U2's b-sides and rarities

[ozeeko]

U2's albums (for the most part) are brilliant. But some of their most inspired and haunting works have come from the songs that don't make it to the album. Examples: "Walk To The Water" (what a timeless work of art, should be in a museum), "Spanish Eyes" (U2's most uninhibited outpouring of lust), "I'm Not Your Baby"(best U2 hiphop attempt, and one of their freakiest soundscapes) , "Luminous Times"(in the top ten U2 plea of desperation category), "Solame" (The Zooromancer remix is like a holy religious dance, sort of Enigma-like) , "Love Comes Tumbling" (it's good but i'm too tired for a description) , "Boomerang" (great for driving in the snow)... and some of their finest excersizes in ROCK: "Holy Joe" and "Big Girls Are Best"...not to mention their covers are out-of-sight... "Dancing Barefoot" and "Night And Day" are two of my favorite U2 recordings ever. Good shit.

 

[thrillme]

I thought I read "Spanish Eyes" was at one point going to be on the Joshua Tree album, but it didn't make the final cut.

 

[annabelle]

Can only agree with you on that ozeeko. and I think a lot of people feel the same.

Walk to the Water is one of my favourites along with Spanish Eyes and the Salome remix not to mention the outtakes such as Levitate, Smile etc etc, so much so that lately I find I am playing these b-sides and rarities etc more often than the albums.

Interestingly I'm pretty sure that if these were released officially on an album they probably wouldn't be very successful in today's market. Not sure why but I guess it goes to show that the guys know their stuff when it comes to deciding what to release and what to leave for us to discover

 

[Utoo]

Yup, dozens of the b-sides rule.

 

[gareth brown]

Enough of the word HAUNTING! Do people honestly have U2 on while they're in bed and hide under the covers when certain songs start playing because it's "Haunting?!?!" I'll NEVER understand it.
On a lighter note. The Three Sunrises, Love Comes Tumbling and Spanish Eyes are amongst U2's finest song. EVER.

 

[doubleU]

Haunting:

3. To come to mind continually; obsess: a riddle that haunted me all morning.
4. To be continually present in; pervade: the melancholy that haunts the composer's music.

Yeah I can see using that to describe some of U2's work, especially some of the b-sides listed.

 

[kosull]

There's some brilliant non-album tracks. Holy Joe's a good example, but from that period there's also the two excellent versions of I'm Not Your Baby, North and South of the River, and you've also got Alex Descends..., and Luminous Times too. Yet, overall there's more remixes and live tracks than b-sides, particularly since the mid-90s.

 

[deltau922]

There are about 45 b-sides good enough to keep, and only five remixes.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

North and South of the river
Wild Irish Rose
60 seconds in kingdom come
Alex descends into hell for a bottle of milk
Hallelujah here she comes
The three sunrises
Bass Trap
Always
Lady with the spinning head
Heartbreak hotel

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

a lot of their b-sides are utterly brilliant. some of them are crap though. they never seem to just be mediocre

 

[cleazer]

Lady With the Spinning Head!!!!!!!!

Salome!
Luminous Times!

 

[doctorwho]

I've enjoyed almost all b-sides. I view them as extra treats - even if Bono's voice isn't the best on a given song or if the production isn't as tight. Sometimes the b-sides add some flavor and understanding to the album. Sometimes they just rock.

I like many remixes too - gives a great chance to hear a song in a totally different way. The afore-mentioned "Salome" remix is one such example. The original is rocking, but the remix is very trance like and far better, IMO. Heck, in some cases, I never liked a song until I heard the remix!

But overall, I do feel U2 should release a few more original b-sides and less remixes and live songs.

 

[Axver]

Many of the b-sides are better than album tracks.

U2 really make some poor decisions sometimes. They make amazing music but some of the best gems vanish into a void and are only heard by obsessive fans.

 

[DignityPassesBy]

I got a song called dreaming with tear in my eyes ... i'd never heard of it before but its pretty good ... and what do we consider electrical strom??? cause if its a b-side its one of their best

 

[namkcuR]

I got a song called dreaming with tear in my eyes ... i'd never heard of it before but its pretty good ... and what do we consider electrical strom??? cause if its a b-side its one of their best

Electrical Storm is not a b-side.

It's an A-side to a stand-alone single. 'A Celebration' and 'Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me' fall into the same category. Although, technically speaking, it could be considered as a single off of the Best Of 1990-2000.

 

[Axver]

I got a song called dreaming with tear in my eyes ... i'd never heard of it before but its pretty good ... and what do we consider electrical strom??? cause if its a b-side its one of their best

Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes is from a Jimmie Rodgers tribute album ... 1997, I believe.

Electrical Storm is considered to be a non-album a-side. Other songs that fall in the same category are Another Day, 11 O'clock Tick Tock, and A Celebration.

 

[gherman]

DEEP IN THE HEART !

 

[miss becky]

Except for the remixes (although some of those are good too), I think most of U2's B-sides are awesome. I really wish they hadn't started the trend of just remixing a song and slapping that onto the B-side of a single.

No contest, the Joshua Tree B-sides are all incredible songs. Spanish Eyes is gorgeous. Walk to the Water is very evocative and beautiful. Deep in the Heart is moody and powerful. I love them all, but those three are my favorites.

 

[SunBloc]

Walk to the Water =
Xanax and Wine/Fast Cars = Brilliant!

 

[Mr Sarajevo]

What about Slow Dancing, with Willie Nelson on lead vocals. What a song!

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad is a great tune too.

 

[Snowlock]

B-Sides Baby:

Trash, Trampoline & The Party Girl
Treasure
3 Sunrises
Love Comes Tumbling
Silver & Gold
Spanish Eyes
The Sweetest Thing
Everlasting Love
A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel
Halelluja Here She Comes
Satellite of Love
Lady With The Spinning Head
Night & Day (Steel String Remix)
Salome
Where Did It All Go Wrong
Slow Dancing (Original Version)
North & South Of The River
Always
Electrical Storm (Band Version)
Are You Gonna Wait Forever

 

[chickadee]

Yeah, I definitely agree about the B-sides. I always love B-sides and in a way I quite like that some of the greats are there to be found by us lot only. Too good for the general populace! Hehe.

My faves off the top of my head would have to be Lady With the Spinning Head (both versions), Salome (I prefer the 'original' but the remix is great), Holy Joe (Garage Mix for me, it has more punch to it but I like the Guilty Mix too), Walk To The Water & Luminous Times, and then Slow Dancing and stuff too.

Ah, brilliance.

 

[AtomicBono]

You know you're listening to a great band when even the b-sides are good! Yeah, U2 has a few crappy b-sides, and I can usually see why a b-side didn't make the album, but most of their b-sides are solid, and some are even brilliant. I think that's a mark of a good band

I adore the Lady with the Spinning Head extended dance mix or whatever it is. The instrumental break in that song is just unreal. I also love Always, even though it's similar to BD. Something about the song exudes joy. Summer Rain's another great one, as is Are You Gonna Wait Forever. 00's U2 has really produced some of their best b-sides imo, it's just a shame that they've also had so many dumb remixes (some remixes are cool though).

I rather enjoyed the iTunes rarities, especially Love You Like Mad and Xanax and Wine (which I can't decide if I like better than Fast Cars or not! I love both).

And unreleased stuff...well I do love me some Mercy. Apparently that's out of fashion now, but I don't care, I still think it's U2 in top form.

 

[Devlin]

I need to get those burned to a disc..anybody want to do that for fee reasonable for a schoolgirl?

 

[bono_212]

ok....so I just heard Alex decends, and oh my good Lord....that was pretty much amazing....but, is it just Adam, Larry, and Edge, and who's singing the beginning

Also, I just heard Mercy today, and...maybe I shouldn't say....I mean it was good....but I don't know if it was as amazing, as what I had heard.

 

[guill]

Fortunate Son is great.

 

[pop marter]

Fortunate Son is great i agree! Isn't it a cover?

Holy Joe has a great groove. I love it! Its basically Bono taking the piss out of himself. ('I .. I am a humble guy ...no really I try but its hard sometimes')

 

[guill]

Yes, it's a Creedence Clearwater Revival song.

 

[U2NativeSon]

Electrical Storm is considered to be a non-album a-side. Other songs that fall in the same category are Another Day, 11 O'clock Tick Tock, and A Celebration.

Sadly the only single never played live ...

 

[ScooterXX7]

I can't find Mercy anywhere, where can I listen to it?