When is the next remaster/reissue coming? Any guesses?

[U2girl]

Pop. This year. 15 year anniversary. Their chance to finally finish the album. Return of Pop to the setlist on the next tour.

2013, Rattle and Hum. Maybe a expanded version of the movie rather than a full Lovetown show. Joanou footage owns the things they filmed for Lovetown.

 

[Niceman]

Pop. This year. 15 year anniversary. Their chance to finally finish the album. Return of Pop to the setlist on the next tour.

2013, Rattle and Hum. Maybe a expanded version of the movie rather than a full Lovetown show. Joanou footage owns the things they filmed for Lovetown.

Again, Paramount owns the movie rights. If they want to do an anniversary edition of it that's nothing to do with U2 or any album remaster. They would certainly not be packaged together.

I'd like to think you're right about Pop. But if it comes out this year, it will be Fall - which would mean no U2 album this Fall. Kind of a booby prize.

 

[Nick66]

I think a Pop reissue this year actually may be a possibility. Though I wouldn't expect much more than the original disc "tweaked" and a second disc of b-sides....and probably Popmart. I think the chances of U2 actually "finishing" this record and re-recording some or all of the songs at this point is basically nil. That's just a fanboy dream.

 

[Niceman]

I think a Pop reissue this year actually may be a possibility. Though I wouldn't expect much more than the original disc "tweaked" and a second disc of b-sides....and probably Popmart. I think the chances of U2 actually "finishing" this record and re-recording some or all of the songs at this point is basically nil. That's just a fanboy dream.

The best we can hope for is a 2-disc, half of disc 2 being misguided re-recordings, and the POPMART DVD boxed together. I'd rather have SOA in 2012, but I'd take it!

 

[Blue Room]

Pop. This year. 15 year anniversary. Their chance to finally finish the album. Return of Pop to the setlist on the next tour.

2013, Rattle and Hum. Maybe a expanded version of the movie rather than a full Lovetown show. Joanou footage owns the things they filmed for Lovetown.

What did Joanou film for Lovetown? He did not film the Sydney shows for the Lovetown documentary and does not own that footage which other than some of Dublin was the only shows professionally shot complete shows for that tour.

 

[Nick66]

What did Joanou film for Lovetown? He did not film the Sydney shows for the Lovetown documentary and does not own that footage which other than some of Dublin was the only shows professionally shot complete shows for that tour.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think she's saying that the Joanou footage (that he filmed during the JT tour for R&H) is superior to the stuff taped for Lovetown.

Which I agree with...in term of quality of the footage itself, the Joanou R&H stuff IS better, there's no question about that. While R&H was for the most part shot on film, I believe most, if not all, of the Lovetown shows were video taped (though I could be wrong about this).

In any event, Joanou doesn't "own" any of the R&H footage...all that belongs to Paramount.

As for the performances themselves, I prefer Lovetown.

 

[Blue Room]

Unless I'm mistaken, I think she's saying that the Joanou footage (that he filmed during the JT tour for R&H) is superior to the stuff taped for Lovetown.

Which I agree with...in term of quality of the footage itself, the Joanou R&H stuff IS better, there's no question about that. While R&H was for the most part shot on film, I believe most, if not all, of the Lovetown shows were video taped (though I could be wrong about this).

In any event, Joanou doesn't "own" any of the R&H footage...all that belongs to Paramount.

As for the performances themselves, I prefer Lovetown.

The three final Sydney Lovetown shows were professionally shot with full production for use in the Lovetown Documentary that was released. U2 did not start video archiving every show until 1992 on the Zoo TV tour.

 

[Nick66]

The three final Sydney Lovetown shows were professionally shot with full production for use in the Lovetown Documentary that was released. U2 did not start video archiving every show until 1992 on the Zoo TV tour.

I understand that.

My point was that the Lovetown shows were taped, whereas the Joanou footage from the JT tour for R&H was filmed.

 

[Blue Room]

I "believe" the documentary concert footage was filmed not video taped. I have not searched through the credits to be sure though. I know they used a cinematographer, not that it proves it was not video tape. But it was a full blown production and the footage I have "seen" is top notch of the concerts.

 

[Hollow Island]

I think Acthung Baby is the last of the reissues. If they were going to continue with the series they wouldn't have included Zooropa with AB, and they'd already have done R+H.

They remastered the early records because they needed it, and they did a deluxe AB because it's the thing to do with classic albums. Make a shitload of money on old product.

Passengers may as well not have happened, and Pop isn't regarded highly by the band or the public. There probably isn't enough demand to justify the minimal amount of work and expense involved.

 

[djerdap]

Their chance to finally finish the album.

The album was finished. It was released. How U2 feel about it after the fact is their business. It certainly won't affect my opinion about the record (only the hive mind will). After all, according to their crazy perfectionism, no U2 album gets finished, it only gets released. I bet that, based on his comments alone, Bono would now like to change about a thousand things on No Line on the Horizon. Pop was just the most extreme example, evidenced by the deadline they forced upon themselves.

The raw feel of Pop, caused probably by its "unfinishedness", is one of my favourite things about the record.

But a big fat reissue with the B-sides, along with the Omagh tribute version of North and South of the River, would be really nice!

 

[Nick66]

The idea of "finishing" Pop now, 15 years late, really doesn't make any sense at this point.

Even if they were inclined to (and there's no indication they are) how exactly are they supposed to finish it, or make it better? Bono's voice is not as good, and they're in a completely different place musically. Whatever they did to "finish" it now would sound nothing like what would have happened if they had more time to finish it 15 years ago (if you're even inclined to believe that story). All they can do now if f*ck it up, and nothing they could do would win over people who hate the record, and people who love it don't need to see it changed. So what's the point? Will retooled Pop songs get them on the radio? Will it give them their precious "relevance". Quite the opposite, actually.

That ship has sailed. U2 doesn't really look back and there's just no way they're going to revisit those songs in any significant way.

 

[digitize]

The idea of "finishing" Pop now, 15 years late, really doesn't make any sense at this point.

Even if they were inclined to (and there's no indication they are) how exactly are they supposed to finish it, or make it better? Bono's voice is not as good, and they're in a completely different place musically. Whatever they did to "finish" it now would sound nothing like what would have happened if they had more time to finish it 15 years ago (if you're even inclined to believe that story). All they can do now if f*ck it up, and nothing they could do would win over people who hate the record, and people who love it don't need to see it changed. So what's the point? Will retooled Pop songs get them on the radio? Will it give them their precious "relevance". Quite the opposite, actually.

That ship has sailed. U2 doesn't really look back and there's just no way they're going to revisit those songs in any significant way.

Definitely. It's way too late for that. I don't think that anyone would particularly enjoy a retooled Pop at this point anyway. Better to just tweak/remaster/whatever it and leave it at that.

 

[BVS]

The idea of "finishing" Pop now, 15 years late, really doesn't make any sense at this point.

Even if they were inclined to (and there's no indication they are) how exactly are they supposed to finish it, or make it better? Bono's voice is not as good, and they're in a completely different place musically. Whatever they did to "finish" it now would sound nothing like what would have happened if they had more time to finish it 15 years ago (if you're even inclined to believe that story). All they can do now if f*ck it up, and nothing they could do would win over people who hate the record, and people who love it don't need to see it changed. So what's the point? Will retooled Pop songs get them on the radio? Will it give them their precious "relevance". Quite the opposite, actually.

That ship has sailed. U2 doesn't really look back and there's just no way they're going to revisit those songs in any significant way.

Well I disagree about Bono's voice. His voice was pretty much shite on Pop.

But I think any re-recording(or finishisng) of Pop has already happened. I mean they finished 3 songs during the promotion of Pop and then another 3 years later, so who knows if there aren't others.

 

[digitize]

Also, The Playboy Mansion was re-recorded but not released. It was going to be a b-side of The Hands That Built America before that single was dropped.

 

[djerdap]

Well I disagree about Bono's voice. His voice was pretty much shite on Pop.

It might not be his best effort from a technical point of view, but the ominous side and the attitude he brought to that record through his voice (Do You Feel Loved, Mofo, Velvet Dress...) was sadly missing ever since.

 

[mikal]

It might not be his best effort from a technical point of view, but the ominous side and the attitude he brought to that record through his voice (Do You Feel Loved, Mofo, Velvet Dress...) was sadly missing ever since.

even though it marks the start of some major vocal issues, i think his voice sounds fantastic on the album. and he still brings it hard on LNOE and Gone!

 

[Niceman]

The idea of "finishing" Pop now, 15 years late, really doesn't make any sense at this point.

Even if they were inclined to (and there's no indication they are) how exactly are they supposed to finish it, or make it better? Bono's voice is not as good, and they're in a completely different place musically. Whatever they did to "finish" it now would sound nothing like what would have happened if they had more time to finish it 15 years ago (if you're even inclined to believe that story). All they can do now if f*ck it up, and nothing they could do would win over people who hate the record, and people who love it don't need to see it changed. So what's the point? Will retooled Pop songs get them on the radio? Will it give them their precious "relevance". Quite the opposite, actually.

That ship has sailed. U2 doesn't really look back and there's just no way they're going to revisit those songs in any significant way.

I agree with your main argument. But I think Bono's voice is a lot better now than in 1997.

All the same, they should leave POP alone. Include B-sides, they can even finish up a demo or two, but they should leave the main album as it always has been.

 

[Niceman]

It might not be his best effort from a technical point of view, but the ominous side and the attitude he brought to that record through his voice (Do You Feel Loved, Mofo, Velvet Dress...) was sadly missing ever since.

Yeah, that's true. I think partly because he was at the low-end of his vocal ability, so he was forced to find other ways to create.

 

[iota]

As unlikely as Passengers would be, I want to hear some of the bizarre early Passengers sessions that Bill Flannagan describes in his book. Could you imagine a CD full of those improvisions w/ Eno?

 

[digitize]

As unlikely as Passengers would be, I want to hear some of the bizarre early Passengers sessions that Bill Flannagan describes in his book. Could you imagine a CD full of those improvisions w/ Eno?

Larry would never let that happen.

 

[Rachel D.]

I would really like to have a super deluxe Rattle and Hum that includes the movie with lots of bonus footage, a Lovetown show, music videos, documentaries and other stuff from that era, the remastered album, and a disk of B-sides and unreleased material. I feel like I haven't really paid much attention to this particular era and would love to have a comprehensive box set. The band might not bother to do this, since R&H seems to make them cringe, but they really need to do it anyway!

Here's my 1990s prediction:

3 album box set with remastered 2 disc versions of Zooropa, Passengers, and Pop, just like the 1980s box.

That would be nice. They already kind of released Zooropa with the AB sets, but it seemed a little half-assed, like it was thrown in as an afterthought. It seems a little soon to remaster Pop right now, though; with the others, they've been waiting until the albums are at least 20 years old.

 

[theedgeu2]

I don't know if I can hold out another five years for a deluxe edition of Pop.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think we'd all be better off with a Pop re-release coming out later rather than sooner. The closer it is released in proximity to their next world tour, the more likely we'll be to actually here some Pop songs regularly in the set list.

 

[bono_man2002]

Given Bono's positive comments towards Pop and Popmart in the last year or so, I'd actually bet we'll get a remaster of Pop at some point, maybe this year. I don't think they're just going to pretend like the album never happened. In fact, I'd say there's a fair chance that we'll get a remastered Pop and as a second bonus disc, they'll rerecord some of the songs they're unhappy with. They did talk about rerecording Pop sometime around the Vertigo tour, no? Seems like the perfect excuse to do it.

Given Bono's recent comments about a new album in 2003/2007/2012 we should be getting 9 new albums this year!

 

[Nick66]

Given Bono's positive comments towards Pop and Popmart in the last year or so, I'd actually bet we'll get a remaster of Pop at some point, maybe this year. I don't think they're just going to pretend like the album never happened. In fact, I'd say there's a fair chance that we'll get a remastered Pop and as a second bonus disc, they'll rerecord some of the songs they're unhappy with. They did talk about rerecording Pop sometime around the Vertigo tour, no? Seems like the perfect excuse to do it.

Here's my 1990s prediction:

3 album box set with remastered 2 disc versions of Zooropa, Passengers, and Pop, just like the 1980s box.

These sound more like wish lists than predictions.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It will be released right before the next Christmas where there is no new album to be released.

 

[U2girl]

The album was finished. It was released. How U2 feel about it after the fact is their business. It certainly won't affect my opinion about the record (only the hive mind will). After all, according to their crazy perfectionism, no U2 album gets finished, it only gets released. I bet that, based on his comments alone, Bono would now like to change about a thousand things on No Line on the Horizon. Pop was just the most extreme example, evidenced by the deadline they forced upon themselves.

The raw feel of Pop, caused probably by its "unfinishedness", is one of my favourite things about the record.

But a big fat reissue with the B-sides, along with the Omagh tribute version of North and South of the River, would be really nice!

U2 apparently feels, and has always felt, that it isn't finished due to the early booking of the tour.
They are perfectionists, but they didn't talk about finishing any other album as much as they did for Pop.

A remaster would be the prime opportunity to re-do Pop once and for all.

 

[morgan1098]

U2 apparently feels, and has always felt, that it isn't finished due to the early booking of the tour.
They are perfectionists, but they didn't talk about finishing any other album as much as they did for Pop.

A remaster would be the prime opportunity to re-do Pop once and for all.

"Finishing" Pop would be like George Lucas "finishing" the first three Star Wars movies... it would be touted as something "better" and "more consistent with the band's vision," but the end result would likely be... LAME, LAME LAME. I think Pop should be left alone, warts and all.

 

[Nick66]

"Finishing" Pop would be like George Lucas "finishing" the first three Star Wars movies... it would be touted as something "better" and "more consistent with the band's vision," but the end result would likely be... LAME, LAME LAME. I think Pop should be left alone, warts and all.

Don't worry about it. They're not going to do anything with Pop.