U2 Band • Page 17

Dropping in just to say I never really gave how to dismantle an atomic bomb the time of day until this week and I’m kind of obsessed with it. I think I may like it as a whole more than all that you can’t leave behind. I think Bono’s vocals in particular sound great

 

another new old one

 

oh snap - HTDAAB reissue has leaked. I snuck off to the bathroom at work to listen to this version of Mercy, but I'm gonna have to wait until my drive home to hear the rest

 

that 20 year old leaked / demo version of Mercy is definitely better than this Luckiest Man in the World, but this new version isn't nearly as bad as people on Reddit are making it out to be, and I am a HUGE Mercy fan and have been waiting years for a finished, studio version

this version is a fine song, and it actually fits this album's whole aesthetic where the songs were gonna be back-to-basics rock songs and they tinkered & fiddled with them too much and watered that aspect down a bit but the album is still solid. the newer lyrics for the chorus are actually probably better than the Mercy ones, but musically the song loses some of its punch & epicness that it had

I liked Country Mile right from the rip, but it's been growing on me more and more, and I would say that I absolutely love it now

pumped to have a good studio version of Smile too

 

is it not the same version of Smile that's been out for years on the Medium Rare comp? bummer if they changed that too

 

I think it's the same one, but I didn't have a great version of the song and this one sounds high quality to me

 

They really missed an opportunity not titling “All Because of You 2” as “All Because of U2.”

 

there's definitely CD rips of that comp floating around, that’s where I got Xanax and Wine as well. but I'm glad to hear they haven't unnecessarily tinkered with every song on this lmao

 

I've listen to these new* songs a bunch more times now, and I'm more fine with Luckiest Man In The World each time - I always imagined Mercy as an epic closer, and this new version is definitely not that, but it's a solid album track

 

new Mercy... made some choices. I think its better than the disgruntled fans are making out, but it ain't great either

Treason is really cool, new sound for them

 

ehh yeah I can kinda see why most of these were shelved, a lot of rough takes from Bono especially. he sounds awful on Happiness

I'm glad they put it out for Country Mile at the very least, but I stand by my take that these sessions were just not a great time for the band with a few big exceptions

 

I think I always wanted a finished version of Mercy because I don't like Yahweh at all as a song, so it's a bummer of a closer

even listening to the whole remastered album now 20 years later, it is better than I think I ever really gave it credit for, but I still don't like Yahweh

 

I always thought the last 3 songs on HTDAAB were a trainwreck really. Mercy would've done the trick but I also like Crumbs as a closer

 

A Man and A Woman is the best song on there imo. I can’t believe this album is 20 years old. Joshua Tree wasn’t even 20 years old when this came out lol

 

I adore “Yahweh.” I actually think the way that album ends with those last three songs, kind of at this nexus of grief (over the loss of Bono’s father) and the joy of fatherhood, is extremely effective. Then again, that album was part of a hugely formative music year for me, so I think I just love it more than most people.

 

Pretty pleased about this release! I like that they committed to polishing up and releasing a lot of older material and giving them the low-key "album" treatment... it's a neat idea and I'd like to see more of it from them in the future. I consider every new/unheard U2 song a gift at this point just given how long they've been at it ha, even if they aren't all instant classics. Glad "Luckiest" is finally available and so far "Treason" really sticks out to me as a super fun/unique track...

Overall I appreciate how "loose" / "live" a lot of these songs + the HTDAAB songs are, and it's something I've been missing from the SOI/SOE era. Will enjoy digging into the new tracks + Atmos mixes of the old one while we wait for (hopefully) a new album next year.

 

I'm ready to call "Country Mile" an instant classic

I'm actually more flabbergasted that that one didn't make the cut for the album the first time around than I am for "Luckiest Man In The World"

 

easily the best song from this whole thing imo, though Evidence of Life is pretty strong too

 

I think I like the new All Because better than the original, partly because Edge vocals are always welcome and the new lyrics are more interesting, but mainly because it doesn't start with that ear piercing guitar feedback that immediately gives me a headache every time I listen to it!

 

Okay, in almost 20 years I have never enjoyed the song "Yahweh" at all, and for whatever reason the way Bono sings the song title in the chorus has always grated on my nerves. Well I stumbled upon the alternative version on Medium Rare & Remastered and fell in love with it, and it's made me come around on the actual album version