Mercy is NOT unfinished?

[Axver]

How the zark is COBL unfinished?

And U2 hasn't done anything original since Pop? That's not even worth the time of day rebutting.

 

[Zoots]

How the zark is COBL unfinished?

And U2 hasn't done anything original since Pop? That's not even worth the time of day rebutting.

do we have a Pop connoisseur in our hands?

 

[DPrinceNY]

might as well rebutt it. I mean face it like u got other things to do. Your already on post 6210 buddy.

 

[Zoots]

I'm talking about Mr. DPrince of course, not Axver... if that wasn't clear.

 

[DPrinceNY]

your comment is completely irelevant

 

[Down Under]

jick just XXXX off, am sorry personal comments bla bla, but this fella is really getting on my nerves

I enjoy Jick’s comments, he thinks outside of the square and looks at things from a different angle.
In addition, the way he swings a golf club…..I would duck.

Back to the song, it is a great reject.

 

[typhoon]

If this comment was directed at me, please read my original post. I agree the song is not finished.

Yeah, but it still seems redundant in context. Like:

Jick: "Mercy" is unfinished.
You: That may well be, but you have to keep in mind that it's quite possibly unfinished.

But I'm kind of cynical, so you can safely ignore me (I hate hijacking the discussion to discuss the discussion, so please do).

 

[chucky28]

Mercy is a great song finished or unfinished. Period. By the way Axver, I like it much more than "Bad"...so to each his own!

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

What's wrong with his comments and analysis of Mercy?

The fact that it is an entire fallacy on reasoning. Just because the lyrical concepts have been used before does not make it a bad song.

The only thing jick "analyzed" was the lyrics and lyrics without music don't convey the entire idea the songwriter wanted to express.

I usually enjoy jick's posts but this one I found to be forced. His posts was basically a couple of cheap shots over a song that clearly wasn't worked on as hard as the other ones - and yet still has undeniable massive potential.

I find it hard to believe that Mercy is not better than "One Step Closer" or "Yahweh".

 

[doctorwho]

Wow I was really hoping this wouldnt turn into another "I like/dislike Mercy" thread. In any case taking into account everything that was said, especially jicks post, I realize that Mercy does seem and is an unfinished song. But, unfinished songs are not bad. It is a departure from all the songs u2 have done. I mean face it originality in U2 pretty puch ended after the Pop Album. Its about time an original song like Mercy has come about.

The lyrics are a bit 9th gradish but so are the lyrics to say, elevation. No one seems to complain about this song being unfinished the reason being it was put on an album. Its all psycholgical. COBL sounds like an unfinished song but no one every mentions it either.

So sticking to the topic of this thread Mercy is an unfinished song.

I hate when someone writes "face it" as if this is an absolute fact. I am not going to "face" anything! LOL!

I disagree - strongly - that U2's originality ended after "Pop". In fact, the things people praise most about "Pop" are also the most UNoriginal facets of the album! All the techno/dance sounds and sampling techniques were done by other artists well before "Pop" was created.

"Pop" is a blatant example of U2 following - whereas most other U2 albums are often leading the way. For example, in 1987, nothing else at the time sounded like JT. Granted, U2's influence on JT was from artists like Dylan and the latter works of the Beatles, but that was almost 20 years prior. Nothing in the 80's sounded like JT, IMO. In 1991, AB was a great rock album that stood out in a grunge-dominated era. Even now, HTDAAB has a bit of a punk sound, which, along with Green Day, is unique (and clearly Green Day did not influence U2). In contrast, "Pop" blended with the techno sounds of Prodigy and Chemical Brothers (to mention but a few artists) of the era. U2 did not lead the charge here and were hardly original. Furthermore, take away those more techno sounding songs and you really have a classic U2 album - one that could've blended right in with ATYCLB (and maybe have given ATYCLB that little extra oomph it needed to be a truly classic album). Therefore, I don't see "Pop" as U2's "creative peak" in the last decade. It's a solid album, but not as spectacular as some make it seem.

As for "Mercy", I concur with those who say it's not done. And I agree with Jick on many points. The lyrics aren't at the 9th-grade level as they aren't that simplistic, but they aren't as solid as Bono usually has in these types of songs. A song like "Elevation" is meant to be light-hearted and fun - hence the simpler lyrics. Getting too deep in a fast fun rock song can hurt more than help. But for these more "serious" songs, Bono's lyrics are top-notch and these aren't quite there. Additionally, I see no proof as to why this song is indeed "Mercy". Jick stated this as well - we are just speculating the song title.

So while it is a good song and I hope it is used (especially since Bono sounds great on it), it needs some editing and maybe more additional guitar work or vocals.

However, I'm enjoying it for what it is - a rare outtake.

 

[doctorwho]

I find it hard to believe that Mercy is not better than "One Step Closer" or "Yahweh".

I agree/disagree with your post.

I don't think Jick's comments were forced at all. While his post is hardly perfect, this is a forum for discussion - and Jick presented his reasons why he felt the song wasn't finished. Fair enough, I say.

While I personally love "Yahweh" and find it one of the best closing songs on an album since R&H, I agree that "Mercy" - even in its current state - is far better than "One Step Closer". I never got into that song at all and I feel it should have been a b-side track. Put "Mercy" on instead of "One Step Closer" and I think we'd have a near brilliant album.

 

[jick]

I enjoy Jick’s comments, he thinks outside of the square and looks at things from a different angle.
In addition, the way he swings a golf club…..I would duck.

Back to the song, it is a great reject.

I hope that's not a knock at my swing or form. I'll give any of you two strokes a side - except for DiscothequeLP who I'll play even odds any day.


Cheers,

J

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I love HTDAAB..and yet I feel Mercy is only second to Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own from this era's songs.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

I agree with Axver's comments about the song. It's not a bad song, but hardly merits all the discussions it seems to get on here, when you consider that there are several other songs that U2 released on Itunes that now hardly seem to get mentioned.

"Merit" doesn't really matter. People like the song. It excites them in a way that some of the other songs on HTDAAB don't.

Continued discussion means that people care about the song.

I'd also say that Mercy differs from Native Son and Xanax and Wine in that we don't see a lot of threads extolling the latter two on their own merits. It's nearly always something along the line of, "I like Native Son better than Vertigo..."

With Mercy the enthusiasm seems more real and less...political.

 

[Axver]

Mercy's better than much of ATYCLB but not a whole lot of HTDAAB. Vertigo and ABOY at most. If you want an incredible out-take from this era, you want Smile. That song is

 

[jick]

This board in general greatly overrates rare tracks. See also: "Xanax and Wine."

Xanax and Wine would sound just like any other U2 song. When they turned it to Fast Cars it became bold and insightful with the Middle Eastern flavor on it - which goes well with the lyrics "in the desert to dismantle and atomic bomb." U2 have always tried to make their music fit the context of the lyrics. Xanax and Wine failed, Fast Cars clicked.

Cheers,

J

 

[jick]

jick just fuck off, am sorry personal comments bla bla, but this fella is really getting on my nerves

Sir, I am not taking this personally and maybe you said it in a state of obfuscation or high passions. I don't take offense at your statements. Hope you have a nice day.

Cheers,

J

 

[Axver]

Sir, I am not taking this personally and maybe you said it in a state of obfuscation or high passions. I don't take offense at your statements. Hope you have a nice day.

Cheers,

J

One thing I admire about jick is that despite a lot of people here seem to have major issues with him personally, he never resorts to flames in return. Good on you, jick.

 

[jick]

Regarding jick's comments about the lyrics, I think we have to consider how early this version of the song is. Bono doesn't usually come up with the final lyrics to a song until the last minute -- this is well-documented. So it's very possible that the lyrics we hear were never meant to be the final version of the words. Depending on how much work the band meant to do, the finished version could have ended up very different from the leaked version we all know.

The point is, we don't know how early or how late the version of the song is -- or even if this really is the "Mercy" they canned at the last minute. Perhaps this song could be of a different title, or perhaps this is a very rough early version and there is a finished version that exists but was never released.

Cheers,

J

 

[Zoots]

Good on you, jick.

You should've said... Good on you, mate.

 

[MrBrau1]

One thing I admire about jick is that despite a lot of people here seem to have major issues with him personally, he never resorts to flames in return. Good on you, jick.

That's cause he's a robot. An empty, passionless, dead-inside robot.

 

[jick]

The fact that it is an entire fallacy on reasoning. Just because the lyrical concepts have been used before does not make it a bad song.

The only thing jick "analyzed" was the lyrics and lyrics without music don't convey the entire idea the songwriter wanted to express.

I usually enjoy jick's posts but this one I found to be forced. His posts was basically a couple of cheap shots over a song that clearly wasn't worked on as hard as the other ones - and yet still has undeniable massive potential.

I find it hard to believe that Mercy is not better than "One Step Closer" or "Yahweh".

Didn't I just say the music and chord pattern was reminiscent of the song by A Flock Of Seagulls? I did analyze the music too.

I see more fallacy in your reasoning when you conclude that the song "clearly wasn't worked on as hard" (this is without proof or basis). Mine is an analysis, yours is a conclusion of fact.

And the "undeniable massive potential" of the song has nothing to do with the main point of this thread which is whether or not the song is unfinished. But it does seem from your tone that you are in agreement that the song in unfinished but you just want to skirt the issue so that you will not agree with those here (myself included) who contend so.

Cheers,

J

 

[Zoots]

That's cause he's a robot. An empty, passionless, dead-inside robot.

so funny yet so true. sorry Jick.

 

[jick]

The lyrics aren't at the 9th-grade level as they aren't that simplistic, but they aren't as solid as Bono usually has in these types of songs.

Who started the "9th grade" references? I have gone through the posts and have seen this recurring theme of mentioning the lyircs as 9th grade. I did post to the effect that we don't need another song that makes metaphors about love for the "9th" time - and I really meant for the "nth" time. I never said the lyrics to Mercy were 9th grade. They're more on the boybandish side to me, and the ones who write songs for boybands are professional pop songwriters - not 9th graders.

Cheers,

J

 

[Zoots]

Hey Jick. What's your opinion? Do you think you're a robot?

 

[jick]

Hey Jick. What's your opinion? Do you think you're a robot?

To some extent I think I am a robot. I feel my posts are too repetetive and centered around similar themes. They are too predictable to me, and sometimes too narrow-minded. A robot thinks in a linear manner so I feel I am robotic sometimes. So I intentionally try to malfunction myself and write the ocassional insightful post but it is sometimes quite difficult considering my one-tracked mind.

But back to the topic, Mercy is unfinished.

Cheers,

J

 

[Aardvark747]

Check out Bon Jovi's 1989 hit "I'll Be There For You" from the New Jersey album. Jon Bon Jovi sings ""I'll be the water when you get thristy baby, when you get drunk I'll be the wine." The Bon Jovi influence is pretty obvious here and perhaps that is why U2 left this song off.

NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[cmb737]

I like the fact that this thread started about an idea whether or not Mercy is finished or unfinished...but has ended up being a debate about Jick's alleged robotic persuasion.

My contention is not whether or not Mercy is finished, but it is not going to be played live. Those setlist 'daydream believers' need to get real.

"I don't think so, sucker" - B.A. Baracus

 

[Aardvark747]

The song rambles. It peters out. It doesn't have enough direction. It IS unfinished, and horribly over-rated.

I guess we had to disagree sometime Axver!

 

[Diane L]

I agree that "Mercy" - even in its current state - is far better than "One Step Closer". I never got into that song at all and I feel it should have been a b-side track. Put "Mercy" on instead of "One Step Closer" and I think we'd have a near brilliant album.

While I think HTDAAB is a brilliant album just the way it is, I agree it would be even better if it had included "Mercy" instead of "One Step Closer."