U2 - No line on the Horizon

I feel bad because i'm about to say some very mean things about a band i love. I was brought up on U2, they are my rolling stones. I have every U2 album and some of those albums define perfectly particular moments in my life. I probably know the lyrics of more U2 songs than any other band and could list the tracks in order off every album. I rate their 1997 concert at the Sydney Football Stadium as the best live performance i have ever seen. Having said all this i would never describe U2 as my favourite band. I have always enjoyed their music and a few albums would be in my top 100, but perhaps the fact that they are still going, and making music that nowhere near compares to what they have done in the past has tainted my opionion of them. U2 have had several re-births, their early work was raw, angst ridden rock'n'roll, and some of bono's ( a notoriously bad lyricist ) best lyrics. Then came some more polished pieces in the Bian Eno produced masterpiece Unforgettable fire, and then the bluesy Joshua Tree. They re-invented themselves with 1991's Achtung Baby embracing industrial distorted sounds and then 93's Zooropa a concept album of sorts based around Bono's Mephisto character from the Zoo TV tour. With Pop in 1997 they continued further into the realm of electronica and created another different sound that polarised their audience and had low sales but critical acclaim. Their 10th Album in 2000 was a return to their late 80's sound that for most has become synonomous with U2. Followed up 4 years later by a very similar album that despite some power chords in the singles maintained that soft rock jangly guitar sound. So here we are 5 years later with No line on the Horizon and well, nothing much has changed. Bono is possibly writing the worst lyrics he has ever written ( if you don't belive me listen to 'cedars of lebanon' ) the edge is running out of ways to make 3 chords sound exciting whilst larry mullen and adam clayton may as well be studio muso's such is the lack of oomph in the rythm section. Whilst there is some radio friendly, typical U2 in 'Magnificent' and 'get on your boots' It takes till track 10, 'Breathe' for the album to actually give you something to sit up and take notice of. The introduction of keys, strings and a punchy rythym give this a bluesy feel reminiscent of 'manic street preachers' or more recently Jack White's 'Racontuers'. Why they couldn't tranfer this enthusiasm into the rest of the album i don't know. Everything else just meanders by, and if i hear one more chorus of ooohs or ooowws from bono i may scream. Apparently a follow up album with songs that didn't make the cut for No line.. is due later this year. Hopefully it's more songs in the style of 'Breathe' otherwise i shudder to think how much worse it could get.