I agree with the topic in that HTDAAB is one of those rare albums, like AB, that is full of good or great songs with no "fillers". AB is a better album, and so is Joshua Tree, IMO. However, HTDAAB is better than JT, IMO, due to the strength of it's "b-side" (2nd half). I would say it's comparable to AB in this respect.
With all the alternate versions floating around and everyone's varying taste in music, it's no wonder that we end up with so many threads critiquing the Bomb or the "Bomb that could have been". Most of us end up making our own tracklistings these days, which is what I did with ATYCLB and HTDAAB. With ATYCLB, I think Summer Rain should have made the album. I have Always on my personal version, but it obviously could not have made the album as it's BD part 2. With HTDAAB, however, I really think several songs that were recorded during these sessions should have been on the album, and the result would have been U2's best album, IMO. I don't agree with the 11 song limit or formula used on the last 2 albums (and others, I know). With the booklet that came as a part of the limited edition, Bono devotes a page to Mercy lyrics, and it also is discussed in the "Bono In Conversation" book. It's been called "the best b-side you'll ever hear" by Bono, it's all over the net, so I think the song is done. It might be the b-side to the next single, which will be a very important one for U2 if it's released to coincide with the 3rd leg and Christmas selling season. Smile is also a good song that will not end up on another U2 album. Fast Cars has the album title in it, and it's the most experimental U2 song I've heard in a long time. It could have been a great single, too.
Specifically, I think this Tracklisting takes HTDAAB from Great to Masterpiece:
(Side one)
Vertigo
Mercy
Miracle Drug
Sometimes
Love & Peace
All Because of You
Smile
(Side two)
City of Blinding Lights
Fast Cars
A man and a woman
Original of the Species
One Step Closer
Crumbs from your Table
Yahweh
For me personally, this tracklisting would justify what some critics have said about the Bomb...that it is the combination of all the sounds and directions that U2 have taken over the years, with the result being possibly their best collection of songs ever assembled.
For those who agree that the official version of HTDAAB does not have a weak track, I would argue that the above version doesn't either, which results in 14 good or great tunes. If Mercy and Smile were being saved for another album, then I would not be adding them to the Bomb. However, they came from these sessions...they are not out of place on what is already a diverse album that's strength is in the individual songs...not necessarily a cohesive album theme like AB or JT. The songs belong on HTDAAB because they make the album better, not because they would make it longer. I know I'm in the minority, but HTDAAB is, at times, my favorite U2 album, and if it had been released with the above tracklisting, I would rate it as U2's best work hands down.