lunes, 28 de junio de 2021

U2: "Wide Awake in America" - (Reconstructed LP version).

 


“Wide Awake in America" it´s a four-track extended play  by U2. It was released on 20 May 1985 through Island Records. It was originally released only in North America and Japan but it charted in the UK as an import. It was re-released internationally in 1990.

This is an extended version of that EP, now turned into LP that shows all the selected and unused material, alternative and unknown material made by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

Side one begins with: "Yoshino Blossom", whose title means "cherry blossom" in Japanese; It was recorded at the beginning of the “The unforgettable fire sessions”, end of May 1983. at Slane Castle with producer Paul Thomas. Remixed later by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois adding Bono's voice reciting the poem "Mother of God" by William Butler Yeats, Although the song remained as a possible B-side and a candidate to open “Wide awake in America”, but both the instrumental and vocal versions ended up archived.

Next song: "Bad" was produced by the band and recorded live from the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England on 12 November 1984, as part of the Unforgettable Fire Tour.  It´s a song about heroin addiction, would become a staple of their live set. Radio programmers often chose this “Wide Awake in America” version over the original studio recording.

“Boomerang”  is a “outtake” of over seven minutes made by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois to be included in the 12-inch, cassette or CD release and “wide awake in America” EP.

Side two opens with "BassTrap / Three Sunrise", both songs are shown together because they should have originally appeared like this, in April 1985 as part of 12-inch "The Inforgettable Fire"; but the producers Bit.ly/Ud-aWA Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois were reserved to be part of "Wade awake in America", although in the end this version was unreleased.

"Love Comes Tumbling", it´s an slightly edited version with four bars immediately preceding the vocal deleted, that appears first on 12 ": Island / L18002 (Australian release) and after on the B-sides disc of The Best of 1980–1990.

“Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come”. It was to be a coda of the previous song whose title was not going to appear on "wide awake in America". But in the end it included in "The Unforgettable Fire" 2x7 ": Island / ISD220 and CBS / DA 6185 (UK and Ireland releases).

A Sort of Homecoming" is live from Wembley Arena in London on 15 November 1984. The song was produced by Tony Visconti and recorded during a soundcheck at the concert, with the crowd noise mixed in later during post-production at Good Earth Studios. This is the song without any post-production, as recorded during soundcheck.

Side One: 19:53.

1.Yoshino Blossom.(Alternate vocal version).(4:37) - 2.Bad.(Live).(7:53) - 3.Boomerang.(Unreleased version).(7:21).

Side Two: 19:46.

1.BassTrap / Three Sunrise.(Unreleased mix).(8:43) -  2.Love Comes Tumbling (Alternate).(4:39) - 3.Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come.(Unreleased mix).(2:24) - 4.A Sort of Homecoming.(Soundcheck version).(3:59)

For the cover, another alternative has been used that finally appeared exceptionally in some countries such as Mexico. Ok, that´s all see you soon, with more and better.