U2

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (HTDAAB)

The descent of a rock band

Review Score:

(4/10)
Pop phenomenon U2, after years of trying to experiment with their sound, to the tune of abysmally-selling albums, finally decided with the turn of the millennium, to give the audiences that loved them from the beginning exactly what they want: the same old pop from the 1980s with a little 21st-century gloss. All That You Can't Leave Behind was the result. The four guys from Ireland continue their resigned pandering with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It's everything their last album was, and less. Less verve, less emotion, less of interest in general. If you've heard the first single "Vertigo," you've heard everything this album has to offer.

To be fair, I don't consider myself a U2 fan (my favorite CD is Rattle and Hum, for Pete's sake -- although not its film counterpart), but I was fascinated by the path they were following after breaking into the mega-millions with The Joshua Tree: 1991's Achtung Baby was a window on the world of pop experimentation. Of course, there were the sappy love songs to tide over the holdouts, but a song like "Mysterious Ways" opens the mind to new possibilities.

Zooropa and Pop followed to continually-decreased response. It wasn't necessarily good music, but it was well-executed. I have to admit that they went a little overboard with the ZooTV concert concept, but I was eager to see what would result after they worked out all the kinks. Unfortunately, they decided to cater to the lowest common denominator and ended up with their best-selling album since they veered from the beaten path. The only bright spot was "Beautiful Day," one of the few recent visceral experiences I've had from a pop song. Unfortunately, there's nothing of that sort of quality on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It's pure tripe of the worst order and it shows what happens when a band lets the audience tell them what to play instead of following their own instincts.

More Reviews: