So, Winter's been rerecorded (streaming link inside)

[Muldfeld]

Did you ever think maybe that's how they wanted it to sound? And how it sits well with Sheridan's film?

I was just going to say that maybe U2 wanted it to sound this way and that's the trouble. This kind of vocal from Bono is what the mainstream has come to expect from him this decade. It's so formulaic and typical. It's dull and calculated for mass appeal.

I wonder if it was recorded after the first leg of the tour and his voice was kinda ruined at that point. I've never understood Bono's criticism that his voice sounded too high. It was unskilled on the first 3 albums and maybe even the 4th, but I never thought that what was missing was more grit. He just needed a greater range and sense of how to sing. Anyway, I preferred the '90s-sounding vocal of the first version.

Actually I like it. I still love the original, but this is a different version and some bits of the song do project better. Now that the lyrics in the chorus are more inteligible, it's noticeable that they are actually beautiful.

It does seem as though this is the version Eno was talking about.

Now that you say that, the snob in me wants to give it much more effort.

 

[santiago]

Now that you say that, the snob in me wants to give it much more effort.

He, he!

I think the new vocal is still good. You're right it lacks that nice "live in the studio" feel of the original (a bit like the Salome outtakes), but it goes with the ballad feel. It would not have hurt to mix it a bit lower, though.

I am not sure about the electronic drums, but I don't know whether they are cool in a Moment of Surrender way or whether they are horrible in a r&b ballad kind of way.

I'll guess my inner snob will have to wait until I know whether they were produced by Lanois!

 

[U2girl]

Much better. Reminds me of Kingdom in a way, very atmospheric and Eno all over it.

Pwns the Linear "let's rehash UF era U2" outtake.

 

[AEKU2]

i cant believe it. Bono gets gasbagged for sounding like his whiny on the song. Sometimes i wonder about the people on this forum. Should Bono just shut the fuck up from now on and not sing anymore. Would all of you be happy if U2 becomes an instrumental band????

 

[Rasden]

very interesting drums..
finally the viva la vida intro seems disappear

i'd like u2.com opens for a full listen of this track..

According to you when we'll be able to listen the complete song?

 

[SecretFly]

The song sux. The band have lost the plot. Sounds very bland IMO

 

[super fly guy]

Pretty boring really,should have put it on the film soundtrack and forgot about it.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I didn't like the VLV strings, but I didn't mind that rhythm.

This sounds okay. Bummer if the 'Lanois' part, complete with Bonos falsetto is gone, because that was gorgeous.

Looking forward to hearing the whole thing. I never said the original Winter was great, just that it was essentially a skeleton of a song that had great potential. Hope its reaching for it.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Nice to see the usual u2 bashers out in force again

 

[jacobus]

its still a boring song. bad mix of HTDAAB leftovers
bring on the next decade, i hope they will get better ideas again in the future. bring back flood!

@LemonMelon: you're right, lousy vocals!

 

[U2girl]

This sounds nothing like HTDAAB or the other 00's output, "lousy" vocal included.

Feels more fresh, like Kingdom. The first taste of U2 4.0...

 

[KUEFC09U2]

its still a boring song. bad mix of HTDAAB leftovers
bring on the next decade, i hope they will get better ideas again in the future. bring back flood!

@LemonMelon: you're right, lousy vocals!

Right on time.

 

[jacobus]

This sounds nothing like HTDAAB or the other 00's output, "lousy" vocal included.

Feels more fresh, like Kingdom. The first taste of U2 4.0...

are you deaf? its the lousy sound of HTDAAB

@KUEFC09U2: ola meu amigo keep cool and smile! you like it, i don't. whats the problem?

 

[KUEFC09U2]

are you deaf? its the lousy sound of HTDAAB

@KUEFC09U2: ola meu amigo keep cool and smile! you like it, i don't. whats the problem?

Total contradiction, you go from telling me that its only an opnion, to saying U2Girl is deaf for thinking it doesnt sound like HTDAAB?

 

[U2girl]

There's absolutely nothing like this on Bomb.

 

[ndmaxfield]

I'm disappointed. The original version really effectively sets a complex mood that fits the theme of the song (the starkness of the original intro, Edge's Mercy-like guitar line driving the journey through a far-off land, Bono's great vocal delivery on the original version, including his narration of the young man's development into manhood using the Big-Jim voice, Edge's other guitar elements including the part where he simulates the helicopter in the desert using his guitar). For me, the original music and the story told by the lyrics go hand-in-hand (the music is not just incidental in this type of song). I actually just hoped they'd rerecord Adam for the song and leave everything else alone (I didn't like the original bass part; I hoped they'd maybe also replace those strings in the original intro with something different; but that's about it). This new version sounds like Bono programmed some simple chords and a drum loop on his keyboard at home and started singing over the top (before warming-up his voice).

 

[nielsgov]

I didn't like the oiginal version and I don't really like this clip but of course it's only 90 seconds. I would like to hear the whole song. The clip sounds a bit empty.

 

[mikal]

wow. seeing a lot of idiotic posts in this thread.

i like it. i think the subtle piano during the "broken and bruised" part is beautiful. i have no problem with U2 producing songs like this. subtlety is what makes songs like Running To Stand Still, The First Time and Heartland some of my favorite U2 songs. from our eyewitness from the first page, it seems like the song fits the end of the movie very well. remember, U2 made this song for a movie, so if stripping it down a little is what they had to do to help it fit the movie, then they did so successfully.

some of you that are bashing the song after only hearing about 1/3 of it look really stupid right now.

 

[digitize]

Okay, so, after re-listening, I think I really love this version of the song, or what we have of it. One thing I notice: how Bono tackles the "summer sang in me" line is pure awesomeness.

And this is about a far from Bomb as one can get, that's for sure.

 

[Registered Dude]

This is nothing like HTDAAB... seriously, some of you need to invest in a good pair of headphones and open your ears. there are dynamics at play, textures, subtetly!

can't wait to hear the new version in its entirety..

 

[digitize]

Wait, you're forgetting the dynamic subtlety of All Because of You!!

YouTube - U2 - All Because Of You: RE-1 w/out Glasses Fix

Oh... no, you're not.

 

[MEAT10AF]

To be frank, as someone who's seen "Brothers" and heard the new "Winter" in full, the old version really wouldn't have fit the end of the movie that this was made for. The movie has a somber ending that flows right into a slow, somber song like the new "Winter".

The new version, I'm my opinion, flows much better and lacks the choppy transitions of the original. The opera ending, while still present, is better in the new version as well.

I do miss the Lanois bit from the original, but I'm pretty sure even that is still present in traces during other parts of the song.

In the case of this song, it was all about fitting the film it was made for, and I think it does that perfectly.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

well, now I like it There is no more funny transitions like in the original. at least in this 1:30min

 

[djerdap]

Liked the Linear version much better. The electric guitar riff is sorely missed. This sounds way too "syrupy" for my tastes.

 

[Diemen]

are you deaf?

wow. seeing a lot of idiotic posts in this thread.

We could do without the insults, guys.

 

[topplehatU2]

I disagree with those saying it doesn't sound like anything from Bomb. It reminds me very much of One Step Closer, which is a good thing.

 

[Tim Wallach]

I realize I'm in a minority here, but I loved the original and I only like this version.

Hell, I didn't even mind the VLV strings. But what I loved about the original was how it incorporated all of the classic U2 elements. Edge's jangling two-note guitar work shortly joined by Adam's thumping bass and Larry's "Gloria" drumming. I thought it sounded brilliant. Perhaps it needed some tweaking, but I adored it.

This one is kind of nice, and likely fits the movie well, but for my taste, is now missing a lot of what made the original great for me.

 

[Jdelbove]

when are we going to get the whole thing?

 

[Danny Boy]

When the DVD is released?

 

[gvox]

Can people stop with the bullshit VLV comparison/insinuation/accusations now? I think this pretty much proves that the original was recorded before Viva La Vida was released or they heard it. That would be the logical conclusion to them dropping the intro, imo.