Next Album Rumours Thread IV - 2 Sing 2 Furious

[pacemaker]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208167

It was hidden, for whatever reason! Had a nice, efficient chat with a CSR that un-hid it for me and sent me this article in case anyone else realizes they've been in-Complete.

 

[DeVaul]

This is possibly the only “Apple won’t give me that U2 album” story.

 

[pacemaker]

This is possibly the only “Apple won’t give me that U2 album” story.

Haha I thought so too, but weirdly enough it's at least the second:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7209417

 

[womanfish]

I wonder how much better Bomb would be remembered if, say, Electrical Storm had been saved for it, Mercy had actually made the album, Fast Cars would have made the album proper, and songs like Love And Peace Or Else, All Because Of Bono’s Awful Vocals, and Yahweh had been removed. And it had been mastered in a way that wasn’t a product of the loudness wars.

01 Vertigo
02 Miracle Drug
03 Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
04 Electrical Storm (either regular or William Orbit)
05 City Of Blinding Lights
06 One Step Closer
07 A Man And A Woman
08 Fast Cars
09 Crumbs From Your Table
10 Original Of The Species
11 Mercy

That’s actually a really strong album with just minimal changes.

Good listing. Mine is a little different. I think Miracle Drug is probably the second lamest song after Yaweh. So I ditch both of those. All Because of You, I feel needs to be there. For a goal of a "straight rock record" This fits the bill, and I think is actually pretty good.
Love and Peace or Else, while not my favorite, I think is needed because it probably has the some of the best musical work on the album. Great guitar and bass, and the composition is totally unique for them which is cool.

I add Are You Gonna Wait Forever, another great straight rock track with Edge doing his thing. And while I like Fast Cars, it still feels very much like a B-side, so don't feel right adding it. Good Call on Electrical Storm. I hadn't thought about that, since it was quite a bit earlier than this album, but definitely a cool addition.

01 Vertigo
02 Are You Gonna Wait Forever
03 Love and Peace
04 Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
05 Electrical Storm
06 City Of Blinding Lights
07 All Because of You
08 A Man And A Woman
09 Crumbs From Your Table
10 Original Of The Species
11 Mercy
12 One Step Closer

 

[DeVaul]

Haha I thought so too, but weirdly enough it's at least the second:



https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7209417

 

[lazarus]

While I do wish Mercy and Fast Cars were on Bomb, it's the only 21st century U2 album I don't feel the need to tinker with and can listen to straight through as-is. There isn't anything I dislike on it; my least favorite track is Sometimes, simply for being rather anemic until the last third or so but it's not offensive. I don't have any issues with the track order, either.

 

[DeVaul]

While I do wish Mercy and Fast Cars were on Bomb, it's the only 21st century U2 album I don't feel the need to tinker with and can listen to straight through as-is. There isn't anything I dislike on it; my least favorite track is Sometimes, simply for being rather anemic until the last third or so but it's not offensive. I don't have any issues with the track order, either.

Completely agree.

 

[the tourist]

Good listing. Mine is a little different. I think Miracle Drug is probably the second lamest song after Yaweh. So I ditch both of those. All Because of You, I feel needs to be there. For a goal of a "straight rock record" This fits the bill, and I think is actually pretty good.
Love and Peace or Else, while not my favorite, I think is needed because it probably has the some of the best musical work on the album. Great guitar and bass, and the composition is totally unique for them which is cool.

I add Are You Gonna Wait Forever, another great straight rock track with Edge doing his thing. And while I like Fast Cars, it still feels very much like a B-side, so don't feel right adding it. Good Call on Electrical Storm. I hadn't thought about that, since it was quite a bit earlier than this album, but definitely a cool addition.

01 Vertigo
02 Are You Gonna Wait Forever
03 Love and Peace
04 Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
05 Electrical Storm
06 City Of Blinding Lights
07 All Because of You
08 A Man And A Woman
09 Crumbs From Your Table
10 Original Of The Species
11 Mercy
12 One Step Closer

The sole reason I’d remove All Because Of You, Love And Peace Or Else, and Yahweh is because between performance and lyrical content, those are probably 3 of the worst songs in their repertoire for me. Musically? They’re fine. But Bono just completely ruins those songs for me.

 

[ascender_RS]

Love and Peace or Else, while not my favorite, I think is needed because it probably has the some of the best musical work on the album. Great guitar and bass, and the composition is totally unique for them which is cool.

I also like that song, mainly for what's going on with the music and some of the textures. Never been a fan of ABOY though.

How was COBL received when it was released, I genuinely can't remember, but a bit of me thinks it was "U2 by numbers" and nothing remarkable, but has, over the years has become regarded as a classic track, live in particular?

 

[womanfish]

The sole reason I’d remove All Because Of You, Love And Peace Or Else, and Yahweh is because between performance and lyrical content, those are probably 3 of the worst songs in their repertoire for me. Musically? They’re fine. But Bono just completely ruins those songs for me.

Yeah, this is one of my main issues with Bomb. Lyrics and the phrasing/arrangement of Bono's lyrics on some of the songs just rub me the wrong way. Yahweh I just don't like period. Really nothing about it.

For me SOI is probably the one 21st century release I can listen all the way through without needing to change anything. Sure SFS is weak, but there are some good moments in it, and it's no American Soul. I would have liked Crystal Ballroom, i think it is criminal that its missing. But still the songs are more consistent for me than any other post POP album and the order is good too. I like the darker turn on the second half, and you can't argue with The Troubles as a closer.

 

[womanfish]

I also like that song, mainly for what's going on with the music and some of the textures. Never been a fan of ABOY though.

How was COBL received when it was released, I genuinely can't remember, but a bit of me thinks it was "U2 by numbers" and nothing remarkable, but has, over the years has become regarded as a classic track, live in particular?

I think Obama using it didn't hurt it either.

 

[phanan]

I don't actively dislike anything on Bomb, but I think the production on Love And Peace is horrible, and I remove A Man And A Woman because there are just too many slow or midtempo songs on this. Fast Cars helps to break that up.

I use the single version of Vertigo so that the transition into All Because Of You goes much faster, creating a nice 1-2 opening punch. And I use Mercy as the penultimate track.

1. Vertigo (Single Version)
2. All Because Of You
3. Miracle Drug
4. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
5. City Of Blinding Lights
6. Crumbs From Your Table
7. One Step Closer
8. Fast Cars (Jacknife Lee Mix)
9. Original Of The Species
10. Mercy
11. Yahweh

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I know what you're saying, but one memory of U2 which will live with me always is seeing Bono singing Sometimes You Can't Make it... up close on the Vertigo tour. Utter goosebump moment when he sings the "Can you hear me when I sing?" section.

First time hearing it live was at the Brooklyn bridge show and the goosebumps were a flowing.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Fixed

Absolutely.

The missed opportunity from the Bomb tracks, for me, has never been Mercy. It was Xanax And Wine.

 

[phanan]

I like the crunchy guitars of Xanax, but it truly comes off as a bad quality demo. The added sonic elements on Fast Cars make it superior to me.

 

[lazarus]

Yep.

The lyrics are better, too.

 

[The John Tree]

Absolutely.

The missed opportunity from the Bomb tracks, for me, has never been Mercy. It was Xanax And Wine.

Finally, someone who agrees with me on this! I think Fast Cars was such a step down from Xanax. The energy was higher on Xanax, and the “take me, save me from myself” chorus was great. The Fast Cars chorus sounds like something that was slapped on at the last minute because they couldn’t think of anything better.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i can't even start to debate Xanax and Wine sounding like a demo with the forum that shits themselves over Mercy, so i'm not going to try.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Finally, someone who agrees with me on this! I think Fast Cars was such a step down from Xanax. The energy was higher on Xanax, and the “take me, save me from myself” chorus was great. The Fast Cars chorus sounds like something that was slapped on at the last minute because they couldn’t think of anything better.

what this guy said.

 

[womanfish]

The greatness of Xanax and Wine is that u2 CAN do a fun and loose song like this. The lyrics are cool, and it's actually fun and loose sounding. It's the kind of song that if left to them for 6 months of fiddling around would lose all of its realness.

 

[phanan]

i can't even start to debate Xanax and Wine sounding like a demo with the forum that shits themselves over Mercy, so i'm not going to try.

Not sure how you can make that comparison to an unreleased song, but ok.

 

[the tourist]

The only part of Xanax and Wine that I like more than Fast Cars is the bridge.

 

[The John Tree]

The greatness of Xanax and Wine is that u2 CAN do a fun and loose song like this. The lyrics are cool, and it's actually fun and loose sounding. It's the kind of song that if left to them for 6 months of fiddling around would lose all of its realness.

Also, HTDAAB was the start of Bono’s obsession with pointing out that U2 was a punk rock band, and the album was marketed as being very garage-rock oriented.

The irony is that Xanax and Wine is the one song that actually sounds like 4 guys in a garage…and it’s great! Yet they changed it.

 

[lazarus]

i can't even start to debate Xanax and Wine sounding like a demo with the forum that shits themselves over Mercy, so i'm not going to try.

Yeah, you shouldn’t, because Mercy appears to be a finished track, as opposed to an early version of something that got turned into a different song.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well that settles it then

 

[Hewson]

what this guy said.

Yep
Superior by far. The rock guitar craps all over the flamenco guitar and eliminating the "Save me..." lyrics is a stupid choice. Was Ryan Tedder behind the song's changes?

 

[pacemaker]

Yep

Superior by far. The rock guitar craps all over the flamenco guitar and eliminating the "Save me..." lyrics is a stupid choice. Was Ryan Tedder behind the song's changes?

When U2 finally calls it a day, someone like Harry Kantas will be pouring over recently unearthed pictures, videos, etc only to have a eureka moment…

A recurring figure in the pictures, if you look closely enough… in the corner of Mount Temple’s schoolyard… in the broom closet of Sun Studios putting on his Lillywhite skinsuit… using a voice changer (a la Scream) to fire Dangermouse… it was TEDDER the entire time!

 

[ferball415]

Beautiful Day is one of the best pop/rock songs of the century and the facsimiles of it that they've churned out since don't even come close. The hook of that song was an instant classic.

Stuck is a beautiful and heartfelt song with an awful, cheesy arrangement. Still better than most of SOE.

Elevation is awkward on the album but its live incarnation shows it's a fundamentally enjoyable song.

Walk On is, again, way ahead of the recent U2 curve because it communicates warmth and humanity so effectively. It's sweet and relatable. It doesn't sound like an attempt to do anything, it's just U2.

Kite and WILATW are both excellent deep cuts.

In a Little While is the kind of song U2 talks about when they go on about writing songs that work in any context. Very pleasant and likable.

Wild Honey is fun. Not amazing but not forced or embarrassing, just a goofy song that rings true despite their age and experience.

Peace on Earth and Grace are both weak but I wish Edge still played guitar with such a painterly approach.

New York is more experimental and atmospheric than anything from the past couple albums except maybe Sleep Like a Baby? It's not perfect but I appreciate the effort.

If U2 could put out another album as good as ATYCLB, I would be fine with that.

I fully agree. It's not perfect but the sentiments are felt for me as Bono lets the music breathe. The Edge's composition, helped by Eno & Lanois's production, is beautifully subtle and meticulously crafted in a way that The Edge has never been since. Its minimalistic style counterpoints the big early songs of the album perfectly and is an ideal closer.

Indeed, Peace On Earth, New York and Grace all work because of their minimalism, really driving the point home of this album being a thoughtful and sincere album.

The album gets ever more contemplative and quiet, which I love that about All That You Can't Leave Behind. It really feels like a complete album as a result and you can a satisfying calming 'vibe' from it.

Latter U2 would make an absolute mess of this, being all over the place with its vibe, and dumping minimalism in favour of ugly bombast.

The album beats every U2 mess that was released after to a pulp .

Listening to ATYCLB for the first time in full in maybe a year, and largely agree with all of this. I would even be interested to see how "Levitate" and "Stateless" could've maybe fit in.

Also, Christ, I fucking love "Ground Beneath Her Feet". That was exciting to hear on the radio in early 2000.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

when u2 finally calls it a day, someone like harry kantas will be pouring over recently unearthed pictures, videos, etc only to have a eureka moment…

a recurring figure in the pictures, if you look closely enough… in the corner of mount temple’s schoolyard… in the broom closet of sun studios putting on his lillywhite skinsuit… using a voice changer (a la scream) to fire dangermouse… it was tedder the entire time!

 

[Hewson]

Zoiks!