Thank God that any of the final versions of
Achtung Baby are far miles superior than any of the Kindergarten versions, even though these last ones bring very interesting versions and aspects that are the proof that these 12 songs and this album is a masterpiece.
I was afraid to listen to a stripped down "One"... But I liked it. The acoustic guitars in UTEOTW were curious and interestng too.
Of the 12, WGRYWH is the best. For some it reminds Echo And The Bunnymen or The Cure. To me, it immediately reminded of some of the Madchester bands (maybe James or The La's or something by The Stone Roses... I don't know...).
Ultraviolet is darker here, but I miss the guitar riffs of the final version.
Am I the only one who immediately associated this Love Is Blindness version to the soundscapes in
The Million Dollar Hotel slow paced and atmospheric sounscapes? There's still something very traditional that was kept here as well.
About the outtakes... I have to say I'm disappointed. Maybe I had huge expectations, but I'm not impressed at all by any of the songs. I'd say that all the real b-sides ("Salome", "Lady With The spinning Head", "Alex/Korova 1", "Where Did It All Go Wrong", etc.) are far far superior to what I just heard now ("Down All The Days" it's not that is bad, it's not, but "Numb" makes it sound mediocre)...
"Blow Your House Down"... I know this one was composed first, but the last thing I was in the mood for was the prototype of "Vertigo", ABOY and GOYB... And these three are better, IMO.
"Heaven And Hell"... I was never a fan of this track. Always was that one I skipped on the Hansa Tapes recordings. It's not a very dynamic song at all and it sounds like it was composed by Prince somehow.
"Near The Island" and "Oh Berlin"... Didn't even cause a reaction on me (it's not a good sign).