SATS: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Zoocoustic]

Staring At The Sun is one U2 track that really confuses me.

Let me first state that I am a fan of POP. I don't think it was U2's best album, but I still enjoy it. And to me, one of the gems of this album has always been SATS. But ever since POP was released, all I've heard is countless rearrangements of this song both live and studio, from the band. And I've even heard reported comments from the band that the song "should have been better", etc., as if they weren't happy with the version found on POP. The mix found on the Best Of 90-00 album was the most recent example.

I'm not sure why there has been such a perpetual effort to "fix" SATS. Granted, some new mixes exist just for the fun of being new mixes, but why have we found the band so anxious to constantly rework the song over and over again? Acoustic version, full band version, extra drums, extra keyboard effects, harmonize, etc. I have heard of at least three versions that were toyed with during the Elevation tour alone.

I love SATS, but it's becase I love the version found on POP. I don't think anything was wrong with this recording in the first place. I don't understand why it seems that the band does.

 

[JOFO]

Agreed.

 

[WinnieThePoo]

bono likes acoustic , and edge is too lazy to do anything then that these days , besides , they screwed it up , on thier first show of the pop mart tour while trying to play it in full , after that something always was not right in 1997/8 live shows , bad luck , i guess ,

 

[JOFO]

bono likes acoustic , and edge is too lazy to do anything then that these days , besides , they screwed it up , on thier first show of the pop mart tour while trying to play it in full , after that something always was not right in 1997/8 live shows , bad luck , i guess ,

umm.......ok.

 

[MrBrau1]

I like having multiple versions. Each has it's own charm.

 

[Liesje]

It used to be a favorite of mine but now I don't see it as anything special. I guess the album version is fine, although I do like the acoustic live versions (the one on the Please single being a good example). Also, however they arranged it for the Elevation Tour rehearsal, In The Shade of a Willow Tree, I like that one too. I don't remember how it goes now, but I remember liking it (I think it was connected to Discotheque? or some other song...)

 

[discothequeLP]

They played an Elevation show in Pittsburg and they did play Discotheque and then ended the song w/ Staring at the Sun. It was really awesome.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

why have we found the band so anxious to constantly rework the song over and over again?

or any of the other songs for that matter. all the new mixes on the best of ticked me off. imagine if some of the great artists in the world painted their masterpieces, then went back and said, "you know, i think i should put this smile on mona lisa, the sistine chapel could use some more angels, my self portrait should show that i cut my ear off."

sats in particular, they just need to leave everything alone. it's bad enough that they take every good song and make it acoustic, it's even worse when they go and release a new mix for every alternate idea they had.

 

[Salome]

first time I heard Staring at the sun was on the radio before POP was released

perhaps because I didn't have the volume up high enough, but I actually thought it was some bland band trying to sound like U2 until I recognized Bono's voice

(I still think the guitar sounds kinda crappy)


anyways,

I like POP (still my least favourite U2 album though)

I love the live acoustic version of Staring at the sun

I understand why they chose to remix it

 

[Liesje]

wait...Khanada, the IP address listed in your sig is not mine, muahahaha I WIN!!!!

 

[FelipeVox]

That version of the Best of sucks. And the live versions suck too, because they?re acoustic. I don?t hate acoustic, but SATS "full band version" is soooo good while the others are just... bah.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I like hearing different versions of that song-acoustic, or different mixes, or whatever, personally...I think it makes certain parts of the song seem even more interesting to me or something (and, like MrBrau1 said, each one has its own charm).

And I like the mix on the "1990-2000" CD.

And I like the original as well...that's one of my personal favorite songs of theirs (I love the guitar in it...wow...).

But that's just my opinion.

Angela

 

[~*Buffalo*~]

I love Staring at the Sun - best song off Pop and one of U2's best songs altogether.

I think it was done pretty perfectly the first time, but I don't hate hearing remixes. I quite like the one on Best of 1990-2000, because it's not all that different. It's not as if they did to it what they did to, say, Numb on the B-sides of the Best of.

I don't know why U2 would keep changing it, but *meh* It doesn't really worry me, since I can always listen to my favourite Pop version

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

they don't re-do the songs that are commercial smash hits... when songs that they think are the next great thing don't blow up right away, they redo them a thousand times until they get what they think is right... trying to vindicate themselves i guess. if SATS had been a top 10 hit, they never would have touched it.