Romeo Down

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
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Purple Light
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So - 1998 = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXAyt3-3HI

& - of late = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJiuZWT1TGQ

Nowt going on gigs wise and that loony on Facebook pretending to be Von seems to have disappeared so what the hell, a song post. I love Chris & Ben's guitars to bits but WTF has happened to this song? It used to open the door to the sound of possibilities. It's now weak. Is it the bass? Is it me? I want it back to what it was. A mean, deep, gutf*cker of a song. :von:
“I got lost in the mirror, wondering what could have been, I couldn’t help but kill her, but I couldn’t kill the dream.”
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Being645
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Purple Light wrote:So - 1998 = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXAyt3-3HI

& - of late = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJiuZWT1TGQ

Nowt going on gigs wise and that loony on Facebook pretending to be Von seems to have disappeared so what the hell, a song post. I love Chris & Ben's guitars to bits but WTF has happened to this song? It used to open the door to the sound of possibilities. It's now weak. Is it the bass? Is it me? I want it back to what it was. A mean, deep, gutf*cker of a song. :von:
Hhm ... Romeo Down was most recently played during the Mechanised Tour in 2009, but not at all in 2010, 2012, or 2014,

and three times in 2011, in Glasgow, Stekene and ... Groningen, 03.12.2011 ... :wink: ...

It's a great song, and with a very good song title ...

BTW, your second link goes to a REMIX by that person on YT ... check his channel and you will find more ... err ... "tributes" ...


EDIT:
It is a loss that nobody is keeping record like it was done in The Sisters of Mercy Database v0.5 Beta ... :( ...
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Drsisters
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Romeo Down version they played in Dresden 2000 is giving me chills down the spine everytime I hear it.

Not before or after they ever have played the song the same way as they did there, but somehow the song got the same treatment as Logic had in Bremen 85.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-wkvYLU8I

Might not be the best quality but it is still breathtaking.
Andrew Eldritch Dour Festival 1997: Yeah, We take any request... As much as we ever do.
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pearson
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Drsisters wrote:Romeo Down version they played in Dresden 2000 is giving me chills down the spine everytime I hear it.

Not before or after they ever have played the song the same way as they did there, but somehow the song got the same treatment as Logic had in Bremen 85.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-wkvYLU8I

Might not be the best quality but it is still breathtaking.
10/10

THIS IS the best "romeo down" version ever.
they'd never played it like this again.this version is unique.
ahhhh...great! :notworthy:
there is a break at the half of the song,you can hear him breathing,the screams,the emotional drive,the life beyond and the lyrics fit in here.
these six and half minutes are the sisters at their best.there is everything you need.it's rough and heart breaking and pushing forward your life and there is a life at the abyss (in a positive way)...you can feel it.your heart will sream but it stops....ever and ever again.damn!sisters goes beyond.

what happened to romeo today?sorry,but it sounds like crap these days.
it's boring and without any kind of soul.

sorry,but chris and ben downgraded this song.they did others really great but this....(mr.whammy and the so great mr starling[R.I.P.] did a really fabolous job)....or maybe it's andrew who lost his soul on this song....
:?


(and don't forget the "visions at the forum"-version...)

(sorry,my english isn't the best...)
there's too much blood in my vodkastream

----------------adam pearson------------------
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Bartek
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I'm even more pissed that I missed their gig in 2003, with Mr. Pearson and Mr. Sheehan on board, because it's not only my opinion that Mr. Christo and Mr. Catalyst are not best axeman in TSOM history, they're obviously very nice people, they have passion, it's clear that they love what they doing, Chris is good as entertainer, but comparing them to other, well, they're don't look so great.

Waiting when last of best from "new" song, War on drugs, will be play "different" then it used to be played.
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stufarq
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pearson wrote:
Drsisters wrote:Romeo Down version they played in Dresden 2000 is giving me chills down the spine everytime I hear it.

Not before or after they ever have played the song the same way as they did there, but somehow the song got the same treatment as Logic had in Bremen 85.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-wkvYLU8I

Might not be the best quality but it is still breathtaking.
10/10

THIS IS the best "romeo down" version ever.
they'd never played it like this again.this version is unique.
ahhhh...great! :notworthy:
there is a break at the half of the song,you can hear him breathing,the screams,the emotional drive,the life beyond and the lyrics fit in here.
these six and half minutes are the sisters at their best.there is everything you need.it's rough and heart breaking and pushing forward your life and there is a life at the abyss (in a positive way)...you can feel it.your heart will sream but it stops....ever and ever again.damn!sisters goes beyond.

what happened to romeo today?sorry,but it sounds like crap these days.
it's boring and without any kind of soul.

sorry,but chris and ben downgraded this song.they did others really great but this....(mr.whammy and the so great mr starling[R.I.P.] did a really fabolous job)....or maybe it's andrew who lost his soul on this song....
:?


(and don't forget the "visions at the forum"-version...)

(sorry,my english isn't the best...)
But even on this you can barely hear the vocals.
Any more of that and we'll be round your front door with the quick-setting whitewash and the shaved monkey.
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Norman Hunter
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...You know my feelings for Romeo Down :evil:
Four strings good, six strings bad
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eotunun
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To be honest, I think you are being unfair towards Chris and Ben.

In the older version, the guitar merely played some power chords and let them ring for a while.
Chris has been using an E-bow on Never Land on the 2014 tour, and it sounds a lot like he did so on Romeo Down as well there.
So other than just let one chord ring, you get a playing with harmonics and tones like never before from the tune, which creates an atmosphere like in a murder murder scene in some mystery thriller thingy of the past decade. And that´s what I think this song is all about.
It only is much more demanding on the guitarist than merely holding a chord for some time.
It´s a matter of taste which you prefer. No argument about that. But it´s tres mucho simpler to grab three strings and keep your fingers where they were. From the point of view of the playing, Chris does the more demanding part, and does it wellest!

I think I saw Ben use the Wal Midi Bass you still see on the tech boys section here. If I am right there, that plank probably was used before that as well. So what you hear on the old recordings probably is not really a bass sound, but midi modulated by a bass.
I have no idea what instrument was used on that 2014 recording. I only hear a much more naturally sounding bass like tone there, with a lively attack and moderate growl. No idea if it´s still midi or authentic steel string through Pickup to effects box nowadays. I agree, it would be nice if the bass growled a bit more ferociously there, but I can´t agree with the playing or timing or anything about Ben´s part being any low quality musicianship. I hear the exact opposite.
The difference probably is that all of a sudden, you hear all the notes that are being played.
Which, in turn, means a compliment to Ben´s playing.

So, yes, it´s a matter of taste which version you prefer. But I guess that after all the song as played on the last tour is much closer to what it was meant to be from the start. It sounds very right to me, straight to that point and intense.
Not the least bit to be desired about the boys´ playing. I think they sounded all round amazingly well in 2014. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
"These are my principles! And if you don't like the just says so, I have others, too!"
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Bartek
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That's an impressive analyze, but you're wrong at one crucial point: Romeo Down was always played with live bass. Rest is true. During RD and Never Land Ben is playing on Wal Midi Bass. As true is that it's all matter of taste.

Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Gibson Thunderbird '76 reissue (Bass), during 1998 (for sure).
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LyanvisAberrant
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Drsisters wrote:Romeo Down version they played in Dresden 2000 is giving me chills down the spine everytime I hear it.

Not before or after they ever have played the song the same way as they did there, but somehow the song got the same treatment as Logic had in Bremen 85.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-wkvYLU8I

Might not be the best quality but it is still breathtaking.
What happens in that version of logic? I can't find it after a while of searching.
A man with a fictitious grin pondered the terrain in which he flooded with anguish, for this is England. The lion cannot be tamed, this is the game.
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Phil
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Purple Light wrote: & - of late = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJiuZWT1TGQ
I love the picture on that youtube link. Way to move on, whoever put it on YouTube :lol:
Anger Is An Energy
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Gaijin
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LyanvisAberrant wrote:What happens in that version of logic? I can't find it after a while of searching.
It's here:

http://www.discogs.com/Sisters-Of-Mercy ... ase/388472
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AdrenaChris
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That Dresden 2000 version of Romeo Down is exhilaratingly raw. Haven't been able to stop listening to it recently.
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LyanvisAberrant
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Gaijin wrote:
LyanvisAberrant wrote:What happens in that version of logic? I can't find it after a while of searching.
It's here:

http://www.discogs.com/Sisters-Of-Mercy ... ase/388472
And not on yoochoob? :wink:
A man with a fictitious grin pondered the terrain in which he flooded with anguish, for this is England. The lion cannot be tamed, this is the game.
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Gaijin
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Quality control
"The lambs are dead and the cows explode"
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