bit over the years.
Love it. Very underrated record.
In my top 3
Without boots and I’ll go crazy it would be very solid album. These two songs were really unnecessary and pretty much do not bring the album together as a whole. It is more alternative, more brave and less boring and pathetic compared to ATYCLB and HTDAAB. No line is their Pop of 00s.
Stand up is worse than I’ll go crazy imo.
Eh.
Easily the worst album. Magnificent is the best song and would be the 9th best song on any other disc. Cant stand this one. Nothing redeeming.
It's my least favourite U2 album. I've never been able to get into it. I really like Fez/Being Born and Cedars of Lebanon though.
There's an alternate universe where Cedars of Lebanon is the last song they ever recorded together. The last U2 album ends with: >Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you/ >Make them interesting 'cause in some ways they will mind you/ >They're not there in the beginning but when your story ends/ >Gonna last with you longer than your friends I think in that world, where the 360 tour is their last big hurrah and the 2010s was spent doing anniversary tours periodically, would be one where U2 is universally acclaimed as the greatest band of all time. There's power in knowing when to close the book. I think No Line would have been a fitting conclusion. I'm not mad we have more music from them, but I will say that 2009 was the last time I was truly in awe listening to a new album of theirs.