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“ Hater ” Stripes ’ “ Seven Nation Army ” from the prior year . The caustic and thrashy verse trades space with a wafting and mysterious chorus , a la Echo and the Bunnymen .
“ Luckiest Man in the World ” had been in the running to close Dismantle in its prior incarnation as leaked single “ Mercy .” Another iteration is heard on the Wide Awake in Europe EP . The song finds Bono at his most wry while also mining spiritual imagery . “ I was drinking some wine , and it turned to blood ,” he sings . “ What ’ s the use of religion if you ’ re any good ?” Changes to the “ Mercy ” lyrics are more reflective and cohesive , recast as what seems like an expression of gratitude and relief for a life that could have gone in another direction . The song concludes as Adam Clayton ’ s bass rumbles into the sunset .
Producer and Eurythmics mastermind Dave Stewart does for U2 on “ Treason ” what he did for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with “ Don ’ t Come Around Here No More ,” revisiting the dance-friendly palette of Pop but pushing further outside U2 ’ s comfort zone . The collaboration also
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takes input from hip-hop heavyweight Dr . Dre . With Middle Eastern flair , the groove and sparse electropop arrangement foreshadow the underrated Thomas Dolby track “ Spice Train ” from 2011 ’ s A Map of the Floating City with subtler future-echoes to Beyonce ’ s 2008 smash “ Single Ladies ( Put a Ring on It ).”
Bono ’ s voice cracks under the emotional weight of “ I Don ’ t Wanna See You Smile ,” a portrait of a wounded heart that can ’ t bear to see an ex-lover move on and be happy . “ I know love is in this soul of mine ,” sings Bono . “ It ' s not in your eyes .” The song is carried by a simple rise-and-fall guitar riff and Mullen ’ s resolute tom-tom propulsion .
That concludes the LP ’ s first side , which is wholly comprised of interesting tracks the band could have been proud to include as part of Dismantle ’ s main course . The side two selections sound a bit more like the leftovers they became . The previously unreleased “ Country Mile ” boasts a surging and anthemic gospel-style chorus , but it ’ s middle-period U2 by the numbers . It ’ s perfectly acceptable as a B-side ; it wouldn ’ t have enhanced Dismantle or tugged it in an interesting
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direction . The song ’ s best asset is the oceanic crash of Mullen ’ s drums .
The jagged “ Happiness ” sounds like a fusion of Franz Ferdinand ’ s “ Take Me Out ” and U2 ’ s Batman Forever soundtrack single “ Hold Me , Thrill Me , Kiss Me , Kill Me .” “ Vertigo ” B-side “ Are You Gonna Wait
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Forever ” features shoegaze textures and glammy power chords . It ’ s got spirit but lacks lyrical focus . “ Theme from ‘ The Batman ’” is The Edge ’ s instrumental title track for the 2004 animated Batman series . Arid and agitated guitar notes are cast against a rhythmic bed that splits the differ- |
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