shuttlecock XXIV: it's the little swings

[the tourist]

Heard Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" on an episode of David Fincher's MINDHUNTER and it reminded me that the U2 cover is pretty damn solid. Just listened to it for the first time in probably a decade.

I just watched that episode tonight.

 

[david]

I always thought their cover of Paint it Black wasn’t bad.

 

[lazarus]

Ehh, Paint it Black and Fortunate Son are their two most uninspired, unnecessary covers.

Especially considering how much the band was experimenting with their own material at the time.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Can't Help Falling in Love

 

[cobl04]

They've never been good at covers. None stand out to me.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Night and Day is easily the best one for me.

I agree with this.

 

[lazarus]

They've never been good at covers. None stand out to me.

 

[the tourist]

Dancing Barefoot and Everlasting Love for me.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I don't know if it ever found its way into a studio recording (or care, really) but I have to admit that Can't Help Falling In Love as it appeared on some of the later Zootv shows (Sydney maybe?) is something special.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't know if it ever found its way into a studio recording (or care, really) but I have to admit that Can't Help Falling In Love as it appeared on some of the later Zootv shows (Sydney maybe?) is something special.

https://youtu.be/ekjswADFNgo

 

[Hewson]

Heard Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" on an episode of David Fincher's MINDHUNTER and it reminded me that the U2 cover is pretty damn solid. Just listened to it for the first time in probably a decade.

fuck yeah. that's one of the best covers they ever made.

Yes, one of, if not the best covers they've done.

 

[corianderstem]

I haven’t visited in like 800 years. How is everyone? Have I missed any big drama? I saw some pics of Bono wearing new glasses and I approve of them.

I need to listen to SOE. It’s been way too long. Excited for the new Elbow album.

 

[Hewson]

Howdy stranger.

 

[Jerry Dunk]

I have returned under a new name, I nearly died in the fall in a very Bono-esque manner, and my football team won the Super Bowl in February 2018.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Not enough Cori responses. Come back we need you. Everything is not ok otherwise.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I like cheese

 

[DaveC]

my favourite part of the JT30 tour was when everyone realized after 3 decades that bono never had any problem singing red hill mining town, and that the real reason they never played it live before was that in a live setting it sucks.

 

[Hewson]

my favourite part of the JT30 tour was when everyone realized after 3 decades that bono never had any problem singing red hill mining town, and that the real reason they never played it live before was that in a live setting it sucks.

Well when you use piped in horns and no guitar, yeah it sucks.
Maybe if they played it in its intended arrangement, with Edge playing his normal instrument, it wouldn't have sucked so much.

 

[jay canseco]

Is The Edge OK?

 

[Jerry Dunk]

Well when you use piped in horns and no guitar, yeah it sucks.
Maybe if they played it in its intended arrangement, with Edge playing his normal instrument, it wouldn't have sucked so much.

The much bigger issue is that the original arrangement requires two guitars, and not one guitar and one guy alternating between not playing and occasionally strumming practically inaudible barre E chords. Simply put, they couldn't play Red Hill Mining Town because Bono can't play guitar.

 

[Hewson]

The much bigger issue is that the original arrangement requires two guitars, and not one guitar and one guy alternating between not playing and occasionally strumming practically inaudible barre E chords. Simply put, they couldn't play Red Hill Mining Town because Bono can't play guitar.

But they certainly could have come up with a better arrangement where Edge did play guitar, or just piped in the 2nd guitar (certainly not unprecedented) rather than those horns.

 

[Jerry Dunk]

From the quotes we have gotten about the Joshua Tree Tour in the years after, it seems very clear they were not prepared for that tour. The amount of press they had to do, and the size the tour became because of the success of the album, they simply were overwhelmed and not where they needed to be. They got much better at piping in other guitar parts on ZooTV (i.e. Ultraviolet).

 

[Hewson]

That's my point, in 2017 they should have piped in the 2nd guitar and had Edge play his lead, not had him on piano and piped in horns. They've been piping in a 2nd guitar (whether under the stage live or prerecorded) for decades. Why they went with the new horn arrangement for Red Hill Mining Town instead of closer to the album version is another in a long line of baffling U2 decisions. Didn't ruin the show by any means but, for me at least, turned what was one of the more anticipated moments (I saw Exit in 1987 so the anticipation was higher for the song I'd never seen before) into frankly a low point of the show.

 

[Jerry Dunk]

It's 100 percent them just being on a roll of looking for opportunities to throw strings and horns on shit after doing it to Every Breaking Wave. There's a throughline that continues on to Lights of Home.

 

[lazarus]

The only time Edge should be playing piano is NYD, or I guess Running to Stand Still. Any other time they need it just have Bono instead, he’s more than capable even with his debilitated hand. And that frees up Edge to do whatever else.

 

[DaveC]

Why they went with the new horn arrangement for Red Hill Mining Town instead of closer to the album version is another in a long line of baffling U2 decisions. Didn't ruin the show by any means but, for me at least, turned what was one of the more anticipated moments (I saw Exit in 1987 so the anticipation was higher for the song I'd never seen before) into frankly a low point of the show.

exactly this. i had heard the new mix prior to the show so i knew it wasn't the original album version being played, but i still felt that it probably came off better live and was looking forward to hearing it. it came off worse in fact, and paired with that awfully boring video of the salvation army band playing the horns, it was easily the worst part of the show for me. halfway through, i couldn't wait for the song to end so that i could hear in god's country (which kicked ass).

in hindsight i should have used that as my bathroom break instead of missing most of miss sarajevo.

 

[Hewson]

Yeah the video was a really poor choice as well

 

[DaveC]

if this wasn't a band already known for making bafflingly dumb decisions exactly like this, i'd suspect it was all a deliberate troll job to the fans who assumed for decades that they weren't capable of playing it live.

 

[Hewson]

https://www.irishpost.com/news/u2-song-named-among-top-10-tracks-likely-send-kids-off-sleep-171249

Not so sure you want to be known for that

 

[david]

Sleep like a baby tonight..