If Rattle & Hum had been studio-only...

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I don't have a problem with the idea of mixing live and studio tracks, but my problem was with the specific live tracks that were chosen. The R&H movie featured legendary versions of SBS, Exit, In God's Country, RTSS and Bad, and yet those were omitted from the record in place of (imo) mediocre versions of Watchtower, BTBS, Helter Skelter and Pride.

Hindsight being 20-20, I wish U2 had left the choral version of ISHFWILF and scrapped pretty much the rest of the live stuff on the current R&H in place of the other movie tracks.
 
A lot of the music was like nothing they had ever done, which is always the point of U2. It’s great to hear them tear their own rulebook on songs such as Desire, When love comes to town, Angel of Harlem…

The live songs were ok, but many of the songs would sound much better after the album was made (All along the watchtower in Lovetown is amazing, the live version of Love Rescue me from Angel of Harlem is brilliant).

What I find fascinating is how much of Achtung Baby was already in U2’s minds during the Rattle and Hum era. The exploration of celebrity and Elvis (A Room at the heartbreakhotel, desire, God Part II) in particular starts there. It’s hard to watch the scene in the Rattle and Hum outtakes when the band visit Graceland and see Elvis’s wall of TVs and his giant remote and not see that as the first inklings of Zoo TV.

So, not a perfect U2 album, but full of interesting and moving stuff.
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What I find fascinating is how much of Achtung Baby was already in U2’s minds during the Rattle and Hum era. The exploration of celebrity and Elvis (A Room at the heartbreakhotel, desire, God Part II) in particular starts there. It’s hard to watch the scene in the Rattle and Hum outtakes when the band visit Graceland and see Elvis’s wall of TVs and his giant remote and not see that as the first inklings of Zoo TV.

So, not a perfect U2 album, but full of interesting and moving stuff.
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From Rolling Stone's review of Rattle and Hum in the November 17th 1988 issue:

Rattle and Hum *** 1/2 stars

In its inclusiveness and rolling energy, Rattle and Hum captures the story og U2's rise from Dublin obscurity to international superstardom on a raucous, celabratory note. At the same time, it closes off none of the options the band might want to pursue for its next big move - and, possibly, the album even opens a few doors. -Anthony DeCurtis
 
Wasn't Zoo TV inspired a few years by with CNN's coverage of the Gulf War ?

Yes, of course!

But I'm thinking of Bono's The fly leather suit (a nod to Elvis' Comeback special black leather suit) and the enormous remote with which he changed TV channels before EBTTRT on Zoo TV.

Elvis famously had three TVs (I think) in his living room, apparently he would watch different channels at the same time, and had one of the first TV remotes (which was quite huge). This idea of the decadent rock star watching many TVs and switching channels is not a million miles from Zoo TV.

Here's a pic of his TVs

http://marknelson.ca/?p=27

Santiago
 
I had my custom disc made a couple years ago titled "Rattled and Honed" (brilliant, I know), but I lent to a friend, never saw it again, and don't have a record of the track order.

What I do remember is that I included Heartbreak Hotel, Hallelujah, and the studio Silver and Gold, and that it opened with Desire. My feeling was that yes, Hawkmoon would be an epic album opener, but considering R&H is about mostly stripped-down, old school rock and roll, it should open with a quick, catchy punch. I'm pretty sure I had Angel of Harlem in the #2 spot, because it's where a big single should go. The main thing is that because the release version is such a hodgepodge, I don't feel the obligation to hew to the original track order.

I have to see if I can rebuild it from memory. Back later...
 
Finally someone to agree with on Rattle & Hum - U2's biggest career mistake. The album was a mess with live cuts and studio cuts following each other. On top of that, two cover tunes and Bono taking it upon himself to do a sequel to John Lennon's 'God.' That alone cemented U2's reputation [with the media] as "arrogant". Even further on top of this debacle was one of the tracks being a recording of a street musician playing his own song. I would say most U2 jokes made by public and press were born out the movie/soundtrack with the "Am I buggin' ya?" quote. Ah yes, the movie. 'This Is Spinal Tap' done in black and white. Larry [God bless him and with all due respect]almost in tears after visiting Graceland!? Barf.

Anyway, if my following imaginary version of R&H had actually come true, the U2 legacy would have been considered equal to, or greater than, the Beatles:

1. Spanish Eyes
2. Desire
3. Van Deiman's Land
4. Deep In The Heart
5. Angel Of Harlem
6. When Love Comes To Town
7. Walk To The Water
8. Drunk Chicken/America
9. Love Rescue Me
10. Hawkmoon 269
11. Heartland
12. Silver and Gold [studio version with ALL of U2]
13. Luminous Times
14. Race Against Time
15. Rise Up
16. Wave Of Sorrow (Birdland)
17. Desert Of Our Love
18. Sweetest Thing
19. All I Want Is You
 
Yes, of course!

But I'm thinking of Bono's The fly leather suit (a nod to Elvis' Comeback special black leather suit) and the enormous remote with which he changed TV channels before EBTTRT on Zoo TV.

Elvis famously had three TVs (I think) in his living room, apparently he would watch different channels at the same time, and had one of the first TV remotes (which was quite huge). This idea of the decadent rock star watching many TVs and switching channels is not a million miles from Zoo TV.

Here's a pic of his TVs

Mark’s Travel Blog ? Blog Archive ? Sights and Sounds of Memphis

Santiago

Well, The Fly was only developed for Zoo TV. I don't think Bono had a lightbulb moment seeing TVs in Graceland, or his suit.

"Larry [God bless him and with all due respect]almost in tears after visiting Graceland!? Barf."
Personally, I wish there were more moments like that (or Bono reading the lyrics to BB King - the "you're mighty young to be writing such heavy lyrics" moment) in the movie. Show the people behind the circus and the colossus U2 became that year. Overall it has some good songs, but it's a studio/live/cover mess, and the movie didn't help matters, or the fact it's sandwiched between two of their best albums/tours.
 
Well, The Fly was only developed for Zoo TV. I don't think Bono had a lightbulb moment seeing TVs in Graceland, or his suit.

"Larry [God bless him and with all due respect]almost in tears after visiting Graceland!? Barf."
Personally, I wish there were more moments like that (or Bono reading the lyrics to BB King - the "you're mighty young to be writing such heavy lyrics" moment) in the movie. Show the people behind the circus and the colossus U2 became that year. Overall it has some good songs, but it's a studio/live/cover mess, and the movie didn't help matters, or the fact it's sandwiched between two of their best albums/tours.

Yeah, I think idea for The Fly developed a little later.

From what I remember Joanou did actually shoot some more personal stuff with the band, but I think at the time they felt that they're personalities (Bono's in particular) were beginning to overshadow the music, so decided to push the songs to the forefront rather than the band. I think it was Bono who said you could either have 4 minutes of them talking or 4 minutes of them playing Bullet and they thought they were better at Bullet.

I think the film does lack focus though and that a backlash seemed inevitable no matter how much they tried to second guess the critics, in a funny way I've often thought that AB was about second guessing the critics too. I think at times you can see that maybe they were trying to win their approval again.
 
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