MERGED ----> Definitive collection tracklisting predictions/discussions

[Catman]

Seriously, just because POP was a failure in U2's eyes, it does not mean that THERE WAS NOT ONE ING GOOD SONG ON THE ENTIRE ING RECORD

I'm gonna be seriously pissed if POP gets the shaft (and if a tune does make the cut, it better not be one of those crappy remixes... though I did like "Gone").

In all honesty, as a stand alone album, it is twice the record "Rattle & Hum" (which will no doubt be recognized on the "Singles" disc) is... the reason R&H was so successful is because it came right off the back of their biggest record to date. I doubt very much that if R&H was released a few years later it would have been NEARLY as successful as it was... then U2 would probably have reworked a few of those tunes for a "Best Of..." as well.


edit: My point being, if U2 continually ignore what is arguably their creative peak, then my hope for the future of the band as a creative force will diminish. It's possible to deliver both groundbreaking as well as potent music in a single, cohesive effort. It's just harder to do.

I know the group still has it in them, I'm just hoping they come through with it again someday...


edit #2: this was a pointless rant but I just like hearing the sound of my own keyboard

 

[pepokiss]

up until now, the only songs for sure are:


Windows on the sky
The saints are coming
Beautiful Day
Sometimes You can't make it...
Walk On
The Sweetest thing


and JUST BECAUSE of the contest...

 

[BigMacPhisto]

No, we've also seen a site with a partial tracklisting, so that adds another ten tracks to the mix. Throw in "Vertigo" which is obviously a must-have, and there's only one vacant slot that we haven't determined yet.

In all honesty, as a stand alone album, it is twice the record "Rattle & Hum" (which will no doubt be recognized on the "Singles" disc) is... the reason R&H was so successful is because it came right off the back of their biggest record to date. I doubt very much that if R&H was released a few years later it would have been NEARLY as successful as it was... then U2 would probably have reworked a few of those tunes for a "Best Of..." as well.

Agreed. Rattle and Hum is the worst U2 album and only earns credit because of the time it came out. Taken on its own, it's uncohesive, has only three standout tracks, and has very little of the experimentation that made U2 stand out from everyone else. Overrated TO THE EXTREME!!!

 

[U2girl]

Not including AIWIY should be against the law.

I fought the law and the law won!

 

[The Slow Loris]

In all honesty, as a stand alone album, it is twice the record "Rattle & Hum" (which will no doubt be recognized on the "Singles" disc) is... the reason R&H was so successful is because it came right off the back of their biggest record to date. I doubt very much that if R&H was released a few years later it would have been NEARLY as successful as it was... then U2 would probably have reworked a few of those tunes for a "Best Of..." as well.

Rattle and Hum would have been successful in any era. Like it or not, it contains the most classics of any U2 album, tied with The Joshua Tree with at least three of them. 'Desire', 'Angel of Harlem' and 'All I Want Is You' are all classic tracks, and all appeared on the first best of album. Secondly, the album showcases Bono at his vocal peak. On no other album can he go from a whisper to a scream to a falsetto so effortlessly as in Rattle and Hum (just listen to 'Angel of Harlem' for a showcase in vocal theatrics). Thirdly, Bono's lyrics are at the most poetic of his career thus far. 'Heartland' (a near classic track) is a poem set to music. Vivid imagery abounds throughout the entire album in fact. And Rattle and Hum will forever be the album with the line, "A harbour in the tempest," perhaps Bono's most poetic line to date. Even the pop songs on the album ('Angel of Harlem', for example) are lyrically complex and evoke a tapestry filled with life, taste, sound, and texture. You can almost smell the snow as you touch down at JFK...all the while the horns take you to the lovely smiles and joy in inner city Harlem. The music takes over this record, as if that's the only thing the band care about. The tour that followed was really all about the music, and that's it.

U2 are fans of music on this record, and it's infectious. With nine superb studio tracks, how could it not be one of their best albums?

* Van Dieman's Land -- beautiful arpeggios, emotive, taking you into the hearts of the common workers.

* Desire -- great lyrics, rich vocals, timeless hook and melody. The perfect old school rock song.

* Hawkmoon 269 -- if it had been released today, fans would be drooling over it like it was the 2nd coming of The Joshua Tree. Lyrically stunning, as usual.

* God Part II -- one of the best all out rock songs of U2's career. A nice pre-curser to Achtung Baby, forshadowing U2's future dabblings in guitar and dance sounds. Again, a near classic song with incredible singing and superb lyrics (surprise, surprise).

* Angel of Harlem -- U2's finest soul song ever. Singing that takes you to the deepest cavets of the heart, and implores you to open the curtains on the dreariest of days. Nothing gets much better than this classic.

* All I Want Is You -- The greatest closer of any in U2's entire catalogue, and arguably their greatest love song. Enough said.

* Love Rescue Me -- For Bob Dylan to want to sing on it, I would suspect it's deserving of a little respect. A beautiful melody, with Bono at his most honest and fortelling. Last stanza is brilliant.

*When Love Comes to Town --

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Enough said.

* Silver and Gold -- even the studio version is one of U2's most intense political songs. Again, lyrically spot on:

Broken back to the ceiling
Broken nose to the floor
I scream at the silence, it's crawling
It crawls under the door
There's a rope around my neck
And there's a trigger in your gun
Jesus say something
I am someone, I am someone
I am someone

and...

Chains no longer bind me
Not the shackles at my feet
Outside are the prisoners
Inside the free
Set them free
Set them free

And this is just the usual fair on Rattle and Hum. That's what's so unreal about that album. Lyrically, so consistently amazing. I would say it's U2's finest album, lyrically speaking. And musically, what more can I say? Even the b-sides are ridiculously good! 'A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel', as well as 'Hallelujah Here She Comes' are both gorgeous. Add those two songs to only the studio Rattle and Hum tracks, and even without all the amazing live cuts, you have 11 brilliant tracks for a brilliant album. Don't even get me started on the live tracks ('I Still Haven't Found' with a Harlem choir?!?!)....I could be here all night.

In short, no, Rattle and Hum was not successful just because it came after The Joshua Tree. And, no, Pop is not twice the album Rattle and Hum is.

 

[djerdap]

And, no, Pop is not twice the album Rattle and Hum is.

Yes, it is.

 

[BANZAI]

In short, no, Rattle and Hum was not successful just because it came after The Joshua Tree. And, no, Pop is not twice the album Rattle and Hum is.

 

[Sken]

Rattle and Hum is severely underated around these parts.

 

[roy]

Rattle and Hum is severely underated around these parts.

Heartland
All I Want Is You
Angel of Harlem
God Part II
Hawkmoon 269
Desire

 

[ponkine]

Seriously, Sweetest Thing and Walk On have nothing to do in "The best known singles".

It's true the competition features the lyrics of both songs, but I believe that doesn't mean they're going to appear in U2 18.

I can name a dozen better known singles than these ones:

Discotheque
Stay
Even Better Than The Real Thing
The Fly
All I Want Is You
Staring At The Sun
Numb
Lemon
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Miss Sarajevo
Elevation
Angel Of Harlem

etc, etc

 

[phanan]

It depends on the country. In the U.S., Sweetest Thing and Walk On are more well known than several of the songs you list.

 

[Dorian Gray]

It depends on the country. In the U.S., Sweetest Thing and Walk On are more well known than several of the songs you list.

yeah they were huge in Canada too. my money's on their inclusion.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Don't forget the Grammy push for "Walk On".........it did win Record Of The Year, afterall.

 

[Catman]

In regards to Slow Loris' response, I by no means think poorly of Rattle & Hum, but I do think it coming off The Joshua Tree helped it to become A LOT more successful than it would have had it been released during the time of POP. Also, I do agree that Bono's lyrics (truth be told, the stanza you quoted from "When Loves to Town" is second only to the "Every artist..." line from "The Fly," IMO) and vocals (the ending to "All Along the Watchtower" always gets me) were at their finest on this album, but I don't think a lot of the songs quite reached the level of U2 standard.

Sure, "Desire," "Hawkmoon 269," "Angel of Harlem," "Heartland," "God Part II," and "All I Want is You" are great songs, but there's quite a bit of filler on the record, too. Personally, I think POP can match those tunes just as well, with "Discotheque," "Do You Feel Loved," "Mofo," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Staring at the Sun," "Last Night on Earth," "Gone," "Please," and "Wake Up Dead Man." Add the fact that U2 took a bit of a creative turning point (quite a bit moreso than on R&H), and it's really quite impressive.

All I'm saying is that there is no reason POP should be ignored, and that U2 should honor some of their more adventurous affairs. Didn't mean to hijack this thread, so how about we stay on track... I'm sure there will be PLENTY more threads in the future for the discussion of whether or not POP is underappreciated

 

[ponkine]

there is no reason POP should be ignored, and that U2 should honor some of their more adventurous affairs. Didn't mean to hijack this thread, so how about we stay on track... I'm sure there will be PLENTY more threads in the future for the discussion of whether or not POP is underappreciated

 

[ponkine]

It depends on the country. In the U.S., Sweetest Thing and Walk On are more well known than several of the songs you list.

In that case U2 should release at least 2 versions of U2 18.
UK and US versions

Why fans from the rest of the world must swallow a trackisting intented only for US and Canada fans?

The UK version must contain smash hits there like The Fly, Discotheque, etc

PS: and don't forget Discotheque was number 1 even in Canada

 

[roy]

In that case U2 should release at least 2 versions of U2 18.
UK and US versions

Why fans from the rest of the world must swallow a trackisting intented only for US and Canada fans?

The UK version must contain smash hits there like The Fly, Discotheque, etc

PS: and don't forget Discotheque was number 1 even in Canada

LOL.

 

[mikal]

how about a version for Africa!!!!!!11

 

[Blue Room]

Why fans from the rest of the world must swallow a trackisting intented only for US and Canada fans?

Because U2 just doesnt like you. What other conclusion can you draw with such thorough logic as this?

 

[Zoots]

I find it hilarious that...

a. There are a billion threads on this one compilation CD

b. Die-hards posting on a U2 forum are even discussing a 'Best Of' compilation.

I'll bet most of us have all these songs already. They're not even album tracks, they're singles for God's sake! I would have expected such a release to quietly slip under the radar and attract attention only from people who have no clue as to who U2 is, or are curious about the band.

Sure, there's a couple of new tracks on there but surely us die-hards can download the songs from itunes or something.

 

[U2Man]

I find it hilarious that...

a. There are a billion threads on this one compilation CD

b. Die-hards posting on a U2 forum are even discussing a 'Best Of' compilation.

I'll bet most of us have all these songs already. They're not even album tracks, they're singles for God's sake! I would have expected such a release to quietly slip under the radar and attract attention only from people who have no clue as to who U2 is, or are curious about the band.

Sure, there's a couple of new tracks on there but surely us die-hards can download the songs from itunes or something.

 

[Yahweh]

Ponkine sorry to disappoint you but Canada has probably the highest per capita fanbase of U2 outside of Ireland, the sales statistics prove that. I have come to the conclusion though that you wont ever be happy with anything that U2 do in this decade so go back and groove to the Popmart all you want there isnt anything wrong with that but please, please leave your garbage arguements at the dump where they belong.

 

[The Slow Loris]

but I don't think a lot of the songs quite reached the level of U2 standard.

Sure, "Desire," "Hawkmoon 269," "Angel of Harlem," "Heartland," "God Part II," and "All I Want is You" are great songs, but there's quite a bit of filler on the record, too. Personally, I think POP can match those tunes just as well, with "Discotheque," "Do You Feel Loved," "Mofo," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Staring at the Sun," "Last Night on Earth," "Gone," "Please," and "Wake Up Dead Man." Add the fact that U2 took a bit of a creative turning point (quite a bit moreso than on R&H), and it's really quite impressive.

Out of the 9 new songs (at the time) on Rattle and Hum, which ones are filler and don't reach the level of U2 standard?

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Silver and Gold (studio version)
9. All I Want Is You

And if you include the two b-sides...(which could have been a-sides, lets face it)...

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes
9. Silver and Gold (studio version)
10. A Room a the Heartbreak Hotel
11. All I Want Is You

...you are left with one amazing studio album.

 

[LMP]

I find it hilarious that...

a. There are a billion threads on this one compilation CD

b. Die-hards posting on a U2 forum are even discussing a 'Best Of' compilation.

I'll bet most of us have all these songs already. They're not even album tracks, they're singles for God's sake! I would have expected such a release to quietly slip under the radar and attract attention only from people who have no clue as to who U2 is, or are curious about the band.

Sure, there's a couple of new tracks on there but surely us die-hards can download the songs from itunes or something.

It's because there's nothing else to bitch about

 

[intedomine]

Out of the 9 new songs (at the time) on Rattle and Hum, which ones are filler and don't reach the level of U2 standard?

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Silver and Gold (studio version)
9. All I Want Is You

And if you include the two b-sides...(which could have been a-sides, lets face it)...

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes
9. Silver and Gold (studio version)
10. A Room a the Heartbreak Hotel
11. All I Want Is You

...you are left with one amazing studio album.

It would still be my least favourite U2 album ouright....

Love Rescue Me, God Part 2, Hallelujah, Heartbreak Hotel are four of the songs i appreciate least in the U2 canon in my opinion, and Hawkmoon, Silver and Gold, When Love Comes to Town are mediocre at best....

Heartland and Angle of Harlem are the only timeless songs on there.

All a matter of personal opinion though...

 

[intedomine]

In regards to Slow Loris' response, I by no means think poorly of Rattle & Hum, but I do think it coming off The Joshua Tree helped it to become A LOT more successful than it would have had it been released during the time of POP. Also, I do agree that Bono's lyrics (truth be told, the stanza you quoted from "When Loves to Town" is second only to the "Every artist..." line from "The Fly," IMO) and vocals (the ending to "All Along the Watchtower" always gets me) were at their finest on this album, but I don't think a lot of the songs quite reached the level of U2 standard.

Sure, "Desire," "Hawkmoon 269," "Angel of Harlem," "Heartland," "God Part II," and "All I Want is You" are great songs, but there's quite a bit of filler on the record, too. Personally, I think POP can match those tunes just as well, with "Discotheque," "Do You Feel Loved," "Mofo," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Staring at the Sun," "Last Night on Earth," "Gone," "Please," and "Wake Up Dead Man." Add the fact that U2 took a bit of a creative turning point (quite a bit moreso than on R&H), and it's really quite impressive.

All I'm saying is that there is no reason POP should be ignored, and that U2 should honor some of their more adventurous affairs. Didn't mean to hijack this thread, so how about we stay on track... I'm sure there will be PLENTY more threads in the future for the discussion of whether or not POP is underappreciated

I concur with you...

But if we are dealing with selecting U2's "greatest" (an as yet ill-defined term) singles, I can only see Discotheque qualifying as a tokenistic inclusion on the compilation.

Please, Staring At The Sun et al. don't have the same reputation or popular recognition as songs from the JT/R&H era...which is unfortunate but an indeniable truth....

PoP is indeed a fine album though, and I do hope that it is not re-recorded and re-released as it has been rumoured in these parts

 

[The Slow Loris]

Out of the 9 new songs (at the time) on Rattle and Hum, which ones are filler and don't reach the level of U2 standard?

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Silver and Gold (studio version)
9. All I Want Is You

And if you include the two b-sides...(which could have been a-sides, lets face it)...

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Love Rescue Me
5. God Part II
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. When Love Comes to Town
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes
9. Silver and Gold (studio version)
10. A Room a the Heartbreak Hotel
11. All I Want Is You

...you are left with one amazing studio album.

My bad! I cannot BELIEVE I left off my favourite Rattle & Hum song, 'Heartland'. Here is the revised full studio version of Rattle & Hum:

1. Angel of Harlem
2. Desire
3. Love Rescue Me
4. God Part II
5. Van Dieman's Land
6. When Love Comes to Town
7. Heartland
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes
9. Silver and Gold (studio version)
10. A Room a the Heartbreak Hotel
11. Hawkmoon 269
12. All I Want Is You

 

[The Slow Loris]

It would still be my least favourite U2 album ouright....

Love Rescue Me, God Part 2, Hallelujah, Heartbreak Hotel are four of the songs i appreciate least in the U2 canon in my opinion, and Hawkmoon, Silver and Gold, When Love Comes to Town are mediocre at best....

Heartland and Angle of Harlem are the only timeless songs on there.

All a matter of personal opinion though...

Wow, you don't think 'All I Want Is You' is a timeless classic?! I think you may be the first person in the history of the land of U2 who doesn't think so!

Sacrelage.

 

[bathiu]

Rattle and Hum would have been successful in any era. Like it or not, it contains the most classics of any U2 album, tied with The Joshua Tree with at least three of them. 'Desire', 'Angel of Harlem' and 'All I Want Is You' are all classic tracks, and all appeared on the first best of album. Secondly, the album showcases Bono at his vocal peak. On no other album can he go from a whisper to a scream to a falsetto so effortlessly as in Rattle and Hum (just listen to 'Angel of Harlem' for a showcase in vocal theatrics). Thirdly, Bono's lyrics are at the most poetic of his career thus far. 'Heartland' (a near classic track) is a poem set to music. Vivid imagery abounds throughout the entire album in fact. And Rattle and Hum will forever be the album with the line, "A harbour in the tempest," perhaps Bono's most poetic line to date. Even the pop songs on the album ('Angel of Harlem', for example) are lyrically complex and evoke a tapestry filled with life, taste, sound, and texture. You can almost smell the snow as you touch down at JFK...all the while the horns take you to the lovely smiles and joy in inner city Harlem. The music takes over this record, as if that's the only thing the band care about. The tour that followed was really all about the music, and that's it.

U2 are fans of music on this record, and it's infectious. With nine superb studio tracks, how could it not be one of their best albums?

* Van Dieman's Land -- beautiful arpeggios, emotive, taking you into the hearts of the common workers.

* Desire -- great lyrics, rich vocals, timeless hook and melody. The perfect old school rock song.

* Hawkmoon 269 -- if it had been released today, fans would be drooling over it like it was the 2nd coming of The Joshua Tree. Lyrically stunning, as usual.

* God Part II -- one of the best all out rock songs of U2's career. A nice pre-curser to Achtung Baby, forshadowing U2's future dabblings in guitar and dance sounds. Again, a near classic song with incredible singing and superb lyrics (surprise, surprise).

* Angel of Harlem -- U2's finest soul song ever. Singing that takes you to the deepest cavets of the heart, and implores you to open the curtains on the dreariest of days. Nothing gets much better than this classic.

* All I Want Is You -- The greatest closer of any in U2's entire catalogue, and arguably their greatest love song. Enough said.

* Love Rescue Me -- For Bob Dylan to want to sing on it, I would suspect it's deserving of a little respect. A beautiful melody, with Bono at his most honest and fortelling. Last stanza is brilliant.

*When Love Comes to Town --

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Enough said.

* Silver and Gold -- even the studio version is one of U2's most intense political songs. Again, lyrically spot on:

Broken back to the ceiling
Broken nose to the floor
I scream at the silence, it's crawling
It crawls under the door
There's a rope around my neck
And there's a trigger in your gun
Jesus say something
I am someone, I am someone
I am someone

and...

Chains no longer bind me
Not the shackles at my feet
Outside are the prisoners
Inside the free
Set them free
Set them free

And this is just the usual fair on Rattle and Hum. That's what's so unreal about that album. Lyrically, so consistently amazing. I would say it's U2's finest album, lyrically speaking. And musically, what more can I say? Even the b-sides are ridiculously good! 'A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel', as well as 'Hallelujah Here She Comes' are both gorgeous. Add those two songs to only the studio Rattle and Hum tracks, and even without all the amazing live cuts, you have 11 brilliant tracks for a brilliant album. Don't even get me started on the live tracks ('I Still Haven't Found' with a Harlem choir?!?!)....I could be here all night.

In short, no, Rattle and Hum was not successful just because it came after The Joshua Tree. And, no, Pop is not twice the album Rattle and Hum is.

I really respect your opinion about R&H, but in my opinion your opinion about this album is wrong.
I don't need such a long post to express my opinion, I'll just say that in my opinion R&H was successful because it came after JT, there's a reason the band had to 'dream it all up again'.
As for POP, maybe not twice the album R&H is, but in my opinion a much better album.

 

[The Slow Loris]

Since this thread has pretty much run its course, I don't think it's too bad a thing to continue on this tangent....so just for fun, here's my ratings of Pop vs. R & H (studio tracks, including original b-sides):

Pop:

1. Discotheque: 7 (try humming this song...it's almost impossible)
2. Do You Feel Loved: 8
3. Mofo: 8
4. If God Will Send His Angels: 7
5. Staring at the Sun: 7.5
6. Last Night on Earth: 7.5
7. Gone: 9.5
8. Miami: 6
9. The Playboy Mansion: 7
10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress: 9.5
11. Please: 9
12: Wake Up Dead Man: 8.5

Pop average score: 7.88

Rattle & Hum (studio):

1. Angel of Harlem: 10
2. Desire: 9
3. Love Rescue Me: 8
4. God Part II: 8
5. Van Dieman's Land: 8.5
6. When Love Comes to Town: 7.5
7. Heartland: 9.5
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes: 8
9. Silver and Gold (studio version): 8
10. A Room a the Heartbreak Hotel: 7.5
11. Hawkmoon 269: 8
12. All I Want Is You: 10

R&H average score: 8.5 (take away the b-sides, and the average score is even higher)

Pop is an ambitious record with some good unfinished ideas....but in the end, it lacks strong tunes. It just needed some songs and it could have been brilliant. Whatever R&H lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for in tunefulness. With three undesputed classic tracks, and a smattering of some beautiful soul songs, it's easily U2's most underrated album by the diehard fans.