 Spin reviewed the track favourably , calling it a " celebrity @-@ at @-@ the @-@ crossroads soul ballad " with an " ambient gospel sweep that 's both haunted and joyful " . <unk> praised the song 's <unk> , saying it was " graced by <unk> performances " and that the Edge 's " languid guitar solo " was reminiscent of David Gilmour . Q echoed these sentiments , commending Bono 's soulful singing and the Edge 's solo . The reviewer christened the song as " this album 's ' One ' or ' With or Without You ' , with added bonus points " . The Washington Post called the song one of the record 's highlights and enjoyed the track 's gospel qualities . The reviewer wrote , " The vocal harmonies on the choruses sound like something out of a church in some distant , dystopian world ; the <unk> , slightly <unk> piano adds to that impression ... " Hot Press gave the song a favourable review , calling it a " sweeping " track and suggesting it " <unk> [ s ] the same spiritual vibe as Marvin <unk> 's ' Abraham , Martin & John ' " . Time gave No Line on the Horizon a negative review , but praised " Moment of Surrender " for its " heartbreaking melody " and Bono 's " Oh @-@ oh @-@ oh " vocals that reminded the critic of the end of " With or Without You " . Bono and Daniel Lanois both cited the song as their favourite track on the album , and Brian Eno thought the band should have chosen it as the album 's first single . Musician Gavin Friday described the song as " Al Green on Irish steroids " , and Hot Press editor Niall Stokes called it " a modern rock classic " that will " stand forever as one of U2 's most inspirational creations " . 
