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The album is very hit and miss, I would only recommend it to serious U2 fans.
The only real U2 songs Miss Sarajevo, a beatiful ballad that ends with a masterful Pavarotti solo, as stroke of geniuses; the other one Your Blue Room. U2 are almost Eno's sidemen, it is Eno who is in charge here of the final result of the record.
Lets all remember that Mr. Brian Eno was already rock and rollin' in Roxy Music when Bono and The Edge where pubert kids.
I do not see this work as a U2 record, I see it as what it is: A collaboration between Brian Eno, U2, and 'extra passengers' (Pavarotti, Howie B, Holi). With Passengers, Eno is the creator of 'strategies, sequences, synthesizer, treatments, mixing.and vocals'.
So I do not agree with the reviewers that althought they love or dislike this work, they tend to see it as a U2 Album. U2 has taken the influence of Eno since The Unforgettable Fire and melt it with their unique style.
So when people compare this with other U2 records, they should compare it first with the numerous Eno's catalogue, starting in 1971 - Passengers could be very similar with Eno's 'Another Green World ' and 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'.Songs like Ito Okashi, One Minute Warning, Plot 180 are pure Eno, Theme From the Swan comes straight from 'Music For Films'. It is true that you can listen U2 in Bono's voice and The Edge's trippy guitar (an Eno influence since Unforgettable Fire) and their pulsating playing, but the concept here is all Eno, you can't blame U2 for some of the slow ambient and edgy music that's in here, completely alien to rock/pop format: U2 by themeselves would have never made an album like this.Now I will have to admit that I love this album until the song One Minute Warning, until there 5 stars, after that it comes a little meandering but good anyway.I'd recommend Passengers for rock fans who also like electronica and experimental music, pure and only rock fans might want to stay away.
the title says it allafter listening to the samples my first impressions are this is the angle u2 coulda gone afyer tuf and it could be tuf part II.alot of it reminds me of 'promenade' from tuf or the music to 'bad', or even the b-side bass trap in 1987 or 'hold on to love'.
I've owned this album for over 8 years and I continually come back to it as my favorite U2 album. I can understand not issuing this album as a "U2" album. I like to think of U2 as an artistic band, especially as a counter balance to their popular face. When I first listened to it I enjoyed a few songs but now I can appreciate the entire album.I enjoy all of U2's other albums but this one really moves me more than any of the others. This album combined with the DVD "Classic Albums - U2: The Joshua Tree" gives you a very different picture of U2 than might come across while listening to their pop corpus. Its music is more cerebral and experimental than the rest. I find the individual songs and the album as a complete experience grow on me with each listening. If they had released it just like an ordinary album then many U2 fans would have been angry/confused by what they heard.
Want to hear Brian Eno singing, Bono playing the piano, Edge singing and playing the organ, and Adam Clayton narrating. Then you want this album. I'm sure Eno had a strong influence over this album but I'm also confident that U2's members contributed a great deal of material. More than any of their B-Sides, this album is major departure from what one would expect from U2.All that said, many people that like U2 would probably dislike this album, however if you own all their other albums you should really add this one to your collection.
Anyone paying attention is aware of the vast influence these artists have had, especially on a group like Radiohead who I imagine listened to this album intently.Like a lot of film scores, the majority of this album makes for excellent background music, but there's also some great songs, particularly "Your Blue Room" featuring beautiful organ from The Edge and a sensuous vocal from Bono. Also of note is the beautiful voice of Holi on the dreamy "Ito Okashi." Her voice, receiving a distorted treatment, also colors the rythmically playful "One Minute Warning."I was motivated to throw in my 2 cents after reading Blender magazine's overview of U2's discography, the lamest set of reviews they've done yet. movie soundtracks, many with strong undercurrents of electronica. Presumably feeling no pressure to make the next great monumental rock album at the time, U2 join Brian Eno and more fully digress into his atmospheric territory than ever before or since. They are so lame (but admittedly, kinda fun to read anyway). Pretty much everything else here is well worth while if you can appreciate the emphasis of atmosphere over songs.
It also interrupts the flow of the album.
Another majestic one is "Miss Sarejevo" featuring opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.
They have this incredibly lame need to fit everyone's discography into each of 5 catagories ranging from "Blender Approved" to "For Fans Only" (each catagory apparently MUST be filled).
This is a compelling collection of (faux).
They gave this album 1 star, virtually indicating it was all synths and opera which really only applies to one track.
You have to admit, Bono has (guts) singing on a song with that guy's incredible voice.
The only track I don't like is the repetitive "Elvis Ate America" with Bono sing/reciting less than flattering observations on the King.
Half of their comments have nothing to do with the actual music.
I was torn between rating this album 4 or 5 stars but went with 5 because, while not on the level of a masterpiece like ACHTUNG BABY or THE JOSHUA TREE, it's excellent for what it's trying to do and for what it is.
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