Chrisedge

Still showing a release date of Nov 23, 2004 but many are anticipating a earlier date (Nov 16?) since the unfortunate news.

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 which is the 11 tracks above.

The deluxe version 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 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....

auto

Earlier "U2 - Atomic" Thread

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

Hollowgen

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

Chrisedge

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

Chrisedge

No
Regular Edition $10.99
Deluxe Edition $17.99
And Best Buy.com shows $32.99 for the Collectors Edition

Rogue588

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

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

Favorites so far [in order]:

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

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

Hiro11

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.

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.

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?)

Mordred

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.

deadlax

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.

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?

Setzer

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!

Gerry P.

Without Vertigo the album is 7/10, but with it, catorce/10.

Mr. Salty

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.

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)

Chrisedge

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

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...

auto

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.

Setzer

SunMonkey

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?tmp...music_eo/15321

shaggy

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.

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.

Setzer

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.

scott shelton

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