BTBS studio version

[candyfloss]

I don't really like the album version of Bullet. My favorite version is on the Stay single, from the ZooTV tour. Here's part of a review for the Joshua Tree from allmusic.com that mentions Bullet:

. . . With the uniformly excellent songs ? only the clumsy, heavy rock and portentous lyrics of "Bullet the Blue Sky" fall flat ? the result is a powerful, uncompromising record that became a hit due to its vision and its melody. . .


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I miss the innocence I've known
Playin' KISS covers beautiful and stoned

 

[Bonochick]

Originally posted by sulawesigirl4:
omg. I was going to post the opposite. haha. I've been listening to JT a lot lately and have been thinking how awesome it is on the album.

Not to say the live versions don't pack a whallop because of course they do, but I'm really impressed with the strength of the version on the album. It has a lot of passion and without a live audience to inspire it.

 

[Foxxern]

I don't know... I was listening to JT today, and it really struck me as being somewhat flat, and it just didn't resonate with me. It seemed to be lacking the heart, especially in the rhythm half of the band. Edge sounds pretty good, but the rest didn't feel full. Bono doesn't sound pissed off enough, and Adam and Larry seem kind of like placeholders. I guess the way you think about a song really changes over time, and that certainly happened here.

Thank God for the incredible live versions that really capture the spirit of the song. That's another story altogether.

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Change is the only constant

 

[elevatedmole]

I think so too -- the live version lacks all the lyrics, but has a lot more passion, and for some reason, I love the opening they used for the live version. I really enjoy both, but there is a big difference IMO.

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"You must not look down on someone just 'cos they are 14 years old. When I was that age I listened to the music of John Lennon and it changed my way of seeing things, so I'm just glad that 14 year olds are coming to see U2 rather than group X." - Bono, 1988

 

[sulawesigirl4]

omg. I was going to post the opposite. haha. I've been listening to JT a lot lately and have been thinking how awesome it is on the album.

Not to say the live versions don't pack a whallop because of course they do, but I'm really impressed with the strength of the version on the album. It has a lot of passion and without a live audience to inspire it.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

You mean like my new signature?

This song gets better and better.

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"Pull the trigger on a rock n' roll ****** bigger than Jesus on a bumper sticker!" -Bono, Bullet the Blue Sky.

 

[Foxxern]

Originally posted by Roland of Gilead:
You mean like my new signature?

Exaaaactly. I love that version.



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Change is the only constant

 

[dizzy]

First time I heard BTBS was on the R&H cd, so I totally understand how flat the studio version sounds. I was kinda disappointed with that. Right now, the best versions I've heard of this song are the ones from R&H and the Elevation DVD, where Bono quotes some stuff from Burroughs.

Wait, somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Were some of those lines from Burrough's writings?

I think I read about that reference somewhere.

[This message has been edited by dizzy (edited 03-08-2002).]

 

[Sperber]

I love the Zoo Europa version too!
This is really the most aggressive and intense version of this classic.

 

[brettig]

I think the album version feels sparse...i actually think the live version feels sparse too, until u get to the zootv version.

 

[mercedesbox]

I never liked Bullet until I heard it live, then I couldn't get over how awesome the song is. The R&H version is awesome but the Elevation DVD is the best, IMO.