One...Is it Time To Go?

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PurpleSeven

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I know that this song is from the Sacred U2 Canon, and is my personal all-time-favorite, but maybe the song needs to be put away for a while.

They've done it with Bad, WOWY - and maybe it's time to do the same with One. Listening to the version from San Diego, it doesn't seem to pack the same emotional punch that it used to - and I don't think that it could ever again match the levels of emotion that were reached on the Elevation tour.

Maybe it's time to take it out of regular setlist rotation, or perhaps move it to much earlier in the set (a la Zoo TV- wasn't it only the fourth of fifth song in?). The song has grown so...dramatic, for lack of a better word, on tour. You know - it's late in the night, they've already come out for an encore or two, the synth strings come on and edge does his opening riff, Bono talks over this for a while, and then into the song.

Listening to the boot from San Diego, it seems to me that if the song were to be taken out from the closing sequence, the effect would only be to improve. There is always an emotional build-up with U2 in concert - whether it would be building up to 40, Love is Blindness/Can't Help Falling in Love, One/Wake Up Dead Man, One/Walk On.

Now, One just seems out of place. The 'build-up' - at least in San Diego - was to Yaweh/40. I don't know where it was posted, but somebody/somewhere said take out One, put in UTEOTW.

Streets->UTEOTW->ABOY->Yahweh->40 seems to flow.

If moved to earlier in the set, then maybe strip the 'dramatic' arrangement back down to what the album version was (listen to a live version and then compare it to AB) - the song can really plod along when performed live vs. the album version.

These are just my thoughts, feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.
 
I'm always in favor of bands taking chances by foregoing the "sure things."

For the record, I love all the "hits," but have been wishing for years that the "big four" from Joshua Tree would take a rest, that SBS and NYD would go back on the shelf, and now that things like One and Until the End of the World could take a breather.

I'm sure One not being played is utterly unthinkable to many. But I support doing the unexpected, not letting songs become stale, and breathing life into less-explored parts of the catalog.

Mostly, I want the band to do what moves *them* and is likely to produce an inspirationally played, surprising show.
 
Honestly, I've become tired of One and on bootlegs, it seems to have lost its magic. I won't miss it if it is removed.

That said, actually being there to hear it will be a completely different experience.
 
It's always different judging the songs on bootlegs and actually being there I feel. So even though songs like NYD, SBS, and Pride might plod on musicwise as an outsider looking in, when ur there, it could have this effect that gets the whole crowd in (like the oh-oh-ohs in Pride)

It's hard for me 2 judge, I've never been to a show, and friends i have that I got into the U2 fandom are going...:huh: go figure
 
Now that they have this One campaign going on, it will be pretty much impossible for them to drop it...

With that said, I still get goosebumps every time I see them play it live.
 
It wouldn't bother me a bit if One was dropped for a tour or two.
Bad was always my favorite song at concerts. Walking out of every U2 show I attended, I always had Bad in my head. They didn't play it at the ZooTV show or the Popmart show that I attended. It pissed me off at both shows, but it made it a little sweeter when they played it again at the Elevation show I was at.

There is so much material to choose from now, I wouldn't mind songs like One, or Streets taking breaks. There aren't any songs for me that are "sacred" or "staples" and would piss me off if they weren't played. Ain't no time to hate...
 
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Any u2 song live give's me the shake's.I just get the feeling the biggest band in the world have come home.Dublin's nice enough,but when you see bono's part of it you've got to say fair play.One love brother's,sister's,jesus i wished my family took this onboard
 
Bullet and Pride should be gone long before One is. Talk about overplayed.
 
two words: HELL and NO :wink:

cant get rid of my all time favorites, although I was pissed they didnt do the "can u hear me coming?" at the end.
 
If the band finally ditched "One" (especially the new, nonsensical, 10-minute versions that I've come to know and hate...something I never thought possible with this brilliant song), I would be a HAPPY man. I don't feel the song, anymore, and I haven't felt it from the band for a while, either. I have to admit, though, that the crowds go nuts for it, for whatever reason. :wink:

Of course, I'd also love to NEVER hear "Pride," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," or "New Year's Day" live ever again...but that's just me. Amazing songs? Yes. Boring to me (and this is just me that I'm talking about) after seeing the band like a million times? Yes.
 
i think all the points made on this thread acutally might have talked me out of what I said earlier.

f it, if they skip "one" a couple times, i guess its not the eotw.
 
My god I have always disliked ONE live. OK song, but nothing near the top 10 U2 songs - even top 20 IMHO.. I am in favor of ditching it.
 
RademR said:
i think all the points made on this thread acutally might have talked me out of what I said earlier.

f it, if they skip "one" a couple times, i guess its not the eotw.

RademR, you're already one of the coolest people around these parts, but I've gotta' give you additional props for this. Not for agreeing with me (cuz that's not important) or for feeling anything in particular about "One," but for actually being OPEN to the opinions of others...and for letting yourself re-evaluate your own stance after LISTENING to others. I just think that that's pretty fucking cool, cuz pretty much everybody (myself included, of course) just sort of latches on to "THE TRUTH" according to him/herself and just freaks the hell out on everybody who disagrees. You rock in each and every sense of the world. Keep it real.
 
Niceman said:
I am so sick of One...

More so than Bullet or Pride?

I understand your thought, but listening to Monday's show One still resonates with the crowd very well -- quite the sing along; or maybe that's why you are sick of it.

Of the three songs I brought up, I'd shoot Bullet first -- no pun intended, but that's a tired song regardless of the political intrigue it connotes.

To each his own.
 
Ok, here's my view:

The way I see it, 'One' is a song that I want to hear live everytime I see U2. I love it for the all the obvious reasons which everyone else has covered. However, the other reason why I want to hear it live at a show is because, well lets face it, there's not going to be too many times left ot hear it live. It's not like U2 will be touring another 10 years (I hope). And being a collector of over 1,500 bootlegs, I also want to hear the tunes I've never heard live before. So, I'm not exactly against them pulling a 'staple song' out either. What can I say, I'm greedy. :drool: :wink:

Axver, being a bootleg guy myself, trust me when i say, IT IS completely new again live. You'll love it.
 
Axver said:
Honestly, I've become tired of One and on bootlegs, it seems to have lost its magic. I won't miss it if it is removed.

That said, actually being there to hear it will be a completely different experience.

It will be.

I've got bootlegs of all the shows I've been to and although listening back to them is always an immense pleasure, it doesn't beat the feeling you get actually being at the show. The sound, the atmosphere, everything is just completely different. The music just takes you to a place you've never been. Unbeatable feeling.

And for the record, my opinion is that One should stay!
 
I can respect anyone's opinion to want One played at every U2 show. However, with the exception of "Streets", I'm just not a fan of playing every single classic every show. The exception being "Streets." I know I'll probably never get this wish because Bono would play "One" bare asses before giving it up.

Ditto for "Pride" and "WOWY" unless they pick up the tempo. The are dead and have been since Popmart.

I stand up for "Streets" because it seems to be the anchor for all U2 shows. The crowd enthusiasm and energy for the song is still amazing. IMO, It's become the song that bridges the middle of the set to the end of the set.

I'll even take "Bullet" due to Edge's return to the crazy Lovetown jazzy solo.

To me, "One" leaves me depressed. It expresses the end of the concert before it's truly over. It gives me that feeling on Sunday nights of having to go back to work on Monday. Once you hear "One" you know you are packing it in within 15 minutes.

Walk On worked so well on the last tour. It left me feeling emotionally up heading out of the shows.

Has anyone else thought that a short snippet of "She's a Mystery" into "Walk On" would work as well as "Peace On - Walk On?"

Having said all that, I give the guys credit for bringing out the 4 songs that have been missing for years. We should all be happy with those. Plus, U2 will work through any kinks in it's set within 2 weeks.

Enjoy the shows everyone!

dave
 
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Yeah, regardless of how you feel about One, Pride is certainly more overplayed. Now some will say that Pride WAS dropped on several occasions on the last tour (maybe even POPMart?). But how long was it played for? It was probably played at every show for just as long as One has.

With or Without You is another one that doesn't have a lot of life because the only thing they've ever added to it is that lame ass "summer night/winter light" couplet that may be the most cliched, high school poetry lines Bono's ever shat out. By contrast, the added lines to One have raised the song to an entirely new level, which is why I'm so surprised they've dropped it out.

We clearly have a lot of people who wouldn't mind seeing One take a powder, but we also have a decent amount who recognize there are older corpses still dragged out on stage.


laz
 
One and Streets have to be played at every show, period. They are the two emotional highlights for everyone and I doubt that they could ever go away. As long as they play those two songs, I can tolerate anything else, even boring versions of old warhorses and total crap like Elevation.
 
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