Mercy - Update - News on "Mercy" 03/09

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I thought Bono could be talking about this song, but in a more developed state. Surely you're right and it's the quality of the recording, I find it too plain to U2 standards and, from my point of view, it needs a lot of work to make it take off. I'm sure it'd be great if they work on it a bit more and we could get it as a B side or so.
 
ClaytonMan you've got an e-mail!

Twilite, gmail doesn't recognise your address, try posting it again.

Twilite, never mind, it was an error on the system, it's sent now.
 
I believe that the band was trying to go for a "raw sound" of guitar feedback in the beginning of Mercy and Smile (which is why they sound the same)... but I think they held back on that feedback a lot... so it sounds weak and "unfinished"... if the feedback was turned up more to near intolerable levels (and I'm not talking about compression, but a high frequency shriek), that would have totally blown off the ears of most fans... and no one would appreciate their endeavor...

That being said, Mercy doesn't have any balls. :down: :down:
 
Here's the cliff's notes on the story of Mercy. I thought this was answered earlier, but it seems that folks are still asking, so I may be wrong:



-An Interference member, U2SJ, saw Bono at a hotel or someplace several weeks before HTDAAB was released. She asked about the album, and he said something along the lines of: "Watch out for Mercy--it's my favorite track."

-Another Interference member, skott100, a member of a U2 tribute band and who said he has connections with a guy at Interscope, got a copy of HTDAAB a week and a half before its release. The copy was on cassette and included Mercy tacked onto the end after Yahweh. He & his bandmates converted it to digital so they could start practicing the songs.

-skott100 was friends with U2SJ and gave the converted cd to her.

-U2SJ uploaded Mercy to Interference

-One of the biggest elements of Interference mythology was born.


As for the reason why many people think it was included in The Complete U2-----that's because Mercy was included in a zip file entitled "U2 Unreleased and Rare" that was passed around pretty heavily. That file included many of the 'Unreleased and Rare' tracks from The Complete U2, as well as Mercy and one or two others that weren't.
 
Utoo said:
-Another Interference member, skott100, a member of a U2 tribute band and who said he has connections with a guy at Interscope, got a copy of HTDAAB a week and a half before its release. The copy was on cassette and included Mercy tacked onto the end after Yahweh./QUOTE]

This is just further evidence to suggest the song was "finished" and was cut at the 11th hour. Though obviously this would have happened a lot further back than a week and a half; they couldn't change the track listing and printing of the CD inserts that quickly.
Click to expand...
 
does that mean someone might have the supposedly finished version on CD as well? Instead of the poor quality one that's everywhere?

That'd be a cool find to have :hyper:
 
lazarus said:
I don't agree. I thought most people felt it DIDN'T fit that album, and were glad in a way that it was excised.

I said it before, but from the sound of some of these clips, it doesn't seem like it would be very out of place on No Line.
Click to expand...

i completely agree

it's too bad it's not on No Line. Maybe it'll be on the follow-up? Supposedly made up of the more meditative songs ... I think Mercy could be describes as meditative :yes:

it's probably lost and gone forever, but it was Bono's favourite track so who knows...
 
Mercy is a great song, though there is a lot of improvement needed if they are to release it.

-Reproduce it, give it better production
-Change that Edge part/solo thing at 5:10 into a real solo.
-Make the song sound much more different than anything off HTDAAB.

Just my opinion.
 
I don't know how you can question the production when the audio quality of the version we have isn't released quality. It's very hard to tell from that how the production will ultimately be.

And I think it sounds very different from HTDAAB already.
 
got this via a torrent

Front.jpg
Front.jpg


1) Smile
2) A Man And A Woman (Single Mix) [combo of ac & album]
3) Mercy (Demo Version)
4) The Fly (Live From Chicago)

same as my old MP3 but no weird hiss on the song intro

anyone? :hmm:
 
ic170 said:
got this via a torrent

Front.jpg
Front.jpg


1) Smile
2) A Man And A Woman (Single Mix) [combo of ac & album]
3) Mercy (Demo Version)
4) The Fly (Live From Chicago)

same as my old MP3 but no weird hiss on the song intro

anyone? :hmm:
Click to expand...


Someone on interference used recording software to clean it up a bit and get rid of the hiss at the intro.
 
love that edge part when in kicks in. and yes...it would make sense to make that a little bit longer. as ive said before.......imo the song is better than most of htdaab.
 
Smile wasn't a single but it is an official release as it was released by U2 in the Complete U2 on iTunes in the section called "Unreleased and Rare". (Which Mercy was not a part of) The liner notes written by Edge on the Unreleased and Rare songs are very interesting :up:
 
bonocomet said:
Smile wasn't a single but it is an official release as it was released by U2 in the Complete U2 on iTunes in the section called "Unreleased and Rare". (Which Mercy was not a part of) The liner notes written by Edge on the Unreleased and Rare songs are very interesting :up:
Click to expand...

Sorry to quote myself but went back to add an edit but was too late.

Anyways, according to what Edge says there, it sounds like Smile might have made it onto HTDAAB, but just arrived too late. I like the way he asks us if we think U2 made the right call on some of the decisions they made on these songs.

The fact that Mercy was left off of this set, makes you wonder. They may have still been planning to release it at a later date when the Complete U2 went to press.
 
Smile and Mercy could have easily replaced some of what made it on HTDAAB, namely Yahweh and Love and Peace or Else.

A question: since Fast Cars was included on the Complete U2 version of the album, and is also on all Deluxe editions and some other foreign issues, is it safe to call it track 12 of HTDAAB? I mean, it sounds like the song was on more versions of the album than it was left off.
 
gweeps said:
This would make a GREAT closing track to an album.

And as to that Smile single, I don't think it's official.
Click to expand...

Yep I had my doubts as I couldn't find any reference on TheWanderer.org site, funny though, the version of AM&AW is definitely not the one on the ABOY [UK] single or the album as it starts like the former mix but then goes into the album version very cleanly. The jpeg above came with a "back" one with all sorts of Universal Music Inc copyright stuff at the bottom, easily faked I guess...

ta :up:

gweeps said:
Smile and Mercy could have easily replaced some of what made it on HTDAAB, namely Yahweh and Love and Peace or Else.

A question: since Fast Cars was included on the Complete U2 version of the album, and is also on all Deluxe editions and some other foreign issues, is it safe to call it track 12 of HTDAAB? I mean, it sounds like the song was on more versions of the album than it was left off.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends which 'region' you come from... but yes, to me it's always been Track 12 as the UK versions had it, and I think it works well as a closing number, much the same situation with TGBHF on the UK editions of All That You Can't Leave Behind...
 
ic170 said:
much the same situation with TGBHF on the UK editions of All That You Can't Leave Behind...
Click to expand...
I associate this song with Million Dollar Hotel, especially considering it was on the film soundtrack. Fast Cars has always just been associated with Bomb.
 
I have to say Mercy is a hell of a lot better than GOYB or the alternate take of NLOTH. Easily in terms of melody.
 
Utoo said:
As for the reason why many people think it was included in The Complete U2-----that's because Mercy was included in a zip file entitled "U2 Unreleased and Rare" that was passed around pretty heavily. That file included many of the 'Unreleased and Rare' tracks from The Complete U2, as well as Mercy and one or two others that weren't.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, but you're confusing me, mate. Was it on "The Complete U2" or not? I doubt it was because then we'd all have a better version of it; I also would have SEEN it on itunes. Why would itunes sell a zip file?

Thanks in advance.
 
Muldfeld said:
I'm sorry, but you're confusing me, mate. Was it on "The Complete U2" or not? I doubt it was because then we'd all have a better version of it; I also would have SEEN it on itunes. Why would itunes sell a zip file?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...


No, it wasn't included in the iTunes package. The zip file was packaged by a fan, and that zip file included some of the 'unreleased and rare' songs from iTunes PLUS Mercy and a few other tracks. The fan-created zip file was heavily circulated and it was entitled "Unreleased and Rare" (or "Millennium Outtakes," depending on when you got it), thus confusing many a fan.
 
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