J ([email protected])
Mon, 19 Oct 1998 14:14:47 -0700 (PDT)
The additional tracks to Sweetest Thing are 1981 tracks from a radio
broadcast that was owned by WBCN. In the other disc, it is from their
broadcasted Red Rocks show. Obviously, U2 has limited choices when it
comes to live shows they have taped. Maybe they do tape almost all
the shows but ony the broadcasted shows are taped in high tech
multi-tracked equipment. As for stolen shows that are indeed
soundboard, their sounds aren't good enough to make it to an official
release (Zoo Rotterdam comes to mind, so does the December Lovetown
Dublin shows, except New Year which was broadcasted in the radio).Even
With Or Without You from Popheart only had "bootleg" quality.
Chances for a live release will probably be the New Years 1990
concert, or a complete show from where any of the footage from R&H was
filmed. It is highly unlikely that they taped legendary shows such as
Chicago 87 in the same top-of-the line equipment they would use for
broadcasted show. If this were the case, then U2 would have had put
in better accompanying live songs to Sweetest Thing, considering that
it is the only single they can release for the GH album and that they
would want to promote that album as much as possible. So I think when
it comes to live material with quality worthy of a release in an
official album, their choices are limited.
As for alternate takes, U2 don't really make many alternate takes.
They just record and record and the producers overdub it and mix it.
It is quite evident from the Salome bootleg that U2 have a very
different way in coming up with songs, such that they really are worth
crap in their infancy but become polished gems in the end. For
example, the Special US remix of New Year's Day and even the
soundtrack version of Stay seemd to be more of a product of the mixers
and producers doing a cut and paste job rather then the band doing a
real alternate take.
But of course I am just being pessimistic. I don't know much about
the songs earlier and alternate versions but common sense makes it
pretty obvious that U2 has limited choices when it comes to live
releases. What they actually release are what the bootleggers have.
They don't have "surprises" out of the bag. I just wish they had.
COnsidering their record deal with Island and their plans for a new
album and a third installment of the GH, chances for a live album or a
from the vaults album are probably nil. Or maybe it will be a
posthumous or post-disbandment album. Hope we outlive the band...
Cheers,
J
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Mon Oct 19 1998 - 14:19:22 PDT