Will we hear the "1st" version of NLOTH?

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agreed. U2 are one of a kind. Take Bruce Springsteen for example - He is a god of rock and tours like there is no tomorrow (and my god I wish he would get that hot ass to Australia some time), but hasn't written a song that could hit the charts and the crowds like Vertigo in decades. The Stones are another one - they're still touring, and rokcing out crowds of 80 000 but they don't have the song writting oopmh anymore. U2 stand out in that respect, so its easier to have faith that they'll keep hitting the mark again and again until they know that they no longer have it.

Well, I agree. U2 is did something amazing with Vertigo. But we also have to accept that Rock is not mainstream anymore (in U.S.). Songs like Radio Nowhere (Bruce Springsteen), Supernatural Superserious (R.E.M.) or Streets of Love (Stones), for example, would be massive hits 15-20 years ago, but today they have no impact at all. Vertigo actually is something really weird in these days and I would be very surprised if the new single makes any impact on American charts that are not rock-related.
And Aerosmith is more pop, but still manage to write hits too... let's see what happens with their new album. :hmm:

P.S. - Coldplay did it, so why not U2, right? :D
 
I think the "punk" version of NLOTH is the first one, because they played that one in early 2008 to a reporter when they were at Sundance. There is also an audio clip recorded at HQ in spring with that version. I heard of the "ambient" version only in the Q interview. Personally, I'm curious about both and I would love to hear both of them, on the album. I know they won't do it, they will go with the punk version because Bono and Edge seemed to love that version from the very beginning. I have no reason to assume it will sound like Vertigo. There are more than only two categories of songs, more than only "rock" (=Vertigo) and "non-rock" (=everything else).
 
This is all I know for sure:

1) U2 will put one version of NLOTH on the album
2) the other version will surface later, either as a leaked track, B-side, iTunes extra, etc
3) 90% of us here on interference will be upset that U2 put the "wrong" version on the album

:wink:

True.
 
I'm too lazy to read the whole thread....

But if there're two halves to this album, why not have both versions? One version starts one "side" and the other version starts the other "side". Or one version begins the album and the other version ends it.
 
I'm too lazy to read the whole thread....

But if there're two halves to this album, why not have both versions? One version starts one "side" and the other version starts the other "side". Or one version begins the album and the other version ends it.

:up:


BUT, if there has to be only one version of NLOTH on the album, I hope they'll merge both of them into one song... Zooropa style... :hyper:
slow ambient version first that builds into a punk rocker in second half....

:rockon:
 
Perhaps we'll see the reprise of the Reprise?

I remember many albums in the 70s had a second version of a song (reprise) at the end of the album. More common with prog rock and musicals/shows. But maybe NLOTH will restart the trend!

Imagine NLOTH (Reprise) as a hidden or bonus track :hyper:
 
I think the "punk" version of NLOTH is the first one, because they played that one in early 2008 to a reporter when they were at Sundance. There is also an audio clip recorded at HQ in spring with that version. I heard of the "ambient" version only in the Q interview. Personally, I'm curious about both and I would love to hear both of them, on the album. I know they won't do it, they will go with the punk version because Bono and Edge seemed to love that version from the very beginning. I have no reason to assume it will sound like Vertigo. There are more than only two categories of songs, more than only "rock" (=Vertigo) and "non-rock" (=everything else).

All Q quotes on the song imply the opposite.

And the Sundance version was not described as punk, only that it had very distorted guitar which led into a sublime (probably ambient) chorus.
 
^ It was described as "heavy". I cannot find the interview now, but somehow that doesn't sound like the ambient version.

Also, the opening lyrics were supposed to be "It's six o'clock".

But we don't know about the number of transformations this song has behind it.
 
All Q quotes on the song imply the opposite.

And the Sundance version was not described as punk, only that it had very distorted guitar which led into a sublime (probably ambient) chorus.

the quote cited "brutal guitar blasts" and a "mellow title refrain"
 
Well, there is no mellow anything in a song described as punk. How exactly did Q describe the other version--I know they mentioned layers, but did they call it ambient? Even if they did, it seems like this would be an accurate description of the chorus. The demo they played for the journalist at sundance was probably distinct from either version, but regardless, it's pretty clear (especially from the minisite Q review) that the layered version came before the punk version.
 
It seems the version they played for the USA Today reporter was an earlier version of the more "ambient" sounding take. That one seems very interesting and I do hope we get to hear it. I wonder how much of a transformation the song made to get to the "punk" version they recorded in London.
 
I hope the punk version won and they don't release "alternative version" like they did with Bomb.
 
The punk version did "win" according to Q, and why wouldn't you want them to release the alternate version at some point??
 
^^^^^^^^

yeah, i would hate it if i didn't at least get to experience the alternate version. i feel fortunate that we got all those different versions of HTDAAB songs. it makes it more fun, imo.
 
Hopefully it will be released as a B Side if its an alternate version. They might hold back some of the more promising songs for future albums, but if there's a finished alternative version of an album track, they've no reason to hang on to it.
 
The punk version did "win" according to Q, and why wouldn't you want them to release the alternate version at some point??

Maybe. Knowing U2, they may yet go back to the original version and the punk version may get the boot.

Release the version that fits best with the album. :shrug: I don't really care for the second version of the same song. I wish it never happened with Bomb songs.
 
Nah, I personally love to hear alternate versions. Even though I rarely listen to them anymore, I really dig stuff like the Salome/Axtung Beibi Outtakes. I love hearing how this song used to be this one, or these two songs sprang from this early one, etc. :nerd:
 
I liked the alternative lyric to ABOY but that's about it. Salome tapes are even worse.
 
I liked the alternative lyric to ABOY but that's about it. Salome tapes are even worse.

Well, yeah, the Salome takes are terrible to sit an listen to if you want to listen to music just for enjoyment. But for us nerds who like to pick out riffs or feel like we're spying on the creation of a masterpiece, they're awesome. :wink:

That's why I rarely listen to them at all anymore---I've gotten what I can out of them. And I don't think I've ever made it through all of the extra four discs of drum loops.
 
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