U2 sought to create future hymns but ended up with a global sonic experiment
In short: When U2 retreated to a Moroccan riad in 2007, they aimed to compose timeless spiritual anthems. Instead, the resulting album, No Line on the Horizon, became a complex, experimental journey that challenged the band's own creative process and eventually sparked a massive, record-breaking world tour that redefined live performance revenue.
The development of No Line on the Horizon began in 2006 with producer Rick Rubin, whose preference for finished songs clashed with U2's improvisational style. After shelving that material, the band moved to Fez, Morocco, in May 2007 to collaborate with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Immersed in the World Sacred Music Festival, the group experimented with electronic drum kits and local percussion, aiming for a sound they dubbed futuristic spirituals. This period yielded tracks like Moment of Surrender, which was recorded in a single take.
As recording shifted to studios in Dublin, London, and New York, the band struggled to balance their experimental impulses with commercial viability. Bono, having grown weary of first-person songwriting, adopted various character perspectives, including a soldier and a drug addict. Despite initial plans to release the material as two separate EPs, the band eventually consolidated the work into a single album. The final tracklist was heavily edited, with songs like Winter and Every Breaking Wave being cut to tighten the record's focus.
Upon its February 2009 release, the album reached the top of the charts in 30 countries, yet the band felt its five million copies sold fell short of expectations. While the album itself received mixed reviews regarding its experimental depth, the subsequent U2 360° Tour became a historic financial success. Running from 2009 to 2011, the tour generated more than $736 million, setting a new benchmark for concert earnings. Plans for a meditative follow-up, Songs of Ascent, were discussed for years but ultimately never materialized, leaving No Line on the Horizon as a singular, transitional chapter in the band's history.
The album's visual identity was defined by Hiroshi Sugimoto's photograph Boden Sea, which featured on the cover. A mathematical equals sign was added to early editions to represent balance and contrast, though this sparked controversy when another artist claimed the image was a copy of his own work. Despite the logistical challenges and the accidental digital leak that preceded its launch, the project remains a testament to the band's attempt to push their own boundaries through collaboration and character-driven narratives.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: No Line on the Horizon
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