Everyone Calm Down About U2

Unless you've been living under a rock the last 2 weeks, you know that U2 has released No Line on the Horizon, their 11th studio effort. It's pretty damn good too. Here's the thing that I want to say. I think Rolling Stone's review of it was fair, except the rating of 5 stars. I'd say it's more like 4. I swear, when Rolling Stone received the record the editors formed a circle, put the record in the middle, and I'll let your creative mind fill in the blank as to what they did. I'm picking on Rolling Stone, but really everyone has given it a rave review.

Like I said, it's very good. I will straight up admit, I'd give it a B and say it's my favorite since All That You Can't Leave Behind. It does have a couple of flaws though. "Get On Your Boots." What? Bono, did you flunk grammar? Don't you mean "Get Your Boots On?" Are you telling me to stand up? Why didn't you say "Get On Your Feet?" This is the perfect example of how U2 writes a musically great song and put terrible lyrics to it. Remember, "HELLO, HELLO, I'M AT A PLACE CALLED VERTIGO!!!" AHHH!!!! Bono, you're so much better than that!!! You wrote some of the best songs in the 80's and 90's!!! "I Will Follow," "With or With Out You," "Pride," "Bad," "Two Hearts Beat As One," "New Years Day," Do I need to keep naming? I think I made my point. Why does every album now need a song that doesn't really make sense? Seriously a fifth grader could wrote "Vertigo" and you know what? A fifth grader probably would say "uno...dos...tres...cuatro" Not catorce (14)!!! Moreover, why does those kind of songs always have to be the first single too!?!?

Honestly, I think the first five songs are untouchable. They are awesome. But it does falter. "White as Snow," "Get On Your Boots," and "Cedars of Lebannon" are weaknesses. They are not bad songs, but they'd be better B-sides.

In the latest Rolling Stone magazine (yes, U2 is on the cover, and yes, I bet they circled up again...) the Edge said "It was a conscious thing to make a collection that was a whole; That's why it took so long." WHAT? NO...here's what happened. 2004, they toured in support of Atomic Bomb, 2005-07 Bono tried saving the world and the others rested comfortably, then 2008, they probably entered the studio. Like I said, this is a good album, but there's no way this is 4 years of work...11 songs, like I said throw 3-4 of them out...if that's true, I want my money back.

This is a good record. A solid B rating. More satisfying than Atomic Bomb. Just listen for yourself, don't listen to all the magazines tell you...