My HTDAAB Improvements(Trying to get some positive vibes out)

[namkcuR]

Rather than do the in-thing and bitch about HTDAAB, I'm going to instead just layout what I'd do to improve it. This satisfies/would satisfy me much more anyway. Hope you like it, if not, that's cool too.

Title: Xanax And Wine

Tracklisting:

1.Native Son
2.Miracle Drug
3.Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
4.Xanax And Wine
5.Original Of The Species
6.Smile
7.Mercy
8.City Of Blinding Lights
9.Love You Like Mad
10.Yahweh
11.Love And Peace Or Else
12.One Step Closer

Singles:

Native Son
Native Son
All Because Of You
Vertigo
Native Son(Remix)

NOTE: I know some of you won't like ABOY not being on the record, but I just think it's musically boring and makes a better b-side than a-side. And yes, I perfer NS to Vertigo, and no, I see nothing wrong with putting them both on the single.

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
A Man And A Woman
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own(Live)

NOTE: I love AMAAW even though a lot of you don't seem to, but I agree in that it doesn't really fit anywhere on the record. I do, however, think it goes great with Sometimes as a b-side, because they are both ballads, both slow, etc.

City Of Blinding Lights
City Of Blinding Lights
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
Neon Lights

NOTE: City and Neon Lights should be together because Neon Lights has the lyric 'This city's full of lights', and that makes it an ideal compliment to City.

Xanax And Wine
Xanax And Wine
Crumbs From Your Table
Fast Cars

NOTE: I could never really get into Crumbs. Sorry. Fast Cars could act as a quasi-remix of XAW.

Mercy
Mercy
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own(Alternate Version)
Yahweh(Alternate Version)

NOTE:: I think the subdued nature of Sometimes(Alt) and Yawweh(Alt) go well with Mercy.

 

[neutral]

Interesting...


I am unsure of is Yahweh before Love And Peace Or Else. So I'm going to make a playlist of your tracklisting and check it out although no Fast Cars makes me . Good choice for One Step Closer as the last track.


I love Smile and Mercy together and had them like that on a couple of my alt tracklisting ideas.

 

[neutral]

Mercy
Mercy
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own(Alternate Version)
Yahweh(Alternate Version)

Oh and I like this idea best.

 

[namkcuR]

Interesting...


I am unsure of is Yahweh before Love And Peace Or Else. So I'm going to make a playlist of your tracklisting and check it out although no Fast Cars makes me . Good choice for One Step Closer as the last track.


I love Smile and Mercy together and had them like that on a couple of my alt tracklisting ideas.

Well, Yahweh has a few seconds of silence at the very end of it and Love And Peace Or Else has a few seconds of silence right at the very beginning of it, so they seque/flow very well as far as I'm concerned.

Yep, I just felt(as apparently you do too) that Smile and Mercey share the same kind chilled-out, spacey vibe to them. I love them both.

 

[namkcuR]

Re: Re: My HTDAAB Improvements(Trying to get some positive vibes out)

Oh and I like this idea best.

That was my favorite single as well

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Love You Like Mad is pretty run-of-the-mill to me, its nowhere near All Because Of You.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Love You Like Mad is pretty run-of-the-mill to me, its nowhere near All Because Of You.

I agree. I love the song, but I don't see how it could be considered superior to some of the HTDAAB songs that have been left off this list.

 

[namkcuR]

It is musically much more interesting than ABOY. Crumbs never did it for me, and like I said I love AMAAW but it didn't flow well anywhere in the tracklist. And you can't have Vertigo and Native Son on the same list and I perfer the latter.

 

[Lancemc]

The only thing I prefer about your list to the actual one is the Smile/Mercy combo/inclusion. THAT right there might make this a better album than the real HTDAAB, but maybe not. I don't know. It's close.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I guess the beauty about mp3's is that you can make your own albums/playlists and it's all up to personal opinion.

That said, the only bonus I see is the inclusion of "Mercy."

Xanax and Wine is awesome, but fails as a song because the chorus drags (after the 2nd verse/chorus, the song really falls off the deep end, which is why I think U2 changed it).

IMO, Vertigo is 100x the song of Native Son, although I do like the more raw sounding guitar which is more related to the live version of Vertigo.

Smile and Love You Like Mad are average songs IMO-- for me they would do nothing to improve the album.

I'm listening to the final sequence of Yahweh, LAPOE and OSC right now. It seems pretty interesting and flows pretty well, but I'm kinda thinking that Yahweh doesn't really fit anywhere other than a closing song. It brings a lot more closure to the album--OSC seems to bring more uncertainty. Personally, I'd rather leave on a high note.

Basically, the biggest crime U2 committed with HTDAAB is by having Miracle Drug as the 2nd song. I love it, but "Crumbs" fits much much better after Vertigo.

 

[namkcuR]

Xanax and Wine is awesome, but fails as a song because the chorus drags (after the 2nd verse/chorus, the song really falls off the deep end, which is why I think U2 changed it).

I disagree, I love how XAW is so spontanious and raw and all over the place. That's the stuff great rock music is made of, imo.

IMO, Vertigo is 100x the song of Native Son, although I do like the more raw sounding guitar which is more related to the live version of Vertigo.

That debate could go on forever, but suffice it to say, I disagree completely. I think Native Son is 20 times better than Vertigo.

Smile and Love You Like Mad are average songs IMO-- for me they would do nothing to improve the album.

Personal opinion I guess, although I think Smile just has an absolutely gorgeous, angelic melody, very much like some of John Lennon's gorgeous/angelic melodies.

I'm listening to the final sequence of Yahweh, LAPOE and OSC right now. It seems pretty interesting and flows pretty well, but I'm kinda thinking that Yahweh doesn't really fit anywhere other than a closing song. It brings a lot more closure to the album--OSC seems to bring more uncertainty. Personally, I'd rather leave on a high note.

But see, that's the thing. Throughout their career U2 have always ended their records with songs of uncertainty, sorrow, grief, etc. and that was one of the things I loved about them. They weren't afraid to make music that wasn't happy and feel-good all the time. I really love the idea of a record ending on song in a minor key like that, because it doesn't leave me satisfied...it makes me want to dig deeper into myself and it makes me want to listen to the record again.

Basically, the biggest crime U2 committed with HTDAAB is by having Miracle Drug as the 2nd song. I love it, but "Crumbs" fits much much better after Vertigo.

Like I said in the original post, I could never really get into Crumbs. I like it and all but imo there isn't a song on my list that Crumbs is better than.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

It is musically much more interesting than ABOY.

Is it? I can't place an exact song, but LYLM sounds very derivative, ( I suppose it sounds like something off AB without the inspiration and great lyrics) whereas U2 hadn't done a straight hard rocking song since Desire. (and also LYLM is a terrible lyric and title IMO)

 

[namkcuR]

Is it? I can't place an exact song, but LYLM sounds very derivative, ( I suppose it sounds like something off AB without the inspiration and great lyrics) whereas U2 hadn't done a straight hard rocking song since Desire. (and also LYLM is a terrible lyric and title IMO)

Since Desire?

What do you call

Vertigo/Native Son?
And honestly Last Night On Earth from Pop is pretty close too.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Vertigo has come around at the same time as ABOY. I'd say Last Night On Earth is a bit pedestrian.

 

[Pero]

hm, no
HTDAAB is just as good as it is
Then you should say that Electrical Storm and Hands that built America should have been on HTDAAB.
You have your wright to have an opinion but not to have wright to an wrong opinion

 

[neutral]

But see, that's the thing. Throughout their career U2 have always ended their records with songs of uncertainty, sorrow, grief, etc. and that was one of the things I loved about them. They weren't afraid to make music that wasn't happy and feel-good all the time. I really love the idea of a record ending on song in a minor key like that, because it doesn't leave me satisfied...it makes me want to dig deeper into myself and it makes me want to listen to the record again.

Yeah, I made the playlist and I can't believe I didn't think of OST as a closer before. I like the whole thing as is except I snuck Fast Cars back in after Sometimes. That's my personal preference and I think they're basically about the same thing so it works.

I really like Love You Like Mad before Yahweh.


So I wonder if Mercy will ever actually be released?

 

[TheFly84138]

Basically, the biggest crime U2 committed with HTDAAB is by having Miracle Drug as the 2nd song. I love it, but "Crumbs" fits much much better after Vertigo.

I couldn't agree more! I always thought starting the record with Vertigo and then going into Crumbs gave it an almost I Will Follow/Twilight kind of flow that kicks ass. Props!

 

[LMP]

My idea
-----------
Vertigo
Crumbs from Your Table
Original of the Species
All Because of You
Xanax and Wine
Miracle Drug
City of Blinding Lights
Mercy
Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own
A Man and a Woman
One Step Closer
Yahweh

 

[U2DMfan]

simple for me, take off Vertigo and Fast Cars, add Mercy, NAtive Son, Smile and Xanax. 14 tracks. That's the version I listen to.

I almost wished I hadn't heard those other 4 songs. I can't beleive U2's track selection over the last few albums. Blame Larry.

 

[Lancemc]

I can't beleive U2's track selection over the last few albums.

 

[namkcuR]

It's true though. The track selections/orders on both ATYCLB and HTDAAB could have been better.

 

[namkcuR]

Yeah, I made the playlist and I can't believe I didn't think of OST as a closer before. I like the whole thing as is except I snuck Fast Cars back in after Sometimes. That's my personal preference and I think they're basically about the same thing so it works.

I really like Love You Like Mad before Yahweh.


So I wonder if Mercy will ever actually be released?

Glad you're enjoying it.

I really hope Mercy will be released, as an album track. It's too great to not be.

 

[namkcuR]

A revised tracklist with ALL tracks on it(except for Vertigo and Fast Cars because NS and XAW are there). Don't know if I'll keep this.


Native Son
Crumbs From Your Table
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Xanax And Wine
Original Of The Species
Smile
Mercy
City Of Blinding Lights
All Because Of You
A Man And A Woman
Love You Like Mad
Yahweh
Love And Peace Or Else
One Step Closer

 

[U2DMfan]

It's true though. The track selections/orders on both ATYCLB and HTDAAB could have been better.

yeah but thats lost on those like Lancemc and their rolling eyes similies. U2 can do no wrong, don't you know that?

Is there a similie for sheep?

 

[Axver]

It's true though. The track selections/orders on both ATYCLB and HTDAAB could have been better.

We could probably pick apart the track selections/orders for every U2 album. It's not a slur on the album itself or the band's choices - it's a reflection of our tastes and (in the case of most albums) the fact we've had years to toy with them and see what we like best.

 

[MrBrau1]

I can't believe their track selection for Joshua Tree.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

What about the $hitty songs on AB? Where's "Morning Child" and "Sick For Love"? Why did they release "Even Better..." when they had "Where Did It All Go Wrong"? Oh yeah, because those songs released on the album kicked ass...kinda like Vertigo, ABOY and Fast Cars.

I'm a "Rock" guy, I like loud, abrasive guitars, which is why Vertigo does it for me and Native Son sounds like an album track off an older Cult album. Seriously Native Son would fit well on the Cult's "Love" album, but as an opener and single for HTDAAB...no thank you.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I think HTDAAB's fine as is. I don't really even like Native Son or Smile all that much.

 

[yimou]

Agree with GibsonGirl...

 

[Edgeman]

I love HTDAAB, but I also love playing around with tracklists and b-sides...it's so much fun.