MERGED --> Should Mercy have been on HTDAAB?

[starsgoblue]

Here's what you can do if you think so....make your own mix of the album with the tracks where you want it and with Mercy included. There, now everyone can be happy.

Personally, I love the song. But I trust U2 knew what they were trying to do with HTDAAB....

 

[Anticipation]

I believe that there is a strong possibility that they may hold onto Mercy for a future album. Just like they tossed off If God Will Send His Angles off Zooropa and kept for POP and tossed of Love and Peace or Else and Original of the Species from ATYCLB and kept for the Bomb. It would be wild if this song doesn't turn up until another 3 or 4 years.

 

[thomasu2]

Absolutely.. i think its great.

You have to hear it sometimes though... but it really grow inside you when you hear it.. I ve listened to it probably 50 times or so now and its starting to get one of my favorite u2 songs...

 

[phommel]

Maybe I missed something? Haven't heard of "Mercy" ......? where can i find it?

 

[ramblin rose]

It would be wild if this song doesn't turn up until another 3 or 4 years.

Someone should make sure and let them know it's out.

I would hate to miss out on a new song because they decide to hold on to this one.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I do wonder how long this song has been kicking around...would have made a good single for the '90s Best-Of methinks.

 

[The_acrobat]

PLEASE DON'T LET THIS SONG BECOME A MERE B-SIDE!!!!!!

I am in love with this song, and feel it has MASSIVE potential. If they simply dismiss it as a b-side, they won't put as much effort into the performance and recording of the song. The version we have is not suitable for the album. I have only heard a few songs on HTDAAB, but you can tell this is a slightly unfinished version of Mercy. If I were them, I would hold on to this, work on it, get it perfected, and release it on the next album. Here's hoping that they don't let a good thing die!

Don't let such a good song slip into obscurity.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Yeah, they HAVE to keep this for an album!

 

[dandy]

my two cents' worth: no, i don't think 'mercy' really fits on the bomb. don't get me wrong, i love 'mercy', maybe more than all of the songs on the bomb. it's raw, hypnotic, dark, and it's got a little bono-ese going on--everything i could ever ask for. the songs on the bomb are very uplifting and life-affirming, even the tear-jerkers ('sometimes', 'one step'), and 'mercy' is a little too dark comparatively.

oh to get my hands on the outtakes from the bomb recording sessions...

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Given how many tunes were recorded for ATYCLB (100!?) and that COBL was recorded back in the POP days, and that there could be some rockers left off HTDAAB, the studio out-takes for the last three albums (and Zooropa too) would be fascinating listening..such a breadth of stlyes..

 

[mhowells]

mercy

really sorry here, but I have no idea about this "mercy". I've never heard about it and and I don't know where you guys did. What's the scoop with this song, where has it been mentioned, and where can I listen to it???? Thanks.

 

[Daveone]

I believe that there is a strong possibility that they may hold onto Mercy for a future album. Just like they tossed off If God Will Send His Angles off Zooropa and kept for POP and tossed of Love and Peace or Else and Original of the Species from ATYCLB and kept for the Bomb. It would be wild if this song doesn't turn up until another 3 or 4 years.

Yeah, but we never got to hear Angels until Pop, but with Mercy we have, and the chances are that its been leaked by U2's people so i can't see it being saved for a few years, which is a shame because its one of thier greatest achievements and a song they all excel on. On another note, how do we know OOTS was left over from ATYCLB. I'm not questioning you, just my memory or the fact that i've missed on interview or something.

 

[phommel]

Maybe I missed something? Haven't heard of "Mercy" ......? where can i find it?

 

[Anticipation]

To respond toyour question "On another note, how do we know OOTS was left over from ATYCLB. I'm not questioning you, just my memory or the fact that i've missed on interview or something."

On the summer 2000 issue of Propaganda they gave a list of potential songs for ATYCLB. Two of the 19 songs listed in that issue were Love and Peace and Original of the Species.

 

[dandy]

To respond toyour question "On another note, how do we know OOTS was left over from ATYCLB. I'm not questioning you, just my memory or the fact that i've missed on interview or something."

On the summer 2000 issue of Propaganda they gave a list of potential songs for ATYCLB. Two of the 19 songs listed in that issue were Love and Peace and Original of the Species.

bono also played a clip of the chorus of 'original' in an interview with 60 minutes back in march 2001. there was a link to the interview floating around here awhile, but i don't know where it's at anymore.

for those of you looking for the mp3 of mercy, it's in the other mercy thread called 'i think have mercy', on the second to last page. i think the link is still good.

 

[phommel]

Maybe I missed something? Haven't heard of "Mercy" ......? where can i find it?

 

[ramblin rose]

Yeah, they HAVE to keep this for an album!

Why in the world would you want to keep a song we've already heard for an album (that we might not see for 3 or 4 years) at the expense of another song we've never heard?

I don't get that. I'm sure if the song is added as a b-side if will be better quality than it is now.

And as for letting the song go to obscurity, it's not obscure for me, I've heard it countless times already, and it will probably be on one of the singles.

Personally, if I'm waiting another 3 or 4 years for another album I sure as hell would want some new songs not one that by then I would have heard hundreds of times.

So they rework it and we get some 5 minute album version? I'll stick with my 6 1/2 minutes.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Why in the world would you want to keep a song we've already heard for an album (that we might not see for 3 or 4 years) at the expense of another song we've never heard?

I don't get that. I'm sure if the song is added as a b-side if will be better quality than it is now.

And as for letting the song go to obscurity, it's not obscure for me, I've heard it countless times already, and it will probably be on one of the singles.

Personally, if I'm waiting another 3 or 4 years for another album I sure as hell would want some new songs not one that by then I would have heard hundreds of times.

So they rework it and we get some 5 minute album version? I'll stick with my 6 1/2 minutes.

They should keep it for an album because it is very suitable...You don't toss off great songs to b-side status. I am delighted to hear Mercy" right now, but I wouldn't be concerned at it not being a b-side since I have already heard it, but they should definitely use their best songs for their albums. Besides, they are about to release an album with 11 new songs on it! it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to see "Mercy" held over for a future album, and I'd like to see it retained at 6:31 too

 

[ramblin rose]

They should keep it for an album because it is very suitable...You don't toss off great songs to b-side status. I am delighted to hear Mercy" right now, but I wouldn't be concerned at it not being a b-side since I have already heard it, but they should definitely use their best songs for their albums. Besides, they are about to release an album with 11 new songs on it! it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to see "Mercy" held over for a future album, and I'd like to see it retained at 6:31 too

I'll hope for 6:31 of new material.

I'll eventually be adding Mercy somewhere on my HTDAAB tracklisting. Testing different positions as we speak.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Well for a new album, if they needed a really good closer, what would be the harm of using Mercy? a good song is a good song, it doesn't matter if they use a tune you'd have heard a few years previous, IMO...better than creating a filler track like Peace On Earth. (as an aside, I think when the dust has settled a bit, more and more people will realise the quality of this particular song)

 

[ramblin rose]

Well for a new album, if they needed a really good closer, what would be the harm of using Mercy? a good song is a good song, it doesn't matter if they use a tune you'd have heard a few years previous, IMO...better than creating a filler track like Peace On Earth. (as an aside, I think when the dust has settled a bit, more and more people will realise the quality of this particular song)

I love the song. I think it's absolute genius.

I actually like POE too.

 

[Lancemc]

I love the way Bono delievers the "Your gravity..." lines. Someo f his best vocal work of recent years. That specific lyric is really great too.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

When he sings "Binary code" he totally sounds like Macphisto!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I love the song. I think it's absolute genius.

I actually like POE too.

Hey POE isn't THAT bad, (5/10 to me) but the 2nd half of ATYCLB is littered with below-par tunes IMO..especially when you think songs like COBL, LAPOE, OOTS etc were kicking around back then.



Also...is there any update on Fast Cars? Been on soulseek but I can't come up with anything.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

As each day passes, Mercy begins to feel shorter than the 6:31 it is. I know Bono is a class car salesman sometimes, but he wasn't lying about this one. This song WILL be in my top 20 U2 songs for a very very long time.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Well said, Gilead.