Customer Reviews

All Because of You

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is a unique song in the collection called "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." Most songs on the CD build from quiet, simple arrangements to all-out raves. The glorious "City of Blinding Lights," which opened the Vertigo 2005 tour in San Diego, first leads the listener to think it a ballad but it opens up into a soaring guitar line and Bono's cheering "Oh you look so beautiful tonight!" It's a joyous rave-up incorrectly identified as a "ballad" by reviewers who apparently pressed "play" on their downloaded MP3 files just long enough to hear the first few bars.

"All Because of You" doesn't suffer from internet insta-reviewer short attention spans because unlike the other tracks, it punches right into high gear from the top. It's known to be a song about God, but as with Bono's greatest lyrics it contains many references that could be as much about U2's history as about God as about a love relationship. "I like sound of my own voice, I never gave anybody else a choice..." A fondly self-referential line that could be the Bono of 2004 looking fondly at the mulleted Bono of 1984. 20 years down the line, Bono's sense of humor is well in-tact.

Is there room for an all-out rock song among the faithful? For this faithful fan, absolutely. It shares a classic beat familiar to some of the greatest rock songs of all time, as have many U2 songs. Over that beat soars a typically euphoric Edge guitar, as it does in many U2 songs. Top it off with Bono shouting out celebratory lyrics, as he does in many U2 songs. Bottom line, and this goes out to everyone who's jumped aboard the anti-U2-iPod lemming line, is that this is classic U2 at its best.

I would suggest that anyone who thinks otherwise put this song in a new iTunes playlist and fade it right into "Two Hearts (Beat As One)" from 1983's War album. See if you don't notice a similarity or two. U2 is still doing precisely what we loved about them in the 80s. How very sad that people are taking time here to vilify them for that.

If I had stumbled onto the reviews here without knowing who Bono is, I'd think he was a fat plutocrat from the 19th century who feeds of the blood of children. People seem to forget that he was nominated for a Noble Peace Prize a couple years ago (or was that 'selling out' too?) And to that idiot Working Class Hero guy: name one thing John Lennon did to physically improve society. Did he go to Africa to try to help poor villages get running water? Did he petition his government to increase the amount of money spent on a cure for cancer? No. All hed did was sleep in a bed with Yoko. I'm sure starving kids appreaciated that.
Now onto the music. It's unforateante that kids who grew up in the 80's can't get past the fact that U2 grew up as well. Ignore them. All Because of You would not feel out of place on the Joshua Tree, and is a rocker through and through.

All Because Of You itself is a great song. Not only is it rock, it is roll, and it surges along at a great pace. The piercing opening note, somewhat quirky but enjoyable lyrics, Bono's primal yell, and Edge's solo combine to create a fast-paced song that rocks and rolls from start to finish. It's a great selection as a single to follow Vertigo's success in North America, but U2 simply didn't promote it (focusing instead on the stellar, epic Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own) and it hasn't had the chart success it should've.

The single release itself, however, is not so great. That's why I am only giving it three stars. The song itself is worthy of four (which says a lot, as I consider it the weakest track, besides Vertigo, on the latest album), but the stark lack of any b-sides really reduces this release's merit. Don't be fooled - this is not a legendary single release like With Or Without You/Walk To The Water/Luminous Times. That is not, however, a criticism of U2 in any way. The simple fact is that the single is a dying medium - they sell horrendously poorly, especially in North America, and U2 no longer wish to waste original songs on releases that only a relative few will buy. Anyone who knows how the band records would know that they often develop ideas in one session and fully form them to create album tracks in another (i.e. Wake Up Dead Man, on 1997's Pop, was first conceived in sessions in 1990), so instead of releasing weaker, half-finished material as b-sides, the band retain their ideas to fully form them later. So a combination of the worthlessness of single releases and the way in which U2 create music mean that all we have is a remix as the b-side.

If you're a U2 collector or love remixes, buy this single. You may just find my three star ranking too low, especially because All Because Of You is a great track. If you want to hear a great range of original music, buy How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. The single is dead, the album is alive.

I *love* this song! It's not "deep," but why does U2 have to be deep all the time? I'd be bored to tears if they didn't venture off into new territory. This song is fun and uplifting. As for the B-side, Fast Cars, I think it's got a really cool vibe to it and it makes me smile. I love U2 for their diversity. Maybe this whole album hasn't been as well received in the States as ATYCLB, but, perhaps, a lot of people just don't "get it." Another single I truly love is SYCMIOYO because it is *deep* and I may not be a "credible music judge," but I know what I like and I know what moves me. I lost someone very close to me and this song speaks to me on that level. The video is also unique, beautiful, and etheral. It's as real as you get. They've stripped themselves of rock star pretention and shown us true rock and roll and I'm loving every minute of it! HTDAAB is one of the best albums I've heard in YEARS! Thanks to U2 for bringing passion and light back to popular music.

All Because Of You is a rollicking rock song with one of the most straightforward guitar solos the edge has ever played, and yet people complain. People whined when U2 went techno on Pop (even though those of us who heard Pop know it is not a techno album), then complained that All That You Can't Leave Behind wasn't edgy enough.

And now, they may very well have topped even Achtung Baby with How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which seemingly delivers everything that these so-called U2 fans have been whining for, and they still aren't happy.

Sort of makes you wonder who the people are that are writing these reviews.

For every album they release there is someone who says "I liked them until they released that CD". According to that model, they should be becoming less popular with each successive release, but How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb seems to be outselling their last three releases already.

It seems that the marketing campaign is working. And yet certain fans complain about that as well. God forbid they don't want to relive the backlash that happened in 1997. I for one am happy to see a good, quality Rock band on television and at Sporting Events and on Movie Soundtracks and driving through New York City on a flatbed truck.

Or would we all rather turn back the clock to 1999 and have Boybands at the forefront of the media music blitz?

Let's face it, right now is finally a good time for mainstream rock music. With bands like The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Snow Patrol, Green Day, U2, getting massive airplay, people tend to forget that not more than four years ago, there wasn't a single rock track on ANY mainstream radio station.

Or maybe it is just the U2 fans. I don't hear any of The Shins Fans complaining that their songs were on The Gilmore Girls and Garden State, as well as the in store video reel in American Eagle.

It is a different era for rock music, and if Bands have to (gasp) appear on television to get people's attention then so be it. I for one would rather have it that way than hear Britney Spears all the time (remember her?).

All Because Of You is a great song with more vibrance than Vertigo and better Rock Licks than desire. Take it or leave it, it is a great track, and it comes paired with a great video.

All Because of You is one of my top five or six favorite U2 songs, it is great. The chorus is a little iffy, but the guitar work is simply incredible. One of the highlights of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, All Because of You is completely guitar driven and works well. This song has a great classic rock feel to it and is completely full of energy. All Because of You is for sure one of U2's best!

To all of those people out there putting U2 down, and saying that they have sold out to the media/etc. I ONLY have this to say: U2 recognizes their fan base in this song--how many other groups can you name that have written songs in honor of their fan base???
EOM
The Bono Freak
St. Charles, MO

P.S.-- U2 still rocks the world whether you like it or not... U2 forever.

It's time to draw the line: it's enough, it has been too much desperate "defending U2". If You like this crap, it's Ok, good for you. But you simply can't say this recycled radio-friendly pap is better than desire, that's too much, really.

Bono now is a very rich and avaricious industralist, that he only wishes that you have a credit card and do not think about the U2 decadence. For worse, he can't sing anymore. Is that "singing"? I mean, all those pitiful "Hey Yeah" screams?.

Come on, go and spend as money as you can for trying to catch them live. On ebay you'll find some nice ticket prices waiting for you... but you'll still be thinking they're peacemakers and activists whom want the end of poverty. If you allow yourself to spend as money as they want ( by the way, go and spend more and more cash for watching their "new" videos that can be seen for free on many other sites ) you'll become in another poor people from this world... and then you'll find a sellout faceless Bono talking about "Make Poverty History".

classic U2 !!!... yes, this is a copy-paste job from Rattle & Hum. What a tuneless crap is this 'song'. My 15 years old son can write better songs than this one !. Snappy crap, commercial marketing, Bono's trademarked clothes, that's all. By the way...
have you seen the video ? PATHETIC, a silly Where The Streets Have No Name rip-off... 18 years later they still pretend they're 20s years old. Just listen to those Bono's screams at the middle of this crap.

So this crap is emotional as well, because Bono is rough as 'Sometimes You Can't Make It' ?.

U2 have park their car on the safe world of commercial singles, forgetting to communicate what happen in the present world, living in a cloud of fame and pleasure... all because of some childish fans whom love any U2 corporate product.

U2 are just marketing, fashion, glamour, style, without substance. Is this the same band that wrote 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' or 'Bad'?. No, this is just a pathetic attempt at trademarked "U2". Shame on them. Rest in Peace, sellouts.