U2 Albums Not Living Up To Their Potential

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phillyfan26 said:
They have the same bass line.
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Good point. The verses are the same in that area, but the choruses are not.

The Fly (Verse):

G|--------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-7-7-7-5--7-7-7-7-5---7-7-7-5--7-7-7-7-5---7-7-7-5--7-7-7-7-5-|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|

Lady With The Spinning Head (Verse):

G-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--7-7-7-5-7-7-5-7-5--7-7-7-5-7-7-5-7-5--7-7-7-5-7-7-5-7-5--7-7-7-5-7-7-5
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fly (Chorus):

G|--------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4---------------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
E|----------------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------------------------|

Lady With The Spinning Head (Chorus):

G-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--4-4-4-2-4-4-2-4-2---------------------7-7-7-5-7-7-5-7-5--------------------
E---------------------5-5-5-3-5-5-3-5-3---------------------7-7-7-5-7-7-5-7-5-
 
namkcuR said:
Screwtape, why did you leave Silver And Gold off your JT?
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Well, I know it became a great live peice for them but it wasn't written for the JT sessions and is basically a cover of the Sun City version. So I don't really consider it an original track for the album. It actually would have been a nice fit on an all studio Rattle & Hum. Same with Sweetest Thing.
 
Electrical Storm and The Hands That Built America should've been saved for Bomb. Hands has a depth that is beyond anything on Bomb, and Electrical Storm is a better rocker than anything on Bomb. This would've been a much better record:

Love And Peace Or Else
Levitate
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Fast Cars
Electrical Storm
Smile
Vertigo
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
Love You Like Mad
A Man And A Woman
The Hands That Built America
One Step Closer

I think Original Of The Species is a waste of a song. The song itself is beautiful, but the lyrics are repetitive and, more importantly, they took what should've been a completely stripped down piano-based ballad a la Running To Stand Still and made it into a bloated, overproduced, instrumentally cluttered attempt at being a Hey Jude type anthem. The early keyboard-only live Vertigo Tour versions are by far my favorite versions of the song. If there was a studio version like those early tour versions, it would be on this hypothetical album.
 
namkcuR said:
I think Original Of The Species is a waste of a song.
Click to expand...

:up: I've never liked that song at all.

Personally, I love Bomb the way it is, but I think that, due to the album's lack of cohesion, U2 should have made the record longer, not shorter; a clearing house for more experimental, interesting ideas, along with the usual U2 anthem fare that would be a sign of good things to come. Instead, they made us search for these clues ourselves via b-sides and the Unreleased And Rare set.
 
namkcuR said:
Electrical Storm and The Hands That Built America should've been saved for Bomb. Hands has a depth that is beyond anything on Bomb, and Electrical Storm is a better rocker than anything on Bomb. This would've been a much better record:

Love And Peace Or Else
Levitate
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Fast Cars
Electrical Storm
Smile
Vertigo
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
Love You Like Mad
A Man And A Woman
The Hands That Built America
One Step Closer

I think Original Of The Species is a waste of a song. The song itself is beautiful, but the lyrics are repetitive and, more importantly, they took what should've been a completely stripped down piano-based ballad a la Running To Stand Still and made it into a bloated, overproduced, instrumentally cluttered attempt at being a Hey Jude type anthem. The early keyboard-only live Vertigo Tour versions are by far my favorite versions of the song. If there was a studio version like those early tour versions, it would be on this hypothetical album.
Click to expand...

THTBA and ES are better than most of Bomb... but, at the same time, they sound more like ATYCLB (or, rather, what ATYCLB could/should have been to be an excellent album) than Bomb. And why would Levitate, an ATYCLB outtake, be on Bomb?

Oh, and you got rid of COBL. Sorry, no. That's the best song they've made this decade. :wink:
 
No spoken words said:
DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINAGE
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Stop crying, you sniveling ass. Stop your nonsense.

I make "redux" mixes of U2 albums fairly often. It's not that I don't like the original mixes or feel like they didn't live up to their "potential," it's just that I put them together in a way to fit me and my preferences.

It's not making them necessarily "better," but it's a different way to listen to them.

The Salome outtakes are just that - outtakes. I could barely get through listening to them the first time around.
 
Screwtape2 said:
First off, this is all my opinion. I love U2 and they will always be one of my favorite bands behind. I love most of the band’s albums but with the exception of Boy and October in which the band was strapped for songs and Zooropa which has yet to offer any demo’s, outtakes or b-sides (except Slow Dancing) I find myself looking at their albums as failing to reach their full potential. Way too many great tracks have been left off U2’s albums. In terms of songs they are among the most prolific when it comes to quality songs. The thing is you judge artists by their albums. To me so much of their best work isn’t on their albums. 20 of my top 50 U2 songs aren’t on their albums including what I consider the greatest song ever written, Walk To The Water.

War:
Knowing the cheesy Red Light and disaster that is the album version of 40 got on the album over the other tracks from the era has really hurt my opinion of the record. They had no place on the album. They should have opened the album with Treasure, had Angels Too Tied To The Ground after The Drowning Man, put A Celebration between Refugee and Two Hearts and finally end the album with Be There. It becomes a far better album with a lot more depth.

1. Treasure
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday
3. Seconds
4. New Year’s Day
5. Like A Song
6. The Drowning Man
7. Angels Too Tied To The Ground
8. The Refugee
9. A Celebration
10. Two Hearts Beat As One
11. Surrender
12. Be There


The Unforgettable Fire:
The Unforgettable Fire is a great album but it could have been so much more. Like War, you add some tracks and it gets a whole new level of depth and sonic exploration. Put the Untitled Instrumental after Wire, Bass Trap after TUF, Sixty Seconds after Bad followed by The Three Sunrises and finally Love Comes Tumbling after Indian Summer Sky. With the Untitled Instrumental, The Three Sunrises and Love Comes Tumbling in particular you get a much better album.

1. A Sort Of Homecoming
2. Pride
3. Wire
4. Untitled Instrumental
5. The Unforgettable Fire
6. Bass Trap
7. Promenade
8. 4th of July
9. Bad
10. Sixty Seconds
11. The Three Sunrises
12. Indian Summer Sky
13. Love Comes Tumbling
14. Elvis Presley & America
15. MLK

The Joshua Tree:
U2’s greatest mistake in my mind was not making The Joshua Tree a double album. While I’d say it is one of the top ten albums ever, it had the chance to be THE greatest album ever. Leaving off songs like Walk To The Water, Luminous Times, Spanish Eyes, Deep In The Heart, Rise Up and Beautiful Ghost is insane. As is not offically releasing Diamond Store. If that song is as fucking amazing as the 30 second clip suggests than the band has committed a crime. Based on the songs available no album has had as much potential as The Joshua Tree. As good as the album is, With or Without You needs Walk To The Water, Luminous Times and Deep In The Heart. Trip Through Your Wires begs for Desert Of Our Love. Streets wants to follow Beautiful Ghost. One Tree Hill and In God’s Country are missing Rise Up. Exit feels out of place without Race Against Time. Spanish Eyes and Wave of Sorrow even in a early form are too good to not find a home on this album. There really are a lot of possibilities for the track order but the good ones create an album that is nearly unrivaled.

1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
3. With Or Without You
4. Bullet The Blue Sky
5. Running To Stand Still
6. Red Hill Mining Town
7. In God’s Country
8. Trip Through Your Wires
9. One Tree Hill
10. Exit

11. Mothers of The Disappeared
12. Luminous Times
13. Walk To The Water
14. Spanish Eyes
15. Deep In The Heart
16. Race Against Time
17. Beautiful Ghost
18. Wave of Sorrow
19. Rise Up
20. Desert Of Our Love

Achtung Baby:
The Salome Tapes made me look at this album in a whole new way. The darkness of the recording sessions should have been better reflected in the album. I removed TTTYAATW and Love Is Blindness While adding two worthy b-sides and five tracks from Salome. Obviously there are a few great songs from the period that wouldn’t work for the album like Wild Irish Rose, She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down and Sunset In Colors.

1. Alex Descends Into Hell
2. Someone
3. Zoo Station
4. Even Better Than The Real Thing
5. Lady With The Spinning Head
6. One
7. Acrobat
8. Until The End Of The World
9. Back Mask
10. Doctor, Doctor
11. Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
12. Mysterious Ways
13. Take You Down
14. Heaven & Hell
15. Ultraviolet

Pop:
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me should have been saved for Pop. It would have given them a hit and probably sold a lot more copies of the album. And we might not have had ATYCLB. :wink:

ATYCLB:
Ground Beneath Her Feet (for all regions) and Stateless should have been on the album. Always should also have been on the album maybe as a bookend with Beautiful Day. Summer Rain too.

Bomb:
Mercy and Fast Cars (for all regions.)

I really can’t understand how the band and of course producers abandon such brilliant material and waste or let gather dust songs that deserve better. Because of this I think I’ll always feel the band and their albums never reached their full potential.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if I would go as far as including the B-sides on the albums. Many of them just don't sound finished/completed fully.

Also, I haven't heard of several of the songs you have mentioned, Be There and Treasure for the War Album?
Back Mask, Someone, Take You Down Heaven & Hell, Doctor, Doctor (you don't mean the Thompson Twins record do you:) for AB.

Where have She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down and Sunset In Colors comes from?

I am going to have a search for these, I am curious to what they sound like..
 
I had been working on double album effort using October and War era material, splitting the more piano-based, pensive songs onto one side, and the full-on fist-pumping angry stuff to the other side. Tell me what you think:

October

1. Gloria
2. Stranger in a Strange Land
3. I Fall Down
4. New Year's Day (USA Remix)
5. Angels Too Tied to the Ground
6. Endless Deep
7. Fire
8. Scarlet
9. Drowning Man
10. October
11. Tomorrow

War

1. Seconds
2. A Celebration
3. Rejoice
4. Like a Song...
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday
6. With a Shout
7. The Refugee
8. I Threw a Brick Through a Window
9. Surrender
10. "40"
 
Thanksandy said:
I'm not sure if I would go as far as including the B-sides on the albums. Many of them just don't sound finished/completed fully.

Also, I haven't heard of several of the songs you have mentioned, Be There and Treasure for the War Album?
Back Mask, Someone, Take You Down Heaven & Hell, Doctor, Doctor (you don't mean the Thompson Twins record do you:) for AB.

Where have She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down and Sunset In Colors comes from?

I am going to have a search for these, I am curious to what they sound like..
Click to expand...

You can find Treasure on the deluxe edition of the recently remastered War. Take You Down, Heaven & Hell, Doctor Doctor, She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down, and Sunset In Colors can be found on the bootleg Salome Outtakes set. Just google "U2 Salome Outtakes torrent" and you can find a copy.

The others you mentioned? I'm not sure.
 
LemonMelon said:
You can find Treasure on the deluxe edition of the recently remastered War. Take You Down, Heaven & Hell, Doctor Doctor, She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down, and Sunset In Colors can be found on the bootleg Salome Outtakes set. Just google "U2 Salome Outtakes torrent" and you can find a copy.

The others you mentioned? I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

Someone is also on the Salome outtakes.

The many takes of Back Mask are also on Salome. The definitive one is the eight minute one.

Be There is a 1982 demo from the early War sessions. It is on a couple torrents including one with War and TUF outtakes. It is pretty easy find.
 
Screwtape2 said:
Someone is also on the Salome outtakes.

The many takes of Back Mask are also on Salome. The definitive one is the eight minute one.
Click to expand...

Here's the track listing on my Salome set:

Disc 1:

1. Salome (Version 1) (5:57)
2. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 1) (4:03)
3. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 2) (3:42)
4. Heaven and Hell (6:44)
5. Doctor Doctor (2:35)
6. Jitterbug Baby (3:55)
7. Got to Get Together (9:14)
8. Salome (Version 2) (5:28)
9. Here Comes The Sunset/Chances Away (14:57)
10. Chances Away (Short Segment) (1:40)
11. I Feel Free (Version 1) (6:35)

Disc 2:

1. I Feel Free (Version 2) (4:31)
2. Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)
3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 1) (5:35)
4. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 2) (4:00)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 3) (4:09)
6. Take Today (Instrumental) (5:31)
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Instrumental) (6:29)
8. Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (4:51)
9. Blow Your House Down (Version 2) (7:44)
10. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 1) (7:38)
11. Wake Up Dead Man/Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (5:33)
12. Take Today (Vocals) (6:32)

Disc 3:

1. Calling Out to Someone (1:05)
2. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 2) (3:11)
3. Acrobat (4:19)
4. Salome (Version 3) (5:56)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 4) (5:09)
6. Wake Up Dead Man (Mix Version) (5:16)
7. Unnamed Instrumental (5:35)
8. Salome (Version 4) (3:50)
9. Salome (Version 5) (13:06)
10. Salome (Version 6) (5:58)
11. Salome (Version 7) (8:04)
12. Salome (Version 8) (12:03)

Where's Back Mask and Someone?
 
LemonMelon said:
Here's the track listing on my Salome set:

Disc 1:

1. Salome (Version 1) (5:57)
2. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 1) (4:03)
3. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 2) (3:42)
4. Heaven and Hell (6:44)
5. Doctor Doctor (2:35)
6. Jitterbug Baby (3:55)
7. Got to Get Together (9:14)
8. Salome (Version 2) (5:28)
9. Here Comes The Sunset/Chances Away (14:57)
10. Chances Away (Short Segment) (1:40)
11. I Feel Free (Version 1) (6:35)

Disc 2:

1. I Feel Free (Version 2) (4:31)
2. Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)
3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 1) (5:35)
4. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 2) (4:00)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 3) (4:09)
6. Take Today (Instrumental) (5:31)
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Instrumental) (6:29)
8. Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (4:51)
9. Blow Your House Down (Version 2) (7:44)
10. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 1) (7:38)
11. Wake Up Dead Man/Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (5:33)
12. Take Today (Vocals) (6:32)

Disc 3:

1. Calling Out to Someone (1:05)
2. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 2) (3:11)
3. Acrobat (4:19)
4. Salome (Version 3) (5:56)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 4) (5:09)
6. Wake Up Dead Man (Mix Version) (5:16)
7. Unnamed Instrumental (5:35)
8. Salome (Version 4) (3:50)
9. Salome (Version 5) (13:06)
10. Salome (Version 6) (5:58)
11. Salome (Version 7) (8:04)
12. Salome (Version 8) (12:03)

Where's Back Mask and Someone?
Click to expand...

They're probably from the massive 8 disc collection of these sessions. Ugh.
 
I've never heard a single track from the Salome sessions. Not sure I ever plan to, either.
 
LemonMacPhisto said:
They're probably from the massive 8 disc collection of these sessions. Ugh.
Click to expand...

Shit. I was hoping I wouldn't have to download that just to hear those two songs.

phillyfan26 said:
I've never heard a single track from the Salome sessions. Not sure I ever plan to, either.
Click to expand...

You really should. It's completely worth it for the first disc, which features some genuinely good obscurities. It gets repetitive after that, I'm sorry to say.
 
phillyfan26 said:
I've never heard a single track from the Salome sessions. Not sure I ever plan to, either.
Click to expand...

She's Gonna Blow Your House Down is worth hearing, can't remember which version though. I think it's the one with Wake Up Dead Man attached.
 
LemonMelon said:
Here's the track listing on my Salome set:

Disc 1:

1. Salome (Version 1) (5:57)
2. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 1) (4:03)
3. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 2) (3:42)
4. Heaven and Hell (6:44)
5. Doctor Doctor (2:35)
6. Jitterbug Baby (3:55)
7. Got to Get Together (9:14)
8. Salome (Version 2) (5:28)
9. Here Comes The Sunset/Chances Away (14:57)
10. Chances Away (Short Segment) (1:40)
11. I Feel Free (Version 1) (6:35)

Disc 2:

1. I Feel Free (Version 2) (4:31)
2. Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)
3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 1) (5:35)
4. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 2) (4:00)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 3) (4:09)
6. Take Today (Instrumental) (5:31)
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Instrumental) (6:29)
8. Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (4:51)
9. Blow Your House Down (Version 2) (7:44)
10. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 1) (7:38)
11. Wake Up Dead Man/Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (5:33)
12. Take Today (Vocals) (6:32)

Disc 3:

1. Calling Out to Someone (1:05)
2. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 2) (3:11)
3. Acrobat (4:19)
4. Salome (Version 3) (5:56)
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 4) (5:09)
6. Wake Up Dead Man (Mix Version) (5:16)
7. Unnamed Instrumental (5:35)
8. Salome (Version 4) (3:50)
9. Salome (Version 5) (13:06)
10. Salome (Version 6) (5:58)
11. Salome (Version 7) (8:04)
12. Salome (Version 8) (12:03)

Where's Back Mask and Someone?
Click to expand...

Someone is Calling Out To Someone.

Back Mask is Laughing In The Face of Love.

There are a couple other takes of Back Mask than what you have. As well as two more full length Blow Your House Down takes. Seriously the band has never rocked harder on those takes.
 
LemonMacPhisto said:
She's Gonna Blow Your House Down is worth hearing, can't remember which version though. I think it's the one with Wake Up Dead Man attached.
Click to expand...

My favorite is the one that starts with someone yelling "wow-wow-wow." The part at the beginning where Bono sings "Baby's gonna do some dancing" is one of the moments that I really wish was expanded on.
 
Screwtape2 said:
Someone is Calling Out To Someone.

Back Mask is Laughing In The Face of Love.

There are a couple other takes of Back Mask than what you have. As well as two more full length Blow Your House Down takes. Seriously the band has never rocked harder on those takes.
Click to expand...

Thanks. :up:
 
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