Neon Bible
by Arcade Fire
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Mar 6, 2007
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 918 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 819 out of 918
  2. Mixed: 71 out of 918
  3. Negative: 28 out of 918

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  1. JordanK
    Jun 13, 2007
    5
    I appreciate what they're trying to do and what they stand for. But I can't stand their songwriting. The musical ideas are simple and repetitive; sometimes they're dressed up enough so that it doesn't matter how monotonous the chordal and melodic structure are (this was done really well in Funeral), but in this album, no arrangement, no matter how decorative, could I appreciate what they're trying to do and what they stand for. But I can't stand their songwriting. The musical ideas are simple and repetitive; sometimes they're dressed up enough so that it doesn't matter how monotonous the chordal and melodic structure are (this was done really well in Funeral), but in this album, no arrangement, no matter how decorative, could make these musical ideas work. It's just too repetitive. Maybe half the songs on the album could stand with a simpler arrangement. It's just too repetitive. The ornaments look pretty, but they're bringing down the branches of the tree. It's just too repetitive. It's just too repetitive.… Expand
  2. JayK
    Jul 20, 2007
    5
    Solid enough form the Canadians but not a patch on Funeral. Interventions is really good but what the hell is it about?Thought war,religion but try as I might it just doesn't make coherent sense.No cars go great but heard it before.Cant remember any of the other song. I recommend that people move on...they've had their 15 mins..give bands like menomna your undivided attentation Solid enough form the Canadians but not a patch on Funeral. Interventions is really good but what the hell is it about?Thought war,religion but try as I might it just doesn't make coherent sense.No cars go great but heard it before.Cant remember any of the other song. I recommend that people move on...they've had their 15 mins..give bands like menomna your undivided attentation and leave commerical sell-outs(Its not their fault I know just whats happens) to entertain the dumb masses!!… Expand
  3. BrianD.
    Nov 7, 2007
    5
    Take 3 steps forward. Then take 6 steps backwards and drop a deuce where you stand. That's what Arcade Fire did in releasing this album as the follow up to Funeral.
  4. anonymousy
    Oct 22, 2007
    5
    Not bad but not that great.
  5. JohnnyS
    Mar 12, 2007
    5
    Another average release from a mediocre band. There is simply a total lack of hooks or really anything solid to keep you coming back. No Cars Go is a good track though, if a little U2-ish.
  6. JonP
    Mar 13, 2007
    5
    It must be nice to be a critically acclaimed band. The first album is at least an 8, while this languishes in the 5-6 range and yet it gets glowing reviews. It's boring. There is no Power Out. There is no Haiti. A colossal disappointment.
  7. LS
    Mar 15, 2007
    5
    Not great, not bad
  8. EvanS
    Mar 17, 2007
    5
    A huge fan of Funeral, I just don't get this album. The band pulls the same rally cry intended to put you on your feet but left me scratching my head. Why must every song on this album end sound like a potential theme song for the Olympics? Pure cheese. They can do better.
  9. RobJ.
    Mar 3, 2007
    5
    This isn't a bad record, but it seems like they're channeling Bruce Springsteen on this one much more than the Talking Heads or the Pixies. Disappointing compared to Funeral.
  10. ScottW
    Mar 16, 2007
    5
    What happened to the Arcade Fire? They've abandoned their signature sound from the EP and Funeral just to sound gloomy and depressed. This album is average except for the song "No Cars Go" which is originally on the EP. The melodies are bland and Regine's voice sounds shrill and discordant, unlike her eerie and beautiful singing on Funeral. I think people are pretending the What happened to the Arcade Fire? They've abandoned their signature sound from the EP and Funeral just to sound gloomy and depressed. This album is average except for the song "No Cars Go" which is originally on the EP. The melodies are bland and Regine's voice sounds shrill and discordant, unlike her eerie and beautiful singing on Funeral. I think people are pretending the album is better than it really is because they don't want to sacrifice their view of the Arcade Fire as THE great band of the century.… Expand
  11. J.B.
    Jul 24, 2007
    5
    Solid descibes it best; over-hyped - yes; boring - no
  12. SylvioM
    Mar 7, 2007
    4
    So far the worst album them.
  13. KrisB
    Mar 6, 2007
    4
    I love this band, but I have to say that on this one it really seems like they run out of steam. No Cars go is the best track on here, which sucks as it's a re-recording of a track they put out 4 years ago. + if you are looking to buy this, just buythe regular edition. All that you get woth the Special edition are 2 crappy stapled together flickbooks and a hologram. Not really worth I love this band, but I have to say that on this one it really seems like they run out of steam. No Cars go is the best track on here, which sucks as it's a re-recording of a track they put out 4 years ago. + if you are looking to buy this, just buythe regular edition. All that you get woth the Special edition are 2 crappy stapled together flickbooks and a hologram. Not really worth the extra $7.… Expand
  14. TylerC
    Feb 24, 2007
    4
    I loved Funeral But this is just plain boring to me. The songs just dont sound very good to me aside from a couple of songs (neon bible, and keep the car running are good). the rest is just plain not very interesting music.
  15. Stafford
    Mar 1, 2007
    4
    What to say, what to say. To be honest, I really did want to like this album. Although suffering production wise, I thought Funeral was an amazingly well done. It was a beautiful and lush soundscape filled to the brim with ideas. Songs would careen wildly, often fitting a few great ideas into one pop length statement. As for Neon Bible, all I can say is this: What happened? The production What to say, what to say. To be honest, I really did want to like this album. Although suffering production wise, I thought Funeral was an amazingly well done. It was a beautiful and lush soundscape filled to the brim with ideas. Songs would careen wildly, often fitting a few great ideas into one pop length statement. As for Neon Bible, all I can say is this: What happened? The production has been beefed up, thats for sure, but the album feels like the process that went into Funeral was reversed. From my first encounter with the band, a pre-Funeral opening spot for The Unicorns, it was clear that this was a little band trying to do big things. A ragtag group of kids making weird ELO-esque pop. With the Neon Bible however, it sounds like they wrote a bunch of intense little songs and then realized they had all this money left over to dump a bucket of instruments and effects all over it. The songs seem to begin and end without ever reall going anywhere. As a brief example I would use "Keep the Car Running." The entirety of the song feels like what would have been simply the beginning of a song on Funeral, but it never takes off. The songs all just chug along nicely with one very basic idea. But too much of this chugging, or more aptly plodding, makes for a very boring album. It sounds wonderful, but the album never really soars like Funeral did. I welcome the idea of switching up your sound, but simply doing this does not a positive review make. As a side, i find the inclusion of "No Cars Go" absolutely befuddling. The new version sounds absolutely fantastic, far surpassing the original. As much as I appreciate it, I don't understand why it was put on here, perhaps it was more fitting as a B-side. The real problem with including it is the fact that it underscores how much the rest of the album is lacking in its song construction. It puts together the wonderful new production and their more crafty form of songwriting. If only the good production and lyrical ability synched up with the rest of the band, then it would have been an absolutely amazing album.… Expand
  16. JakeM
    Mar 6, 2007
    4
    Not even close to 'Funeral'. The production fits in well with the new 'Springstein/U2' feel of their music. Stadium rock. Listening to their albums side by side reveal how far they've plummeted into the music industry.
  17. SteveO.
    Sep 25, 2007
    4
    I feel like I'm not in the cool club here. I bought this hoping for something earth shattering and found it only average - in fact from the first song I didn't like it. The comparison is less Talking Heads art rock and more Black 47 via Springsteen, but without the heart to back up the social commentary.
  18. Stevio
    Apr 28, 2008
    4
    Completely over-rated. Some original sounds but clumsy adolescent lyrics which are embarrassing to listen to.
  19. RJM.
    Nov 10, 2007
    4
    stupid stupid stupid. vacuous social commentary. even worse production. funeral had a few good moments; this has fewer.
  20. tbone
    Apr 29, 2007
    4
    Ugg. So many bad things to say. Like Destroyer and New Pornographers, you gotta either love em or hate em. I don't buy the schtick. barely veiled ripoffs of better artists. Too many gimicks. Overly bombastic. Pam Anderson remains the best thing to come out of Canada by alot.
  21. borisr
    Mar 10, 2007
    3
    I was looking forward to this album, however there is nothing new or good here. The first album was powerful, emotional and brilliant. However, the lyrics here are base and do not provoke any kind of feeling or power; they are dreary and without any real purpose or meaning.
  22. adamh
    Mar 5, 2007
    3
    i still don't get this band. they seem like a bunch of pretentious rich kids to me. i think it would be healthier for teenagers today to buy the black lips and stay clear of this "emotional" jive.
  23. RubyW.
    Mar 8, 2007
    3
    So this is what the emperor wears--nothing at all! I liked the first album, but this one is almost unlistenable. Yes--the lyrics are cryptic. The music swells and swirls! Too bad the songs aren't good.
  24. What'stheHype
    Apr 8, 2007
    3
    These guys are borderline emo. Ugh... one of the song reminded me of Meat Loaf. Someone recommended them to me. Waste of my money.
  25. JeffK.
    Aug 30, 2007
    3
    Major hype going on here. The first album was terrific, partly because it hewed to the personal. Here, Win Butler's written songs about the world outside of himself. The lyrics are, to be kind, trite. They lack the authenticity and specificity of the best numbers on Funeral. And the music? No melodic hooks, which is okay if you replace it with something really original (listen to TV Major hype going on here. The first album was terrific, partly because it hewed to the personal. Here, Win Butler's written songs about the world outside of himself. The lyrics are, to be kind, trite. They lack the authenticity and specificity of the best numbers on Funeral. And the music? No melodic hooks, which is okay if you replace it with something really original (listen to TV on the Radio), here watered down, diluted and disparate references abound. It's all so vague, so much "oh the world is dark" posturing, it's all so perfectly unearned. Pretentious to the core. The exception is 'No Cars Go' which predates the Funeral material. Major, major disappointment.… Expand
  26. cf
    Mar 23, 2007
    2
    After 8 listenings and countless hours fitfully tossing in bed trying to shake the sense of guilt at hating this album, I am proud to be one of the (very few) detractors. While the sound booms, the lyrics are laughable high school poetry, complete with awkward rhyme schemes, obvious imagery, and a melodramatic sense of self-righteousness that would embarrass even a 15-year-old girl. The After 8 listenings and countless hours fitfully tossing in bed trying to shake the sense of guilt at hating this album, I am proud to be one of the (very few) detractors. While the sound booms, the lyrics are laughable high school poetry, complete with awkward rhyme schemes, obvious imagery, and a melodramatic sense of self-righteousness that would embarrass even a 15-year-old girl. The arrangements can be impressive, but they are impressive in the same sense that, to paraphrase Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips, a crane is an impressive flyswatter. The whole stinking turd is coated in layer after layer of nougat and caramel, but underneath it's still s***. The songwriting here is remarkably dull, essentially a group of goth teens aping Echo & The Bunnymen covering Bruce Springsteen. At least two of the songs are re-recordings of old songs, and one of these old songs was covered by another band in a far superior form some two years ago. Unfortunately, in the effort to make 'universal' music, Arcade Fire have made a massive, plodding bore full of platitudes and overwrought pap.… Expand
  27. MarkZ
    Mar 28, 2007
    2
    Boring and contrived... is there a pulse out there in Montreal? Two good tracks surrounding by garbage... this band gets more "they are so David Bowie cool" milage than any other I can remember. This is a limp comparison to Funeral......
  28. JohnQ.Pubilus
    Mar 3, 2007
    2
    The musical equivalent of WMDs in Iraq. We kept hearing all about them (i.e. the great songs supposedly on this record) but when looked for, nothing was found. Funeral was bloated and directionless, but at least energetic. This is just bloated.
  29. jeffreyj
    Mar 3, 2007
    2
    Get over it. These guys and girls are the same boys and girls that got there butts kicked in high school. Losers!
  30. RickS
    Mar 9, 2007
    2
    I must be stupid, i must, thats all i hear when i say this band is awful. People who like this band let alone worship there albums seems to bash other well known bands, as to try and prove something. Is this art? Is this what I
  31. LukeM
    Apr 1, 2007
    2
    I didn't love Funeral, but I could see why some would. This is just terrible. There's a constant wall of sound behind the vocals, but there are no songs! No melodies worth going back to, except for on old song No Cars Go. And honestly, they're not aping Springsteen; they're aping Pete Yorn aping Springsteen. Listen to the opening of Life On a Chain then the opening of I didn't love Funeral, but I could see why some would. This is just terrible. There's a constant wall of sound behind the vocals, but there are no songs! No melodies worth going back to, except for on old song No Cars Go. And honestly, they're not aping Springsteen; they're aping Pete Yorn aping Springsteen. Listen to the opening of Life On a Chain then the opening of Antichrist Television Blues. I like Pete, but I don't want Arcade Fire to sound like him! Basically, I've listened to the album about 7 times and nothing on it makes me want to listen again. Be objective and have a listen before you buy.… Expand
  32. Jeff
    Jul 5, 2007
    1
    I definitely don't understand all the hype. I listen to lots of music and have listened to this CD about a dozen times and all I can describe it as is boring. I wanted to like it. Based on everything I read I was excited to listen...but I think it's garbage.
  33. HenrikS
    Mar 5, 2007
    0
    This album is not nearly as good as "Funeral".
  34. Steve
    Mar 2, 2007
    0
    Why does this band get such high nods all the time. They are total crap.
  35. MatthewC
    May 5, 2007
    0
    Boo
  36. Mark
    Mar 4, 2007
    0
    Eww! This is a disgusting record from a talented band.
  37. Shootsy
    May 17, 2007
    0
    universal acclaim? ahahahah...I mean c'mon. Music like this has died 25 years ago and the snake's been biting his tail since then. Crap music made by crappy musicians for even crappier listeners. Unbelievable.
  38. DarkDaylight
    Jul 11, 2007
    0
    the most over rated band in years
  39. MikeS.
    Sep 19, 2007
    0
    I loved their live show back in 2003 with The Unicorns. enjoyed a few songs on that ep. disappointed with Funeral. this one justs falls flat. even the remake for "no cars go" was pointless.
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Album of 2007
2
#2 Most Discussed Album of 2007
11
#11 Most Shared Album of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Hot Press
    95
    So, Funeral was by no means a fluke. The Arcade Fire are unquestionably the real deal. And to prove it they’ve now thrown in another contender for ‘best record of the decade’.
    Read full review
  2. Observer Music Monthly
    100
    The Canadian septet are the greatest art rock group since Talking Heads stopped making sense.
    Read full review
  3. Alternative Press
    80
    While devotees of Funeral... will surely enjoy Neon Bible, the album does have a decidedly different feel than its predecessor--mainly, there seems to be less of an emphasis on choruses. [Apr 2007, p.182]
See all critic reviews »