Search - U2 :: One / Spinning Head / Satellite / Night & Day Rmx

Don't miss this One

Andrew McCaffrey | Satellite of Love, Maryland | 05/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "One" single released off U2's ACHTUNG BABY album contained two original songs (including the title track), and two cover. Here are comments on each of the four:"One" - Perhaps one of the best songs recorded by a band ever. Slow, nicely understated, and quite touching, this is U2 at their absolute best."Lady With The Spinning Head" - Possibly my favorite U2 B-side. The rhythm section and some of the guitar work were a bit too similar to that of "The Fly" to include this release on the ACHTUNG BABY album, but the song itself is a strong one. This features a lot of Edge's guitars (some are from "The Fly" and some are unique), and some mesmerizing keyboards. Larry and Adam provide a great beat, as usual, and Bono seems to be having a blast singing this one. An absolutely fun song. An extended dance mix can be found on the "Even Better Than The Real Thing" single."Satellite of Love" - A cover of the Lou Reed classic (the original can be found on his TRANSFORMER album). In U2's live concerts during their ZooTV Tour, they would perform this song while a pre-taped Lou Reed sang along on a giant video-screen. Reed isn't featured on this version, and the Mick Ronson piano of the original is replaced by The Edge's guitar covering similar territory. It features backing vocals by one Gavin Friday (the "pom pom pom" in the background of the chorus definitely sounds like him), and one speculates if is this the reason for the date in the lyrics being changed from "Thursday" to "Friday"? Despite the replacement of some instruments, this is pretty much a straightforward cover, albeit slightly slower than the original. Bono is, of course, a much stronger vocalist than Lou Reed, so this version definitely has that advantage. I really like the original, and this version is quite appealing as well. I like the heavier guitar at the end, although it doesn't quite match the conclusion of the original for sheer deranged entertainment."Night And Day (Steel String Remix)" - It is with heavy drums, sweeping guitars and heartfelt vocals that U2 covers the Cole Porter classic. This interpretation is radically unlike other versions (especially those from that era), and definitely makes for a more rock'n'roll sound. But the core of the song and the lyrics remain the same. This is a great example of a cover version being different enough to be extremely distinct, yet managing to retain the essentials.It's a pity that it will probably only be die-hard U2 fans that track down this release. The three non-album tracks on this CD deserve greater exposure than being relegated to the B-side. But those who do decide to invest in this disc will find some fantastic music awaiting them."

A figure of eight -- 6 and 9 again

jgc | Charlottesville, VA United States | 01/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are few acts who have mined the CD-single format for more gold than U2. The singles are a crucial component in the U2 library, containing remixes, live cuts, covers, and album out-takes that compare well with the more official releases -- if you only know the albums, there's a whole other U2 world out there that you're missing. "One" ranks with "Please" as one of the two best CD singles U2 have put out. You'll get the wonderful groupie song "Lady with the Spinning Head," whose various parts spawned both "The Fly" and "Ultraviolet" but which is far looser than either of those 'Achtung Baby' epics. You also get a cover of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" that somehow, incredibly, out-does Lou's own. (No, I'm not crazy. Now, I wonder if U2 could cover Lou's "Ocean"?) Finally, there's a remix of "Night and Day" that, with great delicacy and weirdness, is superior to the 'Red Hot + Blue' version some of you youngsters may be more familiar with. Oh yeah, almost forgot: you also get "One," of course, worth hearing again for its "we're one but we're not the same, we get to carry each other" -- equal amounts of love and wearines in those lines.What it's all about."

We're one, but we're not the same...

robynmh | Richmond, BC, Canada | 02/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who may not be as familiar, back in the early 90's, U2 released half a dozen singles off of (what I consider their best album) Achtung Baby. Every single they they released off of Achtung Baby became successful, however, I'd say that One was probably the most well-received worldwide out of them all.The One single is a *must* have for fans of U2, and especially if you're a fan of U2 during the "Achtung era".Track 1 is the Achtung Baby version of One. Nothing has been changed (which is a good thing).Track 2 is Lady With the Spinning Head, a song that U2 fans argue to be one of the best recorded U2 b-sides. Fans even believe that it should have gotten more recognition, and should have been put on an album. In a way it was already put on an album. If you listen carefully, you can hear traces of "The Fly" and "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" in the song. I think U2 even said that "Lady" was more or less an earlier version of The Fly and Ultraviolet. It took the chorus of Ultraviolet and binded it with the guitar of the Fly. If you're like me, and you love both Ultraviolet and The Fly, you'll by default, love Lady With the Sinning Head. It's very bubbly, happy sounding... and it's a song that's bound to get stuck in your head the first time you hear it. "La la la, la la la, la la la, la la lady with the spinning head...." You'll be singing this, believe me. ;)Track 3 is Sattelite of Love, and is more of a mellow piece of work. If you've seen U2 during the Zooropa tour in 1993 (or if you've watched the Live in Sydney show), you'll remember the duet Bono did via television with Lou Reed. (Bono singing over a solo guitar as Lou Reed's face flashing across the fuzzy Zoo TV screen, singing his share of the song) This is that song. Sattelite of Love is a Lou Reed song, but this is U2's cover that they recorded in the studio.Finally, track 4 is Night and Day (Steel String Remix). Back in the early, early 90's, U2 worked on a tribute to Cole Porter titled "Red Hot & Blue". They recorded their own version of "Night and Day", which is one of my all-time favourite covers U2 have ever done. It's haunting, extremely emotional, and atmospheric. This remix extends the song and overlays more of a dance beat that the original recording of the song never had. It might take time to get used to if you've only known the original recording of U2's Night & Day... but it's definitely one of the most dynamic pieces on this album that completes a very successful single!Now getting away from the songs for a moment, the image on the cover is a photograph by American artist David Wojnarowicz who was infected by the HIV virus. In the photograph, he blends the theme of the old native hunting technique (forcing the buffalo to jump off the cliffs), to the experience of people being thrown into the unknown, by forces we don't understand (AIDS & HIV). The image on the One single is fitting as U2's royalities from this single went to AIDS research. The image of the buffalo jumping off the cliff is one of the three music videos U2 recorded for the song, One. The AIDS theme is also prevalent in the lyrics of One, making the song all that more powerful.I still stand by my original thoughts. If you're a U2 fan, this is a must have. If you're not much of a U2 fan, but you really like the Achtung Baby era, you'll probably really enjoy this. And if you're a HUGE U2 fan, and you LOVE Achtung Baby (like myself!), then what are you waiting for? :)"