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By: Dennis Cook
You know, U2 doesn't have to try this hard. They've made it, and remain one of the only bands on the planet that can consistently fill stadiums. But here they are striving towards something fresh, seeking new sounds with a dogged determination reminiscent of their early uber-Irish days paired with the sophistication of their years. First single "Get On Your Boots" is a bait 'n' switch, a noisy little throwaway that doesn't hint at the meditative grandeur and real subtlety of No Line On The Horizon (released March 3 on Universal-Island), which brings some welcome intimacy into their Big Rock and shows these 30 year veterans have no intention of giving ground to anyone without a fight.
For my own U2 sensibilities – developed right alongside them since the day Boy arrived in 1980 and nurtured in dozens of shattering live shows - No Line is their finest set since Achtung Baby. The two albums share an exploratory, highly switched-on character, as well as the best producers U2 ever snagged, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. While the pair did solid work on 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind and 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, their efforts were defused by weaker material and other knob twiddlers. No Line finds the ensemble crackling with the same energies that powered The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree. More plainly, I haven't been this excited by a U2 record in almost 20 years. Like many younger bands, U2 seems seriously fired up by the times we live in, and they've always been at their best when they grapple with the world at large, fearlessly facing down shameful things and finding the heroic in the day-to-day.
Since dear Freddie Mercury took his final bow, U2 has seized Queen's mantle as rock's opera company. Sturm und drang suits them, and there's even a bit of Greek tragedy (and comedy) in their make-up. Like his pal Pavarotti, Bono is blessed with a powerful, stirring instrument in his throat that seems nearly immune to the ravages of age. His flexibility and cleverness here is flucking exhilarating, and played against The Edge's tintinnabulous guitar and the electronica sprinkled "Not Fade Away" primacy of bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. there's just nothing not to dig about this album. While just four guys live, they stir in a lot of extra color on their studio efforts, and this is full of chromium flashes and pastel washes. While a laughing rave-up like "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is great fun, it's the low simmer and heart tug of "White As Snow" and "Moment of Surrender" that stick the most. The latter is perhaps their best song in a decade, harking back to moving classics like "A Sort of Homecoming" or even a calmer "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." When they turn it up on "Breathe" (or even "Boots" as placed in sequence) the sheer force of them is strongly felt. When they're firing on all cylinders U2 is a tangible experience for listeners, and their pistons are REAL well greased here.
While an easy target – as any band seated upon pop culture's dunk tank will be – U2 is also a terrific band, one for the ages, and the evidence of that can be found inside No Line On The Horizon, a potent, timely and moreover, vastly enjoyable work that shows twelve albums in they're in no danger of getting soaked anytime soon.
The band continues their weeklong run on Late Night With David Letterman tonight and tomorrow. So far we've seen them shovel snow, read the Top 10 List and of course, plays some pretty cool music.
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