The one change I would have made to make this the most complete U2 album I've heard.

[Scrumps]

I hate to beat what I think is a very dead horse by bringing up Mercy, but I was thinking about the new album and how I can't stand the Crazy Tonight - Boots - Stand Up Comedy trilogy. It’s not each song, but a combination of the order and the fact that SUC is truly garbage (reminds me of Jason Mraz - The Remedy).

Now taking Stand Up Comedy out of the equation makes me feel the album is just short of one song to fill it out properly, and in lieu of anything new, unreleased or enjoyable to my ears, I chose Mercy. I think despite sound quality and the age of the song, it sits beautifully as an emotional climax to the album.

If you like trying albums in different formats, please give my track listing a chance.

1. No Line on the Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Unknown Caller
5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
6. Get On Your Boots
7. Fez - Being Born
8. White As Snow
9. Mercy
10. Breathe
11. Cedars of Lebanon

Of course not everyone will agree, but I think someone out there will.

My justifications - tracks 1 to 5 flow well and I can't fault them here. It’s interesting and while it does climax with the uber pop of Crazy Tonight, it’s palatable. Then the immediate change of pace with Boots works for me to jar the listener back to attention.

I think Fez should come straight after Boots, as the 'Let Me in the Sound' refrain has a greater impact in this couplet.

White as Snow follows well as a moment of reflection on what we've heard so far, and then Mercy grows out of that into the crescendo we all know of (even if you don't like the song, try to appreciate the shape of the song in context).

Out of the sort of musical exhaustion I feel Mercy is comes Breathe just to ram the point home and keep that adrenaline flowing, before Cedars of Lebanon sends us off feeling satisfied and calm.

That’s just how I see it. Would have made it an amazing album for me. I'd love to hear any feedback.

 

[purpleoscar]

Yeah that would diminish the album for me. Mercy is obviously unfinished with a dated sound back to 2004. Of course you can burn whatever CD you want so by all means go for it.

 

[Scrumps]

Well obviously in an ideal world I would have liked the album to have been released in this order with a version of Mercy that keeps what I enjoy about the song along with a well produced sound (I don't think the musical style itself would sit out of place).

 

[shaun vox]

i only listen to

1. Magnificent
2. Moment of Surrender

dont know if i will buy the album if i will only listen to 2 or three songs.

 

[purpleoscar]

i only listen to

1. Magnificent
2. Moment of Surrender

dont know if i will buy the album if i will only listen to 2 or three songs.

You just like attention.

 

[hasin73]

I would love to have Mercy in this CD.

 

[Rob33]

i only listen to

1. Magnificent
2. Moment of Surrender

dont know if i will buy the album if i will only listen to 2 or three songs.

dude, holy shit, it's called some fucking patience....give the songs a chance for fuck's sake.....just cause they don't hit you immediately doesn't mean they aren't worth it...

 

[last unicorn]

The album is complete to me, I never skip a song.

Those who only play selected songs miss out big time.

 

[pudgie_child]

I put this in another thread, but this is the sequence I've employed to try to salvage the album:

1. No Line On The Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Get On Your Boots
5. White As Snow
6. Breathe
7. Fez-Being Born
8. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
9. Cedars of Lebanon
10. Unknown Caller

I moved "Breathe" up because I think it's the best song on the album. I took out "Stand Up Comedy" for reasons that don't need to be explained.

 

[Salome]

Of course not everyone will agree,

true that
Mercy would have felt like a weak attempt to do what the first 4 songs did far better
unless they change a lot, but that would be like saying "I wish they would replace this song by an even better song" which in the end is always true

 

[Scrumps]

The album is complete to me, I never skip a song.

Those who only play selected songs miss out big time.

I skip one song. I really am not missing anything in Stand Up Comedy.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Damn you Stand Up Comedy haters.

No changes are needed, maybe an extra song?

 

[andyuk]

I Love Stand Up Comedy!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I Love Stand Up Comedy!

Yeah! Lets go spread the love for SUC!

 

[Tripoli]

while stand up is better for me now that i know he means stand up for god, its still a really weak song. suc sucks

as does uc

uc and suc both suck

 

[pudgie_child]

while stand up is better for me now that i know he means stand up for god, its still a really weak song. suc sucks

as does uc

uc and suc both suck

I also agree that UC is one of the weaker songs on the album. When I put it at the end of the playlist, it doesn't weigh down the rest of the album like it does at position #4.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I wonder why, both have UC in their acronyms.

 

[lazarus]

Mercy is obviously unfinished with a dated sound back to 2004.

How does it feel to not know what the hell you're talking about?

Just asking.

 

[popshopper]

I love how people think they'd simply take Mercy from the 2004 session and plop straight into the album. Personally I think the Mercy guitar break is excellent and I would have loved Eno and Lanois to have taken a run at the song, and Bono to have come up with a chorus and tidied up the lyrics. The song in it's 2004 form isn't good enough, but there was plenty there to work with.

Smile is another song which I think two weeks of additional writing with Eno would have worked wonders with the song

Stand Up Comedy, Crazy and Boots are the problems on this album, not so much the individual songs both Crazy and Boots are decent and SUC has a nice guitar riff but the production and the lyrics are just off. The main problem is the album is bookended by two extremely emotional sections and then 3 throwaway pop numbers completely ruin the mood. By itself Boots would be enough of a depth charge in the middle of the album to jar the listener, but it being surrounded by two radio friendly pop songs make the album sound like 3 ep's stuck together, there's not much flow.

 

[oski2005]

Mercy probably got scrapped because the chord progression and melody of the chorus is extremely similar to Kite. Next time you listen to Mercy try singing the chorus to Kite and you'll see it fits perfectly.

If I were to play this game, I'd replace I'll Go Crazy withe Mercy.

 

[sony]

I only avoid Fez-Being Born, i hope it will grow on em but it hasent yet I like crazy!!

 

[FredReis]

I also think that Boots (1st) and Fez (2nd) should be together, most because of the 'let me in the sound' part.

Another song that's really growing on me is Cedars.. first I was thinking that White As Snow should be last song...but Cedars is making the whole sense now, is most sponken than singing, the 'return the call to home' is catchy (shame that only happens twice in the song).. I always feel that should be a great to Lou Reed or Johnny Cash to sing.

 

[wolf Q]

I love Stand Up Comedy....and quite honestly I never got the whole Mercy thing...its an okay song...really don't think it's that great. *shrugs*

 

[Chief43]

I would put every alternative version of any U2 song on an album just because its unreleased.

 

[mikal]

true that
Mercy would have felt like a weak attempt to do what the first 4 songs did far better
unless they change a lot, but that would be like saying "I wish they would replace this song by an even better song" which in the end is always true

these are my feelings as well.

 

[TheEnd]

I don't understand why people are so interesting in having a song they have been listening to for years put on a brand new album with all new material. Don't get me wrong, Mercy is a gem, but I've been listening to it for years. I'd rather have a great new song like 'Fez' on the album than one I'm very familiar with.

Edit: Oops, my mistake -- it's an addtion not a replacement. Still, it's a familiar song. I'd still rather have an extra unheard track.

 

[Chief43]

I don't understand why people are so interesting in having a song they have been listening to for years put on a brand new album with all new material. Don't get me wrong, Mercy is a gem, but I've been listening to it for years. I'd rather have a great new song like 'Fez' on the album than one I'm very familiar with.

Edit: Oops, my mistake -- it's an addtion not a replacement. Still, it's a familiar song. I'd still rather have an extra unheard track.

. Lets appreciate Mercy for its potential and move on.

 

[mikal]

I don't understand why people are so interesting in having a song they have been listening to for years put on a brand new album with all new material. Don't get me wrong, Mercy is a gem, but I've been listening to it for years. I'd rather have a great new song like 'Fez' on the album than one I'm very familiar with.

Edit: Oops, my mistake -- it's an addtion not a replacement. Still, it's a familiar song. I'd still rather have an extra unheard track.

this is true also. it's kind of like when "No Cars Go" was on Neon Bible.

 

[coemgen]

Stand Up Comedy is way better than Mercy, which is utterly horrible. It's a b-side for a reason. Stand Up Comedy will be a single.

 

[lars4mf]

I went crazy tonight and removed Boots, Crazy and SUC

and added mercy and Stateless. Two that fit perfectly with this material. Just as an experiment. It works well.

NOLOTH
MAG
MOS
UC (Moroccan Side 1 close)
FEZ (Moroccan Side 2 start)
Mercy (perfect Centerpiece)
Breathe
Stateless (Late Night. CLosing down)
white as snow
Cedars of Lebanon.

Try this, and see how it works to create the nice atmosphere.