Track order of my extended version of HTDAAB

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Michael Griffiths

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Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
This is what I've done...anyone try this? It works brilliantly...

1. Vertigo
2. Miracle Drug
3. Sometimes...
4. Love and Peace...
5. City of Blinding Lights
6. All Because of You
7. Fast Cars
8. A Man And A woman
9. Crumbs From Your Table
10. One Step Closer
11. Original of the Species
12. Yahweh
13. Mercy

I can't believe how well 'Fast Cars' fits between ABOY and AMAAW (it makes for a sort of tropical, eclectic section to the album)...and 'Mercy' fills the gap the album leaves quite nicely as 'Yahweh' always leaves me wanting more. The only problem is, it has 13 tracks...almost feels a bit unlucky...but I can just call it a "lucky 13" I guess.
 
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I agree 'Are You Gonna Wait...' is a classic b side, and I thought about that one, but in the end I decided it was a much better fit for ATYCLB - and album full of classic b sides.

:wink:

joking, joking! But in all seriousness, it fits ATYCLB better, which is more of a summer album just as the song is.
 
1. LAPOE
2. Vertigo
3. SYCMIOYO
4. MD
5. Crumbs
6. AMAAW
7. OOTS
8. ABOY
9. AYGWF
10. COBL
11. OSC
12. Mercy
13. Yahweh

Try that. I think it is the most perfect tracklisting for the album. I made it pre-fast cars. But I'm not sure where I could slip it in..
 
Michael Griffiths said:
This is what I've done...anyone try this? It works brilliantly...

1. Vertigo
2. Miracle Drug
3. Sometimes...
4. Love and Peace...
5. City of Blinding Lights
6. All Because of You
7. Fast Cars
8. A Man And A woman
9. Crumbs From Your Table
10. One Step Closer
11. Original of the Species
12. Yahweh
13. Mercy

I can't believe how well 'Fast Cars' fits between ABOY and AMAAW (it makes for a sort of tropical, eclectic section to the album)...and 'Mercy' fills the gap the album leaves quite nicely as 'Yahweh' always leaves me wanting more. The only problem is, it has 13 tracks...almost feels a bit unlucky...but I can just call it a "lucky 13" I guess.

Yes... that's also my tracklist...
(http://forum.interference.com/t102829.html second post)
 
Probably not the right place to post this, but I have tried everywhere... and its sad to say I am getting desperate... If those of you that have Mercy could PLEASE e-mail it to me, or let me know how to get it I would GREATLY appreciate it. I have all the other tracks, just need Mercy to see how it all fits.

THANK YOU!

dbinteract@yahoo.com
 
Michael Griffiths said:
This is what I've done...anyone try this? It works brilliantly...

1. Vertigo
2. Miracle Drug
3. Sometimes...
4. Love and Peace...
5. City of Blinding Lights
6. All Because of You
7. Fast Cars
8. A Man And A woman
9. Crumbs From Your Table
10. One Step Closer
11. Original of the Species
12. Yahweh
13. Mercy

I can't believe how well 'Fast Cars' fits between ABOY and AMAAW (it makes for a sort of tropical, eclectic section to the album)...and 'Mercy' fills the gap the album leaves quite nicely as 'Yahweh' always leaves me wanting more. The only problem is, it has 13 tracks...almost feels a bit unlucky...but I can just call it a "lucky 13" I guess.

I agree. That order does work well. Besides, I don't think 'Fast Cars' makes as good a closer as 'Mercy'. 'Fast Cars' has that U2 experimental feel to it, so it goes better in that section with ABOY and AMaaW. 'Fast Cars' seems to flow right into AMaaW so seamlessly.

AJ
 
MG that's perfect! I burnt that very list for my wife last night!!! I also feel that the seven spot is perfect for FCs! In fact my brother was over last night and he didn't even notice it was slipped in. I told him after the fact and he commented on how he couldn't believe it wasn't on the album in the seven spot.
 
That's awesome...glad it worked! The only thing is, I just realized 'Fast Cars' may actually be even better after 'A Man And A Woman' and before 'Crumbs'. The transition between the end of 'A Man And A Woman' ("how can I hurt when I'm holding you") and 'Fast Cars' (and Bono's African crooning) is just amazing. Check it out! The only thing is, I've gotten so used to 'Crumbs''s ringing tones after 'A Man And A Woman'...but if I'd never heard it, it actually fits quite nicely after 'Fast Cars' too. So this is how that section of the album could go:

6. All Because of You
7. A Man And A Woman
8. Fast Cars
9. Crumbs For Your Table
 
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Fast Cars after All Because or after Man And Women. I can see the merits for both spots. But Mercy as the final track I don't know.

There is the theme of the album: “the journey of fear into faith” - Bono

There is the night of Vertigo and the dawn and day of Yahweh.

“Lights go down, it’s dark
The jungle is your head
The night is full of holes”

VS.

"Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean"

There could be the triple resolution of the relationships with spouse (Mercy), children (Species), and God (Yahweh). The “born again, alive again” in Mercy is kind of a resurrection theme and kind of related to the address to his own “begetting” and giving “birth” to his children / his “offspring” in Species.

So what do you think of Mercy before Species?
 
Yahweh HAS to be the closer. It's the greatest final song on any U2 album since '40.' I think your track list is great, but "Mercy" is too big a song to be tacked on at the end. Put it before "Original of the Species"
 
Guys, that's a good suggestion of putting 'Mercy' before 'Species'. My only worry is the sound (audio) quality of 'Mercy' contrasting with the high audio quality album tracks. With 'Mercy' on the end, it's more like a bonus track and thus staves off the problem of not "fitting in" sonically. But I may try it anyway!
 
I've figured out where 'Fast Cars' and 'Mercy' should go:

1. Vertigo
2. Miracle Drug
3. Sometimes You Can't...
4. Love and Peace
5. City of Blinding Lights
6. All Because of You
7. Fast Cars
8. A Man And A Woman
9. Crumbs For Your Table
10. Mercy
11. One Step Closer
12. Original of the Species
13. Yahweh

The transition between 'A Man And A Woman' and 'Crumbs' is too good to tamper with, so I chose not to. I decided to put 'Mercy' before 'One Step Closer' instead of after it because not only does it sound better (flows beautifully into 'One Step Closer') but, in an odd way, it fits thematically. I realize 'Mercy' is a resurrection type of song, and common thinking would put it after a song about death such as 'One Step Closer', but I feel that death is really a part of life; it's a part of that cycle of resurrection....and it feels more enlightened having heard a song about being "born again and again and again". We go from a song about resurrection to a song about finishing off the cycle once more. And allowing the camera to zoom right in on 'One Step Closer' after the grand sentiments of 'Mercy', it really grounds the concept for me, brings it right into view. The transition makes 'One Step Closer' sound like the masterpiece it really is. This is how the album should have been!
 
The unlucky “13”. No real big deal but for the sake of fun conjecture. I agree with you about Wait Forever. How about the “homeless” Electrical Storm? If you like this option you have the pleasure of choosing between the two versions (Orbit or Band). Next, more of a really fun consideration, When The Stars Go Blue. Not written or performed by U2 (except a duet with Bono) but a wonderful love song that could go well with Man And Woman? Thirdly, I Love You by Daniel Lanois. Michael if you do not have his last album, Shine, or this mp3 I could e-mail it to you. Seeing your love for One Step Closer I believe you will love this one too. Listen to the first 54 seconds of One Step Closer and then to the first 53 seconds of I Love You. Similar in richness, earthiness, warmth, burning embers, like your favourite blanket-right-out-of-the-dryer mood / atmosphere. I believe there is a lyrical connection with One Step Closer. There is even line that goes “crash and the booming of the white bomb.” And the song sounds like a U2 song. It gives the album a little more mystery, texture, landscape, and a quieter moment (though the two of them back to back maybe too much).

A man carried metal, carried gold
More than he could handle, more than he could hold
It weighed him down to a sand shallow grave
Where his bones were eaten by a heat wave
While here it rains all night and it blows a sweet breeze
I think I'll call you up
And say please, baby, please
I love you, I love you, yeah, I love you, yeah, I love you
Ah the dream machine
Makes it hard to see
If I could stand outside myself and watch it come to me
I'd make the dream
Filter down to my fingers and rip at the fools head
and follow your scent that lingers
'cause I love you, yeah I love you, I love you, yeah I love you
'til the crash and the booming of the white bomb come sure,
come soon, come leave just one song
one song, one beat, one dust, one end, one for all
one stone for the marking for the dream when it falls
when I love you, and I love you, yeah I love you,
oh yeah I love you I love you

Bono’s answer to the album’s title is “with love.” So this song can have a fit with the album’s theme. Remember the song U2 performed on the last Tour, I believe it was Antwerp(?), where they improvised a new song that they were working on. Fans titled it “We Love You” because at the end of it Bono turned to the audience and to said to the effect “oh by the way we love you too” however the chorus of the song is “I love you.” I believe one of the lines went something like “growing up I never heard a song called “I Love You.” It would be interesting to hear either from Bono or Lanois if this new U2 song “I Love You” had any relationship with Lanois’ song “I Love You” which was released two years later.

Continuing with my “fun” conjecture: If U2 can have Johnny Cash sing a song on a U2 album why not have Lanois (a co-fifth member on Atomic Bomb) sing a song too? And if Bono can lend him Falling At Your Feet for his new album why can’t Bono borrow I Love You for Atomic Bomb?
 
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U2Soar, yes I have Daniel Lanois' Shine, but thanks for the link! My favourite track is 'I Love You'. And yes, it apparently is a U2 song which Bono gave to Daniel Lanois - at least that's what I read in a review for Shine. I believe it is true, because it really does feel like a U2 song, and just screams Bono.

That's a good suggestion for 'Electrical Storm'. The only thing holding me back is the similarity in guitar ending it has with 'Crumbs'. They are quite different, but the differences are quite subtle. It's still a better option than 'Are You Gonna Wait Forever', which I think is a summer song, where as HTDAAB is a winter album, IMO. Incidentally, remember the rumour that HTDAAB was going to be called Winter? I can see why!

Great ideas all around, U2Soar. :)
 
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