New Album Discussion 1 - Songs of..... - Unreasonable guitar album

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Just jumping in quickly to say that, just as Headache said Stand Up Comedy made his dick hard, Luckiest Man in the World made me cry.

The main lyric changes, and the song title change, are fucking dumb and I hate them, but the fact that we have Mercy, 95% in tact, after all these years, and sounding so good, made me absolutely weep. My favourite non-live thing U2 have done in many, many years.

Don't kink shame me

 

[cobl04]

I will never let you forget it.

Looking forward to listening to the full album (the new stuff anyway - is there any point listening to the old album? Does it sound any noticably different?) and doing a track-by-track review like I did for SOS.

 

[david]

The Vertigo Chicago show is on YouTube now. It’s one of the few shows/DVDs I never bothered to watch. It’s actually pretty good. There’s an awkward moment where Bono kidnaps a boy from the audience.

 

[dan_smee]

I will never let you forget it.

Looking forward to listening to the full album (the new stuff anyway - is there any point listening to the old album? Does it sound any noticably different?) and doing a track-by-track review like I did for SOS.

Yeah, sounds great. Even without atoms there is a noticeable improvement. Loudness issues fixed, details and nuances I’ve never heard before

 

[MrPryck2U]

Looking forward to listening to the full album (the new stuff anyway - is there any point listening to the old album? Does it sound any noticably different?) and doing a track-by-track review like I did for SOS.

Yes, there is a point to listening to the old album. Celebrate the person you were 20 years ago. I can't believe this album is 20 fucking years old. The memories come flooding back. Love the "new" stuff. Treason sounds amazing on the headphones!

 

[lazarus]

Just jumping in quickly to say that, just as Headache said Stand Up Comedy made his dick hard, Luckiest Man in the World made me cry.

The main lyric changes, and the song title change, are fucking dumb and I hate them, but the fact that we have Mercy, 95% in tact, after all these years, and sounding so good, made me absolutely weep. My favourite non-live thing U2 have done in many, many years.

Preferring clarity to quality is unfortunate. This is probably what happens to most people who become obsessed with buying vinyl.

 

[lazarus]

The Vertigo Chicago show is on YouTube now. It’s one of the few shows/DVDs I never bothered to watch. It’s actually pretty good. There’s an awkward moment where Bono kidnaps a boy from the audience.

Leo wishes he was kidnapped by Bono.

 

[ferball415]

Preferring clarity to quality is unfortunate. This is probably what happens to most people who become obsessed with buying vinyl.

A great truism re: vinyl, but must also personally admit I’m someone who was never part of the Mercy Saga (whilst otherwise very must present for the era).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I will never let you forget it.

Looking forward to listening to the full album (the new stuff anyway - is there any point listening to the old album? Does it sound any noticably different?) and doing a track-by-track review like I did for SOS.

I would say the original is worth a new listen. They did a good job on the mix and breathed some new life into it. Also just good from the stance of it being 20 years on and all.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Preferring clarity to quality is unfortunate. This is probably what happens to most people who become obsessed with buying vinyl.

I suppose it depends on your original line or thought regarding Mercy. If you were meh on it, you likely think this version is pretty good.

If you thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, the minor tweaks are probably an afront to your senses.

So I get it.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I think this version of "Mercy" is better. I thought the original version was pretty good, though.

 

[mikal]

Leo wishes he was kidnapped by Bono.

Hey now.

 

[mikal]

I think this version of "Mercy" is better. I thought the original version was pretty good, though.

I actually do too. I’ve gotten used to the lyric changes and I’m ok with them.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

on the day the anniversary sets were released, “Luckiest Man in the World” was sent to radio for promotion. Two versions of the song were sent, the longer version found on the album at 06:13 in length, and a shorter version, edited for radio at 04:10 in length. The shorter edit removes a bit of the instrumentation at the start of the song, and fades out early, cutting off the last verse of the song. Both versions of the song are getting airplay around the world, but it appears the shorter edit is getting more play in Europe at this time.

I'm sure people will react rationally to the radio edit

 

[david]

Evidence of Life needs radio airplay.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Evidence Of Life needs to be redone with Bono on vocals

 

[phanan]

What’s occurring more - some people complaining about Mercy/Luckiest Man or Headache complaining about Edge’s vocals?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's close, but only because there's only like 12 people here

 

[MrPryck2U]

Right now, Headache is doing his best to not focus on the Giants game. Lol! I've already listened to Bomb 2 more times than SOS.

 

[phanan]

I’m doing my best not to focus on the Patriots game.

 

[The John Tree]

I’m curious where new U2 music is getting radio airplay in the US, because it ain’t anywhere around me.

My local rock stations play SBS and Pride somewhat regularly, but that’s about it. Nothing new, ever.

 

[cobl04]

I won't go back and read the posts until I've listened to the album so I don't get spoilers (also Kendrick's new album is way more important and better) but are people really complaining about Mercy? It's 95% intact. Given these fuckwits' obsession with over-analysing and redoing things to within an inch of their life, it's a small miracle that Luckiest Man is as good as it is. It's a hell of a lot better than the version they did in 2010.

 

[The John Tree]

Kendrick's new album is way more important and better

I’m actually more inclined to complain about this now.

 

[trevgreg]

I’m curious where new U2 music is getting radio airplay in the US, because it ain’t anywhere around me.

My local rock stations play SBS and Pride somewhat regularly, but that’s about it. Nothing new, ever.

Adult Album Alternative (AAA) stations seems to be the most likely for terrestrial radio. Picture of You has gotten a bit of airplay on the more prominent stations in that format I’ll listen to.

For actual album cycles, the SOE singles were usually played on the AAA stations and a few Hot AC / Adult Pop stations that weren’t iHeart owned.

 

[lazarus]

I won't go back and read the posts until I've listened to the album so I don't get spoilers (also Kendrick's new album is way more important and better) but are people really complaining about Mercy? It's 95% intact. Given these fuckwits' obsession with over-analysing and redoing things to within an inch of their life, it's a small miracle that Luckiest Man is as good as it is. It's a hell of a lot better than the version they did in 2010.

For a guy who seems to hate everything post-No Line barring a handful of tracks, you're surprisingly willing to let this present-day U2 corruption of a brilliant recording slide past, when it has the same tendencies that mar other recent work. They rewrote and re-recorded the chorus. They rewrote lines in the verses unnecessarily, requiring more re-recorded vocals. They edited the final section of the song.

I agree with you, I expected way worse and I said so as much after first hearing this new version. Better that this is what casual fans hear for posterity vs a studio version of the 2010 live travesty. But since we're not casual fans, and know the full history of this track, is the improved sound quality worth those changes? I don't believe so. And I just feel like your audiophile side is winning out over your more conservative judgement of the band itself that should know better. That this artistic compromise brought you to tears is quite the capitulation.

Every time I listen to Mercy, I don't wince because it doesn't sound good enough. It doesn't dissuade me from playing it more often. There are Beatles outtakes which people salivated over for decades that are of worse quality than this CD rip.

 

[lazarus]

I’m curious where new U2 music is getting radio airplay in the US, because it ain’t anywhere around me.

My local rock stations play SBS and Pride somewhat regularly, but that’s about it. Nothing new, ever.

According to a google search, some of the Re-assembled tracks were getting played on KROQ here in Los Angeles. I don't listen to the radio so I can't speak to how often, or how it's being handled in other markets.

 

[david]

I haven’t listened to KROQ since they fired Kevin of Kevin & Bean in March 2020.

 

[dan_smee]

For a guy who seems to hate everything post-No Line barring a handful of tracks, you're surprisingly willing to let this present-day U2 corruption of a brilliant recording slide past, when it has the same tendencies that mar other recent work. They rewrote and re-recorded the chorus. They rewrote lines in the verses unnecessarily, requiring more re-recorded vocals. They edited the final section of the song.

I agree with you, I expected way worse and I said so as much after first hearing this new version. Better that this is what casual fans hear for posterity vs a studio version of the 2010 live travesty. But since we're not casual fans, and know the full history of this track, is the improved sound quality worth those changes? I don't believe so. And I just feel like your audiophile side is winning out over your more conservative judgement of the band itself that should know better. That this artistic compromise brought you to tears is quite the capitulation.

Every time I listen to Mercy, I don't wince because it doesn't sound good enough. It doesn't dissuade me from playing it more often. There are Beatles outtakes which people salivated over for decades that are of worse quality than this CD rip.

Could it also be that your own bias is to hate everything they change regardless of context/quality? You are speaking in absolutes about quality and artistic integrity when the changes are far more restrained then previous examples.

There are certainly things that I prefer in the old version and some that I am ambivalent to. On the whole, hearing a complete, high quality version in the form we have is a positive thing. I am also totally ok if people prefer the new lyrics. If you’d never heard the original then we’d be talking about how incredible this is. They are totally fine and definitely not entering the realms of being “factually worse”.

 

[cobl04]

For a guy who seems to hate everything post-No Line barring a handful of tracks, you're surprisingly willing to let this present-day U2 corruption of a brilliant recording slide past, when it has the same tendencies that mar other recent work. They rewrote and re-recorded the chorus. They rewrote lines in the verses unnecessarily, requiring more re-recorded vocals. They edited the final section of the song.

I agree with you, I expected way worse and I said so as much after first hearing this new version. Better that this is what casual fans hear for posterity vs a studio version of the 2010 live travesty. But since we're not casual fans, and know the full history of this track, is the improved sound quality worth those changes? I don't believe so. And I just feel like your audiophile side is winning out over your more conservative judgement of the band itself that should know better. That this artistic compromise brought you to tears is quite the capitulation.

Every time I listen to Mercy, I don't wince because it doesn't sound good enough. It doesn't dissuade me from playing it more often. There are Beatles outtakes which people salivated over for decades that are of worse quality than this CD rip.

Two things can be true at once. The lyric changes are bad. The new vocals don't quite hit the same. And it sounds amazing. It still finishes with "and again and again and again". "Fear nothing" is still there. They didn't cut two minutes out and completely change the chorus like they did in 2010. (I don't like "The sand inside the pearl / you're the luckiest man in the world", but at least it still fits. It's not "BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE" with changed instrumentation.) I also think we're overreacting to the changes as very intense fans. Ultimately, having an officially released version of one of my favourite songs of all-time, when I was convinced any gold the band had to offer me in the studio had evaporated years ago, makes me very, very happy. I'll take that over it not existing and instead having them pump out rubbish every day of the week.

Also, I don't have an audiophile side. I'm very happy with the crappier quality version of Mercy we got 20 years ago and still listen to it very regularly. Por qué no los dos!

 

[super fly guy]

Two things can be true at once. The lyric changes are bad. The new vocals don't quite hit the same. And it sounds amazing. It still finishes with "and again and again and again". "Fear nothing" is still there. They didn't cut two minutes out and completely change the chorus like they did in 2010. (I don't like "The sand inside the pearl / you're the luckiest man in the world", but at least it still fits. It's not "BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE" with changed instrumentation.) I also think we're overreacting to the changes as very intense fans. Ultimately, having an officially released version of one of my favourite songs of all-time, when I was convinced any gold the band had to offer me in the studio had evaporated years ago, makes me very, very happy. I'll take that over it not existing and instead having them pump out rubbish every day of the week.

Also, I don't have an audiophile side. I'm very happy with the crappier quality version of Mercy we got 20 years ago and still listen to it very regularly. Por qué no los dos!

Why are the lyric changes bad? And as for the vocals, the original vocals sound strained on the original. I would have preferred a whole new vocal on it.