Paw Paw, West Virginia Superthread

[Screwtape2]

Two never before heard songs? By my count, three. Two unheard tracks on Boy and one on War. I didn't expect anything from October, since it's no secret they didn't actually have the chance to record more, and I'm actually surprised there's an unreleased track from War. But what they have chosen for the bonus tracks just ... leaves me empty. It's so insubstantial. How many mixes of New Year's Day do we need? At least use some demos, early versions, and stuff like that so we can see how the songs developed.

And October's just seems like a mishmash, like nobody even put any thought into how the songs should go together. It's just like U2:18 - it appears they gave a list of songs to a babboon and let it throw them into whatever order it felt like.

I still only count two: Saturday Night and Angels Tied To The Ground.

 

[phanan]

Oooh, awesome. I'll have to look for it online. Any particularly notable improvements?

Sonically, it's an improvement over past releases. But the biggest revelation by far is The Rest Will Flow. Apparently, and I never knew this, on the original release the song was "sped up" to make it more radio friendly. It has been restored to the way it was originally intended and is absolutely gorgeous. They even made a point of putting this information in the liner notes.

 

[Axver]

I still only count two: Saturday Night and Angels Tied To The Ground.

Speed Of Life. Turns out a studio version of it exists after all.

 

[Axver]

Sonically, it's an improvement over past releases. But the biggest revelation by far is The Rest Will Flow. Apparently, and I never knew this, on the original release the song was "sped up" to make it more radio friendly. It has been restored to the way it was originally intended and is absolutely gorgeous. They even made a point of putting this information in the liner notes.

Woah, really? Wow, I've got to hear this. Demonoid, isohunt, Sordo - don't fail me now!

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Achtung Baby is where I lose interest!

Zooropa should be interesting, though. I'd love to see In Cold Blood finally get released. But then I thought The Dream Is Over would be a certainty for Boy and it's not there, so ...

It's all about Achtung Baby for me... Though, I wonder how good that one will be, seeing that just about all of us have the Salome Sessions which, frankly, aren't that awesome.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

PS - It's really flipping hard to write a heart to heart email when you're at work. Just sayin'. Ugh.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Ax has probably said this thirty trillion times but if we can get Wild Irish Rose on RaH or Achtung, that'd be insane.

 

[Axver]

It's all about Achtung Baby for me... Though, I wonder how good that one will be, seeing that just about all of us have the Salome Sessions which, frankly, aren't that awesome.

The only albums I like less than Achtung are ATYCLB and HTDAAB. That said, with my own alternate tracklisting, Achtung is top four or five material.

I hope that either RAH or Achtung at least gets Wild Irish Rose. That would be an improvement on the Axtung Beibi material. Though if they do use that stuff, it would at least be nice to officially have I Feel Free and Take You Down.

 

[Axver]

Ax has probably said this thirty trillion times but if we can get Wild Irish Rose on RaH or Achtung, that'd be insane.

I hope that either RAH or Achtung at least gets Wild Irish Rose.

 

[The Sad Punk]

See what I mean?!

 

[phanan]

It's all about Achtung Baby for me... Though, I wonder how good that one will be, seeing that just about all of us have the Salome Sessions which, frankly, aren't that awesome.

Yeah, Axver is quite anti-Achtung Baby. A shame.

I'm looking forward to that one as well.

 

[Screwtape2]

Speed Of Life. Turns out a studio version of it exists after all.

Oops. You're right.

 

[Axver]

I'm just astonished at some of the omissions on the Boy disc. Sure, we're getting Speed Of Life and Saturday Night, and I never expected them to use junk like Tonight or Inside Out, but the lack of The Dream Is Over, Lost On A Silent Planet, False Prophet, and Pete The Chop (and, if a studio version exists, Cartoon World) is incomprehensible. The only explanation I have is that they don't want to blow everything straight away and are holding onto some material for "OMG 40TH ANNIVERSARY!" and stuff like that.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Pete the Chop is on the War disc, isn't it?

 

[Axver]

Yeah, Axver is quite anti-Achtung Baby. A shame.

I'm looking forward to that one as well.

For the record, my alternate Achtung that I mentioned before:

1. Zoo Station
2. Until The End Of The World
3. The Fly
4. Even Better Than The Real Thing
5. Mysterious Ways
6. Lady With The Spinning Head
7. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
8. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
9. Slow Dancing
10. Wild Irish Rose
11. Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1
12. Acrobat
13. Love Is Blindness

I would only rate UF, JT, Boy, Passengers if it counts, and maybe October ahead of that. It would definitely be ahead of October if the mixing on songs like UTEOTW and Zoo Station weren't such a mess.

 

[Varitek]

lovely news about the remasters

 

[Axver]

Pete the Chop is on the War disc, isn't it?

No, Treasure is. Pete The Chop is quite different. I'm surprised it doesn't appear on either Boy or War. We only know Pete The Chop from live bootlegs, but a studio version does exist in the vaults, as the band held it in reserve in case their career nosedived and they needed an emergency single. By War, they were confident enough that they didn't need it, so they reinvented it as Treasure.

 

[The Sad Punk]

No, Treasure is. Pete The Chop is quite different. I'm surprised it doesn't appear on either Boy or War. We only know Pete The Chop from live bootlegs, but a studio version does exist in the vaults, as the band held it in reserve in case their career nosedived and they needed an emergency single. By War, they were confident enough that they didn't need it, so they reinvented it as Treasure.

Oh blah, after I posted it I thought you would have meant that but couldn't be arsed editing.

I suppose we'll hold out for some U2 Vaults release or some rubbish like that.

 

[Varitek]

Maybe the "extended vocal mix" of NYD will actually be worth it?

 

[phanan]

No, Treasure is. Pete The Chop is quite different. I'm surprised it doesn't appear on either Boy or War. We only know Pete The Chop from live bootlegs, but a studio version does exist in the vaults, as the band held it in reserve in case their career nosedived and they needed an emergency single. By War, they were confident enough that they didn't need it, so they reinvented it as Treasure.

I totally forgot about that.

 

[Screwtape2]

lovely news about the remasters

I love that smiley for its unintentional sarcasm.

I have to say your avatar has grown on me. I think you should keep it.

 

[Varitek]

I was planning on keeping it at least for the summer, you didn't really have a choice in the matter.

 

[The Sad Punk]

What exactly is that critter anyway, Vaz?

 

[Axver]

Maybe the "extended vocal mix" of NYD will actually be worth it?

And I ride a kangaroo to uni.

Though I've got to admit, I feel really bad shitting on the remasters. I don't want a reputation of disliking everything U2 does or being negative just for the sake of being negative. That's not the case at all, and I was very excited when news of the remasters first broke - indeed, I'm still very keen to hear them. I guess it's just that the remasters could potentially have been much, much better, and knowing that makes the actual reality a bit disappointing.

 

[Varitek]

An Alpaca. It's kinda funny, the first time I came on here after it'd been changed, I say hi and earlier on the page MIa is talking about alpacas!

 

[Varitek]

And I ride a kangaroo to uni.

Though I've got to admit, I feel really bad shitting on the remasters. I don't want a reputation of disliking everything U2 does or being negative just for the sake of being negative. That's not the case at all, and I was very excited when news of the remasters first broke - indeed, I'm still very keen to hear them. I guess it's just that the remasters could potentially have been much, much better, and knowing that makes the actual reality a bit disappointing.

I hear you.

And even though it's one of countless other remixes which sucks, "extended vocals" sounds like something maybe we haven't heard?

 

[Screwtape2]

Varitek, I don't know if the CD exchange is going to happen because the interest has disappeared but for a few people so can I send you a playlist of The Dresden Dolls? You seemed interested in them when I mentioned them.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Oh, it is an alpaca? The face seems so, but the hair made it look more like some strangely realistic football mascot.

There are quite a few alpaca farmers back where I'm from.

 

[Varitek]

Varitek, I don't know if the CD exchange is going to happen because the interest has disappeared but for a few people so can I send you a playlist of The Dresden Dolls? You seemed interested in them when I mentioned them.

sounds good

Yeah that kind of thing, if you don't do it right away, interest dies I guess.

 

[Axver]

I hear you.

And even though it's one of countless other remixes which sucks, "extended vocals" sounds like something maybe we haven't heard?

Yeah, I'm wondering if by "extended vocals" it means new lyrics, Bono singing lines we already know a few more times, or some guy just looping what we already know over and over again. My bet's on the second option. "Iiiiiii will beee with yooouuuu aaagaaaaaiiiin" x20 this time around!