B-side to WITS

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doctorwho said:


But it would be nice to throw some of those types of songs on as b-sides.

"Pop" gave us "Holy Joe", "Slow Dancing" (Bono version), "Two Shots of Happy...", and "North and South of the River" as new songs. The rest were remixes or live tracks. 5 CD singles, but 4 new songs.

ATYCLB gave us "Always" and 'Sumer Rain" and "Big Girls Are Best" (although that was a bit of a promotional item). Again, the rest were remixes or live tracks. So 4 CD singles and just 3 new songs.

HTDAAB gave us "Neon Lights" (remake), "Are You Gonna Wait Forever" and that's it! The rest were remixes or live tracks. One was a remixed live track ("Ave Maria" with Bono and Pavaroitt)!!! So again, 4 CD's but really just one new track and one remake!

U2 is really dropping on the new material on their b-sides.
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I agree to a certain extent. Bomb was a bad trend in regards to B sides. But really, the only album that actually saw alot of purely U2 original new song b sides was The Joshua Tree.

Achtung Baby: Lady With The Spinning Head, Salome', Where Did It All Go Wrong, and if you want to stretch it and include "Alex Descends.." that would make a total of (4).

Rattle And Hum: Hallelujah, Here She Comes, A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel. (2)

Joshua Tree: Spanish Eyes, Walk To The Water, A Race Against Time, Silver And Gold, Luminous Times, Deep In The Heart, Sweetest Thing. (7) *Unforetunately I dont think we will ever see this kind of B side volume again.

Unf. Fire: Boomerang (I and II, same song, counting it as one), Love Comes Tumbling, Bass Trap, Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come, The Three Sunrises. (5) *alot of purely instrumentals though

War: Treasure, Endless Deep (2)

So the average really has been around 4 new B side songs per album which is close to what we have had up to ATYCLB. It tapered off to 2 again for Bomb obviously which I agree is weak. U2 seems to want to "save" songs. I wish they would just release them and then start from scratch when they go to record the next album. Unfortunately they wont.
 
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Well, as he and Chiz already stated, that's what happens when you release them all as part of an iTunes box set.

I would have left one or two off of that set and made them B-sides, like Smile.
 
I think we ought to consider other songs as part of Atomic Bomb b-sides such as Smile, Levitate, Flower Child, and Love You Like Mad (though personally I consider the last 3 as belonging to Leave Behind.)

And then there is Mercy - how is that to be classified?
 
Blue Room said:


I agree to a certain extent. Bomb was a bad trend in regards to B sides. But really, the only album that actually saw alot of purely U2 original new song b sides was The Joshua Tree.

Achtung Baby: Lady With The Spinning Head, Salome', Where Did It All Go Wrong, and if you want to stretch it and include "Alex Descends.." that would make a total of (4).

Rattle And Hum: Hallelujah, Here She Comes, A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel. (2)

Joshua Tree: Spanish Eyes, Walk To The Water, A Race Against Time, Silver And Gold, Luminous Times, Deep In The Heart, Sweetest Thing. (7) *Unforetunately I dont think we will ever see this kind of B side volume again.

Unf. Fire: Boomerang (I and II, same song, counting it as one), Love Comes Tumbling, Bass Trap, Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come, The Three Sunrises. (5) *alot of purely instrumentals though

War: Treasure, Endless Deep (2)

So the average really has been around 4 new B side songs per album which is close to what we have had up to ATYCLB. It tapered off to 2 again for Bomb obviously which I agree is weak. U2 seems to want to "save" songs. I wish they would just release them and then start from scratch when they go to record the next album. Unfortunately they wont.
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BUT...

R&H and AB also had cover songs. I will include cover songs as a reasonable b-side. I don't mind a band doing covers, as long as it's not their "big hit" song. The exception to this are when the songs are for charity (like the current "Saints" song).

And UF and "War" were released in an era when U2 didn't really release many singles AND 45 rpm singles were still in fashion. As such, there could only be maybe one other song on the release.

But in an era of CD singles, JT, R&H, and AB had covers, new material and remixes. Nice!

Since then, we've seen more and more remixes or live songs. O.K., I don't mind that. I enjoy remixes! But for "Bomb" to have one new song was really weak. And ATYCLB really only had 2 songs as "Big Girls..." could only be obtained as a special CD release (or on "U2-7").

I forgive ATYCLB because of the afore-mentioned "U2-7" as that was a nice way for fans to get the b-sides and remixes. But "Bomb" didn't have such an item - not that it needed it.

In truth, U2 does a good job with their lead singles. "Vertigo" featured a new song, remixes and a cover. Nice. :yes: "Beautiful Day" had two new songs. Sweet! :up: But the follow-up singles are lacking. And for a band with SO much material, toss the fans a few bones, eh?
 
Personally I like the live songs next best to new songs or covers, as long as the live songs are not DVD rips. Remixes are rarely good imo.

For WITS I'd like to see two live songs preferrably from tour stops that aren't on DVD or U2 Communication. I'd especially like to hear Discotheque and Crumbs live in good quality from the 3rd leg. And then a new song, original or cover; doesn't matter; even Mercy would be good.

Unfortunately we'll probably get the WITS (Jacknife Lee Remix), WITS (Paul Okenfold Remix), WITS (Temple Bar Remix), WITS (Rendaka Remix) + Vertigo, live from Chicago.
 
I'm hoping for repackaged b-sides from previous singles.........it would fit this project perfectly.

Oh wait, the new compilation doesn't even bother to contain the actual single mixes. So more fittingly, they should just throw album tracks on the single. Kite, anyone?
 
doctorwho said:


Which for some fans will be a "new" song, but for those who are familiar with the iTunes package, it's a song we've heard.

But I think you're right. If there is any "new" song, it will be "Smile" as that's being promoted with the digital download.
Click to expand...

That would be nice.

I'd rather see Levitate or Xanax and Wine as b-sides before that song though.

I think the smart decision is to release Mercy as a b-side already and stop all of the fussing.
 
"Love You Like Mad" for 2 reasons:

1. With "Smile" being the digital download for the album, surely they'd want a different track for the single otherwise no-one would buy both the single & album

2. LYLM is very close to the style/sound of WITS (compared to a remix, live song or other out-take)
 
I'm going to go with no track at all or some frivolous trance techno mix with a 5 minute repeating drum loop.
 
OOTS Live from Milan has been omitted from the bonus audio material that will be available with the various European iTunes packages (NA iTunes hasn't listed U218 yet). I think this might be the song they put on the cd single.
 
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