http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0006399FS.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Still showing a release date of Nov 23, 2004 but many are anticipating a earlier date (Nov 16?) since the unfortunate news (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041108/music_nm/tech_internet_u2_dc_6).

Here is the official tracklisting of the "regular" release.

01. Vertigo
02. Miracle Drug
03. Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
04. Love and Peace or Else
05. City of Blinding Lights
06. All Because of You
07. A Man and a Woman
08. Crumbs from Your Table
09. One Step Closer
10. Original of the Species
11. Yahweh

Additional tracks are as follows:
Fast Cars (Available on the Japanese Release)
Are You Gonna Wait Forever (B-Side to Vertigo)
Neon Lights (B-Side to Vertigo)

It is available in 3 different versions here in the U.S.
The regular release (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006399FS/dvdtalk) which is the 11 tracks above.

The deluxe version (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00068IOWC/dvdtalk) which is the 11 tracks above and adds a DVD with the following:
1. Interview With Neil McCormick [DVD]
2. Vertigo [DVD]
3. Vertigo [Remix] [DVD]
4. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own [Studio] [DVD]
5. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own [Acoustic] [DVD]
6. Crumbs From Your Table [DVD]

And finally The collectors editon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00068IOWM/dvdtalk) which everything in the deluxe edition, plus a hardcover book, and special case. See pictures here:
http://www.u2preservation.com/junk/htdaablimited.jpg

My review and comments on the album will follow....

Earlier "U2 - Atomic" Thread (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=381652)

For informational purposes only. It's good to have a new thread with cover art, tracklisting, specs for discussion on the upcoming release. :up:

so is the "deluxe" edition priced at like $60?

My Track by Track HTDAAB Review:

Vertigo
U2 cops The Hives, Strokes and every other new band, yet makes it sound like they have been doing it for years. Simple lyrics that work (On this song). It's over before I can even finish my thoughts on the song. Better than it's ATYCLB counterpart "Elevation", but lets see how the band can improve it live.

Miracle Drug
The "Walk On", "With Or Without You" or (dare I say it) "One" of the album. The best lyrics on the album. It also builds nicely as each part gets more and more built up. "The songs are in your eyes, I can see them when you smile" *** Awesome ***

Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
The big ballad of the album. This has Bono at his most heartfelt "You don't have to put up a fight, You don't have to always be right, Let me take some of the punches for you tonight" Great track.

Love and Peace or Else
The most underrated/underappreciated song on the album. This is the other "crank it up song" (Vertigo being the other) Sounds very different for U2, reminds me of Depeche Mode once it gets going. I love The Edges guitar in this song, the whole thing is very heavy. "Where is the love"

City of Blinding Lights
Starts off with a piano riff that sounds familiar, but once again another song that builds into a masterpiece. This along with Miracle Drug should be the singles, but I don't think they will release this as a single. (I think All Because Of You is next as a single)

All Because of You
While I love the music, with the strumming acoustic guitar, and the lead on this, the lyrics are some of the weaker point of this song. "You can make me perfect again", and "Some people got high-rises on their backs" The 2nd part gets a little more angry and I like that the edge lets more out...

A Man and a Woman
With the 7th song, the album takes a shift. I still think bands almost think about album sides like they are separating the old "sides" in vinyl. I like this song, but it seems like it's lesser song, almost a b-side. I picture them doing this with just Bono, and The Edge. The "production" helps and hurts this song at the same time. Lots going on in the background, way below the basic acoustic guitar.

Crumbs from Your Table
Another of the weaker songs lyrically, but they still make up for it musically. "Cool Down Momma"?

One Step Closer
I like these slow songs. Really just a band jam with Bono repeating a lot of the same lyrics over and over. Songs like this make me really appreciate how the "band" works and I can imagine how they did it in the studio.

Original of the Species
One of the "oldest" known songs from this album. Mentioned as far back as July of 2003. Possibly a leftover from the ATYCLB album. Again lots of "production" and while I know some fans have not liked this, I find this as one of the best "over produced" songs that U2 has done, lots going on, feels like one of the Phil Spector Beatles songs.

Yahweh
I love this song. Classic U2 sound with the riff over the chorus. This and Miracle Drug are the songs that run through my head at night. Reminds me of the Achtung Baby outtake stuff. "Why the dark before the dawn" A perfect closer for the album.

Neon Lights (B-Side)
A cover of an OMD song. Pretty basic. Definitely a B-Side song, but U2 is always great in the fact that we get almost another CD worth of songs with all the B-Sides and remixes they give us.

Are You Gonna Wait Forever?
A B-Side worthy of inclusion on the album. Great guitars, although Bono uses "Summer" again in a song. For a guy that is as white as he is, and from Ireland (Land of the fairskinned), he loves singing about "Summer". "Don't trade your dreams for some small change"

Overall, I think this is a better album than ATYCLB, but that is with only 3 days of enjoying this. While I think some of the better songs on ATYCLB are some of U2's best, that album came alive when played live, and now sounds flat when listening to it compared to the live performances. This album is stronger as a "studio" album and I can't wait to see how the band elevates it when they perform the songs live. 7/10

Originally posted by Hollowgen
so is the "deluxe" edition priced at like $60?

No
Regular Edition (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006399FS/dvdtalk) $10.99
Deluxe Edition (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00068IOWC/dvdtalk) $17.99
And Best Buy.com shows $32.99 for the Collectors Edition

My quick, possible-cold-medicine-impared first listen assessment:

I like it. However, I felt ATYCLB was a stronger album.

Favorites so far :

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo and Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own.

Pushing up the release date would only be a [i]good thing.

I'm slightly looking forward to this as I thought ATYCLB was great. On ther other hand, the edge needs to give up the friggen hat thing. You're bald, Mr. Edge, and not fooling anyone.

Wow, am I the only one that feels Vertigo is by far the worst song on the album, and feels completely out of place both musically and lyrically on an album that feels like it could have been released by them 15-20 years ago?

This album is 8/10 without Vertigo, 6/10 with it.

Originally posted by deadlax
Wow, am I the only one that feels Vertigo is by far the worst song on the album, and feels completely out of place both musically and lyrically on an album that feels like it could have been released by them 15-20 years ago?

This album is 8/10 without Vertigo, 6/10 with it.

How can an album go down with extra songs? I never understood that, unless we are talking about a 2 CD set, maybe being stronger by getting cut to a single CD. One song can't bring an entire album down. (esp. the lead off single?)

Originally posted by Chrisedge
How can an album go down with extra songs? I never understood that, unless we are talking about a 2 CD set, maybe being stronger by getting cut to a single CD. One song can't bring an entire album down. (esp. the lead off single?) Not that I like/dislike Vertigo or have heard the album, but I would definitely rate an album lower than otherwise if it had one lousy song. As the first or last song on the album it isn't as bad, but when you've got an album rolling along creating a nice vibe and then a song comes along that just grates on you, it can definitely hurt my enjoyment of an album. When looking at a track listing I want more songs, when I'm listening to an album I often find the opposite occuring.

Vertigo is the first song, and it totally kills album form the get go. It seems like based on the tone of the album it was manufactured as a single. Or maybe as a plan to sell ipods from the beginning.

Originally posted by Chrisedge
Love and Peace or Else
The most underrated/underappreciated song on the album.
How can a song most people haven't even heard yet on an album that hasn't been released yet be underrated or underappreciated?

Listened to it several times now and I would say this is their best work since Achtung Baby! and it ranks right up there with Joshua Tree, which is my favorite U2 album. After just one listen through the only word that came to my mind was 'Awesome'. HTDAAB far exceeded my expectations and it blows ATYCLB away. Great job, U2!

Originally posted by deadlax
This album is 8/10 without Vertigo, 6/10 with it. Without Vertigo the album is 7/10, but with it, catorce/10.

Great album, and I'm definitely looking forward to letting this one sink in.

I just downloaded the video for "Vertigo" from the iTunes Music Store because the file size is about double that of the version that was available for download at Apple.com. The two versions of the video are very different.

The contrast on the video at iTunes is completely blown out and effectively masks the target pattern on the ground. I can't help but wonder if the band changed it because people thought the video was a Target commercial.

Looking forward to hearing this, but the folks on another music forum I frequent are giving this one pretty harsh reviews. Knowing that I didn't like ATYCLB I was told I'll be very disappointed with Atomic. Hope they are wrong! (I like Vertigo)

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
How can a song most people haven't even heard yet on an album that hasn't been released yet be underrated or underappreciated?

Many people have the album already (See the news link) and have commented on the tracks.

Originally posted by atlantamoi
Looking forward to hearing this, but the folks on another music forum I frequent are giving this one pretty harsh reviews. Knowing that I didn't like ATYCLB I was told I'll be very disappointed with Atomic. Hope they are wrong! (I like Vertigo)

I find it a continuation of ATYCLB, but a better album. Vertigo is definately different than the rest of the songs, so take that for what it's worth...

Originally posted by Gerry P.
Without Vertigo the album is 7/10, but with it, catorce/10.

:lol::lol::lol:

I think the album is brilliant! I'm not really understanding a lot of the comments in here however...

People who are hung up on one song or one lyric and then pan the album as a result baffle me. I never understand why a single album cannot have a collection of different moments or sounds on it. HTDAAB definately has different sounds and different moments and in my own humble opinion 95% of these moments work very well.

Silly moments, as welll as slow moments, even awkward moments can be found on any and all of the greatest albums ever made. Name an album, I'll find that moment for you.

I would dispute that Vertigo is out of place on the album and as a life long U2 fan, I can tell you that it is not a lot of things that it is being called. I look forward to these types of songs as much as the more epic songs. It's a fun rock and roll song and frankly, it rocks. If it's hard for you to see, just skip ahead to the more serious U2 songs on the album and enjoy them. Not every song can be 'the best U2 song'. Also, keep in mind that other folks may think 180 degrees in the other direction from your point of view.

Overall, I think Miracle Drug, City of Blinding Lights, Crumbs From Your Table, Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own, Original of the Species and Yahweh are musical masterpieces. The rest of the album is fun and interesting and provides a lot of new U2 sound.

Originally posted by Kerborus
I think the album is brilliant! I'm not really understanding a lot of the comments in here however...

People who are hung up on one song or one lyric and then pan the album as a result baffle me. I never understand why a single album cannot have a collection of different moments or sounds on it. HTDAAB definately has different sounds and different moments and in my own humble opinion 95% of these moments work very well.

Silly moments, as welll as slow moments, even awkward moments can be found on any and all of the greatest albums ever made. Name an album, I'll find that moment for you.

I would dispute that Vertigo is out of place on the album and as a life long U2 fan, I can tell you that it is not a lot of things that it is being called. I look forward to these types of songs as much as the more epic songs. It's a fun rock and roll song and frankly, it rocks. If it's hard for you to see, just skip ahead to the more serious U2 songs on the album and enjoy them. Not every song can be 'the best U2 song'. Also, keep in mind that other folks may think 180 degrees in the other direction from your point of view.

Overall, I think Miracle Drug, City of Blinding Lights, Crumbs From Your Table, Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own, Original of the Species and Yahweh are musical masterpieces. The rest of the album is fun and interesting and provides a lot of new U2 sound.

:up: :up:

U2 is evidently going to stream the album for free on MTV.com and VH1.com in light of the recent filesharing. I didn't see it anywhere yet, though.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=795&e=4&u=/eo/20041111/en_music_eo/15321

Give it some time, this may be the best u2 album yet. There is not a weak song it. Also every song is unique. Mircle Drug , Yahweh, and Love and Peace or Else are incredible.

Originally posted by shaggy
Give it some time, this may be the best u2 album yet. No offense, but maybe you also might need to give it a lot more time as well. I haven't heard it yet, but I will eat my firstborn if this is better than War, Achtung or Joshua Tree. I'm not rushing out to buy condiments.

Originally posted by atlantamoi
No offense, but maybe you also might need to give it a lot more time as well. I haven't heard it yet, but I will eat my firstborn if this is better than War, Achtung or Joshua Tree. I'm not rushing out to buy condiments.

I have listened to it enough to say that it ranks right up there with Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby!. That's my opinion, of course.

Originally posted by Setzer
HTDAAB far exceeded my expectations and it blows ATYCLB away

:lol:

That just looks silly. Or should I write, TJLS?

For some reason I never like U2's stuff the first couple of times I hear it. They are by far my favorite band; in fact I want to go to Ireland if I can to see them on their next tour. I wasn't impressed with the album at first, but it is definitely growing on me.

One Step Closer reminds me of the song 'First Time' from Zooropa. I can't quite grasp Miracle Drug as a masterpiece, but that might e bbecause I'm not in love right now. City of Blinding Lights is awesome. Vertigo seems a bit out of place, but I love it; it kicks my ass everytime I hear it.

I can't wait to buy the album in the store. Even though I've downloaded the whole thing, Bono and the boys are one group that I'll ALWAYS support by throwing my money their way.
Of course I'm one of those people that love whatever U2 does - my favorite era of theirs is the 'freak-flag' waving era of Achtung Baby! and Zooropa.

Never liked U2. Never bought an album.

For some reason, I think I'll pick up this release. I can't explain why. It better be good.

If I dig it, I have the feeling that I'll have a lot of catching up to do.

Loved "The Sweetest Thing" single though.

Originally posted by jay77
Never liked U2. Never bought an album.

For some reason, I think I'll pick up this release. I can't explain why. It better be good.

If I dig it, I have the feeling that I'll have a lot of catching up to do.

Loved "The Sweetest Thing" single though.

I don't want to be argumentative but, if you don't like U2 why would you choose to buy this album 25 years into their career? I love the album a lot but it basically sounds like U2. Other than the single, every song would fit nicely on any of their past albums. I think what I'm trying to say is, if you don't like U2 why would you buy a CD that sounds very much like classic U2?

Originally posted by atlantamoi
No offense, but maybe you also might need to give it a lot more time as well. I haven't heard it yet, but I will eat my firstborn if this is better than War, Achtung or Joshua Tree. I'm not rushing out to buy condiments.

Be prepared for your meal. It blows War and JT out of the water, and is right up there with Achtung Baby.

On a side note, its funny how for many people u2 albuns become classics over time. When Achtung Baby came out I knew from the first listen it was amazing and better than anything they had done, but many u2 fans were horrified. Now its considered by most the first or second best album. u2 always does something different, no album sounds anything like the one before.

Originally posted by cungar
I don't want to be argumentative but, if you don't like U2 why would you choose to buy this album 25 years into their career? I love the album a lot but it basically sounds like U2. Other than the single, every song would fit nicely on any of their past albums. I think what I'm trying to say is, if you don't like U2 why would you buy a CD that sounds very much like classic U2?

Actually, I mispoke. What I should have said is that I've never gotten into U2. I've enjoyed many of their songs over the years. For some reason, within my somewhat large collection (~800 albums), I have never actually purchased one of their CDs.

To be honest, I never really had strong feelings for or against the band. I've always thought of them as more of a "singles" band than an "album" band. I am sure many of you will glady tell me why this is wrong and you are probably correct.

As I said, something about this album makes me want to pick it up. Maybe its the hype. Maybe its the fact that Best Buy and Circuit City will inevitably sell it rather cheaply. I don't know.

Originally posted by FM
For some reason I never like U2's stuff the first couple of times I hear it. They are by far my favorite band; in fact I want to go to Ireland if I can to see them on their next tour.

Is that me speaking? :)

I am a huge U2 fan (U2 license plate on my Xterra, ZOO TV, I run a U2 website, moderate on a few lists, recorded a few live shows, and created some of the most popular live DVD's of them out there.) but I always need about 5-10 listens before I even want to comment on one of their new albums. I had it on Saturday, and didn't feel like commenting on it (in print) until Tuesday.

Which site do you run, Chrisedge?

the one in the first post. u2preservation

Anyone else having trouble finding the limited edition online? I know that there are a few places that still have it, but most of the sites that I visit seem to be sold out already.

Originally posted by jay77
To be honest, I never really had strong feelings for or against the band. I've always thought of them as more of a "singles" band than an "album" band. I am sure many of you will glady tell me why this is wrong and you are probably correct.

I generally avoid posting in U2-related threads because of my obvious bias (i.e. turning into some sort of crazy fanboy if someone rips on them), however you seem reasonable and knowledgeable about music in general. I'll give you a few U2 non-single tracks to download if you feel like giving them a listen:

Until The End Of The World
Running To Stand Still
In A Little While
Ultraviolet
Heartland
Kite
Drowning Man
God Part II
Promenade
Another Time, Another Place
Gone

These, IMVHO, are their best non-single tracks. Give them a shot and find out if you have any interest in getting into U2 more as a band and less as a radio act. If you enjoy them even a tenth as much as I do, it'll be worth it.

Fine picks, Achtung.

These are great songs that aren't too well known outside of U2 fans.

Definately listen to the new album though, it may be better than all of the albums that came before...

Originally posted by Achtung
I generally avoid posting in U2-related threads because of my obvious bias (i.e. turning into some sort of crazy fanboy if someone rips on them), however you seem reasonable and knowledgeable about music in general. I'll give you a few U2 non-single tracks to download if you feel like giving them a listen:

Until The End Of The World
Running To Stand Still
In A Little While
Ultraviolet
Heartland
Kite
Drowning Man
God Part II
Promenade
Another Time, Another Place
Gone

These, IMVHO, are their best non-single tracks. Give them a shot and find out if you have any interest in getting into U2 more as a band and less as a radio act. If you enjoy them even a tenth as much as I do, it'll be worth it.

Thanks. I will definitely check these out. Best Buy has Joshua Tree for $10 so I think I will pick that up as well. Seems like maybe a good place to get started.

I think U2 is overrated.

But I do like some of their stuff, as long as they don't try to get creative and weird like they have a few times in the past.

Let's face it, U2 is best when they write simple songs that touch the human heart. (like on All The Things You Can't Leave and Joshua Tree).

City of Blinding Lights is a great one.

Originally posted by Frank TJ Mackey
I think U2 is overrated.

:rolleyes:

U2 overrated???? That's the dumbest statement around. One of the most influential bands ever, and in my mind, the best group ever since The Beatles!!! These guys just make quality music year after year. I wish the recording industry would learn to focus again on the artist instead of the quick buck.

Me too, Dalvin, me too.

Damn you quick buck!!!

If anything, U2 is UNDERATED.

Based on the quality of their career, they should be on the radio all the time, but instead we get slammed with Ashlee Simpson and Britney Spears.

If U2 is overated, what would you call of the crap that is on the billboard top 40 right now that no one will remember in 3 yrs?
Get a clue before you make such a statement.

The guy above me is a smart man, listen to him, you idiodt that thinks U2 is overrated. I personally think that's grounds enough from being banned!!!!!

Originally posted by Frank TJ Mackey
I think U2 is overrated.

But I do like some of their stuff, as long as they don't try to get creative and weird like they have a few times in the past.

Let's face it, U2 is best when they write simple songs that touch the human heart. (like on All The Things You Can't Leave and Joshua Tree).

City of Blinding Lights is a great one.



I would like to heartily second your pooh-pooh on their attempts at creativity! Lord knows we need more of the same, so I'm glad someone else appreciates the complete eschewal of anything different.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If it ain't formulaic, than forget it."

Hey! Maybe The Bono and Edge will use those lines for their next unoriginal album.

And I totally agree. "All The Things that you can't leave" rawks, followed closely by "Ack Tongue Baby".

I don't know whether U2 is overrated since I can't really tell how well-liked they are nowadays just by sniffing the air. However, I am of the opinion that they've become extremely derivative and banal, and seem to be content to recycle their tired anthemic "hey! yeah! i feel great!" pop products. U2 has never sounded bad to my ears, just uninspiring and mediocre in the recent years.

I love a lot of their early stuff (and I'm fully aware of how cliched that statement is). Granted, Joshua Tree is mostly brilliant. But the thought that they'd represent the pinnacle of popular music since The Beatles is too depressing to contemplate.

Dalvin, I don't know how to put it any other way than.... <i>shape up or ship out!</i>

Calling other members idiots and their statements dumb(ass) is a sure fire way to get yourself booted for good. Read the rules; read the DOs and DONTs sticky thread; post respectfully.

And <i>anyone</i> seeing people breaking the board rules please remember just to use the "Report This Post To A Moderator" link rather than being tempted to escalate the situation by responding in kind. And always remember that you can use http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/member2.php?s=&action=viewlist&userlist=ignore


Benedict
Moderator, Music Talk

That statement I made about being banned was completely tongue in cheek. I'm sorry about that. It wasn't meant to be an attack on a fellow member benedict!

u2 i s hardly overrated, i don't understand why a band is overrated if someone doesen't like it. I did not like u2 until i went out and bought the rattle and hum dvd for my mother. I was blown away at how great this band was. And my love for them has grown even more after watching the live aid dvd. But i often need to se a band live in some form to like them. I hated bruce springsteen, but went with a friend who won two tikets for the rising consert. And after that i have bought all of his albums and know most of the lyriks by heart, the same with phil collins. But american psycho made me like him.

But back to u2, i think that their new album is great and i have the CE preordered, but did download the album first. the best songs are in my opinion miracle drug and make it on you own. Wich i read that he wrote as a song to his father when he died in 2001 i think.

I don't think that they are overrated, but over exposed.
I think they write some great stuff, but they can get way too political in their rantings in their songs and in the media.

Yep. Over exposed is a better way of putting it.

I have actually never seen u2 in any media here in Norway. But isen't the politiks the core of the groupe in a way. I mean Bono was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. But i don't know what it is like in the USA.

You want to talk about Overrated or Over exposed?

Eminem

Amen Setzer!

Just finished listening to the album off of MTV.com , it's great!

Originally posted by PublicEnemy#1
Just finished listening to the album off of MTV.com , it's great!

I am trying to listen to the album through MTV.com but it won't play. I have Media Player 10 with Windows XP. It just keeps playing the advertisement over and over. I even put in my email to recieve updates... and nothing is happening. Argh!

Update: Never mind. I switched to IE and it worked. I was using Firefox before.

Originally posted by Frank TJ Mackey


Let's face it, U2 is best when they write simple songs that touch the human heart. (like on All The Things You Can't Leave and Joshua Tree).

not to mention Achtung Baby and the Unforgettable Fire.

Originally posted by Dalvin
The guy above me is a smart man, listen to him, you idiodt that thinks U2 is overrated. I personally think that's grounds enough from being banned!!!!!


Does the insult still count if you spell it incorrectly? :D


Anyway, at the moment this is my favorite of everything U2 has done. To me, it blows All That... clear out of the water. I like that album, but this one is simply awesome. My favorite song is Crumbs from Your Table. "With a mouth full of teeth, you ate all your friends" - I love the growl when Bono delivers this line.

Originally posted by PublicEnemy#1
Just finished listening to the album off of MTV.com , it's great! I got through three songs and had to quit... just not the best way to hear music (low quality). Didn't really care for the third song... I figured it was the crappy sound more than anything.

i enjoyed my first listen. not as much as the previous effort, but it's still enjoyable. it seems to lack any "punch" or memorable moments right off the bat, and i don't think vertigo really seems to have a place on the album, in the grand scheme of it.

my opnion: 3.7/5

I think "City of Blinding Lights" is one of the best songs U2 has ever put out. Without a doubt the catchiest chorus on the album. I can already hear this one playing in my head over and over and over again. I can already hear people screaming in arenas, "Oh...You ...Look...So...Beautiful...Tonight" I honestly think its one of U2's greatest songs ever. I like it that much!!!!

Other highlights:

"Miracle Drug"- Classic U2 song. It just is awesome. I like how it centers around HIV victims. That was nice of Bono to do that. It was very poetic.

"Sometimes You can't Make it on Your Own"- Another great song. I love the music on this. It's great and fits very well with the theme of the album.

"Yahweh"- perfect closer for the album. Great lyrics. Those familar with The Bible, Bono takes alot of what the Bible says and puts it into song


I also thought "Electrical Storm"(if they hadn't included it on their GH album, would have been an absolute PERFECT introduction into this album. Oh well.


Lowlights: VERY FEW

1) Vertigo- good song, its just out of place here.

2) A Man and a Woman- another good song, that would have been nice as a B-Side, replaced by the superior "Fast Cars"(Lucky UK)


9.5/10


P.S.- If your not humming "City of Blinding Lights" after the first listen, I'd be shocked!!!!!

Dalvin -- I agree with you on City of Blinding Lights! Probably my favorite song on the Album but its tough because there's only maybe 2 songs on this Album I don't really care for, it's that good.

For those of us in the U.S. we won't be getting the bonus track, #12 Fast Cars, with the Deluxe Edition, which includes a hard bound book and a DVD. Apparently U2 or whomever have decided we don't need the bonus track. :mad: Someone was nice enough though to post a link for it at Interference.com. :D Here are the Lyrics:

Fast Cars(8.5/10)

My cell is ringing
No ID
I need to know who’s calling

My garden’s overgrown
I go out on my belly crawling
I got CCTV, pornography, CNBC
I got the nightly news
To get to know the enemy

All I want is a picture of you
All I want is to get right next to you
All I want is your face in a locket
Picture in my pocket
I take a pill to stop it

I know these fast cars
Will do me no good

I’m going nowhere
Where I am it is a lot of fun
They’re in the desert to dismantle an atomic bomb
I watch them channel hop
Check the stocks
I’m in detox
I want the lot of what you’ve got
If what you’ve got can make this stop

All I want is a picture of you
All I want is to be right next to you
All I want is your picture in a locket
Your face in my pocket
Take a pill to stop it

I know these fast cars
Will do me no good

Don’t you worry about your mind
Don’t you worry about your mind
Don’t you worry about your mind
Don’t you worry about your mind

You should worry about the day
That the pain it goes away
You know I miss mine sometimes

There is no fiction
That will truly fit the situation
I’m documenting every detail
Every conversation
I’m not used to talking to somebody in their body
Look, there’s somebody in a body, somebody in a body

It's actually a pretty good song, kinda has a middle-eastern beat to it. I don't understand why you'd leave this song off the album when it's where you got the name for the album. -confused-

Other than Fast Cars there were 3 other songs that are considered 'B' Sides which 2 were included with the Vertigo single:

Neon Lights(6/10)
Are You Gonna Wait Forever(8/10)
Mercy(9/10)

My ratings for these extra songs, like you care :lol:, are in '( )'.

Originally posted by Dalvin
Lowlights: VERY FEW
2) A Man and a Woman- another good song, that would have been nice as a B-Side, replaced by the superior "Fast Cars"(Lucky UK)


I must vehemently, vehemently disagree with this statement. "A Man and a Woman" is, by far, the highlight of the entire new album. That's what a mature U2 should sound like - breezy, nonchalant, confident. Besides, I can't get that "little sister . . . " line reading out of my head.

Much of the rest of the album either retreads the classic brittle chiming of what has come before or feels rushed, incomplete and just plain "thin."

Of course, I had much the same reaction to the last album, until I heard the songs live. And much of "Atomic Bomb" has that "waiting to hear the live version before passing judgment" feel to it. Just imagine - "Love and Peace" will be devastating live - much more fleshed out than the album version. And for most of the track's Bono's voice will only be improved in the live setting.

I'm listening to the album on their website right now, and I have to agree with Grunter. A Man and a Woman is fantastic! I absolutely love it. . .and I will be picking the album up next week. I can't wait.

Do you guys know if the regular release will be available for less than 10 dollars on sale?

Man and A Woman

My favorite track on the album. This album is magnificent.

Originally posted by theneobez
I'm listening to the album on their website right now, and I have to agree with Grunter. A Man and a Woman is fantastic! I absolutely love it. . .and I will be picking the album up next week. I can't wait.

Do you guys know if the regular release will be available for less than 10 dollars on sale?

$10.99 at Coconuts w/ a $3 Mail in Rebate

or wait till Black Friday, and it will be $9.99 plus a $2 MIR

What is Black Friday? I think it has to do with Best Buy but what exactly is it. Could someone post a link where I could go to find out more on it. Thanks!!

Also, what does the acronym MIR stand for?

Originally posted by Dalvin
"Miracle Drug"- Classic U2 song. It just is awesome. I like how it centers around HIV victims. That was nice of Bono to do that. It was very poetic.

That is not what the song is about...here:

MD was inspired by that young man (Christopher Nolan) who was deprived of oxygen as a baby for a couple minutes during his birth. As a result he was confined to a wheel chair and he could not communicate. His mother undaunted, devoted herself to making sure that he would get an education by singing to him, reading to him etc. while never really knowing for certain (through a vocal or physical sign from him) if he could hear her, allthough she insists that in her heart she knew he could.. eventually a "miracle drug" was discovered that would enable him to move a muscle in his neck... he was given a devise that when attached to his forehead would enable to type. When this happened everyone around him was shocked by what came from him... apparently beautiful poetry... he would later go on to get a formal education (the young man was actually a genius!)

Bono talked about it a bit on BBC1 before they played the song live on 11/16.

Originally posted by Dalvin
2) A Man and a Woman- another good song, that would have been nice as a B-Side, replaced by the superior "Fast Cars"(Lucky UK)
That's why I'm ordering mine from Amazon.com's UK Web site. I'll buy a copy in the US too to get the DVD, then give the US pressing to a friend.

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
That's why I'm ordering mine from Amazon.com's UK Web site. I'll buy a copy in the US too to get the DVD, then give the US pressing to a friend.

buy the US box set, you'll get the bonus track, the DVD, and the hardcover book.

For the 11/16 streamed live performance on the BBC, go here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley/features/u2_day.shtml), click on Zane's Show and skip to about 19:38:00 into the broadcast. U2 performed Vertigo, All Because Of You, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own and Beautiful Day.

These new songs are fantastic live!

Originally posted by shaggy
buy the US box set, you'll get the bonus track, the DVD, and the hardcover book.
I might, but I'm not sure I want the album in such an odd over-sized case. I think I prefer the jewel case, even if it does cost me a few bucks using my method.

Are you sure "Fast Cars" is on the box set? Several e-tailers I checked don't have it in the track listing.

Hopefully Fast Cars shows up on iTunes.

Amazon has the Import version of HTDaAB, but they want $50 for it.

I'll most likely be picking up the regular version of the cd, Vertigo Import #2 to get the 2 other tracks and then home Fast Cars is available for purchase/download(legit) somewhere.

Anyone know where to find the Redanka Remix of Vertigo? I haven't seen it on the CD single(s). Google turns up a version that was played on what appears to be the radio. Is this some white label remix or something?

I ordered my Box set through CD Universe for $27.99 + Shipping. Not a bad deal. I'm just pissed that Fast Cars won't be on it.

I've been through the album about 4 times now through MTV.com and I love it! Such a great album... I think I liked ATYCLB better, which would probably put this tied for 3rd with Achtung, JT is first of course.

I think I am going to listen to something else... I don't want to overload before getting the actual album. I would love to hear the other 3 tracks people are talking about... if there is a legal link please post it! Thanks!

Listened to it a few times now. I wasn't sure if it was going to happen, but finally someone put out a better album than Sonic Youth this year. It's awesome.

Originally posted by Vryce
Amazon has the Import version of HTDaAB, but they want $50 for it.
The weird thing is you can order the Japanese version from amazon.co.jp for about $24 (be careful, the site lists the U.S. import version first).

Better yet, you can order the British version with "Fast Cars" from amazon.co.uk for about $14, plus shipping. I have ordered other CDs from there and the shipping cost wasn't bad. I have ordered on Sunday and I've always had the CD by the following weekend, usually by Thursday.

How limited is this limited edition set anyway? Any ideas?

BTW, I have been listening to this for days now, and love it
(most of it anyway). :)

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
Better yet, you can order the British version with "Fast Cars" from amazon.co.uk for about $14, plus shipping. I have ordered other CDs from there and the shipping cost wasn't bad. I have ordered on Sunday and I've always had the CD by the following weekend, usually by Thursday.

Is the DVD in the bonus set going to be the right region for me to use? Or should I just order the CD by itself and be safe? The crap we go through just to get 1 exclusive song! :rolleyes:

I'm sure the DVD will not be Region 1, but yes, you can order just the CD. I figure I'll order just the CD from the UK, then buy the CD/DVD here and give the U.S. CD to a friend of mine.

Yeah, I don't get why the UK and Japan get a new U2 album with 12 tracks, and the U.S. gets 11, especially considering the omitted song is the source of the album title. Are American record companies now actively trying to piss off their customers?

Originally posted by Setzer
I ordered my Box set through CD Universe for $27.99 + Shipping. Not a bad deal. I'm just pissed that Fast Cars won't be on it. Fast Cars is on the cd in the US box set with book. It's not on the other two versions.

Originally posted by cerulean
Fast Cars is on the cd in the US box set with book. It's not on the other two versions.

Are you sure its on the LE set? It is not on the track listing at Amazon.com and U2.com mentions nothing of the bonus song for the LE set.

People that have it in hand are reporting it does have Fast Cars on it (US version)

Sweeeeeet! Looks like Fast Cars will be on the U.S. version after all!

Can somebody tell me a little more about how the box set is packaged? I've only seen a scan of the oversized cover, and I'm not sure about getting the set because of the packaging.

Originally posted by Setzer
Sweeeeeet! Looks like Fast Cars will be on the U.S. version after all!

Let's be clear, it's on the Collectors Edition. No reports of it being on the Deluxe or Regular editions. (At least yet)

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
Can somebody tell me a little more about how the box set is packaged? I've only seen a scan of the oversized cover, and I'm not sure about getting the set because of the packaging.

I posted a link to a pic in the very first post of this thread.

Originally posted by Chrisedge
Let's be clear, it's on the Collectors Edition. No reports of it being on the Deluxe or Regular editions. (At least yet)

The version I ordered was the one with the hard cover book and the DVD. I better be getting Fast Cars. :D

If you look at the image of the Collector's Edition on Amazon, it does mention 12 songs on the cover. That would mean Fast Cars is included.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00068IOWM.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

"Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is a great song.

What exactly is on the DVD?

pitchfork review (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/u/u2/how-to-dismantle-an-atomic-bomb.shtml)

U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
[Interscope; 2004]
Rating: 6.9
U2 has been crowned the biggest band in the world so many times that, at least conceptually, they've finally managed to transcend themselves, ditching their earthly digs and assuming cartoonish proportions. And that might be why the four silhouettes currently twitching across America's TV screens, jerkily promoting U2-branded iPods over big, neon expanses, seem so eerily apropos: the flesh and blood members of U2 have been reduced to signifiers, mock-ups, representatives. They are bigger than their band.

Produced by arena-guru Steve Lillywhite (with help from longtime twiddlers Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, and Flood), U2's 11th LP, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, is brash, grungy, and loud-- everything R.E.M. tried (and failed) to be on Monster, and everything U2 opted out of being on 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. Still, Atomic Bomb is not an especially surprising record. It's a classic mix of colossal ballads and jerky rockers-- part-The Unforgettable Fire, part-Achtung Baby. Theoretically, Atomic Bomb weds classic U2 (echoing guitars, big sound, soaring vocals) with nu-U2 (experimental tweaks, electronic flourishes) but, high aspirations aside, the only marriage the record ultimately achieves is the union of good U2 and bad U2. So take a deep breath and prepare for a tiny handful of outstanding tracks and a whole mess of schmaltzy filler.

U2 may be a staunchly democratic machine (ask Eno), but Bono is still singularly responsible for propelling U2-as-uber-group forward, leering out from behind oversized yellow goggles, crusading righteously to reduce Third World debt, campaigning against AIDS, spitting post-Beat induction speeches from Jann Wenner's Hall of Fame podium, bobbing stupidly for Apple, talking and talking and talking about himself. Publicly, U2 are overblown and decadent, sporting silly, abstract monikers and booking colossal stadium tours, calling presidents, wearing sunglasses in the dark, anchoring the Superbowl, pushing products. Bono is 43 years old, boasts remarkable sway both inside and outside the pop culture sphere, and fronts one of the most universally recognizable rock bands of all time: He is a neo-superstar-- global, important, impossibly entertaining, and forever tiptoeing the line between wholly extraordinary and idiotically self-obsessed.

Despite a deliberately leading album title-- and one lone, overtly suggestive song title ("Love and Peace Or Else")-- How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is a curiously apolitical record, more about love and loyalty (and the 2001 death of Bono's father) than impending global doom. The decision to sidestep bold politicking and instead highlight feelings-and-guitars is a particularly compelling one right now, given the super-charged months preceding the record's release (and the melange of global conflicts now escalating to new levels of absurdity). Listeners are left wondering if Bono's elbows-deep international activism has somehow turned him off to the (comparably nebulous) effort of writing protest songs-- has all the dirt under his fingernails made the act of emoting into a microphone seem a little less urgent? "Saving the world is now a daily chore," Bono joked to The New York Times-- even in jest, it's a completely ridiculous thing to say. And yet?

Deliberately or not, Bono-as-bespectacled-celebrity-crusader seeps into nearly everything U2 does, sometimes to significant aesthetic effect: When Bono starts cawing urgently about a place called "Vertigo", declaring it "everything I wish I didn't know," it's possible that he's talking about girls or his father or his band-- or Bono might be squealing about something far worse, something awful, something most of us are lucky enough to have never witnessed. The problem is that it's extraordinarily difficult to ever really know exactly what Bono is talking about. Almost without exception, Bono yowls vague, cliched observations, his sentiments always awkwardly bombastic or hopelessly maudlin (check "Miracle Drug," where we are invited to ponder how "Freedom has a scent/ Like the top of a newborn baby's head," or "A Man and A Woman", where we contemplate "the mysterious distance between a man and a woman," or even just repeated-- seriously!-- "Where is the love?" demands.)

Loads of listeners have already noted that opener "Vertigo" bears an odd resemblance to The Supremes' gorgeously desperate "You Keep Me Hanging On", except "Vertigo" is framed by a classic punk shout-down where-- get this!-- Bono's totally singing in Spanish! Wait, he said catorce! It's a classic U2 moment: worldly, frantic, irritatingly deliberate. But when the Edge slams into his guitar, hollering a smirky "Hola!" to Bono's quasi-confrontational "Hello, hello!" it's awfully easy to forgive: "Vertigo" is hopelessly appealing, somehow growing less stupid and more compelling with each listen.

"Vertigo" is followed by a pair of swirly half-ballads, the plodding, overblown "Miracle Drug" and the super-sappy "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", before we're mercifully handed "Love and Peace Or Else", a snarly, throbbing bit of solace. "Love and Peace" opens with a platter of ominous noise, shaky guitar grumbles rubbing up against high-pitched whines. Drums rumble, and Bono lodges his best semi-seductive demand: "Lay down, lay down." "Love and Peace" is chased by the equally exhilarating "City of Blinding Lights", an earnest and galactic fight song, and the sort of track that's best enjoyed in cars and airplanes, simply because it encites so much giddy movement. But "City of Blinding Lights" is the record's climax, and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb begins its gnawing descent almost immediately, culminating with disastrous closer "Yahweh", a whiny, monotonous mess that's easily one of the worst songs U2 have ever recorded.

Maybe the biggest problem with Atomic Bomb is just that it sounds so much like U2, and their semi-absurd, totally unparalleled ubiquity has left all of us just a tiny bit tired of listening to things that sound like U2. This isn't completely their fault-- they tried to change (see the questionable Zooropa or the disastrous Pop), and we didn't like that, either. Bono has talked publicly about U2's longevity and quasi-diversity, crediting their shape-shifting to his band's unbreakable internal bonds-- U2 can afford to mess around, because the "spirit" of the band is so strong, so infinitely recognizable. But maybe U2's immortality is also their biggest curse-- and now they're forced to wallow in superstardom, forever perpetuating their own colossal myth.

-Amanda Petrusich, November 22nd, 2004

Pitchfork hates "miracle drug." Surprise.

Some news:

U2 is playing a free concert today in NYC at the Empire Fulton Ferry State Park at 3 pm (Nov. 22) It's supposed to be a 30-minute concert and is being filmed by MTV.

Also
U2 playing NYC from the back of a truck…
~E // 22-11-04 // 04:16 PM // full post (3)
Robin contacted us to say U2 were playing in front of Columbia University at approx 11:15 EST.

Eyewitness reports confirm the rumour we reported previously, saying the band are playing from the back of a flatbed truck, and will be making random stops throughout the city all day until the concert at 3. Let’s hope they’ve buckled up!

At 12:30 people arriving at Washington Square Park were redirected to the Brooklyn location, but with more police showing up it is possible Washington Square Park will be hit later down the road. The “official” at Washington Square Park also mentioned the Brooklyn taping will be at 4 pm EST, not 3 as previously reported.

Jonathan mailed in to say the band are actually filming the video for “All Because of You” during the performances on the flatbed truck.

More info as it comes in…

Wow. Could that reviewer hate U2 any more? It's quite obvious after reading her review she's never cared for their music and was asked to review their latest album. She's entitled to her opinion, of course, just didn't think she should have been the one doing the review.

Does anyone have the complete track list for The Complete U2 set coming out on iTunes tomorrow? I've been searching for a while and can't seem to find anything.

As for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, awesome album but need to hear it a few more times to place it in relation to JT and AB. :thumbsup: for putting a stream on their website and MTV.com so I could listen to it before my cd comes.

I've been wondering myself. Since it says the additional songs are unreleased, I'm guessing it's something other than b-sides. Hopefully it's not a bunch of remixes.

Originally posted by Setzer
Wow. Could that reviewer hate U2 any more? It's quite obvious after reading her review she's never cared for their music and was asked to review their latest album. She's entitled to her opinion, of course, just didn't think she should have been the one doing the review.

I couldn't agree more. It really seems like no matter what U2 had put out she was determined to give it a bad review.

Originally posted by automator
pitchfork review (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/u/u2/how-to-dismantle-an-atomic-bomb.shtml) This isn't completely their fault-- they tried to change (see the questionable Zooropa or the disastrous Pop

Well, there goes that guy's credibility. Zooropa is an excellent album, from the lovely Stay to the kickass Cash closer. POP ain't too shabby either. Get a clue, dude

I don't think Amanda is a dude.

Originally posted by Setzer
Wow. Could that reviewer hate U2 any more?

Hate with a tint of jealousy. I get the impression that her "time of the month" lasts 365 days of the year!

Originally posted by Setzer
Wow. Could that reviewer hate U2 any more? Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times (http://www.suntimes.com/output/entertainment/cst-ftr-u222.html) is a reviewer who hates U2 more. Note how he decides to add a bunch of Bono jokes found on the internet at the end of the review.

Originally posted by neiname
Does anyone have the complete track list for The Complete U2 set coming out on iTunes tomorrow? I've been searching for a while and can't seem to find anything.

As for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, awesome album but need to hear it a few more times to place it in relation to JT and AB. :thumbsup: for putting a stream on their website and MTV.com so I could listen to it before my cd comes.

Sorry I haven't seen it posted it anywhere, but if you go into I tunes, its there. And its amazing. I 'm not about to type 446 song titles, but its every album, every single, including the very rare early singles, both fanclub only CDs, the 25 rare tracks ( including some recent studio outtakes) , and two full concerts. Its the most complete collection ever put together. I hope other bands jump on this bandwagon. Also it would be nice if u2 added a few complete concerts every month, and every show from the upcoming tour.

Originally posted by Setzer
Wow. Could that reviewer hate U2 any more?
I'm sure she could hate them more. She gave it a 6.9. That's not exactly hate. I'd like to read more reviews that focus on the music and not Bono's activities. Guess it's hard to avoid that sometimes.

Originally posted by atlantamoi
I'm sure she could hate them more. She gave it a 6.9. That's not exactly hate. I'd like to read more reviews that focus on the music and not Bono's activities. Guess it's hard to avoid that sometimes. Actually, it's entirely possible that the reviewer had nothing to do with the numerical rating. I seem to recall a thread in here a couple months back (with DeRo, no less!) about how Rolling Stone assigned the star ratings. It's a way the editorial staff can -- in theory -- exert some control over the overall ratings process to adjust for particular reviewers' individual biases. (The review is personal, but the rating isn't.) Not sure if that's what happened here, but the thought occurred to me that the review came off a lot harsher than a "6.9."

Here's the setlist from the Brooklyn concert (from another board):

Vertigo (Take one)
All Because Of You
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can’t…
City Of Blinding Lights
Original Of The Species
She’s A Mystery To Me
Beautiful Day
I Will Follow
———-
Out Of Control
Vertigo (Take two)

Originally posted by neiname
Does anyone have the complete track list for The Complete U2 set coming out on iTunes tomorrow? I've been searching for a while and can't seem to find anything.


The Complete U2 list on itunes 446 Tracks (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=397194)

I like this album a lot so far. "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" is my favorite so far.

I like "Miracle Drug" a lot, but man, does that opening riff sound like the one from "Out of Control."

I am happy to have this.

Couldn't pay $29.99 for the "collector's" set. Since I don't care about the book I'd be paying about $12 for just one more song that I'm sure I'll get somewhere else sometime.

GREAT CD thus far...

Wow. You people are all very kind to U2. I am a huge fan of U2 and have all their albums.

Just listened to the CD for the first time. My initial reaction: eh.

The music seems mostly uninspired, minimal, and blah overall. Bono's voice does not sound very good either.

I hope that it will improve for me with further listenings, but I usually like U2 songs right away. This album just left me bored.

I can't believe I am saying it, but Vertigo felt like the most complete song on the CD. Like the Edge was asleep during these sessions and just didn't bother to do more than add his charcteristic guitar sound from almost every other album.

Here's to hoping I like it more as time goes by.

Thank god I bought the cheapest version. I'd be pissed had I paid for one of the higher end releases.

WOW, I went from defending this release to being really bummed, This book edition BLOWS, unless you are a very hardcore U2 fan (I thought I was one) every page in the book is the same as the next. It just a bunch of crappy doodles from the band. A complete waste of paper and a GIANT let down, I wish I had bought the regular version minus the "Fast Cars" song. Someone please let me know if the regular versions booklet has photos of the band, etc. because the book version has absolutely NO band photos. I'll probably ebay this version and buy the regular edition, cause I doubt Best Buy would take this back opened!

WARNING: to all that might purchase this edition IMO it is not worth the extra $15 I paid at Best Buy. Plus, like someone else had mentioned before the extra track will probably appear on some promotional disc at Target like the "7" cd from the last album that had all the B-sides from the singles.

Anybody else feel the same or I'm I alone on this one? :(

thanks for the heads up there... i'm a sucker for special editions, but i get really pissed when they're a total ripoff.

I made a mistake there are two pages that I passed over that have a collage of the band standing on a beach. Hardly the stuff you would find in a cd booklet. I knew it when I had the regular cd in my hand with the black and white cover shot of the band walking in front of some kind of refinery that I should have bought that version. But I ASSumed that they would include the cd booklet with the book version, makes sense to me! WRONG SUCKER!

U2=CA$H WHORE$

Originally posted by hal9000
U2=CA$H WHORE$

And everyone else in the Industry.....

Originally posted by hal9000
But I ASSumed that they would include the cd booklet with the book version, makes sense to me! WRONG SUCKER!

There is a link in the first post of this thread that provides complete pictures of what came in the box.

U2=CA$H WHORE$
Yeah, god forbid a band would give consumers a choice of three versions of their album to buy. All three versions came out the same day, no double-dipping, your choice: $10 for regular, $15 for regular with DVD, $25 for oversized box with book.

For cahs whores, look to Franz Ferdinand, who released a "special edition" of their CD with five more songs, long after the standard version had become a hit.

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
For cahs whores, look to Franz Ferdinand, who released a "special edition" of their CD with five more songs, long after the standard version had become a hit. Amen! Don't even get me started with this bullshit trend...

Oh, wait...U2 $old out. There.

Not a big Boner fan, but I love Vertigo. Ordered up the cd/DVD combo. Boner needs the money.

I like the CD a lot after a couple of listens. I was a little skeptical as I don't like Vertigo much, but the rest of the album is very good.

I think I'll end up liking it more than All That You Can't Leave behind as I thought the second half of that album was weak.

Got the $10 version. Not disappointed at all, easily the best U2 album since Achtung Baby.

When are people going to realize making money doesn't equal selling out. If u2 have sold out, that every band on the planet has. U2 leaves everything they have on stage, everytime they play. They make amazing albums everytime. I dare anyone to name another band/artist after 25 years still making new music, that is as good as anything out there. Most bands become greatest hits shows.

u2 released 3 versions, you knew what you were getting, and you had choice

Has a huge fan, gotta admit the collectors edition packaging blows.

I will put it away and not play that copy again. I would buy it again for the extra song, but it will sit on the shelf.

Went to Target, and the CD/DVD edition was completely sold out. I'll have to check another Target tomorrow, or price match it somewhere else (most likely Best Buy, which is next to my college).

What got me completely psyched about this album was their performance on SNL last weekend. My girlfriend and I really enjoyed how tight the band sounded. Great stuff. Can't wait.

Well, after reading many reviews, think I'm gonna wait until I find a used copy down the road. Sounds like this album is basically ATYCLB, but maybe with slightly less crappy songs (?). Some of the harsh reviews on Amazon from U2 fans sound like what I was saying 4 years ago.

Fast Cars is available on iTunes, for separate purchase, but you have to go into the link for the Complete U2, not for the HTDAAB listing... though it is listed in that section on the Complete U2 track listing. Just FYI for those that may not want to fork out for the box set... I will probably still get it, unless they are out when I get the $$$ for it.

Got my CD/DVD combo yesterday.
Good listening so far. Need to check out the DVD this weekend.

'Bomb' flattens doubts about U2
By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

U2's new album has nothing to do with nuclear arsenals, yet its title couldn't be more fitting. U2 dropped a Bomb on me, baby: The band's latest is its most emotionally absorbing work.

Disarming and explosive, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (* * * * out of four) has the radiating energy of a reactor meltdown and the potential half-life of uranium. U2 is the new U-235, white-hot and untouchable.

Bomb, out today, is a blast, as quickly established by the spiking voltage of Vertigo and warped glam-rock of Love and Peace or Else. It's also the band's most emotionally absorbing work, riding on great swells of optimism and faith occasionally darkened by a chilly undertow of grief and anxiety.

Bomb's majestic sweep owes much of its verve to the sparkle, thrum and roar of Edge's bold guitar. Larry Mullen Jr. excites and fattens the songs with a pugnacious thump, spiced by the steady, seductive bass of Adam Clayton.

Bono, in peak form vocally and lyrically, sweats and bleeds passion, whether marveling at the human spirit in Miracle Drug, mourning shattered innocence in City of Blinding Lights or offering a healing prayer in the closing Yahweh.

Songs full of heart and mind-tingling ideas gracefully coexist on personal and universal planes. In the seething Crumbs From Your Table, Bono's response to sluggish funding for the AIDS crisis doubles as a lover's tantrum. One man's anguish explores Everyman's ache for connection in two gorgeous and devastating songs inspired by the death of Bono's father in 2001: One Step Closer and Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own.

Many will declare the grandeur, open spaces and chiming crescendos a return to form, and Bomb certainly embodies U2's finest qualities, but it's also a triumphant leap forward that stretches the limited vocabulary of rock 'n' roll without sacrificing the genre's original promise of purity. It delivers a dizzying payload of entertainment without diluting purpose.

With 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, the Irish quartet retrenched after a decade of irony and invention to reapply for the job of World's Greatest Band. Bomb leaves that title unthreatened.

Atomic Bomb is U2's best album, eclipsing not only Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree, but a good many 20th-century holy grails and prematurely anointed classics of the new millennium. U2 stands as rock's lone superpower, not after constantly defeating its challengers, but by constantly challenging itself.


LINK (http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2004-11-22-u2_x.htm)

Good review! While I don't agree this album is better than The Joshua Tree, I do like it better than Achtung Baby!.

Originally posted by Chrisedge
Has a huge fan, gotta admit the collectors edition packaging blows.

I will put it away and not play that copy again. I would buy it again for the extra song, but it will sit on the shelf.

I have to agree 100% about the LE's packaging. I have already burned a copy and shelved the LE next to U2 live at Boston. I am curious about the regular CD's booklet though.

Originally posted by Setzer
Atomic Bomb is U2's best album, eclipsing not only Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree, but a good many 20th-century holy grails and prematurely anointed classics of the new millennium. U2 stands as rock's lone superpower, not after constantly defeating its challengers, but by constantly challenging itself.





Are people smoking crack? Better than Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby? That is one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard. Atomic Bomb does not even appraoch these two albums.

Originally posted by sherm42
Are people smoking crack? Better than Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby? That is one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard. Atomic Bomb does not even appraoch these two albums. I read that review last night at work and was floored.

You may think it's "ridiculous" to compare HTDAAB with Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby! but I don't. You're entitled to your opinion but so am I and so is the reviewer. Personally, I like HTDAAB better than Achtung Baby but I don't think it tops Joshua Tree.

I just wonder if people are deluding themselves into thinking this album is better than it is because they do not want to admit that one of their favorite bands is just not as good as they used to be. It doesn't mean that U2 are crap, but I cannot help asking myself when listening to this album:

"Would I actually like and listen to this album if it was put out by any other band? Would I have bought this if it wasn't U2?"

I'm not sure I would have bought this CD if it was a new band.

Originally posted by sherm42
I just wonder if people are deluding themselves into thinking this album is better than it is because they do not want to admit that one of their favorite bands is just not as good as they used to be. It doesn't mean that U2 are crap, but I cannot help asking myself when listening to this album:

"Would I actually like and listen to this album if it was put out by any other band? Would I have bought this if it wasn't U2?"

I'm not sure I would have bought this CD if it was a new band.

Whatever. :rolleyes:

If you don't like it then don't buy it. Don't come here and criticize people who actually do like it.

Did I criticize you? No.

I simply stated my opinion.

Believe me, I really want to love this album. I really really want to love it. While a few songs have improved in my mind, most of them have not.

I'm just disappointed. I can voice that disappointment here.

You should have just stated your opinion by saying you didn't like the album. By saying stuff like wondering if people who like it are just refusing to dislike something from one of their favorite bands is rude as it's like you saying that your opinion is better than everyone else's and since you don't like the album people that do must be deluding themselves some how.

Different strokes for different folks, music is entirely subjective. No one's opinion is more right or wrong than anyone else's.

Please read the wording. I did not say people ARE deluding themselves, I said I WONDER IF people are deluding themselves. I was putting that out there in the hope that people would perhaps think a bit objectively about this album.

You can infer all you like whether I think everyone is deluding themselves, but that is not what I said.

I agree with Sherm42 in that there a lot "superfans" that will never bash their favorite bands works, regardless, as if critisizing is somehow showing disloyalty. No doubt there are some U2 fans that fall into that category as there are those type of fans with any band.

Personally, I am the first to say it if I do not like one of my favorite artists works. Rush was probably my favorite band for 20 years, and I freely admit to hating their latest album. I could think of numerous other examples, including U2. I didn't like Zooropa very much. I do happen to love Dismantle though, for no other reason than I love listening to it.

Hmmmm I had no problem stating ATYCLB sucked and I consider myself a big fan of U2. I'm not stating HTDAAB is good just because it's U2. It's a great Album and that's my opinion.

Well, I will finish now with a promise. I promise to keep listening to the album and keep my mind open to it. I truly hope I come to love it.

Oh and POP & Zooropa sucked as well.

Maybe I'm just easily pleased, but I loved "ATYCLB" and I'm really enjoying "HTDAAB." Somebody tie me down and cut my ears off.

But if you think I'm a fanboy when it comes to my favorite bands, ask me my thoughts on DMB's "Everyday."

[Rodney King]Can't we all just get along?[/Rodney King] ;)

Originally posted by Tommy_Harn
But if you think I'm a fanboy when it comes to my favorite bands, ask me my thoughts on DMB's "Everyday." Shit, I could say the same thing about Prince, Janet, Madonna, etc..

I think it goes both ways. "Superfans" can be SUPERcritical or they can be those that think everything the artist releases is pure gold..

HTDAAB is easily the most mature and complete album U2 has ever made, IMHO. Just because AB! and JT are established classics that made the band, doesn't mean they are better than the last album. I think some people take a confrontational approach to new material and the inevitable comparisons kick in and unfairly brand new releases as less worthy... My other thought is that people can tire of a band and then just mentally move on and not want to hear from a band again. (Kinda what happened to the X-Files - even if it's still good, people have tired of it).

I think those that are on the fence should check out the new album and those that are tired of U2 should simply move on.

I do agree that the 'deluxe' set is pretty crappy.

shameless plug #1:

for the next two hours i'll be doing a U2 "themed" radio show.

if ya wanna tune in, see the last link in my sig...

Wow, I seriously can't even begin to get a sense of where so much of this negativity is coming from; considering the state of music quality on the charts/radio today, U2 could have released a CD of Bono reading from the phonebook and it would have showed more artistic ingenuity than most anything I'm hearing these days, but instead of doing that, they've released their single most accessible album (not best, mind you, that remains JOSHUA TREE, but most accessible) to date, and I'm just lovin' the hell out of this album. C'mon, VERTIGO, MIRACLE DRUG, CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS, YAHWEH (which even a non-theist like myself can be transported by) and the absolutely jaw-dropping, thunderously ominous LOVE AND PEACE OR ELSE, which is fast becoming my favorite track of the whole disc because it's just so rhythmically nasty and whatever U2 may be, they're never this darkly swanky--it's so great to seem them really break new ground like this 24 years down the road. If HTDAAB ain't your bag, I can only retort that you're musical tastes are so far off my map, I'm not even sure we're operating in the same galaxy...

Originally posted by Rogue588
shameless plug #1:

for the next two hours i'll be doing a U2 "themed" radio show.

if ya wanna tune in, see the last link in my sig... I'm enjoying it, Rogue, but a correction:
I've Got You Under My Skin isn't from a benefit album, it's from Frank's Duets album (1993). You're right that they weren't in the same studio, but I always think back to the hilarious SNL skit with Phil Hartman and Adam Sandler when I hear it.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002USN.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

just bought and listened to the album a few hours ago. First impression: it's good, better than ATYCLB, but not great and absolutely nowhere near the brilliance of Achtung, Joshua, War or Unforgettable Fire. That is all.

I'd recommend you listen a few more times before making an ultimate assesment. This album grew on me like mold in wet sheetrock.

I thought the worst two songs I had heard were 'A Man and A Woman' and 'Crumbs...' but now I think they are the best. It's amazing what some patience and investment into music can show you.

Originally posted by Decker
I'm enjoying it, Rogue, but a correction:
I've Got You Under My Skin isn't from a benefit album, it's from Frank's Duets album (1993).Thanks for listening. Yeah, I got it confused with Nenah Cherry [and the fact that U2 was on the album too didn't help..].

after listening to the cd the first time, it's much better than the stuff i heard on the internet. i really enjoy the fact that they're back to using some of the old guitar sounds. that's pleasant. it's not as "electronic" feeling as ATYCLB. i also don't think vertigo sucks as much as i had originally thought. sure, it's cheesy, and it doesn't fit fantastically with the rest of the songs, but it's a great way to open a new album, and get everyone's attention.

i'd say 4/5. another great effort by a great rock band. can't wait to see them tour again!

on my second go through and i will concede that it's growing on me... but i have a hard time believing that it will eclipse Rattle and Hum (my favorite as it was my introduction to music <i>in general</i>!!), Joshua Tree or War (their 3 best, in my book). it has good potential though, i'll give you that!
-di doctor-

DrRingDing -

With the investment you put into R&H (also one of my general introductions to music) I'd bet there won't BE an album better than it! So how about maybe 2nd or 3rd place? ;)

it is indeed growing on me much more than i thought it would...

but i still don't forsee it passing R&H, JT or War... probably not UF either.

if you want an order as of my 6th or 7th listening of this album:
R&H
War
JT
UF
Zooropa (my first cd ever, incidentally - and i now have over 1000)
AB
HtDaAB
---------
ATYCLB

i don't put boy, october or pop in there because i'm not terribly familiar with them. i actually need to revisit the first two - i recently went back and listened to murmur and reckoning by REM, and i gave them a GOOD listening to after having owned them for awhile, and i think they are my two favorite REM albums. so, i need to do the same thing with Boy and October.

even if all three were on the list, ATYCLB would still be at the bottom. i think i might actually hate the album. it's banal and boring, in my opinion. and it doesn't really carry any weight, in my opinion. at least pop was something different. again, though, i am not familiar with pop. it's the only u2 album i don't own.
-di doctor-

Originally posted by DrRingDing

R&H
War
JT
UF
AB
HtDaAB
Zooropa
---------
ATYCLB


after a little rethink and about 4 more straight-through listens to Dismantle, i have rerated. but it's growing on me more and more...

although, i should probably stop listening to it soon, before i play it out in under 48 hours. :D
-di doctor-

picked this up at CC for 8.99 and while I haven't had a chance to listen to all of it, from what I've heard so far, it does sound much more like Achtung Baby and earlier albums than any of their other recent releases which is good IMO. If they come around and tour again I think I'll have to try and see them again live.

Anxiously awaited this and have been disappointed to some extent. This is nowhere near the quality of past gems from U2, which is the problem ... this one was built up so much for me that it really could only have left me feeling a bit disappointed.

That being said, it's still a decent album.

Trust me, it grows on you.

Originally posted by Mr. Salty
Trust me, it grows on you.

well, I've listened to it about five or six times already. It isn't growing on me. Good, but not great.

Originally posted by Rivero
well, I've listened to it about five or six times already. It isn't growing on me. Good, but not great.
Agreed. Decent, but nothing special.

It's been growing on me. Overall, I like it better than ATYCLB. I felt the second half of that album was weak.

The album I absolutely cannot stop litening to lately is Boy. I got it a while ago and never listened to it. I'm addicted to it now. I can't believe that all these years I never got around to discovering this gem.

Sherm42 - I too had a late discovery of Boy - it's powerful and raw isn't it?

I can't stop listening to An Cat Dubh. Isn't it the longest U2 song or something? It just rocks.

Longest U2 song = "Bad (Live)" on the WIDE AWAKE IN AMERICA EP, running time 7:59.

(with the longest version of it I've yet seen performed being found on the DVD of LIVE AID)

But An Cat Dubh is 8:14

That seems to beat Bad

Either way, they both rock :)

"An Cat Dubh" is NOT 8:14, it is 4:47. It seques into a different song, "Into the Heart", which runs for 3:27. If you are turning the two into one supertrack, the final runtime would be 8:14, but that would be cheating, now, wouldn't it? ;)

On my CD its all one tack running 8:14. Can you even listen to them separately without just cutting them off? I guess it really doesn't matter though. There are two song titles, but it all seems to be one long composition.

I think it's amazing for a band, 25+ years into their career, to release an album that even approaches their previous widely critical and commerically praised classics. U2 have had multiple albums that can truly be called classics, and even if HTDAAB is just considered a "really good" album, which is what I'd call it, that's a pretty great achievement. Think about the last albums by some of the other long-running groups, like Aerosmith and R.E.M. They didn't even compare to their greatest works, and at times felt pretty uninspired and dull.

The thing I love about the new U2 album is that it feels old and new at the same time. It doesn't feel like a half-assed rehash of their classic sound (which a great band like AC/DC basically sounded like on their last album, IMO). But, it's not trying to reinvent the wheel either, and I can definitely tell it's U2 (not a bad thing). I hate it when bands decide to be really experimental, possibly for fear of being called boring and uncreative, and end up with a pretentious album that sounds like about 4,000 sounds/styles/instruments chewed up and spit out in a pile of stinking unlistenable vomit.

I was getting worried about U2, since I didn't love Pop (although it's definitely not as bad as some people claim...i like electronica and techno, and under it all the U2 style is still very present) or ATYCLB (bland and unmemorable to me, save a few songs), but I really like the new album. Right now I'd definitely say HTDAAB isn't as great as their classic albums, but over time it might get a lot closer to them. If I can still take this one out and play it 5-10 years down the line, like I do with some of their others, then I'd be more inclined to call it a truely memorable classic.

Originally posted by sherm42:
On my CD its all one tack running 8:14. Can you even listen to them separately without just cutting them off?

My CD does have "An Cut Dubh/Into the Heart" listed as a so-called super-track title, but does feature separate start cues for "An Cut Dubh" and "Into the Heart" so they can be broken up/listened to separately. Again, I recognize that one segues musically into the other, but other than the bridging bass line, musically, they're very disparate, so I consider them as two separate tracks, as does the awesome site u2wanderer.org (at least they were awesome until Universal Music made them shut down their lyrics section). YMMV...