Originally posted by BonoIsTheMessiah:I still think NLOTH is one of U2's best albums, if not quite up there with JT and AB. What I suspect, however, is that they basically had a double album and cut it to one album for commercial purposes.
This is based on (1) the fact that the album was originally going to be 2 EPs, (2) the sense that there is a narrative running through the songs (and in the film Linear) that is unfinished (requiring a part 2); (3) the large amount of leftover material; and (4) the new songs we have heard -- EBW, North Star, and Glastonbury all arguably about pilgrimage/ascent.
So what I think U2 should do is release Songs of Ascent, in whatever its final form, as an EP of 7-9 songs, and have a special version of NLOTH which includes the original release of NLOTH and SA (like ColdPlay did with Viva La Vida, but better) and maybe a third CD of bonus material for the fans.
Then, NLOTH looks less like a commerical disappointment and more like one of U2's landmark albums.
