Favorite B-side/non album song

[Jarvio]

HMTMKMKM is by far the best, but I don't count it among b-sides, it was a single, and a very sucessful one at that. Some other one-off singles would rank high, like Invisible, but I don't think it's fair to count them.

My favourite b-sides are:
Rise Up, Always, The Crystal Ballroom, Lucifer's Hands, and Mercy.

I also really wish that:
11 oclock tick tock was on Boy, and
A Celebration was on October.
And I REALLY wish Winter was on NLOTH instead of WAS, because the WAS vocal melody isn't even written by U2! Plus the Winter linear version could have been the album version, and the brothers version could have been NLOTH's 4th single, as that album was supposed to have 4 singles instead of 3.

My favourite things by U2 that technically aren't on an album are the single version of WGRYWH, HMTMKMKM, and the single version of Please.

 

[Axver]

11 O'clock Tick Tock is in my top five U2 songs.

Spanish Eyes, Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop?), and Wild Irish Rose are in my top 15, and depending on the day my top 10.

And then in chronological order the following songs are all right up there too: The Fool, False Prophet, The Dream Is Over, Lost on a Silent Planet, A Celebration, Bass Trap, Boomerang II, Love Comes Tumbling, The Three Sunrises, Luminous Times, Alex Descends Into Hell, Lady With the Spinning Head, HMTMKMKM, North and South of the River, Native Son, Smile.

Those of you who've said Wave of Sorrow and Angels Too Tied to the Ground have lost your rights to an opinion.

 

[redhill]

11 O'clock Tick Tock is in my top five U2 songs.

+1

Why don't you like the Irving Plaza version? I thought they slowed down tempo really worked (for once) and it was well performed (especially for a song they just dusted off).

 

[Axver]

It sounds like a sad old band trying and failing to remember how exciting and energetic they could be. I've never rated it, not even at the height of my U2 fandom when you could count on me for a sycophantic opinion. It honestly sounds like what I'd expect it to be like now - yet, fifteen years after Irving Plaza, the Roxy version of 11OTT sounds more energetic!

4 November 1981, Berlin and 5 June 1983, Red Rocks are where it's at for 11OTT.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I just listened to both... Edges solo is great in both versions, but the war and earlier sounds so incredibly dated to me. Not terrible by any means, but I prefer the 2000 Irving Plaza version because the song has some room to breathe. I also prefer the way it builds up.

 

[shewahlemon]

Window in the skies, mercy, winter, 11 o clock tick tock, hands that built America, ground beneath her feet, sweetest thing, Hold me thrill me, invisible. Really wish that mercy was on an album!!! It's a gem!

 

[Rachel D.]

I've always liked Flower Child.

 

[The Panther]

I've always liked Flower Child.

Seconded. I love that tune -- it's easily better than half the 2000 album.


'11 O'Clock Tick Tock' is a near-classic. (Better c.1981-1983 live performances, though, than the impotent studio cut.)

'Love Comes Tumbling' is awesome, and gets better with age.

'Walk to the Water' is cool.

'Hallelujah Here She Comes' is one of their best-ever melodies, and most purely enjoyable tracks. Why the heck wasn't this on the album?

Not a U2-song as such, but 'In The Name of the Father' is one of my favorites.


But my favorite of them all is... 'Bass Trap'! That's 212 seconds of musical heaven.

 

[U2girl]

For B-sides, Sweetest thing. They were right to give it more attention and make it a single in 1998.

Non album song, Ground beneath her feet.

Soundtrack song, Hold me thrill me kiss me kill me.

 

[womanfish]

Your Blue Room!!!!!
HMTMKMKM
The Crystal Ballroom
Spanish Eyes
Lady With The Spinning Head
Walk to The Water

Ground Beneath Her Feet is pretty cool
And for some reason I always really liked Hallelujah Here She Comes...

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

1. A celebration
2. 11'o clock

 

[Jarvio]

HMTMKMKM is by far the best, but I don't count it among b-sides, it was a single, and a very sucessful one at that. Some other one-off singles would rank high, like Invisible, but I don't think it's fair to count them.

My favourite b-sides are:
Rise Up, Always, The Crystal Ballroom, Lucifer's Hands, and Mercy.

I also really wish that:
11 oclock tick tock was on Boy, and
A Celebration was on October.
And I REALLY wish Winter was on NLOTH instead of WAS, because the WAS vocal melody isn't even written by U2! Plus the Winter linear version could have been the album version, and the brothers version could have been NLOTH's 4th single, as that album was supposed to have 4 singles instead of 3.

My favourite things by U2 that technically aren't on an album are the single version of WGRYWH, HMTMKMKM, and the single version of Please.

Not only do I need to add "Wave Of Sorrow" to my list, but it probably tops my list as the very best. I'd forgot about the song, and listened to it recently, and it is so damn good. U2 should have just released it on one of their later albums after Bono completed the lyric. Much better track than most tracks on most modern U2 albums!

Regarding Mercy.... if it was on Bomb, where would you place it? I think it works perfectly as track 11, as it ends, Yahweh starts, and that's a great transition.

 

[Jarvio]

I've always liked Flower Child.

Another good song. A tad too long I think, but good other than that.

U2 should just do an Oasis and make an official b-side album, like Oasis did with The Masterplan. Hell, they could release at least 3 quality albums by doing this.

(I don't count those 2nd discs to the best ofs because they are of a particular era, plus they're contaminated with either covers or remixes).

 

[Catman]

I can't be the only one who absolutely adores Heaven and Hell... can I??

:'(

Srsly, it's a criminally underrated, gorgeously bittersweet melody that just has me feelin' some kinda way 0

 

[Jarvio]

I have a strong preference for Wave of Sorrow on the Joshua Tree deluxe. Lovely haunting piano and evocative painful lyrics.

I understand the lyric was incomplete hence the modern vocals by Bono but I don't see why they couldn't have have included songs of that quality and released it on one of their more recent albums instead of including it as an easter egg on the 20th anniversary deluxe release. You look at Radiohead releasing True Love Waits on their latest album, a song that had been bandied about for a couple of decades before it finally found it's way on record. No shame in plucking out the old demos/recordings and adding the finishing touches to some old tracks but they seem adamant on creating brand spanking new music on their albums of late.

+1, infact +50

 

[kabigon]

I can't be the only one who absolutely adores Heaven and Hell... can I??

:'(

Srsly, it's a criminally underrated, gorgeously bittersweet melody that just has me feelin' some kinda way 0

I dig the meandering achtung tapes versions, you can lose yourself a bit more in them rather than the shorter cleaned up version on the remaster.

 

[CosmoKramer]

For B-sides, Sweetest thing. They were right to give it more attention and make it a single in 1998.

Non album song, Ground beneath her feet.

Soundtrack song, Hold me thrill me kiss me kill me.

Pretty much this plus Crystal Ballroom an I also enjoy Window in the Sky

 

[dk42]

Lots to choose from, they have some great b-sides. What's more frustrating is the stuff they pick to put on albums instead, nonetheless, here goes:

North and South of the River
The Crystal Ballroom
Wave of Sorrow
Salome
Alex Descends Into Hell for a Bottle of Milk/Korova 1
Stateless
I'm Not Your Baby
Soon
Fast Cars
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Flower Child
Mercy
Winter

And there's plenty more no doubt. The debate on Passengers qualifying as U2 still persists, but I count them as U2 songs. So, Miss Sarajevo, Always Forever Now and Slug would certainly be up there.

 

[Airseven]

1. Lady With A Spinning Head
2. Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
3. Sweetest Thing
4. Electrical Storm
5. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
6. Luminous Times
7. Love Comes Tumbling
8. The Three Sunrises
9. Hallelujah Here She Comes
10. Satellite Of Love

HM: Ordinary Love, Bass Trap, Summer Rain, Dancing Barefoot

 

[dk42]

My apologies, but on a slightly random note, does anyone have all the b-sides from the Achtung Baby Uber Deluxe edition that includes Oh Berlin, Heaven and Hell. Down all the Days, etc. in mp3 file? I've been searching for them and they're rather difficult to find. I would appreciate it greatly!

 

[kiwilad]

My apologies, but on a slightly random note, does anyone have all the b-sides from the Achtung Baby Uber Deluxe edition that includes Oh Berlin, Heaven and Hell. Down all the Days, etc. in mp3 file? I've been searching for them and they're rather difficult to find. I would appreciate it greatly!

I'd love Oh Berlin but damned if I can find it unbundled anywhere.

 

[redhill]

I know it's not technically a B-side (or even U2 really) but I'm giving it an honorable mention anyway.

 

[kiwilad]

Yeah not U2 but damn I love that song!

 

[btr]

11 O'Clock
Spanish Eyes
Lady With...
North and South of the River
HMTMKMKM
Crystal Ballroom
Ordinary Love
Luminous Times