Did Justice “Fix” U2’s “Boots?”

Posted on Thursday April 9, 2009 at 06:00 PM

Over at Stereogum.com they’ve ignited a ferocious debate about whether Justice’s remix of U2’s latest single “Get On Your Boots” is an improvement.

It’s true. This happened. At the express request of U2, so you know, points to the lads for knowing the right remix crew to reform No Line’s lead single.

So what does a U2 song re-imagined by a French electro-duo sound like? Well, better.

From the open it’s clear Justice are wiping the slate clean and remaking it in their image. Or maybe in the image of Nine Inch Nails: For thirty seconds you’ll swear The Edge’s riff is about to f*** you like an animal.

But true to its source’s spirit, the Joosteece remix juggles multiple personalities. The menacing, distorted synth stomp flips to some toe-tapping piano and punchy keyboard bass, and suddenly Bono’s miles-a-minute non-sequiturs start to make sense. (Or seem sensible.)

Before the screaming starts (you know who you are), let me just say I know for a lot of you a dance remix of anything – especially a song by an act some people consider the greatest rock band ever to descend from Olympus by way of Dublin – is nothing short of complete blasphemy.

But “Get On Your Boots” hasn’t been hailed by anyone as a classic in the U2 canon. So is it really so terrible to revisit it in a different way? After all, it was Bono and company’s idea.

The comments about the remix are actually more entertaining than the work itself, with opinion going both ways.

P.Vice is not a fan: Three and a half minutes of static would have had roughly the same effect.

Masterdebater is a fan (sort of): It’s near impossible to turn s*** into gold. But damn, they came close.

Chicago has a suggestion for improvement: It would be even better if Xavier and Gaspard just decided to remove Bono from the song altogether.

To which Paper Werewolf replies: I agree, here’s hoping for an instrumental version.

Ouch! But then it wouldn’t be a U2 song anymore, would it?

Dman’s review is fair and balanced (and pretty darned funny!): Fun creative remix. Certainly danceable. However, this is NOT better than the original. I can like and accept this version for what it is: fun, disposable, forgettable ear candy. But, if U2 actually put this version on record I would set my stereo on fire and chuck it at some wannabe Animal Collective loving hipster.

There’s no word from U2 on when or how the remix will be released. Plenty of remixes are completed and never see the light of day except as a promo-only release passed out to club DJ’s to gauge reaction, which may or may not be the case here.

Until the band decides, head over to Stereogum.com to listen for yourself and check out the rest of the debate.

source: pollstar