“Got it. 3pm?”
That was all, Paul, the record rep from Universal and fellow U2 fan, had to say. A highly-encrypted, heavily watermarked digital copy of the first single from No Line on the Horizon had arrived in Canada.
For the last 20-plus years, a first listen to anything from a U2 album has always been surrounded by much ritual and security. The first place I got to hear The Joshua Tree in 1987 was at the now defunct McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto.
As the opening drone of “Where the Streets Have No Name Swelled,” the lights went down and the stars came out. When the Edge’s guitar began to chime, the whole sky started to rotate. It was a spectacular introduction to what would become a career-defining introduction.
Achtung Baby was a more low-key affair with a record company representative came in and played it for everyone—but not before we are treated to pizza and beer. “The Fly” kind of confused us at first.
This was the same band that gave us The Joshua Tree? What’s with all these new sounds? It took a little while to get used to this version of U2, but now many (including me) believe that Achtung remains the band’s best record.
Zooropa arrived with no notice whatsoever. It just…showed up on day in May 1993. Bands and labels could pull those kinds of surprises before the Internet. Funny that I can’t remember the first single. I think it was “Numb,” but I’m not sure.
The unveiling of Pop was a much bigger deal with a satellite-delivered press conference from (of all places) a K-Mart in NYC. But all the hype couldn’t convince us that “Discotheque” was what all had been waiting for.
U2 fans hoped that there’d be something better on the album. There wasn’t. At least the PopMart tour was interesting.
Just after Labour Day 2000, Paul brought in “Beautiful Day” from All That You Can’t Leave Behind on a CD-R, something that was still kind of new. I remember being relieved that U2 had decided to sound like U2 again.
I didn’t like “Vertigo” the first time I heard it. It was late August 2004 and Paul brought the CD-R to an industry golf tournament. He made me wait all eighteen holes before we sat in my car and listened to the song four times in a row.
It took another month before I began to get it. It’s now one of my three all-time U2 favourites (for the record, the other two are “Zoo Station” from Achtung Baby and the live version of “Bad” from Wide Awake in America. The long version of “All I Want Is You” and “40” aren’t bad, either.)
Now it was time to hear where the band was going in Year 33 (!!!) of their career.
Paul showed up in the office holding an unassuming, unlabeled CD-R at 3:01. By 3:04, we had all heard the first sample of U2 v2009.
I only got to hear “Get On Your Boots” (NOT “Sexy Boots” or “Get Your Boots On,” as reported earlier) so forgive the lack of detail. But here’s what I can tell you:
There are some new sounds that could only come from an Eno/Lanois production, which left me with a feeling similar to what I experienced when I heard “The Fly” for the first time.
This is NOT a back-to-basics guitar/bass/drums track like “Vertigo” or even “Beautiful Day.” There’s some definite sonic evolution going on here.
It does rock. To find the last time a first single was a ballad, you have to go all the way back to “With Or Without You.” That worked out all right, but I can’t imagine U2 doing that again in the prevailing musical environment.
Bono manages to rhyme “submarine” with “gasoline” and says something about “don’t talk to me about the state of nations.”
There’s a portion of the melody that somehow reminds me of the cadence of the verses in Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up,” but as I write this, I’m not completely sure. Still, part of the song reminded me of…something else.
Did I like it? I didn’t hate it—but I need to hear it more before I really make up my mind about what I think about….anything to do with the song.
Like so many U2 songs—especially ones produced by an Eno/Lanois/Lilywhite nexus—it’s filled with far more subtleties and complexities that anyone can hear with one listen. I need to examine it, ponder upon it and otherwise live with it.
But that’s the cool thing about U2. There’s just so much THERE there that it can take a while to sort through it all. Suffice it to say, however, that if you’re a U2 fan, you’ll be pleased.
If the song isn’t on the radio by the end of this week, I’ll be shocked. I first heard bits of “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” from a broadcast on a Croatian radio station. There was a leak at the record pressing plant and somehow this dude got himself a big scoop.
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you why that was a dumb, dumb move.
News Source: Explore Music
01.19.09 UPDATE You can listen to the audio streaming of Get On your Boots on U2.com GOYB page (available for a limited time). These are the lyrics: the future needs a big kiss
winds blow with a twist
never seen a moon like this
can you see it to?
night is falling everywhere
rockets hit the fun fair
satan loves the bombscare but he won’t scare you
sexy boots
get on your boots yeah
free me from a dark dream
candy first then ice cream(?)
all the kids are screaming but the ghosts aren’t real
here’s where you gotta be
love and community
laughter is eternity if joy is real
you don’t know how beautiful
you don’t know how beautiful you are
you don’t know how beautiful
you don’t know get it to you
you don’t know get it to you
you don’t know how beautiful you are
someones left to blow it up
the wear weeds are growing up
women are the future whole of big revelations
i’ve gotta a submarine you’ve got gasoline
i don’t wanna talk about war between nations
sexy boots
get on your boots etc.
sexy boots
you don’t know how beautiful
you don’t know how beautiful you are
you don’t know how beautiful
you don’t know get it to you
you don’t know get it to you
you don’t know how beautiful you are
i don’t wanna talk about the wars between nations
let me in the song/sound/bonham lives
let me in the song/song/going down I don’t wanna drown meet me in the sound
let me in the song/song/song/song
Hey! I have heard it and its great! The song is similar to Queens “Bicicle Race” with its “chaingun ryhmes” i mean the “I don’t believe in Peter Pan Frankenstein or Superman” sort of quick, funny type of rhymes . It also reminds me of Billy Joel “We didnt start the fire!” in the same sense. Especially with lyrics ” Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team ,Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland”. They are the same type of rhymes.
Hi lucas, you have been lucky. Do you have a snippet of the song? If you had the chance to listen to Get on your boots I suppose you work for a radio station. Well, if interested drop me an email.
[...] new album. You can read our quick recap of U2’s new album visiting the following news: U2 GOYB a first listen U2 behind the new songs U2 to release the album in 5 formats U2 shooting a video in London Share [...]
We are discussing GOYB in our forum, we’ve got an audio snippet!! Will you be patient to wait tomorrow? :D
First listen on RTE 2fm and unlike every track I have first heard since 1980 U-1-2-3 and Boy in all honesty it sounds mediocre and devoid of ideas. Do not hear any rift or progression of the band moving forward in any way based on that mix. The production suffers a little. In fairness will pass judgement on the whole product of the album/CD when it comes out.
High on the Rattle and Hum and Joshua tree performances of the 80′s, Achtung, like your first beer, was hard to swallow at first. But, in time it tastes great, like a cold beer on a warm summer day. This has been my relationship with U2. Their ever adjusting sound can take some time getting used to, but in the end I’m addicted.
I just got done listening to “Get On Your Boots” and have to say I don’t like it…for now anyway (you can listen to the song here: http://goyb.u2.com/). The song lacks the SuperBono vocals I love and a seat for the ride. Like the writer above, I have to listen to U2 over and over to decide. Often the song I dislike the most ends up being my favorite later. So, we’ll see. I am hoping for more.
Eno has a tendency to overproduce. However, in order to play live, the band has to “get back to the basics” to make the songs work. It is their live material that defines U2 and their songs. They are the best LIVE band I have ever seen. I am surprised that have not released a Best Live Performance album yet. Before they release too much new material, I hope they play the songs live first.
I won’t define the new album based on this song and as always, will give it a fair chance. Looking forward to more.
Hallo folks, we are discussing about GOYB in our forum! Come to join us or leave there your reviews!! It’s not easy to accept this song at the beginning but if you listen to it several times it will grow on you.
What can I say???? I love it….if this is the first taste of what’s to come…..I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand the wait!!! The boys look like they’ve done it again! They are truly the best band ever! What a week they are having..new song, at Obama’s inaugural…perfect setting for the perfect band! God bless U2!
It’s great!
The guitar riffs are extraordinary!
The lyric is very cool. i think i’m in seventh heaven!
can’t wait for the rest of the album.
Well done boys!
what can I say, it is fantastic!
Just played “Get On Your Boots” and have to say I absolutely
I LOVE IT!!! I am looking forward to hearing the rest of the album & even more looking forward to the tour to come. Great job guys!!! Keep on rockin’.
I like the song, but won’t call it great – it is growing on me though. The lyrics are a bit weak too. It reminds me a lot of Discotheque – light and superficial, and a similar guitar riff at 2:22 [into Discotheque]. I hope the rest of the album has more to offer.
its a huge disappointment. % years to come out with another Vertigo copy??? gimme a break…
SHAME.
Greetings…
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