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

[BigMacPhisto]

I really like the sequencing of the first six songs on HTDAAB. My problem's always been that Yahweh is the only one I give a shit about in the last half (or Yahweh/Fast Cars on the deluxe). Those first six songs on HTDAAB are all fucking bangers, imo. COBL, Vertigo, Sometimes and Miracle Drug are all Top 50 U2 songs for me and LOPOE was one of the highlights of that tour. The start of that album is an embarrassment of riches compared to what would come after.

NLOTH Bangers: NLOTH, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Fez, Breathe (6)
SOI Bangers: California
SOE Bangers: none

None of the songs from those three albums would be in my U2 Top 50 at this point. Fez and Crazy are the best imo. Crazy should have been the first single as it's real radio friendly and the song closets to their ATYCLB sound that they've ever done since.

A shout-out should also be given to Iris. The tour made it clear that it's a really, really fucking great song but it's so overproduced on the damn record that it's unlistenable.

I will also never understand why California wasn't a single as it's the PERFECT song for the radio format here in the States that gives the band the most play (AA - adult alternative). Perfect song for driving in your car, especially if you live in California. Pulsing melody, soaring chorus, fantastic lyrics concerning loss and moving on. Kicks the shit out of all the other SOI/SOE material being so overly labored and clunky.

 

[lazarus]

Agree on California, that could have been a crossover hit without the iTunes debacle.

But you're deranged re: Crazy Tonight, bottom 5-10 U2 songs ever. Calling that a banger while passing over Red Flag Day? No.

And as far as "pop" U2 goes, The Showman & Love Is Bigger are up there with California in terms of songs that might have been hits in an alternate reality.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think Crazy Tonight has a real good verse and chorus structure and it was even on PopMatters best songs of the year list. I think its problem has been that some listeners really dig it and others immediately hear its chorus and envision it being in the trailer for a movie like Step Mom or whatever. Fair enough.

I also believe casuals would have really dug the song played live (instead of the remix) more than most of what they played for No Line on that tour (and continually shrunk the song selection from that album). Granted, the remix definitely got the audience's attention and was a nice change of pace (and kind of a cop-out for them not wanting to play dance tunes from Zooropa and Pop) but I think Crazy's the most obvious pop song/single from that record and Fez is the only other song that isn't clunky/labored to varying degrees.

Fez would have made a really good opener for 360. Powerful, fast, soaring Bono vocals. Nothing else from that record made any sense as a show opener. Play it and then toss out some banger like Vertigo right after.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'm with you on this. It does start with a promising melody, and then it just devolves into... that.

As far as the tracklisting on The Bomb is concerned, Miracle Drug should never have been a no. 2 song. It kills any momentum Vertigo had made. City of Blinding Lights should have been the opener, followed by Vertigo.

My main issue with the record is that it goes into awful mode with the final two or three songs. As much as I am not a fan of Mercy, I guess if that song was the closer and Xanax and Wine was in there somewhere (preferably as no. 2), it would have been an improvement.

I never really thought there was a problem with Miracle Drug in the 2 hole but now that you mention it what you lay out here would work quite well

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Disagree on Miracle Drug. While the verses are downbeat, the pre-chorus picks up the pace and intensity with the beat and vocasl ,and the chorus is even more energetic, Edge crashing in with some powerful guitar work.

It works better than Stuck as a #2 song which is why I only listen to the original leaked version of ATYCLB where Elevation is in that spot. To me that switch is a bigger offense than what they did on The Bomb.

And now I read this and I'm back on Team Miracle Drug at #2

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I think Crazy Tonight has a real good verse and chorus structure and it was even on PopMatters best songs of the year list. I think its problem has been that some listeners really dig it and others immediately hear its chorus and envision it being in the trailer for a movie like Step Mom or whatever. Fair enough.

I also believe casuals would have really dug the song played live (instead of the remix) more than most of what they played for No Line on that tour (and continually shrunk the song selection from that album). Granted, the remix definitely got the audience's attention and was a nice change of pace (and kind of a cop-out for them not wanting to play dance tunes from Zooropa and Pop) but I think Crazy's the most obvious pop song/single from that record and Fez is the only other song that isn't clunky/labored to varying degrees.

Fez would have made a really good opener for 360. Powerful, fast, soaring Bono vocals. Nothing else from that record made any sense as a show opener. Play it and then toss out some banger like Vertigo right after.

My only issue with Crazy Tonight is that it didn't fit the vibe of the album. As a stand alone I don't hate it

 

[BigMacPhisto]

My only issue with Crazy Tonight is that it didn't fit the vibe of the album. As a stand alone I don't hate it

Technically two songs that don't fit the album, imo. White as Snow is its own unique breed and I kind of classify it in the same category as One Step Closer where it seems real interesting the first few listens and then is just kind of a plodding bore.

Unfortunately, SUC does fit with the rest of the record even though, for me, it's the absolute worst album track they'd done up to that point.

The film included with NLOTH was pretty cool and I thought the SUC video was at least interesting. I feel if you ditch Crazy and White as Snow, you get a record that neatly fits on a single vinyl platter and comfortably sits between straight ahead rock and the minor prog excursions.

 

[dan_smee]

The Miracle drug at #2 conversation is interesting. I’ve always loved it there. But I did think the concerts that started COBL>Vertigo were the strongest openers. It is a top heavy album like JT so this could present an opportunity:

1. COBL
2. Vertigo
3. Miracle Drug
4. One Step Closer
5. Original of the Species (single version)
6. Crumbs From Your Table
7. All Because of You
8. A Man and a Woman
9. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
10. Love and Peace or Else
11. Fast Cars
12. Yahweh
13. Mercy

 

[dan_smee]

Just listening to this now.

One Step Closer works better than you’d think in 4, leading into single OOTS

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Ok I gave it a try

City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
All Because of You
A Man And A Woman
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
One Step Closer
Mercy
Love and Peace or Else
Xanax and Wine
Crumbs From Your Table
Original of The Species
Yahweh

 

[phanan]

1. Vertigo
2. All Because Of You
3. Miracle Drug
4. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
5. City Of Blinding Lights
6. Crumbs From Your Table
7. One Step Closer
8. Love And Peace Or Else
9. A Man And A Woman
10. Fast Cars (Jacknife Lee Remix)
11. Original Of The Species
12. Mercy
13. Yahweh

 

[TheClash253]

Disagree on Miracle Drug. While the verses are downbeat, the pre-chorus picks up the pace and intensity with the beat and vocasl ,and the chorus is even more energetic, Edge crashing in with some powerful guitar work.

It works better than Stuck as a #2 song which is why I only listen to the original leaked version of ATYCLB where Elevation is in that spot. To me that switch is a bigger offense than what they did on The Bomb.

What was the original leaked tracklist of ATYCLB?

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I liked the Love and Peace intro concerts better for two reasons:

1) Lets COBL show up as more of an emotional moment rather than “wasted” as the first

2) Breaks up that whole “war” section so it’s not as long

 

[Hewson]

I saw LaPOE open 1 of the 6 Vertigo shows I went to, and I also preferred it as the opener.

 

[lazarus]

What was the original leaked tracklist of ATYCLB?

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On
4. Stuck
5. Peace on Earth
6. Kite
--
7. New York
8. In A Little While
9. Wild Honey
10. When I Look At The World
11. Grace

This gives Peace on Earth a better place of prominence, which it deserves because of the subject matter IMO, so you get a trio of very personal tracks with Stuck and Kite that examine mortality. New York is a little too frivolous as the penultimate track and it's better as a Side 2 opener, while WILATW gives the album a more thematic heft near the end.

In the release order, I just think BD -> Stuck -> Elevation is whiplash inducing, going from the Hutchence suicide song into one of the more frivolous, fun tracks.

 

[djerdap]

City of Blinding Lights
Native Son
Xanax and Wine
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
All Because of You (alternate)
A Man and a Woman
Crumbs from Your Table
Mercy

I might try this tracklist. Still an overcooked mess of an album, but probably a slightly better one for these ears.

 

[dan_smee]

I never get when people dismiss One Step Closer. We complain all the time that we want atmospheric U2, and they create something atmospheric and restrained and beautiful and people think it’s boring.

That song is gorgeous, and I will die on that hill.

 

[mikal]

I just tried this playlist for HTDAAB and it worked really well :

Vertigo
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
City Of Blinding Lights
All Because Of You
A Man And A Woman
Crumbs From Your Table
One Step Closer
Original Of The Species
Yahweh
Fast Cars


Also, special shout out for Are You Gonna Wait Forever. Great b-side.

 

[dan_smee]

The commercial track list is certainly less problematic than, well, most of their albums since TUF. I wouldn’t touch the first 4.

TJT - notoriously top heavy, but is there a more iconic first three on an album?
R&H - just a confused mess. A tight album of just new material would have been great, but needed a big sequence fix.
AB - I like the order from the Sphere, TBH. I think the narrative works better.
Zooropa - I don’t have many issues here. They managed to prop the weaker songs with good sequencing.
Pop - not too bad either, just feel like it could benefit with more of the flow from the tour - MoFo first, discotheque in a later slot to prop the run home.
ATYCLB - top heavy and like Laz said the original order is much better.
NLOTH - middle three. Nuff said
SOI - later solid tracks like Reach Around are swamped by positioning. The Miracle is a poor opener, but it’s the best opener there. The Crystal Ballroom would have been good.
SOE - TBT>GOOYOW >ASS is a terrible run. TBT and GOOYOW would have been fine album tracks if they did the sensible thing and push the better songs like Blackout, Little Things, RFD as singles.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I never get when people dismiss One Step Closer. We complain all the time that we want atmospheric U2, and they create something atmospheric and restrained and beautiful and people think it’s boring.

That song is gorgeous, and I will die on that hill.

Agree! It’s the type of song there should be a lot more of in the past 20 years. So much better than forced attempts at hit making.

Also suprised at the disdain for Yahweh. It’s gorgeous too.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The slower acoustic Yahweh they did on your is much better than the album version IMO

 

[TheClash253]

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On
4. Stuck
5. Peace on Earth
6. Kite
--
7. New York
8. In A Little While
9. Wild Honey
10. When I Look At The World
11. Grace

This gives Peace on Earth a better place of prominence, which it deserves because of the subject matter IMO, so you get a trio of very personal tracks with Stuck and Kite that examine mortality. New York is a little too frivolous as the penultimate track and it's better as a Side 2 opener, while WILATW gives the album a more thematic heft near the end.

In the release order, I just think BD -> Stuck -> Elevation is whiplash inducing, going from the Hutchence suicide song into one of the more frivolous, fun tracks.

Very interesting, thanks. I remember reading something about Edge changing the tracklist at the last minute.

This version flows much better. BD—>the opening drums of Stuck was always jarring.

 

[PookaMacP]

The slower acoustic Yahweh they did on your is much better than the album version IMO

+1 on this. I've always found the album version very noisy; as in, there's a *lot* going on. The live version strips that back to the very nice melody at the song's core.

 

[Achtung Ya'll]

I saw LaPOE open 1 of the 6 Vertigo shows I went to, and I also preferred it as the opener.

Man for some reason I don't think I ever knew LAPOE opened any shows. Is there a preferred concert version of this on YT or anywhere I can check out?

 

[phanan]

It only opened nine times early on during the Vertigo tour. I saw the last one in Boston.

Not much out there on YT but I did find one from Anaheim.

 

[2861U2]

I saw LAPOE open in Chicago, and I was so glad it did. Going into the show, I was crossing my fingers that it would be LAPOE rather than COBL- while COBL is the better song, LAPOE is the better opener, IMO. I knew there was- what- a 25% chance of that happening, but sure enough it did.

 

[DeVaul]

LAPOE should’ve been dusted off for E+I

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I admittedly didn't see love and Peace open, but I thought Wake Up -> Everyone -> City was terrific as an opener.

Elevation was my first U2 tour, and City as an opener was up there as the best along with Even Better on 360. That is until Zoo station at Sphere blew them all away.

 

[dan_smee]

Granted I’ve only been to 3 tours (Vertigo, 360, JT30) but my sequence is:

COBL















Sunday Bloody Sunday




Stingray Guitar/Beautiful Day

 

[Discotheque Slug 82]

LAPOE should’ve been dusted off for E+I

Agreed, this and 'Please' would have made up for the absence of 'Bullet'.

I got Vertigo as an opener AND closer at my Vertigo London stadium show. Broad daylight when they kicked off so it made perfect sense there but not a fan of it closing the set, let alone being played twice. I understand it was a reference to their early days, going full circle etc but it was a waste of a precious setlist spot.

Full band 'Species' would have made for a nice upbeat closer or 'One Step Closer' if they wanted to end on a darker, meditative note.