Music Review: U2, “No Line on the Horizon” (Interscope)
Rating: 60
Any band that moves inexorably and triumphantly forward for three decades might be defying science, but U2′s lack of positive momentum on “No Line on the Horizon” still comes as a mild shock. On the atmospheric surfaces engineered by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, “No Line” sounds like a slight return to the cinematic washes and epic soundscapes of “The Unforgettable Fire,” but on closer examination it delivers nothing nearly so breathtaking, simply a survey of U2-isms from the past 25 years.
Early tracks such as the title song and “Magnificent” deliver the muscular beauty of their earliest Eno collaboration — based on sounds generated by Adam Clayton, the Edge and Larry Mullen, the unforgettable fire seems reignited — but Bono’s lyrics and delivery lack the passion of his fellow travelers. The self-referential lyrics to “Magnificent” about being born to sing only fill space instead of filling souls.
At its worst, “No Line” is U2 at its most wrong: “Get On Your Boots” is as silly as the band has been since “Discotheque” — U2 as a rock entity of undeniable significance should never remind the listener of The Escape Club’s trifling “Wild Wild West.” But even in the best moments (“Breathe,” “Moment of Surrender,” the hauntingly beautiful “White as Snow”), U2 only echoes its great past rather than indicate that a magnificent future is at hand.
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I’m digging some of the album and the fact that I bought it off amazon.com for $3.99. A whole week of performances on Letterman isn’t bad either.