Turning Indie Kid into U2 Fan: Rate my mixtape

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ZigZag

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My friend is challenging me into making her a U2 mix CD for her, trying to rid her perception of U2 as the band who wrote "elevation" and "vertigo". We're both into lots and lots and lots of music, and we both have very broad but selective tastes. With that in mind, I have compiled this CD for her:

1. Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
2. Big Girls Are Best
3. Dirty Day (Junk Day Mix)
4. Out Of Control
5. Ground Beneath Her Feat
6. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
7. Stay (Far away, So Close!)
8. In A Little While
9. Bad
10. Running To Stand Still
11. Exit
12. Love And Peace Or Else
13. Numb (New Mix)
14. Seconds

The CD is about an hour long, which being the "high fidelity-esque" geek I am, might be a tad too long. But I think its fine the way it is. Keep in mind, Im not saying these are their best songs or anything, I just wanted to keep her attention and go for things that I think are more accessable, avoiding most of the well played out famous U2 songs.

Give me your thoughts, especially if you decide to listen to it through yourself!
 
ZigZag said:
My friend is challenging me into making her a U2 mix CD for her, trying to rid her perception of U2 as the band who wrote "elevation" and "vertigo". We're both into lots and lots and lots of music, and we both have very broad but selective tastes. With that in mind, I have compiled this CD for her:

1. Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
2. Big Girls Are Best
3. Dirty Day (Junk Day Mix)
4. Out Of Control
5. Ground Beneath Her Feat
6. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
7. Stay (Far away, So Close!)
8. In A Little While
9. Bad
10. Running To Stand Still
11. Exit
12. Love And Peace Or Else
13. Numb (New Mix)
14. Seconds
Click to expand...

I have to say, I don't like the mix. To prove they're not Vertigo or Elevation song-types doesn't mean songs that are really out there. I'd go for something with some more well known songs and some other ones mixed together. Say:

1. Where the Streets Have No Name
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
3. New Year's Day
4. The Unforgettable Fire
5. Bad - Wide Awake in America
6. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
7. Gloria - Under a Blood Red Sky
8. The Cry/The Electric Co. - UABRS
9. One Tree Hill
10. Mysterious Ways
11. The Fly
12. Kite
13. With or Without You
14. 40 - UABRS

Not necessarily in that order (which had no flow), but with songs more like that. It's diverse and includes songs of great quality.

If you have access, try some other live stuff as much as possible, like:

Mofo
Please
Zoo Station
The Fly
Bullet the Blue Sky (ZooTV)
Love is Blindness
 
Re: Re: Turning Indie Kid into U2 Fan: Rate my mixtape

phillyfan26 said:


I have to say, I don't like the mix. To prove they're not Vertigo or Elevation song-types doesn't mean songs that are really out there. I'd go for something with some more well known songs and some other ones mixed together. Say:

1. Where the Streets Have No Name
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
3. New Year's Day
4. The Unforgettable Fire
5. Bad - Wide Awake in America
6. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
7. Gloria - Under a Blood Red Sky
8. The Cry/The Electric Co. - UABRS
9. One Tree Hill
10. Mysterious Ways
11. The Fly
12. Kite
13. With or Without You
14. 40 - UABRS

Not necessarily in that order (which had no flow), but with songs more like that. It's diverse and includes songs of great quality.

If you have access, try some other live stuff as much as possible, like:

Mofo
Please
Zoo Station
The Fly
Bullet the Blue Sky (ZooTV)
Love is Blindness
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point of this mix. Everyone in the world has heard Pride, streets, new years day, with or without you, mysterious ways, etc. I want to avoid as much as that as possible. If I said "I dont like Led Zepplin at all" and someone gave me a mix tape with Stairway to Heaven on it, it wouldnt change my perception of them at all. The idea is to challenge her with things she hasnt heard before, as well as touch on areas of U2 that arent always heard but are unique and good.

Thanks for the input however, I do understand what you're saying.
 
1. Surrender
2. Do You Feel Loved?
3. God Part 2
4. With A Shout
5. The Ocean
6. Red Hill Mining Town
7. Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
8. Promenade
9. One Tree Hill
10. Heartland
11. Dirty Day
12. Acrobat
13. The Unforgettable Fire
14. Walk To The Water

Try this mix, ZigZag.
 
Big Girls seems like such a novelty.

I think non-fans would find it corny and resolutely un-cool.
 
1. Acrobat
2. Gone
3. Out of Control
4. Exit (preferably from the Rattle & Hum DVD rip)
5. Dirty Day (Bitter Kiss Mix)
6. The Unforgettable Fire
7. Wake Up Dead Man
8. Until the End of the World
9. 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
10. Two Hearts Beat As One
11. Zooropa
12. Elvis Presley & America
13. Love Is Blindness
 
"Lemon" HAS to be on there somewhere.

The quintessential U2-sounding-awesome-while-not-really-sounding-like-U2 song.

:yes::drool:

Edit: "Zooropa" is a good choice as well.

Hell, why don't you just let her borrow Zooropa? :wink:
 
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Gotta vote for -

Please - live:drool:

I'm also partial to If God Will Send His Angels - but maybe others find this corny? I don't know (and don't care) I love this song.
 
Re: Re: Re: Turning Indie Kid into U2 Fan: Rate my mixtape

ZigZag said:


I think you're missing the point of this mix. Everyone in the world has heard Pride, streets, new years day, with or without you, mysterious ways, etc. I want to avoid as much as that as possible. If I said "I dont like Led Zepplin at all" and someone gave me a mix tape with Stairway to Heaven on it, it wouldnt change my perception of them at all. The idea is to challenge her with things she hasnt heard before, as well as touch on areas of U2 that arent always heard but are unique and good.

Thanks for the input however, I do understand what you're saying.
Click to expand...

I understand your point. If your friend summarizes them by Vertigo or Elevation, clearly your friend has missed out on many of these songs, and that's the point I'm trying to make.

In any case, I'd stick with their live stuff as much as possible. Try some of these not-so-well-known-but-great-live-songs:

11 O'Clock Tick Tock
The Electric Co.
Gloria
I Threw a Brick Through a Window
The Unforgettable Fire
A Sort of Homecoming
Bullet the Blue Sky - Zoo TV
God Part II
Zoo Station
Love is Blindness
Until the End of the World - Vertigo
Dirty Day
The First Time (acoustic)
Mofo
Please
If You Wear that Velvet Dress
Gone
Walk On
Stuck in a Moment - Vertigo
Kite - Vertigo
City of Blinding Lights
Yahweh (acoustic)
 
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I think the issue here isnt trying to get the best songs in there possible. If you were to actually listen to the way I listed the songs, you will notice the songs flow well into eachother and also have a dynamic to them. If I were to give her a mix tape of songs like The Ocean, Unforgettable Fire, Heartland, or almost ANY live version of any song, the CD would put her to sleep. Im trying to avoid the adult contemporary sound for the 40+ crowd as much as possible.

In reference to her not knowing their popular songs, she's VERY aware of the popular songs. If someone told you "I dont like the beatles", would you give them a CD with "yesterday", "I wanna hold your hand" and "lucy in the sky"? If anything, you would at least try not to fill the CD with as many slow, four minute, quiet songs as possible. Especially if they sounded like really dated, slow, or cheesy songs, like half the songs from War. ;)
 
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ZigZag said:
I think the issue here isnt trying to get the best songs in there possible. If you were to actually listen to the way I listed the songs, you will notice the songs flow well into eachother and also have a dynamic to them. If I were to give her a mix tape of songs like The Ocean, Unforgettable Fire, Heartland, or almost ANY live version of any song, the CD would put her to sleep. Im trying to avoid the adult contemporary sound for the 40+ crowd as much as possible.
Click to expand...

Umm...if you think The Ocean, The Unforgettable Fire and Heartland will put someone to sleep then maybe you aren't the right person to make a U2 mix. I mean those songs really cover the band's signature sounds from the 80's. When you say that live versions will put her to sleep than maybe U2 isn't the band for her. As for the flow, if you were to listen to my mix (which you are partially referencing) you'd see that all the tracks flow beautifully. If you don't like the live versions and you don't think highly of thier 80's sound, then what part of U2 do you like?
 
Put more songs from Boy and October.

I was in a girls clothing store with a friend of mine that likes to go to clubs and dances and listens to indie stuff and Out of Control came on and she asked me who it was. She thought it was a new band.
 
Screwtape2 said:


Umm...if you think The Ocean, The Unforgettable Fire and Heartland will put someone to sleep then maybe you aren't the right person to make a U2 mix. I mean those songs really cover the band's signature sounds from the 80's. When you say that live versions will put her to sleep than maybe U2 isn't the band for her. As for the flow, if you were to listen to my mix (which you are partially referencing) you'd see that all the tracks flow beautifully. If you don't like the live versions and you don't think highly of thier 80's sound, then what part of U2 do you like?
Click to expand...

I have nothing against those songs whatsoever. The Ocean is one of my more favored U2 songs of all time. But if Im trying to get someone's attention, The Ocean isnt really the first thing that comes to mind.

In reference to live versions, I rarely use live versions of songs in mixes I make due to the simple fact that they often sound hokey or unneccessary in the context of the whole listen. Its choppy to go from a studio song into people screaming and clapping back into a studio song, unless I fade the ends. I mean, maybe if I were using "streets", I would consider it. But it just isnt what Im going for here, even knowing how incredible the U2 live experience is.

I never said I dont like their 80's sound, especially since I have several 80's songs on my tracklisting. I just think the meading, wailing, tingy sound isnt the most appealing thing to someone who is used to alternative rock and other college bands.

I love Boy, October, War, Unforgettable Fire, Rattle and Hum, and The Joshua Tree, but I have to be careful to not basically go "and here is an old band from the 80's..."
 
ZigZag said:


I have nothing against those songs whatsoever. The Ocean is one of my more favored U2 songs of all time. But if Im trying to get someone's attention, The Ocean isnt really the first thing that comes to mind.

In reference to live versions, I rarely use live versions of songs in mixes I make due to the simple fact that they often sound hokey or unneccessary in the context of the whole listen. Its choppy to go from a studio song into people screaming and clapping back into a studio song, unless I fade the ends. I mean, maybe if I were using "streets", I would consider it. But it just isnt what Im going for here, even knowing how incredible the U2 live experience is.

I never said I dont like their 80's sound, especially since I have several 80's songs on my tracklisting. I just think the meading, wailing, tingy sound isnt the most appealing thing to someone who is used to alternative rock and other college bands.

I love Boy, October, War, Unforgettable Fire, Rattle and Hum, and The Joshua Tree, but I have to be careful to not basically go "and here is an old band from the 80's..."
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I'd be careful though not to back U2 into a strictly rock and energetic corner with a couple lighter tunes through in because that's not U2.
 
ZigZag said:


I just think the meading, wailing, tingy sound isnt the most appealing thing to someone who is used to alternative rock and other college bands.

Click to expand...

There's a lot of alternative bands these days that sound like 80's U2.
 
david said:


There's a lot of alternative bands these days that sound like 80's U2.
Click to expand...

I fully agree. That's why I put Out of Control on the mix. I think Electric Co and I Will Follow were both considered as well...a lot of Boy and even October still sounds really fresh, often times better than much of the new garage bands and indie groups that are new on the scene. I would put more on there, but I would have to take stuff out, and then rework it to flow again. The CD cant drag on for forever, so I have to be careful.
 
Don't give her that tape!

I'm an indie kid. OK, a 40 year old indie kid. But I was listening to Arcade Fire before anyone had ever heard of them. And I had a dozen Shins records before snotty little Natalie Portman told me they were great. :)

That said, here's your mix tape. The order is important.

1. A Sort of Homecoming (live)
2. The Ocean
3. Walk to the Water
4. I Will Follow - Of course she's heard it, but a song's appeal is different when you own it.
5. Stories for Boys
6. Dancing Barefoot
7. New Year's Day
8. Stay
6. Running to Stand Still
7. The Fly
8. Your Blue Room
9. A Man and a Woman
10. Love is Blindness
 
I'd go for songs that, while surprising to someone who only knows U2's radio stuff, are instantly likeable (does that make sense? Songs that have to grow on you a little bit might not be the best idea for the purposes of this mixtape. ) When I was getting into U2, the songs that fit that bill for me were The Fly, Acrobat, Do You Feel Loved, and live versions of Mofo, Please, UTEOTW, and Dirty Day.

I really, really like BonoIsMyMuse's idea of opening with Acrobat. I'd open with either that or The Fly if I were you -- Daddy's Gonna Pay might be just a bit too weird for an opening track. And Bad is a must, I think. Whatever you do, avoid JT songs like the plague. Not that they aren't fantastic, but the JT sound is probably exactly what your friend will be expecting to hear.
 
GibsonGirl said:


Why, what's wrong with Seconds?
Click to expand...

Out of all the corny U2 we have, which I'll admit there's quite a bit, this is the most dated sounding of the corn. That combination just makes me want to hurl...
 
BonoIsMyMuse said:


It's a dark, brooding song--if nothing else, I think it shows U2's range. It's also one of my favorite U2 songs. :shrug:
Click to expand...

Well, not scare. As an entre into U2, it's an odd choice is all.

You know, what with the mumbling and the unfinished nature of the song.

If I was on the fence about them, this wouldn 't do the trick.
 
Some of my contenders

Out of Control
Like a Song
Tomorrow
Electric Co.
Bad
Wire
Sort of Homecoming
Red Hill Mining Town
Exit
Heartland
Ultraviolet
Acrobat
Miss Sarajevo
Gone
Do You Feel Loved
Kite
Miracle Drug
 
Must have promenade the most underrated u2 song of all time.
other than that i would go with:
love is blindness (live)
zooropa (edit the beginning off)
electric co (live)
gone
wire
please
ep and america
i threw a brick
like a song
dirty day
off the top fo my head- probably could think of better if spent more time on it.
 
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