Rock band U2 proves eleventh time's a charm

By Trent Loomis
Online Forty-Niner
Managing Editor

In a time where the world is changing and becoming more of an alien place, where uncertainty and chaos echo, there are few absolutes: love, compassion
— and rock ‘n' roll. Contrary to popular belief, rock ‘n' roll isn't dead — it just took a four-year vacation.

On their latest and freshest album, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," Bono and the boys of U2 have maintained that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The band is pushing 40 and you're not going to get the youthful rebellion that was a trademark of earlier albums such as "Boy,"War" and "The Unforgettable Fire," but that doesn't mean that they aren't afraid of mixing it up.

Similar to their last album, "All That You Can't Leave Behind," at first listen one isn't blown away by a new sound and that's the secret of their success. If it ain't broken, why fix it? "Vertigo," the bands first single and iPod poster song, along with "Love And Peace Or Else,"All Because Of You" and "Crumbs From Your Table," weave a rich tapestry of sounds while the guitars pound, wail and crash through the stereo.

U2 has matured throughout the years, which is evident in their chronology of music but they can't stay 23 forever. The rebel song on "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb,"Love And Peace Or Else," is not as raw as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" or refined as "Please," but is articulate, thoughtful and edgy all at the same time: "Lay down/Lay down your guns/All your daughters of Zion/All your Abraham sons."

What sets U2 apart from any other band is that they sing about the stuff in life that matters most, such as love — for a man and a woman in "A Man And A Woman,"Original Of The Species," and for your family in "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," which was written by Bono for his father who died during their "Elevation" tour three years ago.
U2 also explores their fascination with New York City in the song "City Of Blinding Lights." In it Bono testifies, "And I miss you when you're not around/I'm getting ready to leave the ground/Oh you look so beautiful tonight/In the city of blinding lights."

In U2, the sum is greater than its parts. The band is not just Bono, or the Edge — it's all four in a room tapping into our collective conscience. What they capture in this album similar to most of their other albums is a sense of impenetrable optimism that is there to pick you up when you're down.

"Crumbs From Your Table" is a likely radio single, and is a song that excels in its ambiguity. At first one would think that it's about a heartbreaker, someone that leads others on and leaves a path of broken hearts in their wake. "With a mouth full of teeth/You ate all your friends/And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends." But then you listen to the chorus, which alludes to a higher power that is faith reliant. "And you speak of signs and wonders/But I need something other/I would believe if I was able/I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table." Other than the lyrical genius of the track, the Edge really unleashes his guitar at the end of the song making it all the more powerful.

When listening to "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," there really isn't a bad song on the album. It is also hard to tell what song will be their next single because you can't really go wrong with any of them. Almost every song on every album is quality and there's no reason to believe that they would break the streak on this one.

Twenty-five years and 11 albums later, Bono and the boys from U2 have upped the ante for other rock acts while adding to their legacy. The overriding concept for their success isn't even a concept, and Bono, in "Vertigo," tells this very truth: "A feeling is so much stronger than a thought."