The "Other" HTDAAB

[nathan1977]

So we all know that U2 almost released HTDAAB in 2003 with the Chris Thomas sessions. Cooler heads (ie., Larry and Adam) prevailed, and many songs were re-done, and new songs were written and recorded.

Using the HTDAAB book as a guide, I've reconstructed the "original" HTDAAB album, which consists of:

- Native Son (the early version of Vertigo)
- Sometimes (Alternate)
- Love and Peace (Chris Thomas is credited with "additional production")
- City of Blinding Lights (Chris Thomas is credited with "additional production")
- All Because of You (Alternate)
- One Step Closer (Chris Thomas is credited with "additional production")
- Yahweh (album version - Chris Thomas has the credit for this version, while Nellee Hooper has credit for the alternate version)
- Xanax and Wine

This leaves us however with an album of only eight tracks. Based on the song diagram in the HTDAAB book, "Crumbs," "Miracle Drug," "Mercy," and "A Man and a Woman" were all written in the new sessions with Steve Lillywhite. ("Original of the Species" is dated earlier, but Chris Thomas gets no production credit for that one, which makes me think that it was not originally slated for inclusion on HTDAAB.) So that makes me wonder what other songs were originally being considered for inclusion on the "other" HTDAAB? "Smile," the only other outtake from HTDAAB besides "Mercy" and "Fast Cars", is a possibility, but Edge says in the "Complete U2" liner notes that the song came "too late," which makes me think it was another "Lillywhite Sessions" track.

So where are the other outtakes? Will we see them sometime? atU2 lists a couple of contenders: "North Star," "Lead Me In The Way I Should Go", and "You Can't Give Away Your Heart." Aside from "North Star," did these songs morph into other album tracks? (The way "Tough" morphed into "Sometimes" or "Full Metal Jacket" morphed into "Vertigo.")

Thoughts? Opinions? I should really stop procrastinating.

 

[xaviMF22]

I would have loved this HTDAAB

 

[Zoots]

I would have loved this HTDAAB

Are you sure? You prefer Native Son I know but you don't like COBL, right?

 

[xaviMF22]

Are you sure? You prefer Native Son I know but you don't like COBL, right?

COBL is pretty meh

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

North Star I heard was in the works

 

[last unicorn]

We always tend to love the unreleased songs or alternative versions more than the regular songs, but I don't think they would have worked out on the album.

 

[Salome]

people love to hate
so it would still not have been loved here
and on top of that it would have flopped outside of the U2 'fan'world too

How to dismantle .... doesn't really work for me
but much as with POP the problem wouldn't be solved by some different production choices and 2 other songs

the problem with both albums is that it never feels like they managed to make the album they envisioned it to be
(POP doesn't even seem to have 1 vision)

 

[the tourist]

Maybe when How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb gets remastered.

 

[U2DMfan]

We've talked about this a lot on the album forum over the last 3 years, you might dig around there.

Original of the Species was written in during the ATYCLB sessions.
Considering the production credits, they certainly re-recorded the entire song. Edge also said he changed the chords.

In other words, there is defintely an early version of OOTS that we haven't heard yet. We heard a tiny bit of the Eno/Lanois version on the '60 Minutes' clip where Bono is talking to Lesley Stahl. What I mean is, I am sure there is even a version they did with Chris Thomas as well.

Anyways, that is another song that was almost certainly going to be on the 2003 album.

I think COBL was called Firefly at the time, I don't think it became COBL until Lillywhite showed up, that's from memory.

The B-sides, I can't remember right now, I'm sure there is a thread on the album forum discussing those, we had several discussions about what that album would look like. It's hard to nail down because I'm pretty sure there are songs that 1-were held onto for work on the next album 2-earlier versions of songs we've heard. Miracle Drug was on the dry erase board for ATYCLB, but supposedly was written with Lillywhite. Maybe they totally revamped it.

Then you have the "ghost" songs like Bulldozer.
Maybe some of those were in the mix.
It's hard to tell but it's interesting to think about.

 

[U2girl]

If we add OOTS and Mercy - was that done pre-Lillywhite ? - that's 10 songs. (3 songs written with Lillywhite in charge, Fast cars is a re-write of Xanax that was done on the last day)

The missing song could be Smile, Lead me in the way I should go, You can't give your heart away, North Star...or some other song they didn't mention.

 

[nathan1977]

According to the "Bono timeline of songs" in the HTDAAB book, Mercy was written in '04. Of course, that timeline says roughly the same thing about Original, which makes me think that the version that would have been on the "original" Atomic Bomb would have been the one with the "Edge ice cream chords" referenced in U2 By U2.

 

[65980]

I wouldn't change much about HTDAAB if I had a time machine. It's brilliant the way it is. I'm not overly fond of "One Step Closer" but it's no terrible track or anything. And I love every other song.

Vertigo is perfect; All Because of You is a hundred times better than the crappy early version which sucks bone; Sometimes You Can't Make It (though overrated to begin with) was hugely improved with the refrain they added to the final version; Crumbs From Your Table is great strait-ahead rock; Yahweh is beautiful and heartbreaking; Miracle Drug is awesome; City Of Blinding Lights is genius; Original of the Species is great; Love and Peace is pretty good if not exactly wonderful.

Also I'm tired of people complaining about the lyrics on the record. Song lyrics don't always have to be figurative or universal --- on The Bomb I think Bono is trying to write straight from the soul lyrics, but more crafted than, say, October. As a result, there are some idiosyncracies like "the intellectual tortoise" line you all hate, but this creativity -- like Lennon and Hendrix in the 60s -- should be part of the liberating feel of rock music. I call The Bomb's lyrics "pop art." He's not there to compose printed verse for you to study. His vocals on the album are AWESOME.

No, HTDAAB is fantastic the way it is. If there's one U2 album I'd go back to reconfigure for improvement, it would probably be Rattle And Hum, which could have been their greatest (almost) but ends up almost overlooked...

 

[Sergiodino]

Also we have Are You Gonna wait forever...

 

[the tourist]

Didn't Chris Thomas do production work on Electrical Storm, too? Or am I losing my mind?

 

[U2girl]

That was William Orbit.

 

[Aygo]

Could 2003 Bomb a.k.a. "Solar" be something like this?

1 // Love & Peace Or Else // We all know that this song already existed in an almost-final form around ATYCLB.

2 // Native Son ("Vertigo" alt.)

3 // Love You Like Mad // another song from the ATYCLB sessions, IMO fits well after "Native Son"

4 // Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (alt.)

5 // One Step Closer // I don't remember exactly, but I know I read somewhere (maybe in this forum) that the early versions of OSC had almost 10 minutes and that the guitar and drums were more audible. Tematically, fits well after Sometimes.

6 // Xanax & Wine ("Fast Cars" alt.)

7 // Levitate // another one from past sessions. It's a shame for U2 that this song never was considered even as a b-side.

8 // Are You Gonna Wait Forever? // once again, another one from ATYCLB sessions.

9 // All Because Of You (alt.)

10 // Firefly / Sky Hawk ("COBL" early version) // There was never much information about this song, isn't it? What I imagine is that it had less structures than COBL has and that it was more Coldplay-ish.

11 // Original Of The Species (early v.) // is known the existance of an early version of this song (there is an excerpt even)

12 // Yahweh (alt.)

* I didn't consider "Flower Child" because it would fit as bad in here as "A Man & A Woman" fits on Bomb.
* didn't consider too songs like "Miracle Drug", "Mercy" or "Crumbs" because they're post 2003, belonging to the Lillywhite sessions.


Singles...

- Native Son [I Remember You + Beat On The Brat] (March 2004)
- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own [single version + Flower Child + Native Son remixes] (May 2004)
- Levitate [single version + remixes] (July 2004)
- Xanax & Wine [single version + All Because Of You (live) + North & South Of The River (live Omagh] (October 2004)
- Original Of the Species [single version + Yahweh (acoustic) + Sometimes (acoustic)] (February 2005)


I think that it wouldn't be a bad overall album, but not as great as Bomb or ATYCLB is.
It would suffer from the same stigmata "Pop" does: the songs are great but they sound unfinished (much worse in this case). Every single would have to have improved single versions and when played live.

 

[ludvic]

Could 2003 Bomb a.k.a. "Solar" be something like this?

1 // Love & Peace Or Else // We all know that this song already existed in an almost-final form around ATYCLB.

Cool, I never knew this. Are there any quotes, articles where this is stated?

 

[the tourist]

That was William Orbit.

I guess I was losing my mind. I thought William Orbit did the Orbit mix, but for some reason I thought Chris Thomas did the other version--I'm wrong though.

 

[Aygo]

Cool, I never knew this. Are there any quotes, articles where this is stated?

I think there are, but I can't remember where now. I know that "Love & Peace", "Are You Gonna Wait Forever?" are travelled from ATYCLB session 'till HTDAAB. I'm not sure, but I think that the early versions of "Original Of The Species" and "City Of Blinding Lights" are original too from ATYCLB era or post-Pop era.
"Levitate", "Love You Like Mad" and "Flower Child" are older too, ATYCLB outtakes.