B-Side Appreciation Thread!

[Utoo]

As I've started to collect U2's more random songs and B-sides, I've found that so many of them could actually fare pretty well as singles themselves. Here are a few of my faves:

1). Summer Rain -- Kick-ass song that Edge feels bad about giving away as a B-side.
2). The Three Sunrises
3). Electrical Storm
4). Spanish Eyes

There are a whole bunch more, but I think these four really could have done well on an album.

 

[Miricale_Drug]

1 and 2 are superb. Have you got 'are you gonna wait forever?' and 'Big Girls are best' - i think if you like those songs you'll enjoy these too. If u want to trade them for something email me, davidballard@hotmail.co.uk

 

[Axver]

Spanish Eyes, Luminous Times, Treasure, and Bass Trap are four of my very favourite U2 songs. I rank them - especially Spanish Eyes - above much of U2's album material. Spanish Eyes is probably one of my fifteen favourite U2 songs. Same probably goes for Treasure.

 

[Slipstream]

Lady With The Spinning Head!

 

[Axver]

Lady With The Spinning Head!

Extended Dance Remix!

(One of the few worthwhile remixes in history.)

 

[Utoo]

Spanish Eyes, Luminous Times, Treasure, and Bass Trap are four of my very favourite U2 songs. I rank them - especially Spanish Eyes - above much of U2's album material. Spanish Eyes is probably one of my fifteen favourite U2 songs. Same probably goes for Treasure.

Luminous Times & Bass Trap! Great songs---can't believe I forgot them! The spontaneous "Whoa!" in the middle of LT is the best.

Haven't heard Treasure, though. I'll have to try and download it somewhere.

 

[Axver]

You need Treasure. I blame liamcool for getting me hooked on that. It's such an awesome song.

The eighties had such incredible b-sides, including some songs that really should've been on albums!

 

[Utoo]

I've only heard the extended dance mix of Lady With The Spinning Head...never the original. Listening to the remix, it sounds like the original is very similar to a lot of the Salome tracks. When was it recorded?

I've been looking for Treasure on Ares (the fileshare I use), but no one's got it posted. Same went for Bass Trap, though I finally got it after a relentless search!

 

[Axver]

Hey, Utoo, shoot me an e-mail at amakaxver[at]gmail.com.

 

[NumbMacphisto]

My favorite b-side is definitely Love Comes Tumbling. Why this song was never on an album is beyond me...

 

[tiny dancer]

DANCING BAREFOOT!!

 

[Irishteen]

Are you gonna wait forever, what a great song

 

[Jack In The Box]

Endless Deep, Love Comes Tumbling, Always, Treasure... U2 is a great b-sides band

 

[Aygo]

Shake shake shake it SALOME!!
Definitely, one of U2's best b-sides... I cannot explain why, but this songs IMO one of them best tunes.

 

[Joshua87]

I second Lady with the Spinning Head, it kicks ass!!

 

[miss becky]

Spanish Eyes
Deep in the Heart
Sweetest Thing
Love Comes Tumbling
Summer Rain
Lady With the Spinning Head (extended remix)
Endless Deep
Alex Descends Into Hell yada yada yada

All wonderful B-sides, especially the first two. The single release of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is pure gold.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

North and South of the river!

Beautiful song, and it sounds so completely different to any other U2 song. How it didn't make an album I have absolutely no idea

 

[cleazer]

Luminous Times, Lady With The Spinning Head, Spanish Eyes, Salome, and Walk To The Water.

And out of those 5, the first two are exceptional.

 

[gareth brown]

I don't think there's one U2 B-side I don't like, oddly enough...
excluding remixes. Most of them are crap and really let the 90's B-sides down when it came to compiling them for the second best of...! The only good U2 remix I've ever heard is the Extended Dance Mix of Lady with the Spinning Head! Amazing stuff.

 

[liamcool]

You need Treasure. I blame liamcool for getting me hooked on that. It's such an awesome song.

The eighties had such incredible b-sides, including some songs that really should've been on albums!

Yeah, TREASURE!

 

[gareth brown]

Aah, I remember the first time I heard that song. I got the New Year's Day 12" maxi and went straight to that since I'd heard the title track far too much and was blown away. Words cannot express my love for the music on that thing...especially the outro!

 

[Axver]

I don't think there's one U2 B-side I don't like, oddly enough...
excluding remixes. Most of them are crap and really let the 90's B-sides down when it came to compiling them for the second best of...! The only good U2 remix I've ever heard is the Extended Dance Mix of Lady with the Spinning Head! Amazing stuff.

There are five remixes I like (in italics are the ones that I consider better than the original):

- Wire (Dub Mix)
- Lady With The Spinning Head (Extended Dance Remix)
- Dirty Day (Bitter Kiss)
- Dirty Day (Junk Day Mix)
- I'm Not Your Baby (Skysplitter Dub)

I too struggle to think of a b-side I don't like. A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel doesn't do a whole lot for me, but it's definitely not bad. Yeah, I think I like them all.

Much love for the UF era instrumentals from me.

 

[reptile]

Trash, Trampoline and The Party Girl, B-side of A Celebration and far superior to the live version.
Have to agree with Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete The Chop)
Also Luminous Times ( Hold on to Love )
Walk To the Water

 

[blueeyedgirl]

^ I agree

 

[gareth brown]

- Wire (Dub Mix)

YES. That one kicks too much ass for it's own good...for some reason I've just never been able to see it as a remix...it is obviously, but I always forget. It's definitely one for the instrumentalists among us who enjoy the guitars, etc. Excellent stuff.

Plus, Unforgettable Fire era instrumentals cannot be beat. Boomerang I and Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come are both amazing but I don't think U2 have ever written ANYTHING like Bass Trap before or after that point in their career, which is shame. It's so unlike anything they've done and I just love the relaxed feel to it. One of my top 15-20 possibly.

 

[reptile]

There is a Wire Dub mix?

 

[gareth brown]

yeah, I'll send it to you.

GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS NOW.

 

[Cassis]

i like b-side, it has acatchy tune, and nice vocals
the lyrics arent exactly god, but hey, can't have everything

 

[reptile]

yeah, I'll send it to you.

GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS NOW.

Dont like to give it out, sorry
But thanks for the offer!
Where does the Wire mix appear? I have never heard of it.

 

[gareth brown]

a disc NME gave out once.