Best Song Survivor: Finals, Round Eight

[digitize]

In the last round, we decided that we can live without With or Without You. Thus remain only three songs! You have twenty-four hours to vote against your least favorite song. For anyone just joining us, rules may be found here.

 

[Axver]

Stunned UTEOTW has made the top three. I wouldn't have predicted that at the start of the tournament - I figured The Fly would be Achtung's highest achiever.

Anyway, it's great but not as great as the other two. Bad should win this thing.

 

[lazarus]

As much as I prefer 90's U2, I don't feel UTEOTW is its best representative (The Fly or Zooropa certainly are more qualified here). The other two tracks at their best are the band at their most epic and transcendent.

Streets is more consistent and is such a known staple, but anyone who has actually seen Bad performed live knows how special a treat it is when they decide to break it out, and how it usually winds up being one of the show's high points, if not its absolute peak.

Seeing the band close their encore in L.A. during the Vertigo Tour with the song, while Bono got the crowd chanting Patti Smith's People Have The Power, is the best ending I've seen out of the 15 or so shows I've been to.

 

[brooklynmike]

Bad is great live but doesn't come anywhere near close to the other two. Bad is vastly over rated.

 

[OpenG180]

Bad is great live but doesn't come anywhere near close to the other two. Bad is vastly over rated.

This.

 

[the tourist]

Until the End of the World.

 

[the tourist]

And for the record, the studio version of Bad is fantastic. I like it better than most live versions. There are only a couple live versions I've heard that I'd rate it close to, and the Wide Awake In America version is not one of those.

 

[God Part III]

I'm fine with anything at this point, but I voted for Bad...

let's make it interesting

 

[An Cat Gav]

Much as I love UTEOTW, I agree with Laz that The Fly and Zooropa are better representatives for the 90s.

Based on the studio recordings, Streets wins by miles for me, in my opinion no live version has ever come close to beating it. The opposite can be said for Bad, in particular I'm basing my love for Bad on the WAIA version, it sums up everything I love about U2 and is why I became a fanatic as an 11 year old in the 80s. It's the greatest thing they've ever done.

 

[lemonfly]

Voted Bad. The final two should have a representative from the 90's dammit.

 

[Vlaco]

And for the record, the studio version of Bad is fantastic. I like it better than most live versions. There are only a couple live versions I've heard that I'd rate it close to, and the Wide Awake In America version is not one of those.

Some live versions are even better, but most are definitely not. The studio version is fantastic.

Until The End Of The World. Great, great song and I was absolutely thrilled to witness it in person, but Streets and Bad are transcendent.

 

[Axver]

And for the record, the studio version of Bad is fantastic.

I genuinely don't understand why some people talk it down.

 

[cobl04]

Based on the studio recordings, Streets wins by miles for me, in my opinion no live version has ever come close to beating it.

Really? Streets studio is my favourite song by anyone, ever, but the live version is 100x better.

 

[djerdap]

All three are much better live, but that is not to say their studio counterparts are not great, because they are.

 

[LemonMelon]

I genuinely don't understand why some people talk it down.

Weak climax. Weak vocal compared to what we would get within months live. It feels like a demo all around, but the loss of the sequencers is an especially tough one. I'd rather listen to it than I would the vast majority of music, but it definitely feels like 75% of what it would become.

 

[djerdap]

The sequencer is in there, it just comes in in the middle of the song. And it hardly has a weak climax, the drumming and the vocals are exceptional in their intensity.

But then again, I think a big percentage of U2 songs feel like demos when compared to their live versions.

 

[mikal]

Why did Zooropa get voted off?

 

[The Sad Punk]

Whoa, what the hell happened here.

 

[LemonMelon]

The sequencer is in there, it just comes in in the middle of the song.

Ah, I'll have to listen out for it.

I forgot to mention that I do love the drumming, probably one of Larry's most hypnotic moments. He's right up front too, and it actually works out very well.

I'll never like the vocals. It sounds like he has a sore throat or something. That track begs for a huge, cathartic note and it never really happens.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Really? Streets studio is my favourite song by anyone, ever, but the live version is 100x better.

Admittedly, when I'm at a show in person the whole feeling generated by Streets live is better than the original but listening to live performances 2nd hand, great though they are don't compare to a song that like you I believe is the greatest song by anyone ever.

 

[OpenG180]

Why did Zooropa get voted off?

Why did Lemon, The Fly, NYD AND Zooropa get voted off? And why Bad did not?

 

[Axver]

Weak climax. Weak vocal compared to what we would get within months live. It feels like a demo all around, but the loss of the sequencers is an especially tough one. I'd rather listen to it than I would the vast majority of music, but it definitely feels like 75% of what it would become.

You and I have talked about this many of times and I don't think we'll ever see eye-to-eye. First U2 CD I had was the Best of 1980-1990 when I was eleven and Bad was my favourite straight away. Not much has changed.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Now that WOWY's gone I don't really care anymore. Both Bad and Streets are in my top 10, but UTEOTW is somewhere in my top 50.

 

[OpenG180]

Streets and Bad at first and second would be acceptable if this poll had been made in 1989 or 1990. Not having a song from the 90's here is pretty much pathetic.

But, at least, goes to show how full of bullshit the "hive" creator bullshiter was.

 

[Moony]

Voting for Bad again, just to keep a song from my favorite album in the mix. It's been clear Streets was the winner from days and days ago, but I just want to see an Achtung Baby song grab the silver. All the songs from the finals were absolutely spectacular.

 

[gvox]

UTEOTW is great and all, but it doesn't "go anywhere" live compared to the other two.

Streets soars on the album and gets even better live. The extended synths, the extra midi bass, Edge's harmonies nice and forward in the mix, you name it, this song is pure perfection. I don't think there's a band out there that could listen to Streets live and not be anything but insanely jealous that they had not written such a great song. And recently Bono's been great on it. And Bad just is also quite possibly one of the best live songs of any band in the history of music.

 

[gvox]

And, I wholeheartedly concur that a far far better 90s representative, if we really "needed" such to somehow make this result any more valid, is actually The Fly or Zooropa.

I don't mean to slag on UTEOTW but if any song in these last 10 or so is overrated, I feel it's this one. Without the thematic element to it with the Bono v Edge duel, it's kindof empty in a way. All the others, The Fly included..they stand up live with no additional theatrics..I don't know if I'm expressing this as well as I could.

 

[gvox]

Voting for Bad again, just to keep a song from my favorite album in the mix. It's been clear Streets was the winner from days and days ago, but I just want to see an Achtung Baby song grab the silver.

This sums up everything that has been wrong about these polls from the start.

Endemic of The Hive condition.

 

[LemonMelon]

Don't kid yourselves. Without disgusting Hive bias, the poll would be Pride vs. One vs. Elevation. The true cream of the crop.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Instead Streets is going to win for the 100th time in a row.