New U2 Album Next Month with No Fanfare

You are partially right not the best remaster job but all those rarities on those discs make those series a most for a hard core U2 fan.

For me the remasters although they are louder they are also clearer than the prior cds.

 

I still need to pick up the 2lp Joshua Tree issue since it supposedly sounds amazing.

 

In your opinion, are there any bands along the lines of a U2 or alternative 80's with a few albums under their belt that did benefit from a very good remaster effort? Even a band with one good album that sounds that much better would be good to know about. How do you feel about The Smiths Rhino album set?

 

You really need to listen to the Comedy Bang Bang podcast. Start with a best of, or anyone with Paul F. Tompkins or Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham. WOMP IT UP!

 

I'll eat my hat if U2 releases their new album in September.

 

Regarding the Smiths boxset i feel pretty much the same as the U2 remasters louder but clearer. The first Smiths album (1984) definitely benefits from the Marr remasters but that's all IMO. Some people here prefer the original rough trades personally i'm pretty sure i wouldn't be a able to tell a difference between those and the WEA ones.
Regarding U2 i'd say the first 3 sound better but again with U2 remasters it is not all about the main album being remastered but the extras, bsides, rarities, demos and the beautiful book illustrated.

 

I've listened to some clips of it on Youtube, but yeah I'll certainly listen to a few full episodes of the podcast sometime.

 

What will you eat if it comes out in October?

 

Crow.

 

U2 album with no fanfare????

Deep Purple getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a better chance of happening!

Didn't they spend like 2 million bucks to bludgeon America with their last failed attempt at a single with their Super Bowl ad?

 

I kind of liked that song and thought it performed fairly well. Maybe they're relying on some strategic social media plants to get the word out instead of spending so much money on promotions. The internet has changed so much that I certainly believe a U2 could probably get away with a quiet release and hope that the strength of the album is its own promoter.

 

When are they going to realize they are at their best stripped down?

Dear Mr. Evans,

If you are ever in Eastern Pa, please visit the Martin Factory. They make these wonderful things called acoustic guitars.....

I like U2 by the way.

Someone mentioned earlier the Bono spends more time worrying about image etc than doing good in the world. Really? First of all, since when does any rock star give a poo about doing good in the world? They all got into it to get laid and make money. Ask any
rock star.

Ah but then if they are lucky, they do good .....

Bono's done more good for the world financially than all other rock stars combined easily. ( I could be wrong there but I don't think so)

Red Campaign, Africa, debt relief etc. Billions of debt forgiven.

Anyway, they are trying too hard and maybe their time is up maybe not.

I'm still looking forward to the new lp.

 

Edge already knows what they are:

 

I do like the treatments War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby got. Opening those sets was like getting the album for the 1st time again as far as it being a new listening experience where you're able to spend some solid time with the album including all the extras. I miss those days of bringing a record home and perusing the inserts and gazing at the cover while playing it for the first time.

Thanks for the info. I am enjoying my Smiths set, I had been hoping for a new treatment of The Queen is Dead for years as I just didn't think the original sounded that good but I guess it is as good as it's going to get cos the Rhinos aren't too much different.

 

i wish i could have bought the uber Achtung baby box but it was uber expensive for me...

I only could afford this:


I disappointed Mc Guiness $$

 

Given that U2's classic sound stemmed from Edge playing an electric guitar through a delay pedal, I'm not sure that an acoustic guitar album would make any sense as a return to U2's roots or to what they do best …

 

I picked up this same set but our house in Shreveport was broken into and this was one of the victims. Since our daughter was born I've had a hard time justifying large expenditures on things like this. It's usually maybe the double disc edition but I'm always thinking that I should be buying nicer clothes and better food before getting something like that, no matter how many of my kingdoms I'm willing to sacrifice for it cos I do want it so.

 

They should have let me take a crack at it. I would have turned it into something.

 

yeah i agree, and im sorry for your loss.

Disc 6 kindergarten is kind of sacred for me.

 

Why don't they just master all the decent stuff and release a kind of White Album-ish opus. I would be extremely interested as it would chronicle the creative process for the band.

 

Appreciate it. I was out there selling the house we owned when I was stationed there and for some asinine reason I felt like taking the whole set with me, for some reason I just thought it would be nice to have out there with me. The house was pretty much empty except for that box set, a couple 2-liters and some stuff to make turkey sandwiches with and they took everything, even the bread!

 

That's a fantastic set and well worth the money. I have all the U2 remasters and in terms of bonus content, this one obviously takes the prize. It's not exhaustive (lots of remixes still missing, especially from Zooropa), but the stuff that's there is fabulous. Plus there are a ton of unreleased tracks (strange, quirky remixes of "One" done in 1991 but not released), etc. And I agree that the "Baby" disc is a real treasure. There are some amazing versions on there.

In terms of bonus content I'd rank the U2 deluxes like this:
1. Achtung Baby
2. Unforgettable Fire (LOVE the remix of "Homecoming" with backing vox by Peter Gabriel!)
3. October ("A Celebration" on CD--woot!)
4. Boy
5. Joshua Tree
6. Under a Blood Red Sky (great to have the [almost] complete Red Rocks concert on DVD, but they could have added some bonus content to the CD)
7. War (it was really a stretch to fill the bonus CD on this one... the 1999 remixes of New Year's Day are pretty dull)

 

So are you satisfied with the AB set to the point where you don't dream that you turn over in bed to find the Uber set laying next to you?

 

I totally agree with this list. War is clearly the poorest of them, and like you I've always wished there was a second cd of additional live recordings for Blood Red Sky - the remaining tracks from the concerts that made up the album proper, at least so that every discreet song got included. Unforgettable Fire, in addition to that great mix you mention, also had some good unreleased songs (plus Wide Awake), and the other thing I really liked about October was the BBC performances, all of which were really strong.

I can't answer for everyone, but the problem with the Uber set was that it didn't really contain much that the Super didn't. No additional music, I mean, just the same stuff in different formats, plus the magazines, Propaganda etc. Box itself looked nice, though. But for much less than it went for, I got the Super and the (also pricey) vinyl box, which I think was a much better deal.