No Line On The Horizon
by U2
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 409 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 324 out of 409
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 409
  3. Negative: 43 out of 409

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  1. GaryM.
    Mar 4, 2009
    8
    Truly, I went in using my U2 measuring tool to see how good, excuse me, great this album is. It served to no purpose. This album is honestly difficult to compare to U2's other *cough* master *cough* works. Reviewers might declare this is U2's most disappointing album ever. It isn't. It might not be a classic U2 album. However, if this album was U2's debut album it Truly, I went in using my U2 measuring tool to see how good, excuse me, great this album is. It served to no purpose. This album is honestly difficult to compare to U2's other *cough* master *cough* works. Reviewers might declare this is U2's most disappointing album ever. It isn't. It might not be a classic U2 album. However, if this album was U2's debut album it would be declared as extremely genius and, may I be bold, the best album of 2009. But it's U2, and everybody, well almost, knows them and they expect them to push the envelope even further. U2 on Mars! But seriously, this is a great album. Give it a chance. They'll eventually make it up to you, if you are truly disappointed (ugh!). What makes me rest easy is that for them, there's no line on the horizon (yes pun intended!)… Expand
  2. BDP
    Mar 4, 2009
    9
    Fantastic album, but most definitely a grower. While some may dismiss this as more of the same, or as sounding "too U2", there is a depth and edginess here that was almost certainly missing on any album since Zooropa. The true strength in this work lies in the two-sided collaborations with both Eno/Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, giving this two distinct textures that blend together almost Fantastic album, but most definitely a grower. While some may dismiss this as more of the same, or as sounding "too U2", there is a depth and edginess here that was almost certainly missing on any album since Zooropa. The true strength in this work lies in the two-sided collaborations with both Eno/Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, giving this two distinct textures that blend together almost perfectly. While it can be tough to warm up to each jab these songs provide (and there is the occasional bit of tack, but then again it's Bono), this is easily one of the best albums I've heard all year, and most definitely one that is firmly muscling its way between "Achtung Baby" and "Joshua Tree" in the U2 pantheon. Watch this space.… Expand
  3. JohnB
    Mar 4, 2009
    9
    I'm really digging this album!. The title track is great, but Magnificent is an instant classic. In total there are 8 amazing to really good tracks and only three throw aways. I'm not really taken with Unknown Caller, White As Snow or Cedars of Lebanon. I think NLOTH, Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy and Breathe all have single potential. And I really like the groove in Stand Up I'm really digging this album!. The title track is great, but Magnificent is an instant classic. In total there are 8 amazing to really good tracks and only three throw aways. I'm not really taken with Unknown Caller, White As Snow or Cedars of Lebanon. I think NLOTH, Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy and Breathe all have single potential. And I really like the groove in Stand Up Comedy. Only time will tell how this will stack up against U2's other amazing offerings.… Expand
  4. NielsenC
    Mar 4, 2009
    9
    The opening 4 songs showcase U2's strength and at the same time, their desire to change their sound; Unknown Callers's weird lyric structure and delivery; No Line On the Horizon's atmospheric but dense guitars; the mournful Moment of Surrender; and Magnificent is, (wait for it) magnificent. The rest of the album is strong - the weird but haunting Fez - Being Born and the The opening 4 songs showcase U2's strength and at the same time, their desire to change their sound; Unknown Callers's weird lyric structure and delivery; No Line On the Horizon's atmospheric but dense guitars; the mournful Moment of Surrender; and Magnificent is, (wait for it) magnificent. The rest of the album is strong - the weird but haunting Fez - Being Born and the powerful crunch that is Breathe are already up there with U2 classics. To be short and sweet, it is an album that requires time to be loved. The album format as we know it is dead, but U2 revives this concept - creating the first true album in years.… Expand
  5. MattB
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    I was hoping U2 would make a turn like this after Atomic Bomb. This album isn't going to get a lot of air play or win many grammys, but this one is more balanced and musically, more amazing, than their last two. This doesn't play on your emotions as much as those. It just rocks! More like Achtung, Baby.
  6. ChrisR
    Mar 4, 2009
    8
    I did something yesterday that I hadn't done with any U2 album since 'Achtung Baby' -- listened to it non-stop for the better part of a day. No, it is not a classic, and I would not put this on par with 'Joshua Tree' or 'Achtung Baby', but it is very, very good, and I think it surpasses the previous two records by a mile. This time around, I get why we I did something yesterday that I hadn't done with any U2 album since 'Achtung Baby' -- listened to it non-stop for the better part of a day. No, it is not a classic, and I would not put this on par with 'Joshua Tree' or 'Achtung Baby', but it is very, very good, and I think it surpasses the previous two records by a mile. This time around, I get why we fuss over U2. If it weren't for a couple of skip worthy tracks toward the end, it would be a classic.… Expand
  7. TomE
    Mar 4, 2009
    3
    I have been a big U2 fan since Achtung Baby. There was no doubt I would buy this album, got it as soon as it came out and played it while having visitors all night long in the background. Nothing stuck... nothing jumped out... nothing even reminded any of us we were listening to music. We the all draw the same conclusion: hotel lobby music.
  8. DonalM
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Best U2 album in 10 years. They might not be experimenting as much as we would like them too, but try "Breathe", "Unknown Caller" and "No Line On The Horizon" and you have 3 tracks which venture into sonic terrotories not explored before. This is way better than their last 2 albums which were "safe" to a large extent. Standout tracks are "Unknown Caller", "Breathe" and "Magnificent".
  9. GautamM
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Joshua Tree is the best album ever made.Period.But inspite of this..i cant give this anything less than a 10.I wouldn't say this is a absolutely new and redefined U2...but lets face it..we never wanted or expected that.This is U2's soaring music at its best.Bono's ever briliiant lyrics(although a lot cryptic this time around),Edge's reinvented guitar melodies(referring Joshua Tree is the best album ever made.Period.But inspite of this..i cant give this anything less than a 10.I wouldn't say this is a absolutely new and redefined U2...but lets face it..we never wanted or expected that.This is U2's soaring music at its best.Bono's ever briliiant lyrics(although a lot cryptic this time around),Edge's reinvented guitar melodies(referring to Get on Your Boots,Magnificent,Breathe and unknown caller),larry mullen's up front drumming,and adam clayton's ever present,every important bass lines really make this a joy to listen to.except 'get on your boots'(which isnt really a bad track..but definitely not a great one)...the rest of the tracks are absolutely MIND BLOWING...classic U2 with a twist..but unchanged to a large extent.A must hear... P.S...recommended tracks...'magnificent','unknown caller','breathe','white as snow'.… Expand
  10. ChrisW
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    This album sits nicely in between Achtung Baby and Zooropa and is successful on what Pop had aspired to be. This is not ATYCLB or HTDAAB for sure but it's still VERY U2. Personally, three tracks have me shrugging my shoulders, but otherwise, 8 songs knock it out of the park. Why a 10 then, because they knock those 8 songs waaayy out of the park.
  11. Jude
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    This album has surpassed my former fav album (The Unforgettable Fire) from U2. I have been with this band since Boy. Was not a big fan of the last two albums, though they were serviceable. This album is for men (or women)...not the hipsters at Pitchfork who cling to the "obscure = hip = talented = cool" equation. NLOTH delves into universal themes in a way that hits on a personal level. This album has surpassed my former fav album (The Unforgettable Fire) from U2. I have been with this band since Boy. Was not a big fan of the last two albums, though they were serviceable. This album is for men (or women)...not the hipsters at Pitchfork who cling to the "obscure = hip = talented = cool" equation. NLOTH delves into universal themes in a way that hits on a personal level. Aside from all the big themes, each song is full of amazing melodies, hooks and memorable musical lines. Each band member is in top form. And this album is an album...not a collection of singles or one-offs. It makes me want to listen to it from beginning to end, in its existing sequence. Well done.… Expand
  12. EmirM
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    Takes a few listens at first I was disappointed but that's expected as it''s really hard to judge the best band on the planet from one session. And they did not disappoint. All songs may become classics in the U2 fan base and even the "get on your boots" sounds better than before. I think that's what happens when expectations are so high. I believe their best since Takes a few listens at first I was disappointed but that's expected as it''s really hard to judge the best band on the planet from one session. And they did not disappoint. All songs may become classics in the U2 fan base and even the "get on your boots" sounds better than before. I think that's what happens when expectations are so high. I believe their best since Achtung. And Achtung is masterpiece. I'm not sure if it will reach that high. Only time will tell. In my opinion Joshua was the album of the 80's , Achtung the 90's ( best ever period!!) and now possibly this decades best album!. Its been a long 18 years. Welcome back guys! I give it 9.5 now but too early to tell.… Expand
  13. BrentonC
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    U2 has sculpted a sound, a sound that lays the foundation of their best albums. It's big while being intimate, ethereal while being straightforward. It goes with their ever teetering on the line between spiritual searching and political questioning with hedonism and rock star trappings. It's all here on this album. Moments of familiar brilliance coupled with Eno's sonic U2 has sculpted a sound, a sound that lays the foundation of their best albums. It's big while being intimate, ethereal while being straightforward. It goes with their ever teetering on the line between spiritual searching and political questioning with hedonism and rock star trappings. It's all here on this album. Moments of familiar brilliance coupled with Eno's sonic searching. I like it, I may be sycophantic about this band, but I'm willing to call a Pop a Pop. Listen number four here I come.… Expand
  14. ChrisJ
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    No Line On The Horizon is a fantastic return from U2. It's a perfect mixture of classic sounds and U2 experimenting into uncharted territory.
  15. MarkW
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    A genuine and trenchant reflection on uncertain times; fascinating from start to finish. Rarely does an album unabashedly express the confidence of its artist while simultaneously exhibiting their humble vulnerability. U2's best since "Achtung Baby."
  16. ChristosM
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    There are only three songs,ruining this great record!Moment of Surrender,I'll go crazy and Stand Up Comedy do not match the aesthetics of this album that's too close to a masterpiece!
  17. KobayashiM
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    Their best since Achtung Baby! Throughout, it poses this counterfactual question: what would U2 have sounded like had they explored more fully the sounds of Zooropa and Passengers, rather than going on to record Pop, ATYCLB, and HTDAAB? No Line on the Horizon answers with a strong atmospheric collection of songs that is less melodic than their last two works, but also more melodically Their best since Achtung Baby! Throughout, it poses this counterfactual question: what would U2 have sounded like had they explored more fully the sounds of Zooropa and Passengers, rather than going on to record Pop, ATYCLB, and HTDAAB? No Line on the Horizon answers with a strong atmospheric collection of songs that is less melodic than their last two works, but also more melodically complex and lyrically interesting. Make no mistake, this album hardly deserves to be described as "experimental" pace some early press musings, especially compared with their 90s output, to say nothing of Brian Eno's solo work. But No Line on the Horizon is nevertheless clearly the product of a restless band that takes its art (if not always themselves) very very seriously. The album is in roughly three sections: a heavy, ambient-driven opening of four tracks, a more accessible "pop" core of three songs, and a mostly meditative four track finale. The first and last parts are what make the album extraordinary. "Magnificent" and "Breathe" are U2 par-excellence and bound straight for the live set. "Moment of Surrender," "White as Snow," and "Cedars of Lebanon" are slower, more deliberate, and -- especially the last two -- among the most intimate songs U2 have ever recorded, a rare trifecta of growers from a band that seemed to prefer pop craftsmanship this decade. "Unknown Caller" and "FEZ - Being Born" are more heavily influenced by producer Brian Eno and are indispensable to the atmospherics of the album, even if you'll never hear them as radio singles. The weakest section is the middle, which contains the first single, "Get On Your Boots," either an odd or brilliant choice, given that it's utterly unrepresentative of the album. Still, it's a swinging, buzzing, raucous anti-political anthem, if a bit meandering in its imagery. Not quite as successful is "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," with its catchy will.i.am production and soaring chorus, but verses that leaves you with a feeling of having read a thousand Hallmark cards. And finally, the album's only real dud, "Stand Up Comedy," which admirably tries to be self-deprecating but does so with such gauche phrasings and platitudes that you can't help but hate Bono for ruining a perfectly good Led Zeppelinesque guitar hook. If anything, though, these reservations only put the brilliant bits in greater contrast, and remind the listener that No Line on the Horizon, while not at all perfect, is a remarkable work in its own right, let alone when you consider that it's coming from a band that formed 33 years ago.… Expand
  18. [Anonymous]
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    The best album since 1993 Zooropa. U2 in No line on the horizon sounds 100% sincerely like 1991 Achtung Baby. The album propose a particular & personal view of diferents themes: love, society, pain, life memoirs, globalization, etc... the album it's not pretentious it's a personal view. It's a sincere all band album.
  19. ErwinK
    Mar 3, 2009
    9
    Far far better than Atomic Bomb, however unfortunately the metascore doesn't really reflect that. The first single, Boots, is atrocious, however every other song on the album is a slice of heaven.
  20. SebH
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    It worries me that this is missing several major publications - Blender and Q gave it 5 stars, Mojo, Uncut gave it 4. I reckon this is their best since Achtung Baby, seriously, because it pushes sonically, has some killer tunes and features the band not taking themselves seriously for the first time since Pop. The title track, Magnificent, Moment Of Surrender, Crazy Tonight, FEZ, Breathe It worries me that this is missing several major publications - Blender and Q gave it 5 stars, Mojo, Uncut gave it 4. I reckon this is their best since Achtung Baby, seriously, because it pushes sonically, has some killer tunes and features the band not taking themselves seriously for the first time since Pop. The title track, Magnificent, Moment Of Surrender, Crazy Tonight, FEZ, Breathe and Cedars Of Lebanon all stand out but everything here is top notch quality. The only slight misfire is the midlife-crisis level Get On Your Boots, but it's at least a killer tune, and everything else is head-and-shoulders above. Excellent album, I love it as much as U2's other best.… Expand
  21. JalexD
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    This is, in my opinion, U2's second best album, the best album I've heard in at least half a decade, and one of the greatest records ever.
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed Album of 2009
60
#60 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 30
  3. Negative: 2 out of 30
  1. Los Angeles Times
    75
    No Line on the Horizon partakes of that romance by trying to expose its inner workings. It's risky to expose those delineations; as the band said long ago, it's like trying to throw your arms around the world. But the effort has its payoffs.
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  2. musicOMH.com
    80
    As far as exploration goes, U2 seem to have finally found what they were looking for.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    60
    Upon first listen, No Line on the Horizon seems as if it would be a classic grower, an album that makes sense with repeated spins, but that repetition only makes the album more elusive, revealing not that U2 went into the studio with a dense, complicated blueprint, but rather, they had no plan at all.
    Read full review
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