Thanks so much Anirban! Just got done d/ling Stay! I forgot how much I love that version. I think it should have been on the album, and the album version should have been a single-only (like Please remix) and on the soundtrack. It was one of just a few things missing in my 5gb U2 collection - thanks again!
ProTools plugin. My only regret is that the cymbals got kinda wiped out to a digital wash - which often happens when you start changing things. But only people with psychotic ears will notice compared to the other version floating around. I think it's 1000x more listenable now though.
Speaking of which - I only just found out about Mercy this week. What's this nonsense about some girl having it from a cd-r copy of the album she got from a friend. Sorry, but that's really sketchy and I don't believe it. The reason the normal mp3 floating around has so much hiss is probably because it's actually ripped from an unmixed master tape. But who knows.
At any rate, I LOVE Mercy. I know theres a lot of threads and arguments on this, but it's one of my favorites - comparable to Joshua Tree & Achtung tracks. All four members are top notch and it reminds me a lot of Salome Session stuff. At least as good as my favorite 'Bomb songs: Miracle Drug, 'Blind Lights, 'On Your Own, Peace & Love, and Yahweh. It does have a bit of a unfinished quality and is long - but that's what I like about it. The album version of Bad is like that - feels unfinished and rough. What it lacks in polished arrangement, it makes up for in passion & feeling. Upon a billion listens today, I do hear a lot of Yahweh and especially Miracle Drug (the harmonics and pre-chourus) in this song - so much so that I can see that they probably left it off because certain parts sound too similar. Nonetheless- BRILLIANT!
And for the record, Always is a much better song than Beautiful Day!
