from discogs: The track order was determined by a listener poll on Dave Fanning's radio show. Callers chose "Out of Control" to be the A-side of the record, with "Boy/Girl" and "Stories for Boys" as runners-up, constituting the B-side of the record. ================ as far as variations go: three 12 inch: U2 - Three U2 – Three Label: CBS – CBS 12-7951 Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Numbered Country: Ireland Released: 26 Sep 1979 Genre: Rock Style: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock Tracklist A Out Of Control 3:50 B1 Stories For Boys 2:39 B2 Boy/Girl 3:21 Total Time: 9:50 Out of control 12 inch: U-2* - Out Of Control U-2* – Out Of Control Label: CBS – CBS 12-7951 Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue Country: Ireland Released: 1979 Genre: Rock Style: New Wave Tracklist A Out Of Control B1 Stories For Boys B2 Boy/Girl Companies, etc. some colored 7 inches: later -1
I'll deal with them when we get there. I've got a good list of all their singles. I might just touch on them or expand in great length. It depends. I'll tell you what: if you think the thread is greatly lacking by me not including the "Subscriber-Exclusive" albums? You can do them. I'm not being ugly about that, either. I'd prefer an as inclusive thread as possible, but my time limits only go so far. Let me know if you want to do them, though.
Parce que je suis incompetent! I do my posting on my phone and don't have clue one how to post images this way.
I wasn't aware of this EP - definitely before they were on my music radar. A few years ago my wife and I went to Dublin for a long weekend (what an amazing trip/place) and we walked to Windmill Lane Studios. I have some pictures somewhere, need to pull them out.
for a fun early take (not necessarily true) check out killing bono (2011): Killing Bono is a 2011 comedy film directed by Nick Hamm, based on Neil McCormick's 2003 memoir Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppelgänger.[1] The film stars Ben Barnes as Neil McCormick, Robert Sheehan as Ivan McCormick and Martin McCann as Irish singer Bono.[2] It marked the final film role of Pete Postlethwaite, who died three months before its release. The film loosely recreates the story of young Irish rocker McCormick and his younger brother, Ivan, who attempt to become rock stars but can only look on as their secondary school friends form U2 and become the biggest band in the world. later -1
U2 Three: I managed to score the RSD 2019 repress of this EP. Still haven't listened to it, but if I recall the tracks are on the deluxe edition of 'Boy'. I'll have to give it a spin later today. Early u2 is a bit Terra Incognita for me.
Listened to it this morning. It's definitely rough and the band is still finding their way, but it's not bad by any means. I prefer the versions of OOC and SFB that appear on Boy, though it is neat to hear them here in a rougher form. Boy/Girl is decent and probably the best of the three as represented here. A decent start that hints at the greatness that would follow just a year later. I also love that all three deal with childhood and experiencing different physical/emotional sensations as you get older. It's no wonder that the title Boy was picked for their debut. They may have been young but there's a sense of maturity and wonder that permeates these songs.
Larry's timing is a little wonky and Bono's vocal affectations are a bit grating but it's interesting that as far as the arrangements go, everything was in place even at this early stage. They just needed a little polish.
Because I don't have the vinyl single, would these versions be found on the expanded Boy reissue? I suppose I could pull the CD and look at the notes but thought you might know off hand. Thanks.
For the record (pardon the pun), I find that most people who feel the band are overrated are those that came on board later with The Joshua Tree or even War. It’s too bad because I think they provided an original sound (clearly influenced by bands like Television, Andy Summers in his textured guitar approach, etc.) at a time when rock was needing superstars that had stepped away from the bloated excess of the 70’s. It’s a process of renewal.
I think U2 get bagged for no real reason. I think certain folks resent the fact that they were so popular... when lists are knocked out of post-punk bands or whatever, they should be high in the list, but seem to be invariably missing.
I can understand people being turned off by Bono and some of the band's stunts. Even as a diehard fan I find some of it hard to swallow, but that doesn't negate their legacy as one of the most influential bands of the last 40 years.
I never really understood why folks were upset about the free Itunes album. Nobody made them listen to it, and I assume you can delete it
The response was overblown, but I do kind of understand where it came from. The self-importance of a band years past its prime (and past the point where most normal people were interested in new music from them) making such a big deal 'event' out of their new album as if it were 1987 or 1991 was easy to mock, and then add in that that band also includes Bono. I think it was one of those ideas that hatched quickly without a lot of input from people outside U2 or Apple's bubbles. I think if the album was offered for free as an optional download, all of that would've been avoided...but certainly I would've mocked, say, a Taylor Swift album being injected into my media library without my consent, whether or not I could delete it isn't the point, it's the principle of the thing. (Not to mention a lot of users are technically challenged and probably couldn't figure out how to delete it )
This thread will definitely be more interesting if we don't get into Bono bashing or debating if or when U2 jumped the shark, unless of course it is in the context of well reasoned album critique and opinion. Otherwise, this becomes just like every other U2 thread. As for the songs that are up for discussion, gosh I wish I was in tune with the scene that gave us U2 when I was in middle school. Hard to be that connected when your musical world revolved around the likes of Van Halen and Triumph. The early/original versions are just polished enough to point towards what Boy would eventually become. Youthful exuberance might be an overused description but it really applies here. Still wish I had bought the single 4-pack!
