mikal
Blue Crack Addict
bad fan!
fuck!
Does anyone listen to 'Love Comes to Town' or 'Love Rescue Me' and feel embarrassed?
- Thread starter Canadiens1131
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
fuck!
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
I never really liked WLCTT, still not my favorite but can appreciate some of the live versions from LoveTown, just for trying something new.
And I'll be one of few that say I actually like Love Rescue Me, I have ever since day one. The only thing that bugged me about this song were the off background vocals (either Lanois or Dylan).
YouTube - U2 - Love Rescue Me
And I'll be one of few that say I actually like Love Rescue Me, I have ever since day one. The only thing that bugged me about this song were the off background vocals (either Lanois or Dylan).
YouTube - U2 - Love Rescue Me
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
surely there's a little love for LRM live?
anyone?
anyone?
gman
New Yorker
I Like both songs. Being a culture vulture, it allows me to appreciate things that many dislike. Then again....this is a guy who honestly does not dislike any u2 song.
I think "When Love Comes to Town" is a nice enough song. I'm not so crazy about the recording, which is a bit too "in yer face" and bombastic... and you know if we're talking about U2 being too bombastic, by U2 standards, then it's insanely so!
On the other hand, I think "Love Rescue Me" is fantastic, and I particularly like the studio version. There's a gentle kind of lilt to the song, which I don't think is over-the-top at all, and particularly when compared to the heights of pomp they hit on several Rattle & Hum tracks! I think the lyrics are great -- the tale of personal redemption is very 'Johnny Cash-ish' (a dude that the band were in contact with at the time). There aren't a lot of U2 songs that are written from the perspective of "I used to be a sinner, but now I'm redeemed", ala "Amazing Grace", and I wonder if it's this aspect that turns a lot of you off.
The live versions sounded good too, but I thought that by playing them with the B.B. King band, it lost whatever subtlety it had and started going over the top... it all became more showy and dramatic, but anyway still a good song.
I often post on a Bob Dylan forum, and some time ago this song came up on a thread (Dylan is listed as having co-written it, but I think he just contributed a few verses/phrases here and there). Everybody on the Dylan forum thought this was a great song (I concur), and it was in rather sharp contrast to this forum, which routinely hates on it...
One more thing: I've long had the theory that there is another, probably superior, studio version of this tune, recorded with Jimmy Iovine. Though I love the album cut, Dylan's random backing vocals are rather strained and out of tune (Dylan tends to run through songs once in the studio and then quits!). I would be surprised that U2 didn't later record another master of this song, but in the end decided to release the rough, 'warts and all' version that we all know and love/hate (in keeping with the Rattle & Hum is-our-bootleg-record concept that I think they were trying to sell at the time). In the end, I think the added lustre of having Dylan himself playing and singing on the track was too much for them (i.e, their ego) to resist at the time, and they had to include the rough version.
If there's another master, we'll hear it someday on the Boxset...
On the other hand, I think "Love Rescue Me" is fantastic, and I particularly like the studio version. There's a gentle kind of lilt to the song, which I don't think is over-the-top at all, and particularly when compared to the heights of pomp they hit on several Rattle & Hum tracks! I think the lyrics are great -- the tale of personal redemption is very 'Johnny Cash-ish' (a dude that the band were in contact with at the time). There aren't a lot of U2 songs that are written from the perspective of "I used to be a sinner, but now I'm redeemed", ala "Amazing Grace", and I wonder if it's this aspect that turns a lot of you off.
The live versions sounded good too, but I thought that by playing them with the B.B. King band, it lost whatever subtlety it had and started going over the top... it all became more showy and dramatic, but anyway still a good song.
I often post on a Bob Dylan forum, and some time ago this song came up on a thread (Dylan is listed as having co-written it, but I think he just contributed a few verses/phrases here and there). Everybody on the Dylan forum thought this was a great song (I concur), and it was in rather sharp contrast to this forum, which routinely hates on it...
One more thing: I've long had the theory that there is another, probably superior, studio version of this tune, recorded with Jimmy Iovine. Though I love the album cut, Dylan's random backing vocals are rather strained and out of tune (Dylan tends to run through songs once in the studio and then quits!). I would be surprised that U2 didn't later record another master of this song, but in the end decided to release the rough, 'warts and all' version that we all know and love/hate (in keeping with the Rattle & Hum is-our-bootleg-record concept that I think they were trying to sell at the time). In the end, I think the added lustre of having Dylan himself playing and singing on the track was too much for them (i.e, their ego) to resist at the time, and they had to include the rough version.
If there's another master, we'll hear it someday on the Boxset...
bigjohn2441
Refugee
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,593
JT > R&H > every other album.
i guess im
but i grew up with those 2 albums
the only songs i dont care for on R&H are freedom for my people and pride
i guess im
but i grew up with those 2 albumsthe only songs i dont care for on R&H are freedom for my people and pride
gvox
Ghost of Love
Listen to the Point Depot version (26-12-1989) of Love Rescue Me. It's nothing like the R&H version. Bono's voice is pure brilliance.
^
Oh, and to comment on the matter of whether I'm embarrassed by them at that time... well, yes and no. Rattle & Hum and 1988 in general were clearly the peak of the band's pretentiousness, and the moment when they took themselves most seriously -- both to bad effect. There are moments on the Rattle & Hum movie and album that I have to laugh at now because it's like watching them line up to willingly stick their heads under the critical guillotine... and enjoying it. On the other hand, I love the Rattle & Hum album in general (certainly the studio cuts are great), and the Americana/R&B textures suited them well (not that I would have wanted them to stay there forever, but they did pull it off rather well).
The sermon in "Silver and Gold" live is still the most cringeworthy moment in their recorded history, but since 15 million people or whatever bought the record, at least McGuinness was laughing all the way to the bank.
The sermon in "Silver and Gold" live is still the most cringeworthy moment in their recorded history, but since 15 million people or whatever bought the record, at least McGuinness was laughing all the way to the bank.
Listen to the Point Depot version (26-12-1989) of Love Rescue Me. It's nothing like the R&H version. Bono's voice is pure brilliance.
Yes, I agree. I do like the live "Love Rescue Me" and that specific Point Depot show is arguably my favorite U2 performance ever. I'm just saying that there's a degree of showmanship to the live version -- for example, the big, dramatic pause before Bono hits the grand note at the end -- and a gentler, more drawn-out touch to the ragged studio version, and I prefer the latter.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
since you're mentioning Silver and Gold, i just want to mention that the Sun City version is one of the best things i've heard in my life.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
i like both songs.
I was all agreeing with you and then you had to go and say something like that
I like both LRM and WLCTT, no complaints on either to tell the truth. Silver and Gold on the other hand - DO NOT WANT!
Also, I'm sorry but starting off an album with "Charles Manson stole this song from the Beatles, we're stealing it back" is 100 times more pretentious then LRM and WLCTT combined if you ask me...
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
I'm not sure that you need to apologise there.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
true dat
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
ya totly
I actually have no problem with that! The difference, for me, is that (a) the Beatles reference is clearly a bit tongue-in-cheek, as opposed to a sermon about South Africa and Desmond Tutu, and (b) U2 does have a line of influence from The Beatles, so "stealing" the song back to rock concert setting kind of makes sense (yes, in a slightly pretentious way).
Point (b) differs from "Okay Edge, play the blues!", which suggest that U2 know the blues or come from that tradition (they don't); it differs from Bono inducting Bob Marley into the hall of fame, suggesting that he knows reggae (he doesn't); it differs from Bono singing "with" Frank Sinatra, etc., etc...
With U2, we have to qualify the various levels of pretentiousness.
Jimmy Jazz
The Fly
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2004
- Messages
- 239
Agreed, this is a great song. When Love Comes To Town, on the other hand, I can take or leave. Not terrible, not particularly good. Not too crazy about BB King.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
yeah, it's amazing how things have changed... oh wait
chels82
Refugee
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
I don't know, I think he's a lot less pretentious now (which tends to come with getting older and wiser, or so I’ve heard.) but if anything he has become way more concerned about "saving the world" now than before.
chels82
Refugee
I get embarrassed when I listen to "Playboy Mansion" and prefer to pretend they never wrote that song.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
Playboy Mansion 
chels82
Refugee
I don't even have it on my iPod for album completion's sake.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
really? There are only a handful of songs I don't like but I still keep them on the 'pod.
chels82
Refugee
Yeah. It's the one that when Pop came out, I was pissed off at it and I have held a grudge for 12 years against it. I probably haven't listened to it in a good 7 years. I should probably give it a chance but...
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
the lyrics are dated no doubt but the final couple of verses when he goes into "Then will there be no time for sorrow" still gets me every time.
