The Fly - bass line

[jacobus]

i just watched the great THE FLY video of Sao Paulo 2006... is it just me or is the bassline of the vertigo-FLY nearly the same as the bassline of LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fWbkB0-0Dg ?
i know that THE FLY and ULTRAVIOLET emerged from LWTSH but listening to the Sao Paulo version of THE FLY i nearly thought they'd perform LWTSH...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMycc0_rT40 (Sao Paulo 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcPs20r1xRA (Boston 2001)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx9WgJtP7dM (Washington 1992)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NabbEJN0TtQ (Achtung Baby 1991)

PS: here is the MOTHER of the FLY, Ultraviolet and TLWTSH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFUkV37RLZA (Take You Down)

 

[phillyfan26]

It's the bassline and close to the drums of the Sao Paulo version too.

I hear The Fly and Ultraviolet in it quite a bit, but I don't hear Zoo Station, which they claim was also in there.

 

[gman]

Jacobus............as a bass player i can catagorically state, you are aboulutely correct. the main verse is prob as close as 95% to being the same bass line.

 

[gareth brown]

i always thought it was like that for pretty much every version anyway

quite like the comment on that ZOO TV Fly video from someone almost complaining U2 play their lesser-known, non-hit songs at concerts...makes a nice change...

 

[GibsonGirl]

quite like the comment on that ZOO TV Fly video from someone almost complaining U2 play their lesser-known, non-hit songs at concerts...makes a nice change...

Yeah, it was quite entertaining.

Robbo534 (8 months ago)
im jus curious howcome u2 has alot of hit songs but at their concerts they play some of their lesser songs or songs that are new to my ears like cry/electric co and an cat dubh/ into the heart these songs were played at the vertigo tour in chicago and i dont understand why these songs got played and songs like out of control one tree hill still havent found what im looking for and stuck in a moment werent played instead of these songs i suppose they dont want to over play the songs

That poorly constructed paragraph sums up exactly why I hate casual fans. Bugger you, Robbo!


Anyway, the bassline of The Fly has always been almost identical to the bassline of LWTSH...regardless of the version.

 

[U2girl]

Probably a healthy portion of the fans reacted much like Robbo, and it's not about being "casual fan" - which everyone was at some point. It's about what works live and fans don't decide what gets played.

I think the complaints on the setlist, especially on a tour that played as many songs as Vertigo tour did, say more about the "elite" fans.

 

[GibsonGirl]

it's not about being "casual fan" [...] It's about what works live

Well, not in this case. Robbo claimed that he was unfamiliar with The Electric Co, An Cat Dubh and Into The Heart, and that he couldn't understand why U2 played them on the Vertigo tour. Perhaps if he was familiar with the songs, he would have realised that U2 played them because they are good songs. But no, Robbo would have rather heard a "hit song" than some obscure song from an album he doesn't own. It's an EXTREMELY typical casual fan reaction.

 

[tlt29]

Yeah, it was quite entertaining.



That poorly constructed paragraph sums up exactly why I hate casual fans. Bugger you, Robbo!


Anyway, the bassline of The Fly has always been almost identical to the bassline of LWTSH...regardless of the version.

That's because The Fly and LWTSH both were derived from the same song (Take You Down).

 

[GibsonGirl]

That's because The Fly and LWTSH both were derived from the same song (Take You Down).

I know.

 

[tlt29]

I know.

Oh yeah...I was certain you did. My response was more an expansion of yours to further enlighten jacobus.

Carry on.

 

[tlt29]

Oh yeah...I was certain you did. My response was more an expansion of yours to further enlighten jacobus.

Carry on.

And, of course, I was unaware of the fact that jacobus had updated his initial post to include a link to Take You Down.

 

[U2girl]

Well, not in this case. Robbo claimed that he was unfamiliar with The Electric Co, An Cat Dubh and Into The Heart, and that he couldn't understand why U2 played them on the Vertigo tour. Perhaps if he was familiar with the songs, he would have realised that U2 played them because they are good songs. But no, Robbo would have rather heard a "hit song" than some obscure song from an album he doesn't own. It's an EXTREMELY typical casual fan reaction.

Well, you interpret this differently, then.

Robbo is familiar with songs like Out of control and One tree hill - not exactly smash hits - which he specifically mentions so maybe he's not that casual of a fan.

He didn't say anything about the songs being good or bad (I believe they brought out Boy songs because of all the "this sounds like our first album" talk about Bomb), he just said he wasn't familiar with them. So naturally he was surprised at hearing them, and that is all he's saying. He didn't say he prefers the hits, he was just wondering why U2 played less known songs, and assumes they don't want to overplay the hits.

In a much calmer tone than all the protesting at U2 daring to play the well known songs we've seen on this forum during this tour, too.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Well, you interpret this differently, then.

Robbo is familiar with songs like Out of control and One tree hill - not exactly smash hits - which he specifically mentions so maybe he's not that casual of a fan.

He didn't say anything about the songs being good or bad (I believe they brought out Boy songs because of all the "this sounds like our first album" talk about Bomb), he just said he wasn't familiar with them. So naturally he was surprised at hearing them, and that is all he's saying. He didn't say he prefers the hits, he was just wondering why U2 played less known songs, and assumes they don't want to overplay the hits.

In a much calmer tone than all the protesting at U2 daring to play the well known songs we've seen on this forum during this tour, too.

I don't quite see the point in responding, as you'll only disagree with me. But anyway...

I'd be willing to bet anything that the only reason why Robbo is familiar with Out Of Control is because he has the Slane DVD. He obviously didn't hear it on Boy. And of course he'd be familiar with One Tree Hill - JT is often one of the few albums that most casual U2 fans own. He's evidently not completely clueless when it comes to U2, but he's nowhere near a diehard either.

While he didn't explicitly say anything good or bad about the songs in that comment, he did imply that the ONLY reason as to why U2 didn't play more "hits" on the Vertigo tour was to give their popular songs and singles a rest. Not because some of their more obscure songs are just as good, if not better, than their hits. Just to give the hits a rest. And he did refer to the non-hits as "lesser songs" indicating that he feels they are of lesser quality. Which sounds rather rich coming from him, as it seems the Boston DVD was his first time hearing them. He hasn't heard those songs in their original forms, so who is he to judge? Really, I think his whole comment had the subtle casual fan tone of "I wanted to hear more singles! Why did they play this stuff that I don't know?"

The reason why some of these songs did not "work" live is because the arenas were filled with a great number of Robbos who would stand there with clueless expressions on their faces when U2 played anything they didn't know. This happens with every live act, of course, but it pisses me off when the casual fans start commenting on the setlists. So what if you're hearing a U2 song you've never heard before? ENJOY it! U2 aren't only about Stuck In a Moment, Vertigo, Beautiful Day, With Or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.


We've REALLY gotten off topic now. Back to The Fly and Lady With The Spinning Head...

 

[U2girl]

So he does have interest in U2 in beyond owning the most familiar albums only, certainly enough interest to see them on tour. I don't care to assume what DVDs or U2 albums he has.

Whether the obscure songs are as good or better as the hits is a matter of taste. Hits can use a bit of a rest, he has a point there - interesting position for a supposed casual fan. I think by "lesser songs" he just means the less known songs. For all we know he may have liked some of the songs new to him - he didn't elaborate on that.

Well, everyone has their opinion on the setlist. To me, Robbos of the U2 audience are just the other side of the coin compared to the die hards. I just thought everyone could get along on the setlist on this tour.

 

[cobl04]

Did Lady With the Spinning Head give birth to The Fly anyway?

edit - I just got the funniest picture in my head.