Album Rating: 4.0

you are wrong, reviewer. this album is amazing. i think your own album rating is low based on your own review. you "skipped"songs upon initial listen. why?



and why should u2 not seek tax shelters? does government make better use of the money they rightfully earn? are people resentful of homes in Malibu? some think Bono should buy 2 billion loaves of bread for the hungry with his riches that would last them 2 days. and bono would be hungry and poor with the rest of them afterward. tell me can bono do more for the needy and poor as a rich man or a poor man who squanders his wealth on bread?



and yes....the world is dumb sometimes. but it will never be done. even when you and i are dead and gone. there is your greatness



you like this album more than you rate it. and you know it



"get out of your own way" as the song says

Album Rating: 3.5

Sorry for the late reply. Keep in mind that I wrote this review just a few days after the album's release, so disappointment may have played a role in my initial perception of the album. Now that I've had several months with the album, I have grown to like the album more. I'm still not as enamored with it as you are though. I don't care for half of the album's songs and (imho) most of the album's lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Like I said in my review, I find it to be a good album, but nothing beyond that. There's no accounting for taste though - your opinion is perfectly valid.



And, in regards to the band seeking tax shelters, given The Edge's affinity for spending $70 million on mansions for himself, I do think the government can find better ways to spend that money than he can.

Album Rating: 4.0

yes,, ollie. it is a good album as you say. no use splitting hairs on just how good. i do believe it will stand up over time in the U2 catalog, however



i do like most of the songs, and find the lyrics heartfelt and inspired, however. American Soul is incredibly clever lyrically imo, and the final two tracks are among my most favorite U2 tracks of the last 20 years. the album just continues to grow on me. it will be interesting to hear what comes next



don't know where you live or your circumstances but the current tour is worth catching if at all possible. check a few vids out on youtube. the show is well done and all....but its still the music that matters most. this is a band in top form at the moment. larry mullen was a revelation when i saw the band. his drumming was immense.



tax shelters? well....$70 million dollar mansions can be useful most likely, and the money that goes into them comes back around....so there you go. i pay taxes and my government has dug myself and my neighbors a 22 trillion dollar debt on account of it. go figure



plus Edge needs space for all his pricey guitars....