I'd say it's fairly evident that U2 plays a large part in my life. Not so much these days, as I've been lead astray by other magnificent musics and slightly disillusioned by the last album, but in the end I keep coming back. U2 was the first band I loved, I have heard every song they've ever released many times, stood one row from the stage, sung along, learned the name of Edge's guitar tech. It goes on. It's rather mad. But the point of all of this, is that when they release something new, Damon pays attention. And as a qualified expert on the subject of U2 (I think lots of people a bit less than a half decade ago knew me only in relation to my obsession) I feel that upon hearing the first new song from the band in two years from the first new album from the band in four years, it is my duty to share my thoughts.
They've been grinding out and ramping up the publicity for the new album over the last weeks and months, and I've been paying close attention, but often more out of habit than real excitement. This comes because their last album, All That You Can't Leave Behind made me doubt them for the first time. It wasn't a bad album. It was even a good album, with some really good songs. But it was just U2 doing what they knew they knew how to do, and coming pretty close to being boring. It was not particularly interesting, nor was it particularly exciting. But it sold huge. It catapulted them back into the hearts of the public. U2 earned 7 grammy awards from it. People gobbled it up, and why wouldn't they? It was a very well made album. But it was also very safe, almost lazy. My opinion on initially hearing it was positive, and remains so. But I dislike what it represents. Of course U2 can write an album of good anthemic rock songs, but they can do MORE. And when a band starts getting older and does something like that, you can't help but worry that they're not going to bother trying to push limits. So I was pretty apprehensive about hearing the new single, Vertigo. All the hype has been saying "U2 return to their rock and roll roots" and I thought, 'great, yeah that's what the fans want, and yeah it'll be good, but will it be great?'
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Justene
This review was chosen for Advance.net. You will be able to find it on newspaper sites including Cleveland.com.
2 - Arun Ramani
I totally agrre with theis review. I too have been on obsessive, die-hard u2 fan for exactly 20 years now. The first time I was dissappionted with U2 was with "All That You Cant'Leave Behind." "Beautiful Day" did not do anything for me when it first came out on radio in September 2000 and it still doesn't do anything for me. "Vertigo" is not even half the sell-out the above mentioned lead single was. The latter single is the Edge's best guitar-playing since "the Fly."
3 - Bob
Solid comments, guys. Hard to argue those valid points...I too, am a bit of an admitted fanatic - and am somehow pleased to hear of others. I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album - and see what the next tour is all about..i hope it's not a stripped down tour like the last - throw some PopMart or Zoo TV flavours into it...lets avoid getting old in any category!
Vertigo actually has some seriously heavy lyric - but I bet most of mainstream radio listeners will never know what they mean - I love that! It makes me feel priviledged to know what the man has to say - there are so many invaluable messages in their albums, certainly this one will be another thought provoking and life influencing
"script(ure)"...
feel free to email me
4 - Eddy
I agree with you guys above. All That You Can't Leave Behind was U2 playing it safe (and rather maudlin). It was the first U2 album since WAR that I didn't purchase. Vertigo isn't cutting-edge like their early 1990s work, but it does have the life and swagger of it. And that's enough for me to get excited about U2 again. If Vertigo (and the album title) are any indications, U2 might just have their balls back. Vertigo sounds like the War-era U2 recording Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. It has rock rawness, but a danceable groove. This is what I was hoping they'd sound like when they first announced they were stripping back the technology after POP. Now if only Bono
starts being a rebel again and starts taking shots at Bush Jr. like he did to Bush Sr. back in their glory Zoo TV days....
5 - Matt
Vertigo is an awesome hard-hitting rock track full of raw energy and vitality. A great comeback track by the boys and their producer, Steve Lillywhite. The video should be a blast!
6 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Damon - is there a link to the song anywhere?
7 - Damon Muma
www.u2log.com have some links to a cd rip mp3 of it.. http://u2log.com/archive/002912.shtml
8 - Eric Olsen
great, thanks!
9 - Anon
Thanks for the review! I'm really excited about this new single, and what it could mean for the direction of the new album.
As a die-hard fan of the band, I really liked ATYCLB, but agree that it simply didn't come close to Pop, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, or Achtung Baby (which, IMHO, IS perfection). It's not that they didn't "do" the style they were into as well as or better than any band today could, it's just that I didn't prefer the style. So I guess it's a personal taste thing. Still some amazing songs of course (In a Little While, New York, and Kite, especially).
I completely agree about the lyrical "return to form," if you want to call it that. Your analysis that it does a better job of meaning nothing than Elevation is spot on! Shit, I hated that song. These lyrics may not be hard-hitting or particularly meaningful, but that is kind of the point. Their own insignificance.
What may seem like a cheap-shot attempt at putting some cheesy politics in a non-political song turns out to be just the opposite:
"The night is full of holes
As bullets rip the sky
Of ink and gold
They twinkle as the
Boys Play rock'n'roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know"
This seems to me to refer to their own futility and insignificance as a band, and the idea of just letting loose and living in this crazy world of ours:
"I can't stand the beat
Asking for the check
Girl with crimson nails
Jesus 'round her neck
Swinging to the music
Swinging to the music..."
Don't know exactly what that means, but it makes some sort of sense, and it sounds damn cool. What was it you were saying about STYLE?
Now this is a good, FUN song. By no means their best, but a brilliant teaser that you can really get into.
I've heard some questionable clips of songs called All Because of You (seems a little similar to this one), Love Peace or Else (like nothing they've ever done before...completely groovy baseline, and some awesome lyrics from what I could tell), and Miracle Drug (presumably about Africa, but very possibly a more vague, all-encompassing theme, cool tune with some nice guitar). All in all, I'm really excited for the new album! It should be among their best, and blow ATYCLB out of the water. Can't wait for the tour, as this will be my first time seeing them live, and I've heard great things about their live show.
Oh, and Damon, don't be embarrassed to be a slight fanatic, if indeed you are one! I know they're a little uncool at the moment with some of the rock snobs, but this album will hopefully dispell that! As opposed to limiting my musical tastes, U2 have actually exposed me to some wonderful bands who I'd never have listened to otherwise!
Hopefully the album will live up...
10 - Lono
Interesting thoughts. I am in the process of downloading Vertigo as we speak (it's dial up). Anyhow, I regard myself as a huge fan of U2... but disagree with much of your thoughts. To me, U2 was in top form for Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree (I saw them on both those tours, the Joshua Tree one was filmed for Rattle & Hum. It was Tempe, AZ). Anyhow, I have very little fondness for much since then... until ATYCLB. To me, that disc was a true return to form.
The band had spend the last 10 years before that making electronica. You can call that innnovation, fine. I don't want innovation though, I want U2! That song 'hold me, thrill me...' makes me what to (to borrow an expression from Lewis Black) stick a pencil in my ear until it starts bleeding.
I like my U2 as four guys playing rock and roll live and in person. To me, they got away from that for a long time... and returned with 'All that you can't leave behind'. I am really excited about the next U2 release. As I explained to my wife "If the new U2 record is even half as good as All that you can't leave behind... then it will still be a 4 star record".
I want to thank you all for the legal links to 'Vertigo'. I am going to pop it onto a CD in the morning (because it is still loading with the dial up) and probably listen to it over and over on the way to work.
11 - Lono
btw, I hate to be totally lame... but have to point out his count at the beginning is : uno, dos, tres, catorce!
for the record, this is Spanish for 1, 2, 3, 14!
12 - Joe
No, Lono, that's an excellent point and it's been nagging me all weekend. I thought maybe I had forgotten how to count.
13 - Robfreak
Bono definitely knows what he's saying. Why don't people try thinking outside the box? There are catorses other than the number...
Real de Catorse:
http://www.tayara.com/club/cator1.htm
Catorce the character:
http://www.erzo.org/~shannon/ars-magica/iberia/background/char-catorse.html
14 - Damon Muma
I don't know that interpreting catorce as 14 is really thinking inside the box. It's kind of a something Bono just does.. skipping numbers.. forgetting his lyric sheets, etc. If you want to get all analytical about it, perhaps it's a signal that U2 is leaping ahead of everyone else. Or (as was suggested by someone else), if you count the best ofs, and uabrs, but not 'wide awake in america' and not passengers, this is U2's 14th album. OOOOOh.
I personally don't think it means anything really.
15 - Anon
Lono...if you ever visit one of those U2 forums you'll find an endless debate over whether the 90's stuff was good, fighting between the ATYCLB-lovers and the ATYCLB-haters, whether Pop was a masterpiece or a worthless piece of shit, etc. Different strokes for different folks, to say the least!
Yeah, the 1,2,3,14 thing bugs the crap outta me too. Although some official lyrics now list Uno as being Unos (which it sounds like), which apparently has a different meaning than Uno...? I'm so confused...I know Bono is famous for this kinda shit (early morning, April 4...), but they've got too many producers and too much money for something like that to go unnoticed, so I'm pretty sure it was intentional. Even the T-shirts they're selling have that written on them! Maybe it means something, maybe it means nothing. Maybe they were drunk and thought it'd be funny.
16 - Damon Muma
I think it's funny. And I'm not drunk
A bit tired perhaps.. but not when I first thought it was funny. Maybe it's just a subtle publicity stunt. I can see the headlines now.. "rock star cannot count his own money" etc
17 - Lono
It's cool with me that U2 went WAY astray for so long. I wouldn't have appreciated them if they just kept remaking 'The Joshua Tree' over and over again.
I think rock had a brief fling with electronica, and realized that music is where it's at... not computers. I mean, even my beloved Smashing Pumpkins got a bit lost after the fired their drummer and used machines to replace him. But that is a whole nother story for a whole nother time!
Viva U2 - and this time I am going to pay the money and get MUCH better seats than I had at the last tour.
18 - Robfreak
A bit more on my Catorce interpretaion...
"The early spring weather was crisp and clear when we left Saltillo. As we drove south, skirting the flanks of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the land became increasingly dryer, with agave and Joshua trees more abundant. The Joshua trees watched our progress, eerily anthropomorphic shapes, like spirit men of the desert scorning the pneumatic ease of our passage. Perhaps spirits really were watching, for we were on our way to a ghost of a town, the fabled Real de Catorce.
Real de Catorce attracts pilgrims by the hundreds of thousands between September 25 and October 12 for the festival of San Francisco"
19 - HG
Isn't 1,2,3,14 a refernce to their "rock" albums
1. Boy
2. October
3. War
14. How to dismantle...
that's how I read it.
20 - Anon
Yeah, HG, but then you get to get into a big debate about whether it's really their 14th album, whether to count the EP's or the Best Of's or Passengers...crazyness.
Lono...I am a huge fan of Achtung Baby, Pop, and the first half of Zooropa (they should've left it as an EP as the second half was total and utter crap, except the oddly-named The First Time, which could maybe have been a B-side. Oh, and I love Dirty Day), so I can't agree with you there. But I think we'll all be able to get in on this latest album.
I wouldn't call it electronica though...teched-out, some of it, yeah, but no Floyd-esque ten minute heartbeats or anything. ;-)
But they SOUND young again. I don't know if it's just been layered or Pro-tooled, but Bono's voice sounds great compared to some stuff off ATYCLB.
21 - Hille
A friend suggested that the reference is to John 1:14, 2:14, and 3:14. A theme of Christ, money, Christ representing the confusion of... well, draw your own. As we know, U2 likes to play on scriptural numbers (see "40" and the cover of ATYCLB). i don't know if this is correct, but it seemed plausible.
22 - al-run
What I said was:
1, 2, 3...14!
It's obviously referring to John 1:14, John 2:14 and John 3:14--------->
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 2:14
In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
John 3:14
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.
See how it shifts/wavers from focusing on Christ to focusing on money to focusing back on Christ again? That's how we are â€" we're always going back-and-forth in our faith, making ourselves DIZZY. That's why it's called Vertigo. It's about our bipolar way of walking with God.
That's whatI said...but I just thought it sounded good. Thoughts? Admonishments? Edifications?
23 - nano
It's MORE simple.......VERTIGO 1,2,3, they skip 10 numbers, 14.... fast, very fast....VERTIGO.....but, why spanish????
24 - nano
spanish??... maybe they want to be nice with their latin american and spain fans... a publicity thing??, but it sounds good..
25 - tiff nidell
A real disappointment.. What's all that 'turn it up captain' sample at the beginning? (I just laughed in disbelief it sounds like a mistake). Bono's free association words that normally conjure up cool images hasn't really weaved it's magic this time around (Maybe Vertigo sounds better live (Elevation at Slane Castle did).
The lyric 'They know they can't dance, well at least they know!' (conjures up the image: We're self knowing sad dads you know, but we still like to party!
Vertigo's OK, in a dumb rocking kinda way. and if you're Jeremy Clarkson finding a stretch of open road to open up your ferrari, I'm sure you'd find it better than sex. But as for me, I'm that guy looking at you when you're at the traffic lights, thinking to himself 'Oh dear a groovy dad!'