Shuttlecock IX: Romi and Miss Sil's Line Rules Disunion

[liamcool]

Not only as a band, but as producers. There's two really big edits in Out Of Control (one before the interlude, and one before the outro) that are really flattering.

And Adam's playing, again! There's a nice melodic bass part at the end of Out of Control, and much more confidence in Stories for Boys. The rhythm section is actually holding it together.

 

[Axver]

Why on earth is The Ocean after Stories For Boys.

 

[liamcool]

Well, I don't know if it'd work at the beginning of side two - Stories For Boys -> A Day Without Me strikes me as an awkward transition?

 

[liamcool]

"The Ocean" Bono sounds just like modern Bono, weirdly enough.

 

[Axver]

Well, I don't know if it'd work at the beginning of side two - Stories For Boys -> A Day Without Me strikes me as an awkward transition?

I think The Ocean should be the final song of the album, really.

"The Ocean" Bono sounds just like modern Bono, weirdly enough.

Hah, I've thought this before.

 

[Axver]

Here comes ATAP, a completely underrated gem.

Also, I love that for a brief period on the Boy Tour, U2 decided to shake up the set by opening with Stories For Boys - and then just going into The Ocean/11OTT anyway. The Ocean totally breaks the energy you get from SFB/11OTT being early in the set!

e.g. U2 Canterbury, 1980-11-11, Kent University, Boy Tour - U2 on tour

 

[Axver]

The Bongolese in the Twilight demo may be awful but it really works in ATAP.

Also shit I didn't realise one of FYM's resident pests is also on U2gigs - he's got his own venue!: U2 Northampton, 1981-01-29, Iron Horse, Boy Tour - U2 on tour

(I just noticed that on Boy's third leg, at some shows they ended with OOC; at others they did 11OTT/The Ocean. That's right, not only did they repeat songs, but they did it at the expense of their now-hallowed first single! Good to know weird setlist choices are not exclusive to recent U2.)

 

[liamcool]

Another Time Another Place feels like a disco song, weirdly.

The "bass and kick drum" pounding on the verse, the off kilter drums on the bridge, all of the little accents the rhythm section is throwing in.

Then Edge is floating over the top, playing multiple rhythm parts in the pre-verses, slashing rhythm guitar during the solo.

The chord progression is REALLY weird, too. It goes minor in a weird way for the choruses.

AND WE HAVE MORE BONGOLESE

 

[liamcool]

The intro to The Electric Company is one of the best god damned riffs.

 

[liamcool]

And unlike I Will Follow or Out of Control, it stumbles into the quiet bridge instead of sharply turning into it, which is neat. The rhythm section is all bottom end on this tune, it's very full without sounding crowded.

 

[Axver]

The intro to The Electric Company is one of the best god damned riffs.

Practically everything about this song is the best. Takes me right back to when I first fell in love with this album when I was about sixteen years old and would just sit there listening to it while staring out my window. You might say I awoke at the moment, the precise minute, the exact period of time, when the miracle occurred.

The fade-out and fade-back-in is baffling though. Why? I mean, I kind of like it, but... why?!

 

[bono_man2002]

The intro to The Electric Company is one of the best god damned riffs.

Plus Moar Bongolese at the end. And the fade (almost) out and then back again.

 

[Axver]

OK can somebody explain why Shadows and Tall Trees is so unpopular because, well, it's not going to rate in my top three Boy songs any time soon but this is great, and Bono was not normally writing lyrics like this.

 

[liamcool]

There's a similar fade on The Smiths' "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" in 1985. Was there an earlier song people were cribbing from?

The acoustic guitar on Shadows is refreshing to hear. Variation is good!

 

[bono_man2002]

You might say I awoke at the moment, the precise minute, the exact period of time, when the miracle occurred.

Literally.

 

[liamcool]

OK can somebody explain why Shadows and Tall Trees is so unpopular because, well, it's not going to rate in my top three Boy songs any time soon but this is great, and Bono was not normally writing lyrics like this.

Probably because Bono can't enounciate a fucking word on it? He could literally be singing the phone book right now. I wouldn't know.

 

[liamcool]

The key change in the last 90 seconds of Shadows and Tall Trees is Lillywhite's finest production hour. It's so subtle, works well, brings the energy up and is so weird in the way he did it. Really great.

 

[Axver]

Why is there a Fire riff.

I wonder how many people heard October's first single and thought "that sounds familiar..." but couldn't place why.

 

[Axver]

Probably because Bono can't enounciate a fucking word on it? He could literally be singing the phone book right now. I wouldn't know.

You say that like he ever learnt to enunciate.

 

[liamcool]

For the debut album of a post-punk band, Shadows and Tall Trees is a really bizarre ending. All of the weird noises and guitar sounds slowly fading out is really off kilter, like something off a Syd Barrett album.

 

[Axver]

I remember when I first heard Speed of Life on the deluxe edition and was briefly pissed off that it was instrumental - then I went back to one of the live versions with vocals and was grateful they'd stuck with the instrumental version.

 

[liamcool]

I have not heard Saturday Night.

I expect this to be bad.

 

[Axver]

I legit really, really enjoy Saturday Night.

I await the wrath of LM.

 

[liamcool]

So it's just a slower Fire without proper lyrics?

 

[liamcool]

The verses are good, the rhythm guitar is REALLY loud, the chorus is horrid.

 

[Axver]

So it's just a slower Fire without proper lyrics?

Yeah, it's the Boy era Xanax and Wine to October's Fast Cars.

 

[liamcool]

It's not bad, and the guitar break is nice, but man it's plodding.

 

[Axver]

Live 11OTT, this is why I'm a U2 fan.

... though this is not perhaps the best performance of it. It didn't quite hit its full stride until the October Tour, but from then until UF it was the Bad or Streets of its day.

Edit: ha, nice bum note by Edge at the start of the first solo.

 

[liamcool]

Weird mixing on this version - I'm not sure what's happening with the snare drum, but it sounds like a sample for some reason? It's an all top end recording.

The bridge section is a mess.

 

[bono_man2002]

More cowbell, Larry.