U2 album reviews, including No Line On The Horizon

Mac Don't be fooled by lead single 'Get on Your Boots', a lot of the band's lead singles don't represent the rest of the album, remember 'The Fly', 'Vertigo' and 'Desire'. Although 'No Line on the Horizon' is no 'Joshua Tree' or 'Acthung Baby', it's not as bad or 'Pop' or 'Zooropa' and it is probably on par with their last couple of efforts which is no bad thing for a band that's been producing quality music for the best part of 30 years. Move aside Coldplay and the Killers the boys are back in town.

8/10 [published 2/16/2009 8:57:45 AM]

Lou It's leaked, i am listening to it now and its awsome, key track is Moment of Surrender.

9/10 [published 2/16/2009 6:29:47 PM]

Leadfootlarry It hasn't leaked yet as far as I know...

8/10 [published 2/17/2009 12:34:53 AM]

Red Boy The album has leaked, you can read about it at http://ezinearticles.com/?U2s-No-Line-on-the-Horizon-Leaked&id=1701202, you just need to know where to get it. Anyway, after two listens all i can say is that the wait has not been worth the while. It's U2's worst effort since Pop.

5/10 [published 2/18/2009 6:26:53 PM]

Tony Different, very Un - U2 like and simply a stunning album. Truly amazing.

10/10 [published 2/19/2009 10:26:01 PM]

boy band The album is out there - as the man says, know where to look.
Been listening to it for two days now and happy to report that it is really really good - ignore the doomsayers - this has been worth waiting for. Tremendous

9/10 [published 2/20/2009 12:08:44 AM]

BFA A much more inventive, experimental, and trying record than the last two- thank heavens. But to be honest, it would be a stretch to call it (on it's own) experimental, inventive, or other heady adjectives. It is, however, trying, but in a way that keeps the ear on the speaker. After three listens, the blend of songs here- from mellow, textured openers from tracks 1-4, to punchy, almost kitschy pop tunes in tracks 5-7, to more ethereal, atmospheric tracks in 8-9, to a bizarre, but wildly intriguing one-two punch between "Breathe" and "Cedars of Lebanon" at 10 and 11- makes this incredibly dense. But just layered enough to have something to keep even the most anti-Bono ear tuned. Impossible to rate after that few listens- I'll start with an 8.

8/10 [published 2/20/2009 4:57:32 AM]

Istabraq This is a stellar album. Far-reaching, artful, ambitious. Intimate yet widescreen, unashamedly hopeful yet guarded with a nakedness to the lyric writing that is so refreshing and two-fingers to the knowing obtuseness of hipster bands. The singer's range is quite remarkable; he is capable of creating emotional landscapes like no other. The musical diversity - from the ultra poppiness of I'll go crazy to the beautifully folksy White as snow is remarkable as is the big-hearted stadium filler 'Breathe'. Quite simply they sing from the heart, they stand tall, they shout it out and they do it better than anyone else.

9/10 [published 2/20/2009 2:56:25 PM]

Billco There best album since achtung baby. A much heavier sound than recent efforts also, which is welcome. There was a danger they'd turn into soft rock mediocrity ala Bon Jovi.
Also a lot more daring and ambitous than the last 2 albums. Quality. Rolling Stone gave it 5 stars, nuff said.

10/10 [published 2/20/2009 11:55:43 PM]

Zain classy

10/10 [published 3/14/2009 8:20:03 PM]

Mick G What an awful track selection!

Where's 'The Fly' - a former number one single
Where's 'Discotheque' - another number one single

Once again, Where is the wonderful 'Gloria', twice now this has been omitted from best-of albums to be replaced with the prog rocky Vertigo and Elevation. The band have obviously forgot the fans who bought all thier early stuff.

2/10 [published 11/2/2006 6:01:00 PM]

w.griffin The early cover shot would leed you to believe that the U2 singles tracks would include: Another Day, Twilight, Eleven O'clock Tick Tock, Things To Make And Do, Gloria, Fire, and a few un-released rareities that were finally remasterd. Nope, it starts with "New Year's Day" from the album WAR, 1983. Where's all that explosive, raw and entergized music from 1978 to 1982, that can only be found on old vinyl and bootlegs? This is another poor attempt to repackage and squeeze another dollar out of a new U2 fan. It's a damn shame no one from Universal Music or Island Records have a clue or will market what real U2 fans want and would be willing to pay top dollar for. What's the point of buying music you already own! I'm sure I would enjoy the DVD and the two new tracks; however, we have been waiting a long time for something more than the same old thing. One day, if it's marked down dirt cheap, U218 may find its way in my collection. Until then, sorry boys, I'm not buying it !

1/10 [published 11/9/2006 2:24:00 AM]

top_noch_u2_coldplay a paying tribute to one of the best bands in the world apart from coldplay. That's all I can say bu bye U2!!!

10/10 [published 11/9/2006 5:01:00 PM]

Mick G A more concise collection than the decade spanning Best Ofs the quartet have already released, U218 collates the all-conquering band's biggest and best known hits.

U2 built their reputation as a powerful, no frills live act that conquered the world's stadiums during the '80s with politically savvy anthems such as Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of Love). After the Joshua Tree (With Or Without You) and 1988's Rattle & Hum (Desire), the band adopted a more experimental sound by working once more with Brian Eno, this time in Berlin. The resulting material such as Mysterious Ways and the remarkably beautiful and ambient ballad One not only gained them more credibility, but also catapulted them into an even higher stratosphere of global popularity.

Ever since U2 have been unbeatable. Enjoying a string of household hits the entire planet can singalong to. From the later rock 'n' roll euphoria of Beautiful Day and Vertigo comes two new tracks Window In The Skies and the band's Green Day charity collaboration, a cover of The Saints Are Coming by The Skids.

Purists will undoubtedly bemoan the absence of No.1 hits such as The Fly and Discotheque, but hell U2 could fill three Greatest Hits collection and still not satisfy everybody. A finer collection of thinking man's pop/rock you'll be hard pushed to find.

9/10 [published 11/18/2006 11:39:00 AM]

U218 review by Hank Sears Didn't U2 already release 90% of the songs from their U218 compilation on their "U2 Best of" series years ago? Someone, please refresh my memory. -H.S.

1/10 [published 11/18/2006 2:04:00 PM]

Dermott Ferry I knew this would happen. I'm such a big U2 fan that yeah I will buy this cd but Im disapointed with the track selection. Where is: The Electric Co, Out of Control, The Fly, Discotheque, Wild Horses etc??????

On the bright side though we still have to be thankful that we are fans of the greatest rock band of our time.

6/10 [published 11/18/2006 2:14:00 PM]

G I am a big U2 fan and have been since Achtung Baby but I can't believe the guys have the neck to release another "greatest hits" album. I can understand releasing a couple of singles as its been 2 years since HTDAAB and they are only finishing touring that album next month but every U2 fan will have all these tracks already barring Window in the Skies and The Saints Are Coming.I mean what has happened to the bands principles? Is this the same band that turned down corporate sponsorship of the ZOO TV tour as it was against what they believed in? They are laughing all the way to the bank with this release.

1/10 [published 11/20/2006 4:25:00 PM]

john Whoa...calm down guys, what's all the fuss about? The album's CALLED U218 singles, and that's what you get...18 or 19 actually...absolutely brilliant songs from U2!!!

This album is excellent...LISTEN to it...

10/10 [published 11/22/2006 12:44:00 AM]

Carol Foster I am a huge fan and have been for ages! Wasn't sure about another greatest hits album and when I saw the tracklisting I was a little disappointed. While the tracks on this compiliation are great songs (no doubt about it!) would have liked if they had mixed it up a bit - Gloria, Out of Control, Discotheque and what about something from Zooropa (I thought that album was very underated!)

8/10 [published 11/26/2006 8:37:00 PM]

Phil C. - Chicago U218 had the potential to be much more. A real collection of U2's early singles. but something got in the way. I followed U2 since they came to America in the early 80's. I saw them on fire at the University of Chicago in 1981 and in '82. Adam, dude, I loved the hippie look ! Wow, they blew me away. What energy! I still love all their albums. And I saw them on the Vertigo tour, here in the windy city. I guess I will always be a fan. Even if they decide to go Hip-Hop. However, Larry, Bono, Adam and Edge, listen up. PLLLLLEASE...Next time you decide to put together an anthology of favorites, just ask some of your old time followers what they would like to hear. Don't be embarrased to include some early out-takes and some of that great spiritual soul music from October. I still can't believe why you fellas have kicked it to the curb. Rejoice! October will always be a favorite of mine and so will U2. Who loves ya baby - Phil

3/10 [published 11/27/2006 2:35:00 AM]

Bill Hunt New U2 albums are never quite what I expect them to be. I generally consider that a good thing. Every second or third release from this band seems to represent a landmark of sorts in the evolution of their sound. Case in point are the likes of War, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and All That You Canâ€™t Leave Behind â€“ all highly successful, defining entries in U2â€™s discography. The steps in between include both live releases (Under a Blood Red Sky and Rattle and Hum) and less commercial, more experimental dalliances (Passengers: Original Soundtracks, Volume 1 and Pop come to mind). Then there are those albums where you can almost tangibly sense the band in mid-transformation â€“ albums like The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa. U2â€™s latest, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, falls squarely into this last category.

I have to confess that, upon first listen, I was somewhat put off by Atomic Bombâ€™s punchy debut single, Vertigo. As I suggested above, whatever Iâ€™d been expecting from U2â€™s new albumâ€¦ it certainly wasnâ€™t this. Still, as is often the case with this band, the longer I lived with the track, the more it tended to grow on me. More importantly, it has yet to overstay its welcome â€“ surprising given the songâ€™s near overexposure thanks to Appleâ€™s recent iPod ad campaign. In spite of this (or perhaps because of it), when I finally previewed Atomic Bomb in its entirety, I was once again thrown for a loop. Vertigo is unlike anything else on the disc. It takes a certain amount of daring to tease a new album with a song thatâ€™s largely unrepresentative of it, but then U2 has never lacked audacity.

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is very much a logical progression from U2â€™s previous studio release. If you take All That You Canâ€™t Leave Behind and spin it with a hint of the bandâ€™s more recent single, Electrical Storm, you come to a pretty good jumping off point from which to approach this latest work. You quickly get the sense that Atomic Bomb is very much The Edgeâ€™s album musically, owing its leaner character to his ever driving guitar hooks. There are subtle touches layered into several of its eleven songs that musically recall elements of The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Standout tracks include Miracle Drug, All Because of You and (my favorite) City of Blinding Lights .

But if Atomic Bomb is the sound of a band thatâ€™s playfully examining where itâ€™s been, itâ€™s also a thoughtful examination of larger, more forward-looking themes. Such grandiose topics as War, Peace, Life, Death, God, Love â€“ theyâ€™re all touched upon here in turn, in an interesting balance. Two of the albumâ€™s more poignant tracks (One Step Closer and Sometimes You Canâ€™t Make It on Your Own) sprang directly out of Bonoâ€™s reaction to the death of his father (in 2001). Bono and company also manage to reflect on the unsettling place in which Humanity currently finds itself in several songs, including Vertigo (â€œThe night is full of holes, as bullets rip the sky of ink with gold, they twinkle as the boys play Rock â€˜n Rollâ€¦â€). Sometimes this rumination works well, sometimes not quite so much. But if the band's reach occasionally exceeds its grasp (Yahweh) and there is the occasional misstep (Love and Peace or Else), there's an emotional honesty present here that's surprisingly refreshing.

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb might not truly be a great album. but it is a very, very good album -- rich for its simplicity, confidently executed and ultimately compelling. It's an album that you'll have to live with a little while before you begin to fully appreciate it. That aside, I have the sneaking suspicion that a number of these eleven songs will age well within U2's larger body of work. Like The Unforgettable Fire before it, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb grows more rewarding with each new listen

8/10 [published 6/7/2005 12:00:00 AM]

mac Where is the great rock album that we were promised? This effort sounds U2 have been listening to Phil Collins for the past 4 years, with the exception of 'Vertigo' the majority of tracks on this album bare more resemblance to 'Stuck in a Moment' than their early rock efforts.The Edge's guitar work sound like reject takes from 'The Joshua Tree' and is just cranked up by Steve Lillywhite for a rockier sound. Not all the down beat ballads are bad, 'Female of the Species' is probably their finest slow burner since 'One' but many of these tracks are clear signs that U2 are now long in tooth, maybe the energy has gone to perform upbeat rock songs live, maybe its time to call it a day.

5/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Ryan dallas US: A friend downloaded it, I will wait to buy mine, but I did give it one listen... This album is tremendous, easily among their best like Joshua Tree, but not way too similar to anything they have done in the past... Sonically astounding, every song is amazing... Sometimes you can't make it on your own is life alteringly good, vertigo just kicks, and everything else is just a blur of cool, it was truly too much to take in in one listen... I would really like to give it a higher number out of ten, but I don't have that option!!! Go buy it, folks, these guys are the kings!!!

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Mark NY USA: I have never felt this way about a U2 album before. Any album, for that matter. FOr 17 years, my favorite all time album was The Joshua Tree. The keyword here is the word "was". 12 out of 10. It is THAT good!!! The magic IS back!

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Josh Los Angeles U.S.A.: Oh man, this thing is stunning. I have always been a U2 fan that could admit some of the bands (although few) shortcomings over the years. I loved All That You Can't Leave Behind, but I have still been waiting for that real U2 album, you know the kind of U2 album that put's out songs that make you raise your arms in the air and sing like your Bono himself. The last album had some of that, but How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb? This is achingly beautiful. With the cover and the first single, "Vertigo" I was expecting 11 tracks in the vain of "Out of Control" and "I Will Follow" with a few ballads thrown in for good measure. For sure that is not a bad thing. In fact I was really ready to rock like 1980 again, but as track after track went by I was starting to realize this album was not what I was expecting. It was much better. Ever song is a single. Every chord makes me want to stand in line for 6 months to get that great spot on the arena floor to loose my voice while screaming! the words over the crowd. This albums sound is all over the place and you know what, thank the heavens! Screw album flow, this baby rocks! It may not be hard rock U2, but it's damn near perfect. And yes, there are a few rockin tunes on this album, it rocks harder than the last one that's for sure. The Edge is fully possesed on several of these track and Bono, jeez old friend how did you turn your voise back 10-15 years! I'll have what he's having! This my friends is a "complete" album. What is a "complete" album you say? The Joshua Tree was a "complete" album, Achtung Baby was a "complete" album, Srgt. Pepper was a "Complete" album and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a "Complete album". Rock n'Roll is back, and she's looking better than ever. Here's to all of us loosing our voices in the first 5 minutes of the next U2 gig. Only place to be, see you there!

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

H-man Sweden: Sorry to say, but I find this album quiet boring compared to the grat music U2 have made before. Its an over-the-top-produced record with a lot of great guitarwork from the Edge, but Bono spoils the party with terrible lyrics and he is not finding the right melody to fullfill the other three. This record is overhyped, because we all want U2 to make their best album ever, but this time they sound like an cliche of themsselves. And I think blame Bono for it.

6/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Mediawhore NY USA: This is hardly rocking, i don't hear the "a monster, a dragon." that bono said it was going to be. " A Man and a Woman" sounds like Recent Fleetwood mac, "Miracle Drug" like Alphaville -- WTF???

1/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Lee Mobile, AL US: Sounds like vintage U2 from Joshua Tree days. Don't know what version y'all are listening to that's so slow, but the official release is rich with textures, layers and instruments. Mandolins and synthesizers on some tracks, crunching rhythm guitar and Edge's signature sound. "A Man and a Woman" would be a great club track if someone like Moby got a hold of it. I hear lot of richness, textures and layers. Mandolins and synthesizers as well.

8/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Mike Sydney Australia: Ive been a hradcore U2 fan since 1991 - I was a bit concerned after All That you cant leave behind as i thought it was a bit "soft" but when i heard "Vertigo" I thought YEAH !!!! THE BOYS ARE BACK !!! Tehre was so uch energy in that song - It was SO COOL ! SO U2 ! So much energy !But i Recently got a copy of HTDAAB - and im SO disappointed - It SUCKS ! U2 used to be able to do NO wron gin my eyes but this is a Musaak JOKE !! VERY SAD !

1/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Steve Canada: This album is a HUGE disappointment. I just shake my head when I hear the recent interviews with U2 and they say how "great" this album is and how it "might be one of our best". It's totally mediocre. They should have had Rick Rubin produce it and make a REAL rock album like they were promising. They proved they can do it with Elevation and Big Girls Are Best (B-side) from the last album. It would have been a great response to all the "garage rock" bands that are out now. One more like this and I think it may be time for them to pack it in....

5/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Jeff Toronto Canada: Even though "The Fly" should have been on it, and "Elevation" for that matter, any collection of U2 music is great nonetheless, thus, a nine rating I give

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 8:40:00 AM]

Josh Spear where the hek is elevation one of the best songs ever much better than gone or numb. theres a better electrical storm version a more rockier one. its better which should have replaced the other one. somes up u2 in 1900-2000. very good but then u2 have always been very good. 9 out of 10 very good then. if elevation and electrical storm (rock) version would have been on the 10. great.

10/10 [published 12/5/2005 9:26:00 PM]

adam Great tunes. The new ones - 'Electrical Storm' & 'The hands That Built America' are great. Not sure what 'The First Time' is doing on it. It's one of there worst songs ever.
Check out the double album of this, it has a great extended version of 'The lady with the Spinning Head'.

10/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:04:00 PM]

black trident I can't believe they left out the good version of Electrical Storm, The Fly and Elevation. Either way 10/10.

Oh and nish nash.

10/10 [published 7/19/2007 3:58:00 PM]

Stuart Fraser, Glasgow I agree with the other reviewers regarding the omissions and inferior versions being included on this. Therefore I can't understand why they still give it a ten. Great music undoubtedly, but a great compilation? - I think not!

7/10 [published 11/20/2007 10:56:00 AM]

Sean Donnelly They polled their readers of propaganda magazine as to what they would want on the compilation. Everyone picked nearly the same songs ,but u2 mixed it up and screwed it up for everybody. Elevation shouldn't be on there though and neither should Beautiful day or Stuck in a moment. These songs didn't come out until 2000 so they don't qualify.

1/10 [published 12/19/2009 6:34:24 AM]

Mac UK U2 have never broke musical ground like The Beatles or The Smiths, so why does their popularity remain in tact and even grow? Quite simple, great songs as well as stunning live performances U2 still have the ability to turn out sing-a-long foot tapping pop/rocks tunes, where many modern day bands seem to shy away from this. If you can't pioneer anything new, polish and revamp the old and "All That you can't Leave Behind" does exactly that. Elevation would not be out of place on "Achtung Baby" nor would "Wild Honey" or "Beautiful Day" be on "The Joshua Tree". "In A Little While" and "Stuck in a Moment" are classic modern love songs, so why go forward when memories are as sweet as this.

8/10 [published 8/4/2004 12:06:00 PM]

Josh Spear I would say 5 or 6 good songs with this album. Beautiful day which i can lsietn to over and over again, elevation which is just spectacular. stuck in a moment you can't get out of and kite are quite good. walk on and new york are very good. new york sound way better live though. the elevation tour on dvd in boston is great. u2 have done far too many remixes though and I don't like them. u2 are great, wellt his album was better than the two before it, the techno dance rubbish all the edited songs just ruined everything but they have come back with a sort of rock album.

8/10 [published 1/28/2006 1:36:00 PM]

Dannyfenton throwback no doubt, too bad "wild honey" made the LP, it's almost pathetic.

9/10 [published 1/31/2006 6:38:00 PM]

Young U2 Fan Beautiful Day:10/10 Definatly one of the top 5 best ever U2 songs, and famous. Pure class.

Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of:9/10 Great song and got to number 1 for ages.

Elevation:10/10 Another pure class song. brilliant live, so much energy and talent. The chorus consists of oohs but amazingly sounds great.

Walk On:9/10 Superb music with a hidden message.

Kite:9/10 Ace live and original. Another great song by the masters.

In A Little While:8/10 Fantastic guitar at the start and strong vocals.

Wild Honey:7/10 I like it because its strange and original and has a good tune.

Peace On Earth: 7/10 Strong chorus and good lyrics.

When I Look At The World:7/10 Another strong chorus, typical, average U2 song.

New York:6/10 Its good but too pop, the live versions are much more rocky and sound more "U2ish"

Grace:7/10 Slow, quiet, but strong vocals and effective.

The Ground Benethe Her Feet:7/10 Quiet again but a good feeling about it. Vocals from Bono strong in some points.

8/10 [published 10/17/2006 7:19:00 PM]

OLD FAN U2 return to form big style, the energy of The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby is recaptured with awsome anthems such as â€˜Beautful Dayâ€™ and â€˜Kiteâ€™.

8/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:14:00 PM]

14 year old U2 fan Wow "Young U2 fan"(reviewer above) you are great, i agree with everything you said, you really know what your talking about. Great but i think The ground beaneth her feet desevers more than a 7. Thanks U2 great album.

8/10 [published 2/22/2007 4:47:00 PM]

adam U2 going back to what they are good at. Nothing wrong there. A strong album which starts well. The first five songs are good but the middle section is'nt so great. However 'When i look at the world' & 'The ground beneath her Feet' ensure there is enough quality in the 12 songs to keep everyone happy.

9/10 [published 5/13/2007 4:47:00 PM]

Nielsen You wouldn't expect a 15 year old to be listening to rock these days, but i'm one of the few exceptions; when i was just 8, i heard Bono enthusiastically sing 'it's a beautiful day'- the first U2 single/song I've ever heard- proof that U2 still draws in new and young fans.
Progressing, Stuck In A Moment is Still Havent Found 2, with its addictive but emotionally beautiful song to Michael Hutchence, as well as Bono claming that he is "not afraid of anything in this world".
Elevation was the odd song- an essence of the Pop or Achtung Baby; the lyrics? Terrible. Fun to sing-a-long with that typical stadium feel? Lets just say that the crowd will scream 'woohoo' throughout the lives.
It dawned on to me that the following songs was were Bono was in a powerfully emotional state: a sense of loss (Kite), hope (Walk On), cries of peace (Peace on Earth), a prayer (When I Look At the World) and the love song to New York (despite what i feel is a terrible song despite the drum).
All in all, its a very solid album- not their most innovative (like Atomic Bomb) but solid.

8/10 [published 2/12/2008 6:18:00 PM]

David Griffiths Preston England: For me this is the best "best of" album ever. This perfectly somes up U2 in that period and not one song on the album rates below the very good mark. A few songs obviously stand out. With or without you with its punching base line and powerful lyrics in arguably the best U2 song ever written. The gospel I still havent found shows U2 in a light positive frame of mind, while where the streets is a pure rock/pop song at its best. There are some other gems on this album such as Pride and Sunday Bloody Sunday, but some of the less well known songs on this album are also truly great work. The sweetest thing, a love song in the true sense of the word and all i want is you back up the powerful rock ballads so associated with the U2 name. This is a truly great collection and should be on everyones wanted list!

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 8:37:00 AM]

Tokyo Dave New Hampshire USA: Where is "Gloria"? IF that song was on this album, it would get a 10/10, but it is still amazing

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 8:38:00 AM]

Josh Spear Perfect. apart from where is fire gone from october. don't know what the sweetest thing is doing in there tho it should be in 1990-2000 tho. keep listening to all i want is you and october is at the end. the 80's is the best period of u2 but they are still brilliant in 90's and 2000 onwards. also where is a sort of homecoming probly one of the best song they have done. all the albums where fantastic in the 80's i have bought them all. i don't know how bono is so good at his job. its better than the album 1990-200 and that was good. boy and october war well all of them were fantastic and wide awake in america. it somes up u2 in the 80's brilliant

10/10 [published 12/5/2005 9:09:00 PM]

13 year old u2 fan i am only 13 and i have only been a u2 fan for about a year and i am azamed by how much good stuff they have done. i have got all the albums exept 1 and I really enjoy listening to u2. although maybe a few other songs from Boy should have been on there this is a very well track selected album. they should have brought out the best of 1980-1990 (2) and added on all the other songs taht are not on, like: out of control, stories for boys, electric co, gloria, fire, seconds, two hearts, wire, red hill mining town, in god's country and maybe a few live tracks. the b-sides of this album is good with party girl and stuff. but all these fantastic songs were released before i was born. my favourite track is I Will Follow and I love Angel of Harlem. top marks for this album.

10/10 [published 3/2/2006 8:17:00 PM]

13 Yr old u2 Fan - youtube.com/nuclearmilk i am 13 years old also! that's so awesome, this is an amazing mix of u2's best, i have to say u2-18 is better though:) they should've added Miracle Drug, Bad, and maybe a few others, to U2 - 18. As for this disc, i love desire, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and New Year's Day. :)

10/10 [published 9/16/2007 10:59:00 PM]

God U2 at thier worst and it is no wonder that they have totally ommited any tracks from it on thier Vertigo tour. 'Gone' is as good as it gets but not a patch on U2's high standards. 'Miami' is awful

5/10 [published 6/26/2005 12:00:00 AM]

Josh Spear Discotheque snd staring at the sun are very good but he rest are boring and pointless songs to fill up the album. better tahn the album zooropa though. don't like techno edited stuff again at all. I REALLY HATE REMIXES AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! 5/10 not good not taht bad.

5/10 [published 1/28/2006 2:09:00 PM]

Geoff, NYC, USA One of U2's best ever albums in my view, experimental but magnificent!!!

10/10 [published 10/11/2006 12:35:00 AM]

OLD FAN U2â€™s weakest effort to date, â€˜Staring at the Sunâ€™ is outstanding but there is far to many fillers.

3/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:14:00 PM]

14 year old U2 fan Not bad at all.

in order best to worst:
1Do you feel loved
2If God Will send his angels
3gone
4staring at the sun
5discotheque
6last night on earth
7please
8mofo
9wake up dead man
10if you wear that velvet dress
11miami
12the playboy mansion

Top 6 are great!!!!!!!

Joint worst ablum with Zooropa but still a good one.

7/10 [published 2/22/2007 4:39:00 PM]

adam The 4 year gap after 'Zooropa' got everyone expecting another U2 blockbuster. So people were disappointed with the outcome. To be fair 'U2' had'nt been sitting in the sun for 4 years. They had toured as well as made the impressive' Passengers' album and released the excellent 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' as a single. 'Pop' starts well with the first three songs being strong. After this it is a bit of a let down. 'Gone', 'Staring at the Sun' & 'Last night on earth' are ok but are were not a patch on classics from yesteryear.

7/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:17:00 PM]

black trident I enjoyed this. Not there best though.

8/10 [published 7/19/2007 4:27:00 PM]

Mikey Love this

Gone
Please
do you feel loved
If god will send his angels

All great songs

8/10 [published 6/10/2009 2:51:26 PM]

Josh Spear only like Stay (Faraway, So Close!) other are disapointing mabye the second best song is the first time but dont like the rest. techno dance and edited music are rubbish live and ruined u2 image. i hate the others they really anoy me. just rubbishy talking or quiet singing in the background, what's the point. i dont want to put 3 so i'll put 4.

4/10 [published 1/28/2006 2:06:00 PM]

OLD FAN After two classic albums a dip on form was always on the cards, wise move by the band not to release any singles as there are no real hits on it. Still... there are some good moments such as â€˜Lemonâ€™ and â€˜Stayâ€™

5/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:13:00 PM]

14 year old U2 fan First of all, what is Josh Spear (the reviewer above) talking about? Zooropa the song is class, it takes 2 mins to get goin but its great. Lemon i love it, the edited version is better but this version is awesome. Babyface is great strange though.

Dirty Day is the greatest on the album and man it is great. Some days is brill cause it is so true. First time is average. Stay is good, especially live.

I don't know what Numb is, catchy though, its just Edge telling people what and not to do. The wanderer has really grown on me. I'm not fond of Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car exept for 0:23-1:10.

Best three: Dirty Day, Lemon and some days

Worst three: Daddys gonna pay..., numb and the wanderer(its not bad though)

Joint worst U2 album in my poinion but not bad at all, 7/10

7/10 [published 2/22/2007 4:33:00 PM]

adam I much prefer this to 'Achtung Baby'. It's weirder and sounds like they are having fun. There are only 10 songs but that means there is more quality and less crap. Songs 1-5 are good. 'Dirty Day' & 'Daddies Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car' are also good. The 'Wanderer' is different and it's nice to hear Jonnie Cash crooning the edges guitar work. The production and instrumental playing are top notch. This is a tight, talented band who are taking risks and challenging themselves while at the same time not forgetting to write some cool tunes.

9/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:01:00 PM]

B U2's finest hour, just gets better and better with age. The stuff that sounded "out there" back then still sounds fresh and innovative now. Plus the lyrics are incredible throughout - even the ones that seem throwayay like "Babyface" and "Daddys Gonna Pay..." hide much deeper meanings. Sheer brilliance.

10/10 [published 12/17/2008 11:28:37 PM]

Young little boy Zooropa was a spirit of experimental, amazing and glorious u2 albuns. A classic.

10/10 [published 1/15/2010 9:46:11 PM]

adrians album reviews U2, on the cusp of a new decade said in what seemed like a farewell live performance that they were gonna go away and dream it up all over again. The wait for new material seemed like a hell of a long time to me personally, broken only by a weird Bono version of the Cole Porter song 'Night And Day', which was proof enough by itself that the new material U2 were working on would indeed be different. With dance music really breaking and making itself heard in the charts all through 1989 and 1990, especially, sweeping away such Eighties stadium acts as Simple Minds in the process, it was indeed important, almost essential, that U2 came back with a different sound. Well, let's put it this way. At their biggest, Simple Minds were pretty much as big as U2 for a while there, but Simple Minds never managed to survive with their reputation or fan-base intact into the nineties. They never made the transition smoothly, daringly or naturally. U2, when they did eventually break their silence with the release of 'The Fly' excited many, alienated a few, but the net result was the maintaining of a significant portion of their fan-base whilst attracting a good many new fans into the bargain. It was a big deal. BBC Radio one had the worldwide exclusive airing of 'The Fly', and I was very annoyed when some of my friends didn't like it, or worse, said that it sounded like INXS. 'The Fly' does not sound like INXS. Lets take a look at 'The Fly' in particular here. Yep, there's a dance beat! But, what's this? A huge, cavernous guitar part from The Edge, dirty horrible guitar all over the place, a new guitar sound not heard on previous U2 records. Bono goes into this little beautiful Falsetto part, singing harmony over himself. The bass sounds supernova, groovy as hell. It doesn't sound like a U2 bass sound, although a few previous U2 songs had certainly hinted at what a great bass player they had themselves. The drum beats continue, the guitar keeps coming back in. CRUNCH! Here comes the solo! 'The Fly' retained elements of every single aspect of U2, possibly bar the lyrics which are totally different to anything we'd heard from them before at the time. U2, seemingly effortlessly ( although, they'd spent a HELL of a lot of time in the studio for this album ), had acheived a dance/rock crossover that worked, worked at a time the likes of Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and others were breaking big and threatening to become 'the new music'. U2 with 'The Fly' pissed off a few, pissed off many, but won over far more fans than they alienated. All of the singles from 'Achtung Baby' were appreciable and sizable hit singles. This series of singles helped push sales of the album forwards, onwards - the album outsold 'Rattle And Hum' in any event. 'Mysterious Ways', 'Even Better Than The Real Thing'. Both are superbly produced tracks and very good songs. 'One' is a beautiful song, more usual in it's sound and the song many U2 fans latched onto upon their first exposure to the 'Achtung Baby' album. Another such song to comfort old U2 fans was 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses' - a much more usual U2 song than even 'One', although 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses' is just plain dumb and irritating. You imagine a whole U2 album released in 1991 that sounded like 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses'? They'd have gone the same way as 'Simple Minds'. As far as the album tracks are concerned, they are all good. All of them, this is a very consistent album for the most part. 'Zoo Station' with it's guitar switching between and across your speakers, Bono sounding beautiful singing these 'weird' U2 lyrics, playful, nonsensical lyrics but they should make you smile. They make me smile. 'Until The End Of The World' is stupendously dark and menacing - again the guitar mixes well with dance programming and technology. Neither Rock nor Dance music this song, it was a genuinely new sound at the time. U2 didn't invent that sound of course, loads of groups were attempting it, i've already mentioned The Stone Roses, for one. U2 happily embraced this sound though and ended up sounding different, very different to how they'd sounded before but still ended up being recognizably U2. It shouldn't be underestimated how WELL they did this whole thing! 'Cruel' is a lilting little mid-tempo song, certainly no favourite of mine even though it's not exactly bad, just a little 'plodding' perhaps? Same comments apply to 'Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World' actually, only this time the bass parts sound better, and the lyric is better, a silly funny lyric, a charming and 'nice' lyric. All three of the closing songs are great, and for me, it's these songs that really push 'Achtung Baby' into classic status. 'Ultra Violet' is another great dance/rock mix, 'Acrobat' becomes a furious and enjoyably aggressive assualt, 'Love Is Blindless' is dark and funeral like, most closely resembling that Bono version of 'Night And Day' I heard, though quite a bit more desolate and beautiful.

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 1:58:00 PM]

all music guide Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2's sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for post-modern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowie's electronic, avant-garde explorations of the late '70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early '90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive. Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isn't surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, it's filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note. Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 1:59:00 PM]

Q With each new U2 album there has been a growing buzz of anticipation, a sense of event stoked by the way the band has stamped each new offering with the imprimatur of Resounding Significance. The governing theme - if not "concept" - of War was, well, war; The Unforgettable Fire, the shadow of the bomb; The Joshua Tree, the ghosts of absent friends; and Rattle And Hum, the ancestral voices of rock itself. But the very title Achtung Baby strives for lack of significance and - just as insignificantly - the sleeve itself is not the usual single cinematic image of heroic import but rather a grid of snapshots evoking, if a little cleanly, the slapdash glory that was Robert Frank's artwork for the Stones' Exile On Main Street. So informal, indeed, is the new U2 pose that - quick before it's banned -you get to see Adam Clayton's willy. Don't be fooled though. This is U2's heaviest album to date. And best. Lyrics have always been the band's weakest suit, and U2 remain no stranger to such infelicities as "your gypsy heart", "your salt water kisses" and even "your wild horses" -all within the space of a single song (Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses). Achtung Baby commences with the romantic urban rush of Zoo Station, which intensifies with the transparently desperate eulogising of Even Better Than The Real Thing; but by the closing Love Is Blindness one would have to be an iron-clad Romeo indeed to find an ember of heart-warming solace. Over the LP's near-hour duration what accumulates -despite the odd stab at wackiness like the elderly "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" in Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - is an all-pervasive mood of love blighted and betrayed, of judgment clouded by obsession, and of sight only restored with a legacy of bitterness. The End Of The World tries for U2's habitual mystical gloss -it imagines the conversation between Jesus and his betrayer Judas in the Garden Of Gethsemane - but maybe the true inspiration for these songs of love and hate lies closer to home. Bono does not take sole credit for the lyrics as has been the case recently; meanwhile The Edge split up from his wife Aislinn last Easter. What a bummer this record could have been. But, produced again by Daniel Lanois (with the occasional assistance of the Canadian's mentor, Brian Eno, and their regular predecessor Steve Lillywhite), U2 get their payload of blues airborne with music of drama, depth, intensity and, believe it, funkiness. The Edge's guitar is more than ever a superbly flighted aerial sprite of gleaming, streamlined rhythm play and a stylistic range that draws as much from the wah-wah psychedelicists of the Hendrix school as the industrial-strength calculated savagery of a cheesed-off Robert Fripp. Messrs Mullen and Clayton, meanwhile, have clearly clocked that Funky Drummer rhythm as appropriated by The Stone Roses and their disciples, and the dub-deep sound thus recorded is so subterranean it will give your speakers stretch-marks. Bono's singing has been flexible and assured for quite some time -and his hymnal descant over the main melody works better than ever -but could he, perhaps unconsciously, be imitating David Sylvian on the verse and Martin Fry on the chorus of Mysterious Ways? His quieter moments - One, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World - have never been so persuasively tender, but where the songs are weakest, as in Ultra Violet (Light My Way), Bono falls back on his old habit of trying to be "inspirational" by banging up the heat from simmer to meltdown between the verse and chorus. Far more successful is So Cruel, where he explores that old seam of male pop heartache also mined by Bruce Springsteen, echoing Gene Pitney and The Walker Brothers of No Regrets. You suddenly remember that it was Bono of all people who penned and produced that loveliest of Roy Orbison's swansongs, She's A Mystery To Me. Which, in a nutshell, could have been Achtung Baby's alternative title. It's U2's Blood On The Tracks, their Tunnel Of Love. For their sakes, here's hoping they won't have to get this sort of record out of their systems again.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:00:00 PM]

mac Following the hugely successful Joshua Tree U2 took a bit of a panning for the quite enjoyable Rattle and Hum. Many band would have buckled and called it day especially having stayed in exile for over 3 years, but not U2 they have too much firepower in their arsenal to surrender. "I'm ready, I'm ready for the laughing guess" snarls Bono through a speakerphone in their most original effort to date, Bono has never sounded so good with great personal moments such as "One" and "So Cruel". The Edge too, is on fire doing he's usual guest vocals on the self penned "Mysterious Ways" and some of he's best guitar work on "The Fly". As a band will always be U2's at their best, 4 men in a room making great modern day rock and roll songs and with a full volume style production, glacial guitars and crashing drums are back and so evident on the brilliant "Until the end of the world". The finale is not too distant from that of "The Joshua Tree", "Acrobat" like "Exit" and "Love is Blindness" like "Mothers of the disappeared" bring a glorious ending to their finest hour.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:02:00 PM]

GEE EXETER DEVON: BEST ALBUM OF U2'S CAREER, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BEHIND BY JOSHUA TREE. THIS IS WHERE THE REWROTE THE RULE BOOK & STUCK TWO FINGERS UP TO THEIR DETRACTORS. AS BONO SINGS ON ACROBAT 'DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN'.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:04:00 PM]

Josh Spear Brilliant.One is the best song i have ever heard. bono is the best singer in world and u2 the best band ever. zoo station was disapointing. loving who's gonna ride you wild horses and the end of the world. definatly the best album i have got or heard. rattle and hum was fantastic but this is even better. u2 keep amazing me. no-one can keep up with them. someone organise u2 some good videos. acthung baby though is the best ever by far.

10/10 [published 12/5/2005 9:01:00 PM]

Young U2 Fan I love it.

Zoo Station: 7/10 Good, cool guitar at the start.

Even Better Than The Real Thing: 8/10 Brilliant guitar riffs and solo, just class.

One: 10/10 An all time classis U2 songs from start to finish.

Until The End Of The World: 9/10 U2's second best guitar riff after I Will Follow, just brilliant, pure rock song.

Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses: 8/10 Crafty lyrics and great tune and melody.

So Cruel: 6/10 This song lasts too long, i think its good but they should have shortened it.

The Fly: 8/10 All the lyrics are true and have a good meaning, great riff.

Mysterious Ways: 8/10 This song get evryone moving, great guitar from the edge.

Tryin' To Throw Your Arm's Arund The World: 7/10 Cool not much else to say.

Ultraviolet (Light My Way): 8/10 I like it, its hard to discribe.

Acrobat: 8/10 Great song while real meaning again but a shame about the swearing

Love Is Blindness: 7/10 Cool organ at the start and I like the rest really, well a love song.

9/10 [published 10/14/2006 6:36:00 PM]

OLD FAN Four years in the making and once again â€“ like with the wait for The Joshua Tree â€“ U2 deliver another stunning masterpiece.

The opening riff of Zoo Station is different from anything U2 have done before, in fact, the entire album is. Achtung Baby is U2â€™s most ambitious, brave and best album to date.

10/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:12:00 PM]

adam I think this is a slightly overated U2 album. It starts well with the arresting 'Zoo Station' and continues with two stomping rockers & the toaching 'One'. However after this things go down hill. It's not that the songs are bad, they just are'nt that memorable. I mean how many of the final eight songs are considered as U2 classics. 'Whose Gonna Ride your Wild Horses' would never make the 'Joshua Tree' final cut & 'Tryin to Throw Your Arms Around the World' makes me sleepy. It all leads to the anti climatic 'love is Blindness'. However i give them credit for trying something different.

8/10 [published 5/13/2007 4:55:00 PM]

Heeby Jeeby Achtung Baby is something of a rarity for the fact that it spawned a UK Number 1 single for U2, The Fly, one of only six in the groups 27 year career to July 2007.

It is an album that represented a major change of style for U2, and was the forefather of the huge multi media experiences that U2 pushed to the limits on their global tours during the nineteen nineties. The Fly was the epitome of this new style. Its heavy effect laden guitars and vocals, interspersed with loose, laid back arrangements, resonate throughout the entire album. The leather clad figure of Bono in the songs promo video was but a pair of fake horns away from alter ego Mr. MacPhisto, who would emerge a short time later.

The Fly is one of several standout tracks from Achtung Baby. Even Better Than The Real Thing is equally at home on the Dance Floor or a in Stadium, and She Moves In Mysterious Ways again sees The Edge's effects pedal go into meltdown. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World is so laid back its is practically horizontal, while at the same time causing an uncontrollable urge to tap one's toe. Throw in an all time classic like One, widely regarded as U2's most poignant anthem, and you have arguably one of the greatest albums ever recorded. There are too many tracks of genuine quality on this album to discuss the merits of them all, in fact, there is not a single weak track present.

Achtung Baby is a genuine tour de force, showcasing one of the best bands on the planet at the absolute peak of their creativity. From the first bone jangling riff conjoured from The Edges souped up guitar on Zoo Station, to the last whisper of Bonos vocals floating into the ether on Love Is Blind, each track is as good as the last, and the next sounds as fresh as it does when it was first heard. And while we encounter a U2 firmly ensconsed in the 21st century, the first track from debut album Boy, I Will Follow, would slot nicely in beside any of the tracks on this album.

The King is dead. Long live The King.

10/10 [published 7/14/2007 11:41:00 PM]

macky I remember the critics slating this release when it first came out back in 88. Who the hell do you U2 think they are?

A double album, with live tracks from their previous album
A duet with Bob Dylan
A Cover of the Beatles
A Duet with BB King
Using Jimi Hendrix
Using a gospel choir

Well thereâ€™s only U2 with the ego to do it and there is only U2 who can pull it off. The Live version â€˜I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking Forâ€™ is stunning, perhaps what they always intended for it to sound like. The Edges solo effort Van Diemen's Land proves that the all the band members have no shortage of creativity and ability. Desire, Angel of Harlem, When Love Comes to Town and All I Want Is You were all big hits from a great album which also went onto to sell millions and proved that many critics got it totally wrong.

9/10 [published 1/16/2006 4:05:00 PM]

Josh Spear its missing a few live track from the joshua tree, like where the streets have no name and with or without you and running to stand still. desire, angel of harlem, all i want is you, helter skelter and when loves come to town are the best tracks on their. pride is good it was played a bit fast though. good album. bb king sounds brill.

8/10 [published 1/28/2006 1:58:00 PM]

OLD FAN Unfairly dismissed by critics at the time but Rattle and Hum went on to be another highly successful U2 album (and movie), Four great singles charted the top 10, and live tracks were radically different from their studio versions.

Key moments are the guest vocals from Bob Dylan on â€˜Love Rescue Meâ€™ and The Edge brilliant solo effort â€˜Van Demons Landâ€™.

9/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:11:00 PM]

adam After the 'Joshua Tree' U2 were massive and on the crest of the wave. They were big enough to release a cinema film and decided to release an album to coincide with it. My intial reaction was one of disappointment. The live songs i had heard before and the new songs i did'nt think were that good. However the fans seemed to love it and the singles reached the top ten. Listening to it now i would say 'All i Want is You' is one of there best ever songs. The Edge's guitar playing at the end is amazing. 'Angel of Harlem' is also good and 'Love Rescue Me', 'Van Demons Land' and 'Hawkmoon 269' are strong. This was released just a year after the 'Joshua Tree' and was their 6th album in 8 years. It has 17 songs and i would say it is a good if not great U2 album.

8/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:27:00 PM]

Dan unbelievably moving. the album speaks for itself. i know of no equal. the only thing that comes close for me is Achtung Baby.

10/10 [published 7/12/2005 7:27:00 PM]

Tim Orlando USA The second best album ever, second only to the complicated Achtung Baby. Give me one reason why there are so many albums ranked higher than it.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Will Folkestone UK The album that broke U2 as mega-stars, but musically far from their best. In some ways an attempt to make a Pink Floyd-style concept album, well produced and appealing in the way that a shiny new car is appealing until you realise it's actually a Ford Fiesta. It does the job but without much passion. 'Boy', 'October' and 'The Unforgettable Fire' were all Ferraris of albums, and have the timeless appeal of any classic vehicle. 'The Joshua Tree' by contrast has dated, perhaps not least because it was horribly over-exposed at the time of its release. Bono's vocal performance is of course stunning, and the Edge innovative as ever, but I'm afraid it just doesn't move me in the way that earlier albums did. Unforunately, the band were never to recapture that power for many of their fans.

6/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Dai Swansea Wales As much as i love U2, I think "The Joshua Tree" is completely over rated. Ok, the first 3 songs are classics, but the rest of the album just isn't pure genius - as I think an album should be.

5/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Karla Arlington US In my opinion, Joshua Tree is the greatest album of all time. U2 were the Beatles of their time, and anytime you can mix a message, politics and great songs, I love it.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Phillip Cranmer Solihull U.K If you hadn't heard of U2 before 1987, then you definately would have heard of them after "The Joshua Tree" was released. There was a time when I used to get U2 and Simple Minds mixed up, because the lead singers of both groups had a similar vocal style. Once the Edge added his "wall of sound" guitar to Bono's voice, it set them apart from other bands. Three years in the making, "The Joshua Tree" cemeted the band's status as stadium-packing, radio-friendly irish good guys. The album was launched by what is surely their best known song, "With or Without You", and was followed by two other over played hits. Many say that the first three tracks are the only good ones, but that's because they're the "hits". If you notice how "The Joshua Tree" has its own unique atmosphere and style, and the fact that it was the last good album U2 made while they still took themseves overly serious, you will see just what an achievement it is. One of the best albums of the 80s.

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Matt Anson Sheffield UK The opening chords of Where the Streets... keep the listener waiting, building up the anticipation, and we aren't disappointed with the soaring anthem that follows.Having put himself in the "stadium rock god" position, Bono then shocks us with brutal honesty "Still haven't found what I'm looking for" and vulnerability on the magnificent "With or Without You" . Ego? WhereFor the rest of the record, U2 moves the listener effortlessly around the world, from the valleys of El Salvador, the tower blocks of Dublin, the deserts of the SouthWest USA, the streets of Argentina and working class Thatcher's Britain. Bono shows poetry as a lyricist throughout, backed up with expressive yet minamilist guitaring from Edge and a tight (even if not the most dynamic for a U2 album) rhythm section.For me, the most complete album ever released.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Chris Williams Bromsgrove/Worcestershire U.K.: Many point to this as being the best of U2. Indeed, 'The Joshua Tree' holds many characteristics of stereotypical 80s U2: big hair, big bombast, big tunes. Unfortunately for them, it's become a bit of a clichÃ© as the sound has been much imitated. Nevertheless, brilliant songs shine through It would hard to be a bad album when you have songs of the quality of 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', 'With Or Without You' or 'In God's Country'. Still, an important release in their legacy.

7/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

S.Kelly Kingston (Ontario) Canada: Without question, the only album from the 80s that I can listen to in its entirety without cringing and, given the sheer amount of pulp (read crap) that was spewed out during that (un)forgettable decade, this is a rather grand compliment. Moreover, I still haven't heard a better album opener than the profound trio of songs side A provides. All these years later and I still get goosebumps. This in itself makes this classic album a cut above. And despite songs which were cut out of the times (coal miners strike, US foreign policy in El Salvador, the missing in Chile) "The Joshua Tree" remains strikingly relevant, with its ache, redemption and simmering hope. I do believe that U2 have written better songs and arguably made better albums (see "Achtung Baby") but the clean lines, piercing notes and images scattered across the desert soundscape have never been equalled. I must confess, of all my much enjoyed U2 collection this is the one record I turn to over and over again.

9/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Foxhound All Albums, save â€œBoyâ€, prior to JT were mere imitations of what U2 were hearing and seeing. JT was the Second real album that focused on the emotion of the music, painting in sound if you will. The best of the album never received airplay, â€œRunning To Stand Still â€œ, â€œIn Gods Country â€œ, and â€œExitâ€ are some of U2â€™s greatest work.

10/10 [published 9/23/2005 3:46:00 AM]

adrian denning Enter Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno on production duties, and U2 make a marked change from anything they'd done before, whilst still including a few songs reminding you of exactly who are listening to. 'Pride' is the most obvious example of this, a horribly obvious U2 by numbers piece of writing that thanks to a catchy enough chorus and the word 'love' in the title, became a massive hit. The other song nearly always picked out as a highlight of this set is the song 'Bad', which is actually not bad at all, although it still pales into comparison to other songs here, which are far more daring and interesting to these ears. You have different ears? Congratulations! That's the beauty of music, every single person hears everything in a slightly different way. Of course, I realise I'm perhaps in a minority preferring 'Elvis Presley And America' to 'Bad', but that's me. 'Bad' is too long, running to six minutes in length. It progresses too slowly, although is ultimately worth it for the closing section, the vocals in particular. 'Elvis Presley And America' is actually even longer than 'Bad', but Bono semi mumbling the vocals, deep in the mix, is quite affecting. Brian Eno no doubt had a hand in the feel of this song. When the vocals do come out a little louder, it makes the song. The lazy rhythm section sound hypnotic, like a slowed down Can or Neu!, almost. The closing song 'MLK', together with 'Elvis Presley And America' is often picked on, in fact most of the second half of this album apart from 'Bad' is nearly always picked on, but 'MLK' is an absolutely beautiful lullaby, Bono has rarely if ever sang as well, or sounded as pretty. 'MLK' is emotionally affecting, 'Elvis Presley And America' is insidious, never anything remotely easy, but really does reward repeated listening to the point where that drum beat is going around your brain, and the mumbled Bono vocals become a kind of mantra. Really, they do! Whilst I'm at in, I may as well mention the short instrumental that opens side two. '4th Of July' serves little purpose here, other than to break the album sonically between the end of the first side, leading into 'Bad', the start of the second side proper.'A Sort Of Homecoming' is my favourite U2 song of all time. I love this song so much, it's the one U2 song, that throughout all my own personal changing musical tastes which have included periods where, quite frankly I haven't enjoyed U2 one little bit whilst I was going off on some other musical stylistic adventure (?!), that has always stayed with me. End of long sentence. The lyrics are glorious, the drums do all sorts of interesting things, and there's a point! Before the arrival of messrs Lanois and Eno drums on U2 albums weren't as interesting as they are pretty much throughout 'The Unforgettable Fire', I am sure. Still, 'A Sort Of Homecoming'. Great song! Completely ignoring 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)' we move onto 'Wire' which returns U2 to a fabulous, speedy, slightly nervy anxious energy, only this time married to a great rhythm section and such fabulous Bono vocals it really starts to make you wonder what he was drinking at the time. The Eno/Lanois production is really felt all through the title song, which opens with all sorts of musical atmospherics, later on the song features gorgeous keyboard textures and sequences of sound. This is a song that's quite clearly had a lot of thought put into its creation. It's a lovely, beautiful song, definitely a highlight. 'Promenade' is quiet, mellow and features soothing, emotionally affecting Bono vocals who was really coming into his own around the time this album was recorded. 'Promenade' is such a lovely song, makes me cry. 'The Unforgettable Fire' as an album is patchy, inconsistent, but with the highlights being as high as they are, and the lesser songs ( even including the horribly irritating 'Pride' ) being tolerable at very worst, gives us a huge step forwards for the group overall. They'd go off and play 'Live Aid' after this, wowing a billion strong worldwide TV audience and thrust themselves to the very top of the tree in this rock music world.

8/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

all music In many ways, U2 took their fondness for sonic bombast as far as it could go on War, so it isn't a complete surprise that they chose to explore the intricacies of the Edge's layered, effects-laden guitar on the follow-up, The Unforgettable Fire. Working with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, U2 created a dark, near-hallucinatory series of interlocking soundscapes that are occasionally punctuated by recognizable songs and melodies. In such a setting, the band both flourishes and flounders, creating some of their greatest music, as well as some of their worst. "Elvis Presley and America" may well be Bono's most embarrassing attempt at poetry, yet it is redeemed by the chilling and wonderful "Bad," a two-chord elegy for an addict that is stunning in its control and mastery. Similarly, the wet, shimmering textures of the title track, the charging "A Sort of Homecoming," and the surging Martin Luther King Jr. tribute "Pride (In the Name of Love)" are all remarkable, ranking among their very best music, making the missteps that clutter the remainder of the album somewhat forgivable.

8/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

awsome 80s An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of albums, The Unforgettable Fire is its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride," "Wire," and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

in the 80s The ruins of Ireland's Moydrum Castle tower over the members of U2 in the cover of The Unforgettable Fire , the band's fourth studio album. Maybe this was symbolic, since the influence of Irish music heard in October is very faint in this album and it's replaced by a plethora of American themes.Like the aforementioned October, this is a slightly uneven album in terms of performance. The writing, however, is very strong. U2 is one of the few bands that really produce better versions of their songs live, and to truly appreciate "Bad" and "A Sort of Homecoming", I suggest you listen to Wide Awake in America (1985). These songs sound unfinished here and lack the power and polish of their live counterparts. Other songs, like the title track, "Pride", and "Wire" shine incredibly, matching the depth and musicianship shown in War, U2's best album ever.Indeed, "Indian Summer Sky" and "Wire" are as agressive and harsh as anything in War, but these are great exceptions. The overall feel of this album is very reflective and evocative, as opposed to the boisterous feel of War. The ambient style of Brian Eno is all over this album, and this element, as well as a stronger Americana feel would be evidenced later in The Joshua Tree.Many songs in this album deal with constructive aspects of America, specifically Martin Luther King, a figure the members of the band felt at the time personified their political views. Both "Pride" and the beautiful "MLK" are a worthy tributes. This is significant, because while War dealt with, well, war, and The Joshua Tree dealt with mostly the destructive and ugly side of America, TUF settles on peace and what U2 thought was great about this country politically (Dr. King) and musically (Presley).If live version of "...Homecoming" and "Bad" had been included in this album, it would have been a perfect 10 on my list. As is, it scores a 9, mainly on songwriting strength and diversity.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

austin chronicle Released in September 1984, U2's fourth album was named after an exhibit of artwork made by survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic holocausts. In stark contrast to the mindless cock rock, New Wave synth, and big-hair metal vogue at the time,Unforgettable Firewas a breath of fresh air, dealing with such weighty issues as heroin overdoses ("Wire," "Bad") and war atrocities ("A Sort of Homecoming," "Unforgettable Fire"). While the quartet's prior catalog holds memorable songs,Unforgettable Fireis U2's first real cohesive album, both sonically, as its rich hues and deep tones are painted on a warm analog tableau, and thematically, as the songs often deal with loss due to unnecessary death. Nearly everyone knows "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "Bad," but this milestone album also contains the mercurial "Wire" and the impressionistic "Elvis Presley and America." While the band would go on to create wonderful albums, at this point, U2 was still drawing inspiration primarily from their native Emerald Isle -- before the pretensions of success clouded their judgment, before they felt a need to reinvent themselves. These 10 songs find U2 hungry for honest expression and sonic experimentation, producing/ engineering accolades going to Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Like any true classic,Unforgettable Firestands the test of time. It is now like it was in 1984: bittersweet, deep, and magical.

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

hearsay College radio in the '80s was completely different from what it is today. It was quite literally a musical movement. While the rest of the country was listening to Michael Jackson, The Go-Go's and Duran Duran, college students in the 1980s had their own set of musical icons that included Bauhaus, Husker Du and The Talking Heads. At the top of this movement's list were bands like The Cure, R.E.M. and U2 that were considered true "alternatives" to the mainstream -- this term, of course, would eventually be completely bastardized at the dawn of the 1990s when the floodgates of alternative music opened wide for all sorts of greedy exploitation.In October of 1984, U2 released an album that became one of the first true commercial successes to come out of this alternative music movement.The Unforgettable Firesaw U2 moving into sonic spaces the depths of which they had never explored before. For this album, they left behind Steve Lillywhite -- who produced the band's first three studio albums,Boy(1980),October(1981) andWar(1984) and would go on to work with Phish, Dave Matthews and The Rolling Stones, among others - opting this time to work with Brian Eno and his young, budding protÃ©gÃ© Daniel Lanois. The production duo would break new ground with this release, achieving a sonic signature that would influence many, and kick off a lasting relationship with the band; off and on for the next 16 years, Lanois and Eno would continue to grow U2 to great heights, producing their best efforts includingThe Joshua Tree(1987),Achtung Baby(1991) andAll That You Can't Leave Behind(2000).Named after a series of paintings drawn by those who survived the devastating atomic blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,The Unforgettable Firewas a key moment for U2 and pop music. With a volatile mix of hard-hitting political lyrics, textural sonic atmospheres and fiery performances of simple but expertly crafted tunes, the Irish crew took several steps forward - commercially but also, and more importantly, artistically."Promenade" and "4th of July" echo with Brian Eno's trademark experimental ambient explorations. "Pride (In The Name of Love)," a song written for Martin Luther King Jr., was the first single off of the album, and it was the key hit that propelled this record to its worldwide massive success; the single landed U2 a top 5 hit in the UK and made the top 50 in the US. Probably the most powerful song on this album, however, is the epic "Bad" which was about one of Bono's best friends who, on his 21st birthday, shot himself up with enough heroin to end his life. "Colors crash, collide in blood shot eyes," Bono sings with a passion unheard in pop music since the days of Dylan'sBlood On The Tracks. "Bad" would go on to become a U2 concert staple and the following summer saw U2 perform this song from London's Wembley Stadium to a worldwide audience of 1.4 billion people in over 170 countries for 1985's Live Aid Concert.Even today,The Unforgettable Firesparkles with inspiration - it's a document of a band enjoying a creative growth spurt, honing in on a dynamic and anthemic brand of rock 'n' roll that glowed with originality. Though the album is a bit uneven (songs like "MLK" and "Elvis Presley in America" are downright weak, particularly when paired with the album's best tracks), it's a crucial artifact of the mid-'80s that holds some of U2's best work to date

10/10 [published 7/29/2004 2:08:00 PM]

Josh Spear Pride (In the name of love) gave martin luther king the respect and gratiued he deserve. truly a magnificent song. i play it over and over again. a sort of homecoming is completly amzing the best song on there. in u2's top 10 definatly.
who has sold the most songs singles, albums or records ever in the world, yes thats right u2. the best band ever in the world, queen where classical but they are a grain of sand to u2 who is the big rock. back to the unforgetable fire. the song the unforgettable fire is amazing it speaks for itself. don't particulaly like the other songs but they are not bad. for the three brilliant songs i give it nine. well done bono, the edge, adam and larry.

9/10 [published 12/5/2005 10:07:00 PM]

Alan EDINBURGH This is one of the greatest albums of all time. A Sortof homecoming should not be lost in the mists of time, as it is one of the strongest songs U2 have ever and will ever record.
Bad is of course the crowning glory of this album, in fact if this album only consisted of this song then it would still be one of the best albums ever.
If you are a new U2 fan and have not yet experienced the UF then please get yourself down to your nearest record store.(An independent one of course, don't give any money to those daylight robbers at Virgin and HMV)

10/10 [published 2/18/2006 12:41:00 AM]

OLD FAN When Pride entered at number three in the UK singles charts it confirmed that U2 were now one of the biggest bands in the world but the problem with The Unforgettable Fire is that â€“ despite four years in the making, the album lacks quantity and quality.

â€˜Badâ€™, â€˜A Sort of Homecomingâ€™ and the title track are awesome but â€˜Elvis Presley and Americaâ€™ and â€˜Promenadeâ€™ are very weak.

7/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:10:00 PM]

adam This is a timeless U2 album. The opening bars of 'A Sort of Homecoming' lead us into an epic journey. 'Pride' & and 'Bad' are classic U2 songs while 'Wire' & the title song are also brillient. '4th of July' is one of the weakest songs i've ever heard. They would never get away with that now. There are also some other weaker songs. However, overall this is an album of a band who have progressed since there debut album five years earlier and were about to become the biggest band in the world.

9/10 [published 5/13/2007 4:43:00 PM]

Josh Spear I wondered why it was called "under a blood red sky" but i remembered about new year's day. a live album which summed up the first 3 albums. there is a few songs they could have put on like, stories for boys and out of control, fire, twilight, i threw a brick through a window and two heats beat as one. i know they could only choose from the songs they did though. never mind the songs they have got on are good enough for me.sunday bloody sunday stands out and party girl. i nver heard party girl an 11 O'clock tick tock before but i like them. acctually i would have like boy/girl to be in there aswell. u2 are great live and lets hope they bring out another live cd. 9/10 for this very good

9/10 [published 1/28/2006 1:51:00 PM]

OLD FAN One of the greatest live albums ever, U2â€™s master stroke was to make this a mini album with just 8 tracks from their first three albums plus one b-side. With the help of Channel 4 TV program the Tube, this album acted as an introduction to U2 as a great live band.

9/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:09:00 PM]

macky 1983 was the year that many would cite as U2's breakthrough mainly because the progression from their previous albums was quite remarkable.

Take 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and 'New Years Day', both have sensitive and intelligent song written, infectious guitar riffs and wonderful harmonies sang with immense passion. Maybe that's why 22 years down the line both tracks are still performed live and both still receive airplay.

Its not all about the big two though, rebellious 'Like A Song' and string heavy 'Drowning Man' continue pretty much in the same vain whilst 'Two Hearts Beat As One', 'Seconds' and 'Surrender' tend to be less intense and more upbeat which is not necessarily a bad thing, its just them war cry songs are so effective.

8/10 [published 6/3/2008 9:46:56 PM]

Josh Spear i love it all the songs especailly sunday bloody sunday, new years day, 40, two hearts beat as one and seconds.sunday bloody sunday is still a massive hit all over the world "there's been a lot of talk about this next song, maybe too much talk, this song is not a rebels song, this song is sunday bloody sunday" a famous quote for u2 fans world wide. ha great stuff. passionate song though and great lyrics in tune and everything he wanted to say. love 40 still sung live along with new years day 10/10 brilliant

10/10 [published 6/3/2008 9:48:06 PM]

U2 14yr old 2000+!! Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day the highlight of the album! great drum work and the bassline from New years Day-go Adam and Larry!

should have been called Rhythms of War-since Adam and Larry does rhythm

9/10 [published 6/3/2008 9:48:44 PM]

OLD FAN Like with their previous effort October, War is a mixed bag. 'New Years Day' and 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' are by far the finest tracks U2 have penned to date but tracks such as 'The Refugee' and 'Red Light' merely act as fillers.

7/10 [published 6/3/2008 9:49:38 PM]

adam A good rocking album from U2. Bono sings from the heart and the edge is improving his guitar playing. 'New Years Day', 'Seconds' and 'Like a Song' are excellent songs while 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' is regarding by fans as a classic. Slower songs like '40' drag a bit but overall this is a strong album.

9/10 [published 6/3/2008 9:50:07 PM]

Josh Spear Wow brilliant at first i wants over keen but now it seems fantastic. all of the track i never get tiered of hearing them. i will follow in the top 3 best songs ever by u2 with one and beautiful day. a true classic. a debut album the best debut album i no. it cost me Â£11 quid though, worth every penny but i didn't know i could get it cheaper of ebay. ha oh well great ablum. especially beeing so old. 1980's stuff. out of control and stories for boys are brilliant with electric and twilight all of the are briliant so i'm giving it 10 out of 10 a fantastic album. i prefer the old stuff to the new stuff but the new stuff is still brilliant.

10/10 [published 12/5/2005 9:32:00 PM]

13 year old u2 fan what a debut ablum. from I will foloow to shadow and tall trees. The Electric Co.is so special. i suppose if i had to choose a leat favourite it would be into the heart. a day without me is just fanstastic. well basically the rest of the songs all fall in between the 7/10 and 10/10 category. in order of greatness: I will follow, electric co, stories for boys, out of control, a day without me, twilght, an cat dubh, another time another place, shadow and tall trees, the ocean and into the heart. 10/10 early 80's stuff, well 1980!

10/10 [published 3/2/2006 8:37:00 PM]

Seth Williamsen Lincoln, Nebraska What an amazing debut album. It starts with "I will follow," An amazing song with a big guitar to start it out then the drums of larry mullin Jr. come in pounding with the heartfelt raw voice of bono. This cd definetly has legendary tracks like "I will follow you,""out of control"and "Another time, another place."But to me the highlight of this Cd is tracks 3 & 4-"An Cat Dubh" & "Into the Heart." To me these 2 songs symbolize what u2 is all about. Beautiful Harmonious mixture of drums and Guitar. And the Great Heartfelt vocals of Bono. I love the break in between the 2 songs when it is just the band playing harmonius guitars and pounding drums. Then when Bono opens his mouth and the words come out it just takes it to another level..This album to me is a masterpiece with no faults or errors. I think the guys should get back to making the real raw music on this album. Instead of doing what will please the pop culture.

10/10 [published 3/10/2006 5:30:00 PM]

Young U2 Fan I Will Follow:10/10 My favourite ever U2 song, immence and imaculate. Perfect, the greatest guitar riff acompanied by the greatest lyrics.

Twilight:8/10 The Original version is better but nots saying that this is not good, its great.

An Cat Dubh:8/10 wooh wooh wooh wooh woh, class chorus

Into The Heart:7/10 Quite good as it follows on from An Cat Dubh

Out Of Control:9/10 Class pure talent, energy and enthusiasm

Stories For Boys:9/10 Theres a place i go to listen to this.. anywhere...whatever mood I'm in whereever I am it always makes me feel happy.

The Ocean:6/10 Queit but ok.

A Day Without Me:8/10 Funky guitar.

Another Time, Another Place:8/10 Great, nice cool song.

The Electric Co.:9/10 Class guitar and guitar solo. Well done Edge.

Shadows And Tall Trees:7/10 Love it, great melody.

BEFORE BOY OR OTHER:
Out Of Control (Three EP): 9/10 Great just a good as the Boy version, Bono's voice is slightly higher.

Stories For Boys (Three EP):9/10 Again the original is just as great as the album version, its very good espicailly for a debut EP.

Boy/Girl (Three EP): 9/10 I love this track, I downloaded it off itunes, its so great, the passion and energy, just great.

11 O'clock Tick Tock (11 O'clock Tick Tock Single):9/10 This song is also great songs, cool live from red rocks, brill' guitar.

Touch (11 O'clock Tick Tock Single):7/10 Funky, and catchy guitar.

Things To Make A Do (A Day Without Me Single):8/10 The best ever instrumental from begining to end, cool.

Another Day (Another Day Single):7/10 Funky tune again and cool rhythm.

Twilight (Another Day Single): A lot of Twilights sung in this song with a lot of energy great, really good.

8/10 [published 10/17/2006 9:06:00 PM]

OLD FAN Great debut from one of the finest bands to grace the planet, stunning production with that big sound which was to serve U2 well in their later years.

8/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:07:00 PM]

adam Excellent debut album. Full of inventive sounds, melodic tunes and good singing. 'Twilight', 'Another Time, Another Place', 'Into the Heart' are stunning. One of the best debut albums ever.

9/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:06:00 PM]

God A much underated U2 album, 'Gloria' and 'Tomorrow' are two of the finest tracks U2 have ever written.

8/10 [published 6/26/2005 12:00:00 AM]

Usha I've been a long time U2 fan and have discovered, through their string of albums across the years, that I come back to "October", the least recognized and least understood U2 album. Perhaps it is able to stand strong due to it timeless energy of the strong rhythmic, heartfelt passion that exudes from its lyrics, which is so lacking in the 2 most recent U2 albums. Even if you are not Christian, the spiritual energy of this album is quite fulfilling. It is sad that U2 does not play a single song from this album now, perhaps their own regret over the lost briefcase and the difficulty of recording the album after losing the compositions.
Even though the album is brash, it is well deserving in the songs and contains the testimony of internal suffering and torment which is virtually forgotten in U2's Elevation. The album has a more personal touch in songs like "I Threw a Brick through a Window" and "Tommorrow".
I wrote this review since I am tired of seeing such negative reviews of this album, the least understood album by U2. I wish they would play a song or two from it at their concerts. I am glad they created this album.

10/10 [published 10/5/2005 9:57:00 PM]

Josh Spear being a christian this ablum meant a lot to me. it one of my favourites ever and u2 are not afraid to show their passion and beliefs through their song and actions or anything. gloria, fire, stranger in a strange land, tomorrow, with a shout and october are all brillaint. and i threw a brick through a window is brillaint. u2 are brilliant and always have been. the passion, drive and thoughtfulness of the lyrics and music are incredible. i like the word brilliant, rock on u2.

10/10 [published 12/5/2005 9:38:00 PM]

w.griffin October has to be U2's greatest soul album. In Bono's words, "to reveal rather than conceal is what soul music is about." As if Bono was on the witness stand, before GOD, he breaks down and spills his heart and soul out for all to see. Holding back nothing and without care what the critics will think and say, the lyrics tell you who Bono really is and what he is all about. No other rock and roll band has ever come close to making an album so personal revealing and soulful as October. Yes, written when they were barely 20 and in their teens, October is as bold as U2 will ever be. Edge's anthem ripping chords from the song "Fire" radiates a heavenly warmth as ringing church bells on a Sunday morning. "Tomorrow" reveals Bono's yearing to join his mother in the presence of Jesus Christ. Rejoice is as powerful - All things are possible with GOD. The love of GOD is revealed in the music of U2. - Amen

10/10 [published 11/20/2006 1:05:00 AM]

OLD FAN A hit and miss album, â€˜Gloriaâ€™ and â€˜I Fall Downâ€™ and remarkable tracks but â€˜I Threw A Brickâ€™ and â€˜With A Shoutâ€™ are very average.

7/10 [published 2/18/2007 1:08:00 PM]

adam A good follow up to 'Boy'. Not as loud and good work often is'nt sustained in songs. Only 'Gloria' is now a famous 'U2' song. Released only a year after 'Boy' there are some good moments here and it is definatly worth listening to.

8/10 [published 5/13/2007 5:10:00 PM]