U2 Albums Not Living Up To Their Potential

[Screwtape2]

Yes, what exactly are the Untitled Instrumental and Diamond Store?

The Untitled Instrumental is an Unforgettable Fire outtake. It is very heavy with Adam and Edge exploring the sonic landscape.

Diamond Store is one of the 30-50 second Joshua Tree demo clips. It sounds like something in the vein of Exit with a menacing harmonica.

 

[LMP]

The Untitled Instrumental is an Unforgettable Fire outtake. It is very heavy with Adam and Edge exploring the sonic landscape.

Diamond Store is one of the 30-50 second Joshua Tree demo clips. It sounds like something in the vein of Exit with a menacing harmonica.

30 to 50 seconds? Come on now.

 

[LemonMelon]

30 to 50 seconds? Come on now.

At least it didn't make his top 50.

 

[LMP]

At least it didn't make his top 50.

Well played.

 

[U2girl]

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.

Do we need yet another album song that is similar to Walk on and Crumbs ?
And THTBA is one of their most hated songs this decade.

No. I wish that Levitate had made it onto ATYCLB though, the best of the rare and unreleased songs.

 

[Mr. V]

you dropped Love is Blindness?

 

[djerdap]

Less is more. Not every album has to have 15 songs.

 

[ahittle]

I would agree with your premise that some U2 records have not lived up to their potential. I always say the true test of a U2 record is the strength of side B.

They can pretty much always put together a strong side A and they do tend to front-load their albums with singles and more successful compositions. And they tend to bury experiments, half-thoughts, and not-quite-there tracks toward the end. A lot of artists do this, but there are some pretty flawed side B's in U2's canon. Think of the most abhorred U2 songs around here - side B all the way.

My favorite U2 records - Boy, JT, AB - have pretty killer second halves. (I'd include UF, but I am not among the EPIA lovers.)

But I don't think the "fixes" to these records can be found in demos and super-obscure studio fragments. It's a larger issue: either rushing through a project and second-guessing themselves like Pop; or ditching a pretty good idea and watering themselves down like Bomb.

 

[LemonMelon]

Less is more. Not every album has to have 15 songs.

True. It all depends on the material available.

Based on the b-sides and Unreleased And Rare, I do believe that HTDAAB is an album that should have had about that many songs.

 

[U2girl]

Less is more. Not every album has to have 15 songs.

Especially not U2 albums.

 

[65980]

I don't really think many U2 albums have failed to live up to their potential. Yes, we can always nitpick one or two tracks here or there: for example, I concur that "Bass Trap" is the prettiest piece of music they've ever made and should have had a place on Unforgettable Fire (over "4th of July" if not others), but I don't think tinkering one song here or there completely rescues an album's achieved potential. There are, perhaps, a few that could have been significantly improved by improving the tracklisting:

Rattle and Hum -- This is obvious. A few of the live tracks are not very good -- or are just redundant, like "Bullet The Blue Sky" -- and with tracks like "Hallelujah Here She Comes" and the "Everlasting Love" cover available, they might have made a noticeably better album (not to mention the rehearsal of "Desire" in the movie is much better than the version selected for the album).

I think Zooropa is one solid song away from greatness, and that song might have been the lovely "Slow Dancing", easily one of U2's best songs of the 90s (actually written in 1989 though). So, that would help that record, but again it's just one measly song.

Pop is obviously the one album that never seemed to settle or to please the group. I think the tracklisting is fine, but what they should have done was forced themselves to record the whole thing on 4-track equipment, to avoid the million overdubs by 18 producers and engineers, which in the end almost ruined the album.


So, I think those three records in particular might have been noticeably improved by fairly simple means, but I wouldn't say that any other album "failed to live up to its potential". You're certainly not improving albums by loading them with 16 tracks and filler. Sometimes less is more.

 

[Bono's shades]

Sorry, Screwtape. You lost me when you said Treasure should have been the opening track on War instead of Sunday Bloody Sunday. SBS is everything the opening track to an album should be.

 

[Screwtape2]

Sorry, Screwtape. You lost me when you said Treasure should have been the opening track on War instead of Sunday Bloody Sunday. SBS is everything the opening track to an album should be.

Well, my main thing is that they left out album worthy tracks and in a few cases over tracks that didn't belong on the album. The track orders are more a look at what the albums could have looked like. The track orders aren't anywhere near as important as what they left off or left on the albums.

 

[namkcuR]

ATYCLB would've made more sense if they had went 100% with the idea of making a pop album, without letting the idea of making a 'comeback' album with an update/renewal of their 80s sound get in the way. I love Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York, but they don't fit the rest of the record - they're big songs, they're anthems. They don't fit the pop song mold.

1.Always
2.Stuck In A Moment(full version, acoustic version, whatever)
3.In A Little While
4.Wild Honey
5.Flower Child
6.Summer Rain
7.Falling At Your Feet
8.When I Look At The World
9.Kite
10.The Ground Beneath Her Feet
11.Stateless

I call it, "Stateless"

Perhaps 'Grace' or 'Peace On Earth' could go somewhere in there too, I don't know.

I think this would've been a VERY interesting record, and it wouldn't have elicited any 'sell out' or 'U2 is trying to sound like they did in the 80s' commentary. That would've just been U2 taking yet another stylistic turn in their career.

Imagine, In A Little While, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Kite, Always, and Stuck In A Moment as singles. Or Summer Rain. Or Flower Child. Any of them.

Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York could be put on an EP or another album later on, where they might fit better. Beautiful Day certainly deserves to be heard.

 

[ahittle]

ATYCLB would've made more sense if they had went 100% with the idea of making a pop album, without letting the idea of making a 'comeback' album with an update/renewal of their 80s sound get in the way. I love Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York, but they don't fit the rest of the record - they're big songs, they're anthems. They don't fit the pop song mold.

1.Always
2.Stuck In A Moment(full version, acoustic version, whatever)
3.In A Little While
4.Wild Honey
5.Flower Child
6.Summer Rain
7.Falling At Your Feet
8.When I Look At The World
9.Kite
10.The Ground Beneath Her Feet
11.Stateless

I call it, "Stateless"

Perhaps 'Grace' or 'Peace On Earth' could go somewhere in there too, I don't know.

I think this would've been a VERY interesting record, and it wouldn't have elicited any 'sell out' or 'U2 is trying to sound like they did in the 80s' commentary. That would've just been U2 taking yet another stylistic turn in their career.

Imagine, In A Little While, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Kite, Always, and Stuck In A Moment as singles. Or Summer Rain. Or Flower Child. Any of them.

Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York could be put on an EP or another album later on, where they might fit better. Beautiful Day certainly deserves to be heard.

This record would have broken up the band.

 

[phillyfan26]

ATYCLB would've made more sense if they had went 100% with the idea of making a pop album, without letting the idea of making a 'comeback' album with an update/renewal of their 80s sound get in the way. I love Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York, but they don't fit the rest of the record - they're big songs, they're anthems. They don't fit the pop song mold.

1.Always
2.Stuck In A Moment(full version, acoustic version, whatever)
3.In A Little While
4.Wild Honey
5.Flower Child
6.Summer Rain
7.Falling At Your Feet
8.When I Look At The World
9.Kite
10.The Ground Beneath Her Feet
11.Stateless

I call it, "Stateless"

Perhaps 'Grace' or 'Peace On Earth' could go somewhere in there too, I don't know.

I think this would've been a VERY interesting record, and it wouldn't have elicited any 'sell out' or 'U2 is trying to sound like they did in the 80s' commentary. That would've just been U2 taking yet another stylistic turn in their career.

Imagine, In A Little While, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Kite, Always, and Stuck In A Moment as singles. Or Summer Rain. Or Flower Child. Any of them.

Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York could be put on an EP or another album later on, where they might fit better. Beautiful Day certainly deserves to be heard.

I really, really don't like that tracklisting. That takes three of the five worthwhile tracks off the album.

 

[the tourist]

I had something planned out. But really, what does it matter?

 

[david]

I really, really don't like that tracklisting. That takes three of the five worthwhile tracks off the album.

I agree, that tracklisting is weak.

Seriously weak.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

if angels and be there had made it onto an album, i don't think i'd like the band anymore. especially if they were both on the same album.

 

[Screwtape2]

if angels and be there had made it onto an album, i don't think i'd like the band anymore. especially if they were both on the same album.

Two songs would be the difference between liking and not liking a band?

 

[LMP]

I really, really don't like that tracklisting. That takes three of the five worthwhile tracks off the album.

Yes.

And it sucks.

 

[namkcuR]

Well, I'm sorry you guys feel that way about that tracklisting. I stand by it. In fact, I just listened to it beginning to end tonight.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet is a great song, it should've been on every ATYCLB release.

Stateless and Falling At Your Feet are gorgeous pop songs, they deserve a place on a U2 album.

Every song in this tracklist is a moderately to highly enjoyable pop song.

All imo, of course.

Anyway, I dig this tracklisting, but, it's all a matter of opinion.

The MDH songs

 

[LemonMelon]

Two songs would be the difference between liking and not liking a band?

Yeah, to be honest, I thought that was a bit of a stretch on Khan's part.

 

[the tourist]

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?

My 3 disc version (as it was on a burned cd and had no written tracklisting, iTunes gave me the tracklist) is tagged as follows:

Disc 1:

Salome
Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Heaven And Hell
Doctor Doctor
Jitterbug Baby
Salome
Salome
Sunset In Colours
Chances Away
I Feel Free

Disc 2:

I Feel Free
Sweet Baby Jane
Morning Child, Don't Turn Around
Morning Child, Don't Turn Around
Morning Child, Don't Turn Around
Take Today
Even Better Than The Real Thing
She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around
She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around
Back Mask
She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around
Take Today

Disc 3:

Someone
Back Mask
Acrobat
Salome
Morning Child/Don't Turn Around
Take You Down
Going Down South
Salome
Salome
Salome
Salome
Salome

 

[the tourist]

My WAR album (split into two discs, like Thrice's latest)

Disc 1

01. Sunday Bloody Sunday
02. Seconds
03. New Year's Day
04. Like A Song
05. The Refugee
06. Endless Deep

Disc 2

01. A Celebration
02. Two Hearts Beat As One
03. Red Light (subtract girl vocals, replace horns with piano)
04. Surrender
05. Drowning Man
06. 40 (add one week in the studio to this one)

 

[the tourist]

My ACHTUNG BABY album:

01. Zoo Station
02. The Fly
03. Mysterious Ways
04. Even Better Than The Real Thing
05. Lady With The Spinning Head
06. She's Gonna Blow Your House Down
07. Until The End Of The World
08. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
09. One (done EXACTLY like on the ZooTV dvd, but in the studio)
10. Ultraviolet
11. Acrobat
12. Love Is Blindness (done EXACTLY like on ZooTV dvd, but in the studio)

and followed by ZOOROPA

01. Zooropa
02. Lemon
03. Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
04. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
05. So Cruel
06. Numb
07. Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
08. Dirty Day (done EXACTLY like on ZooTV dvd, but in the studio)
09. The First Time
10. The Wanderer

 

[LMP]

Well, I'm sorry you guys feel that way about that tracklisting. I stand by it. In fact, I just listened to it beginning to end tonight.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet is a great song, it should've been on every ATYCLB release.

Stateless and Falling At Your Feet are gorgeous pop songs, they deserve a place on a U2 album.

Every song in this tracklist is a moderately to highly enjoyable pop song.

All imo, of course.

Anyway, I dig this tracklisting, but, it's all a matter of opinion.

The MDH songs

Hey, if you like it, then who am I to judge? That's awesome. But to say that it would've been better upon release with that tracklisting, then I will disagree as vehemently as before.

The songs you cut are pop songs as well. Trading Beautiful Day for Always doesn't help lower the "anthemic" song count either.

Here's my personal mix for ATYCLB... not to say it's better, but I enjoy it:

1. Beautiful Day
2. In a Little While
3. Sweetest Thing (Single)
4. Summer Rain
5. Flower Child
6. Stuck in a Moment (Acoustic)
7. Kite
8. When I Look at the World
9. Stateless
10. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
11. The Hands That Built America (The Edit + 2.5 VariSpeed)
12. Peace on Earth / Walk On (from 'America: A Tribute to Heroes)

I pictured Elevation as a one-off soundtrack song, like it was used for Tomb Raider, and New York and Wild Honey would be b-sides. The Nice Mix and live versions of New York kick ass, but I'm not a big fan of the album cut and wanted to stop at 12 songs for this particular mix.

 

[the tourist]

My RATTLE & HUM

Disc 1: The Studio

01. Beautiful Ghost
02. Hawkmoon 269
03. Angel Of Harlem
04. When Love Comes To Town
05. A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel
06. She's A Mystery To Me
07. Love Rescue Me
08. Van Diemen's Land
09. Desire
10. God Part II
11. Heartland
12. All I Want Is You

Disc 2: Live

01. Star Spangled Banner
02. Bullet The Blue Sky
03. Running To Stand Still
04. Bad
05. Exit/Gloria
06. Sunday Bloody Sunday
07. New Year's Day
08. Where The Streets Have No Name
09. Pride
10. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
11. With Or Without You

Disc 3: The Covers (studio)

01. Helter Skelter
02. All Along The Watchtower
03. Everlasting Love
04. Unchained Melody
05. Dancing Barefoot
06. Stand By Me
07. Help
08. Knocking On Heaven's Door
09. Night And Day
10. People Get Ready

 

[Airseven]

My only real issue in terms of album composition is with Rattle & Hum. I honestly believe the new songs had the potential and scale to stand alone as a bonafide follow-up to Joshua Tree. I've redone the album myself and edited the transitions to make it flow better:

1 - Van Diemen's Land (fade in/fade out)
2 - Desire
3 - When Love Comes To Town
4 - Heartland
5 - Hawkmoon 269
6 - Dancing Barefoot
7 - Freedom For My People (interlude/intro...)
8 - Silver And Gold
9 - Angel Of Harlem
10 - Hallelujah Here She Comes
11 - God Part II
12 - Love Rescue Me
13 - A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel
14 - All I Want Is You

 

[Screwtape2]

Taking the released non-album tracks from The Joshua Tree I made an album. Listening to it, I’d place it with The Joshua Tree at the top when it comes to U2 albums.

Birdland

1. Beautiful Ghost
2. Wave Of Sorrow
3. Silver & Gold
4. Spanish Eyes
5. Rise Up
6. Drunk Chicken
7. Desert Of Our Love
8. Race Against Time
9. Deep In The Heart
10. Luminou s Times
11. Walk To The Water

Rating it, I’d give it five out of five stars. It is the perfect mix of darkness and hope.
This is what I think ATYCLB should have looked like:

Flower Child

1. When I Look At The World
2. Always
3. Peace On Earth
4. Dancing Shoes
5. Falling At Your Feet
6. Stateless
7. Levitate
8. Summer Rain
9. Flower Child
10. Love You Like Mad
11. The Ground Beneath Her Feet

My rating for it is actually a 3.5 out of 5. It is actually a really good pop album like this.

Signs & Wonders

1. City of Blinding Lights
2. Native Son
3. Fast Cars
4. Big Girls Are Best
5. Love and Peace or Else
6. Are You Gonna Wait Forever
7. Smile
8. Xanax and White
9. Crumbs From Your Table
10. Electrical Storm
11. Miracle Drug
12. Mercy

I hate Bomb so much but with this tracklist I’d rate it a four out of five. It’d be tied with Pop and just behind TJT, TUF, AB, Zooropa and Passengers. Instead we get an embarrassment to the band.