Mercy videos

[dr. zooeuss]

unofficial videos for an 'unofficial' release.

seems appropriate to me..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FcHGJHA23Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZSchL39m3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZmEfejmKw

 

[gman]

Would I be right in saying am one of the VERY few that rate this among U2's weakest ever songs? Its the musical equivalent of a dog chasing its tail!

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Would I be right in saying am one of the VERY few that rate this among U2's weakest ever songs? Its the musical equivalent of a dog chasing its tail!

maybe.. (other replies pending...)

Granted it has an unfinished quality, but to me that adds to the "between-album-and-tour" appeal.

'Mercy' seems to appeal to those fans who think the last two albums are now (if not originally) feeling too conventional, predictable and polished. (my two cents.)

Personally, i like that the music is simultaneously experimental and enjoyable, and that the lyrics are more cryptic and open-ended than most on atyclb and htdaab, without being as despairing and pseudo-cynical as many of Bono's lyrics from the 90s...

 

[BVS]

Good song, some bad videos...

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Good song, some bad videos...

fill us in.. what don't you like about the videos?

 

[BVS]

Well the first one? Do I really want to watch a video where all I'm doing is reading what I'm hearing?

All three were way too literal most of the time. The line says ground, so here's a picture of the ground, the line say violins, so here's a violin, etc... Plus way too much spinning in the second one, can give some someone vertigo.
The third one could make an interesting history montage, but the edits were a little busy...

 

[Canadiens1131]

Would I be right in saying am one of the VERY few that rate this among U2's weakest ever songs? Its the musical equivalent of a dog chasing its tail!

 

[dr. zooeuss]

thanks for answering BVS (like the name)

(honesty time) i did make one of them so am curious to know..

generally like to let these things speak for themselves, but it's helpful to get feedback & critique

i agree too literal a portrayal is obnoxious and doesn't add much or even destroys it

...try to add my own angles and interpretations on the lyrics, though personally as i go back and forth in working i think retaining some illustrational dynamics adds (if done well) to it.

can i ask- what are some of your favorite U2 videos and why?

cheers

 

[dr. zooeuss]

do i see a big discussion brewing.. ?

(having missed the many on 'Mercy' that I'm sure have gone before..)

 

[Zoots]

The first video shows Bono to be like Jesus or something! Hilarious!

 

[Caroni]

Thanks, until now I haven´t heard Mercy erh... I don´t like it that much

 

[Scorpionac]

At least it shows that he can still write good, self-deprecating lyrics. This and Xanax and Wine were the only good lyrics that came out of the HTDAAB sessions, IMO.

 

[BVS]

can i ask- what are some of your favorite U2 videos and why?

cheers

Well honestly for being one of the biggest bands they are pretty weak on the video side... They have some good performance videos, like the JT and RH era. The 90's had some great visuals with Fly and EBBTRT.

But Stay is probably one of the only great videos they. Stunning imagery and the "ghost" interpretation is pretty cool...

 

[LMP]

Well honestly for being one of the biggest bands they are pretty weak on the video side... They have some good performance videos, like the JT and RH era. The 90's had some great visuals with Fly and EBBTRT.

But Stay is probably one of the only great videos they. Stunning imagery and the "ghost" interpretation is pretty cool...

Wim Wenders ftw.

 

[dr. zooeuss]

But Stay is probably one of the only great videos they. Stunning imagery and the "ghost" interpretation is pretty cool...

awesome! Wim Wenders directed didn't he? That video made me want to see the film the song was named for... and when i did... quite the letdown.

i wish the film had followed the storylines that are sketched out in the video.

i've never thought of U2 as having weak videos, but when i think of all that's out there, i can see what you mean... the 90s definitely had their most interesting video work.

i really enjoy the animation of "OOTS" and "Yahweh" but i think i'm in the minority there.

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Wim Wenders ftw.

ah, thanks!

btw, what does "ftw" stand for? that's been bugging me the more i see it and don't know its meaning..

thanks. ;-)

 

[LMP]

ftw - for the win.

U2's videos are mostly poor, but about 3/4 of their videos from the '90s are really good by U2 standards or just plain good. BVS already mentioned The Fly, Even Better..., and Stay, but Please, all 3 of the One vids, Lemon, Staring at the Sun, Last Night on Earth, and Numb are all very good.

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Thanks, until now I haven´t heard Mercy erh... I don´t like it that much

i was sort of indifferent when i first heard it.. but after more listens over days or weeks, it grew on me.. at the very least it is unlike anything they've done before...

 

[dr. zooeuss]

ftw - for the win.

U2's videos are mostly poor, but about 3/4 of their videos from the '90s are really good by U2 standards or just plain good. BVS already mentioned The Fly, Even Better..., and Stay, but Please, all 3 of the One vids, Lemon, Staring at the Sun, Last Night on Earth, and Numb are all very good.

for the win, lol, we're sportscasters now?

thanks, i'd never have figured that out...

i agree with those, except numb - that song has always annoyed the hell out of me; the video can be good for a laugh, maybe once a year, but i can't put it up there with their other work...

 

[Zoots]

Numb >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Vertigo

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Numb >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Vertigo

Heeell no.

The Vertigo video is great, though I'm not going to defend Vertigo the song too much. Very radiobubblegum by U2 standards.

 

[Zoots]

U2 standards? What does that even mean any more? lol

And it's not the song that is radiobubblegum by U2 standards. U2 themselves have become radiobubblegum by their own past standards.

IMO

 

[LMP]

The Numb video is great because it fits the concept of the song and the entire ZooTV ideal without sucking as badly as the song.

That's got to count for something.

 

[dr. zooeuss]

U2 standards? What does that even mean any more? lol

And it's not the song that is radiobubblegum by U2 standards. U2 themselves have become radiobubblegum by their own past standards.

IMO

Touche, so i opened a can of worms with that,

-BUT-

with most U2 songs of lasting quality (and no I don't put them all in that category) you sooner or later hear the story to the lyrics, which gives it substance- COBL is at least a partial tribute to the NYC crowd they played to soon after 9-11-01, SYCMIOYO is an open letter to Bob Hewson, OOTS has been said to be written for one or more of U2's children... all i know about the Vertigo lyrics is that they replaced those of Native Son, which had a real purpose and inspiration as inspired by the injustices suffered by Leonard Peltier.

 

[Zoots]

Exactly! Native Son was soooooooo much better... and they dumped it!

 

[dr. zooeuss]

The Numb video is great because it fits the concept of the song and the entire ZooTV ideal without sucking as badly as the song.

That's got to count for something.

Yeah, i can enjoy it and appreciate it for that reason- but it's irony was very obvious, one-dimensional and much less complex than most of ZooTv, so it lost points with me because of that.

Lyrically, I thought it offered nothing new from "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd crossed with "Meditate" by INXS.

Musically, uh.. NO.

 

[Caroni]

i was sort of indifferent when i first heard it.. but after more listens over days or weeks, it grew on me.. at the very least it is unlike anything they've done before...

What I don´t like is that the music don´t seem to match the lyrics, is like music from ATYCLB with AB Lyrics Like onions and chocolat

 

[dr. zooeuss]

Exactly! Native Son was soooooooo much better... and they dumped it!

we're in agreement then? did i miss something?

 

[dr. zooeuss]

What I don´t like is that the music don´t seem to match the lyrics, is like music from ATYCLB with AB Lyrics Like onions and chocolat

onions and chocolate. good one. ;-)

well, i like that it gives me something to chew on.

i currently think of it as maybe The Fly crossed with A Sort of Homecoming crossed with whatever their next phase is going to be...

and that gives me LOTS to chew on. ;-)

 

[Canadiens1131]

U2 standards? What does that even mean any more? lol

I think U2 standards are electrical compliance standards these days; you know, does one need an adaptor for the U2 Toaster in Matte Black by Sharper Image when one takes it to Europe on vacation.