Wednesday, November 24, 2004
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Unos Dos Tres Catorce

With these Latin words, U2 announces their return after four years of meeting up with political leaders,liquidating third world debts,promoting world peace,selling iPod Minis...anything but make music,that is.Whether this is a triumphant return is a moot point."How..."is certainly a better,much better record than the half-arsed "All That You Can't Leave Behind".Do I like it?Yes.Is it anywhere near U2's best?It's certainly their best since Achtung Baby but that isn't saying a lot.Zooropa,Pop and All... are not exactly landmarks in their distinguished career.Indeed,they're probably some of the albums they'd most love to "leave it all behind".

We must have all heard "Vertigo" by now with that Apple iPod advert bombarding our screens almost on an hourly basis.The above "Unos..." phrase comes from this song.It's also the first song on the album...although it's not exactly an indicator of how the rest of the album will unfold."Vertigo" is helluva beast of a rocker though...and up till now,still my favourite on the LP.Catchy as hell and louder than the usual U2 fare,this sounds like something that'd find itself right at home nestled in the Achtung Baby.If only this was a template for the rest of the songs in this LP...

The next song "Miracle Drug" is a ballad that harks back to the "Joshua Tree" era.Not a bad move,considering that "Joshua Tree" was the album that broke them big.I still rather like the next song "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" much better though.Lead singer Bono wrote this song in memory of his recently deceased father (it was performed at the funeral),it is a heartfelt song about the relationship between his father and him.A mood of loss and regret prevades throughout its duration and its sincerity lifts it as a superior piece to some of the other tracks in this LP.Actually,I'd rather they can be earnest in personal songs like this than go bombastic about world peace on us...like they promptly did in the next track "Love and Peace Or Else". No need to get make it so obvious,Bono,we know it's your world peace anthem on THIS LP (sample Peace On Earth on All that... (their last LP) gee,U2 really must like to slam these grandiose song titles into people's faces)...and don't you just think the title sounds a little silly.

"City Of Blinding Lights" follows and this another song about love...and it's quite a lovely song as well.A touch of late 80s U2.And it's much better when they sing about love and relationships because Bono's lyrics are a little more incisive when he talks about this....rather his world peace anthems which can bore the pants out of people."City" is followed by two album fillers, the nondescript "All Because of You" and "A Man And A Woman".One wouldn't miss anything skipping these two tracks at all.

"Crumbs From Your Table" is a much better track.Similar to "City" in tracking their 80s root,it has a good chorus that's easy to like...and hum to.And it probably also the last decent song in the album for after that, the remaining three songs "One Step Closer","Original Of The Species" and "Yahweh" (a feature of old U2 was that they usually had one song detailing their religious struggles and thoughts..."Yahweh" is such a song.Throughout the 90s,I don't really remember U2 going back to this template besides "If God Will Send His Angels".) did not leave a deep inpression on me.

"How" is a further step in U2's bid to reconnect with their alienated fans who must have felt that their 90s experimentalism streak had gone a bit too far...and their image a bit too over-the-top and incomprehensible as well.It tries to re-adopt its 80s basic rock roots more comprehensively than did its predecessor "All" and is,probably,also a better album because of it.At least this time around,Edge's guitars is a more central part of ths soundscape than was previously and that is a relief.Synthesizers also do not overwhelm the rhythm session, which is arguably one of U2 greatest strengths since Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr are commonly adknowledged as one of the most accomplished rhythm sections in the world.Rockier and edgier than they've been in a decade,it's a welcome partial return to form of these old rock dinsoaurs.

However,the attempt to return to their roots cannot disguise the fact that this is a patchy album.It is only good in parts and is not consistent enough.U2 fans will want to forgive them quickly because they'd just be relieved that U2 have returned to doing what they do best...that is rock and not doing dance singles.At least now,they actually sound like a rock band and not a Un ambassador fronted dance/rock hybrid.Being a long time fan,I'm kind of glad too.But glad is not a particularly strong emotion,is it?

7/10

PS:The power of TV.I recently caught this TV advert about this Japanese newcomer who covered Joi Chua and Fish Leong's (梁静茹) songs, which were the highlighted songs in this particular campaign.The Leong song particularly caught my ear.I had always liked it,especially its melody but never knew who sang the song and what it's title was....good thing,the advert flashed the name of the original singer across the top left hand corner.Now I know it's 梁静茹's 不想睡.Great songby the way.I just downloaded it from the net...makes me feeling like buying her Greatest Hits compilation although I am not too sure if this song is on it...