hcbiggs2002
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
EvenBetter Than The Real Thing - memories of my first ever U2 concert back in 1993 at Stockholm, Sweden!!
Even Better Than The City Of Blinding Lights?
- Thread starter Zoots
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
hedgehog
The Fly
Don't get me wrong, City Of Blinding Lights is a good song but it just doesn't do anything special for me, not one of the weaker tracks on HTDAAB but not one of the best either IMO.
Even Better Than The Real Thing is one of the songs which got me into U2.
As had been said, probably one of the "coolest" U2 songs.
Probably one of the weaker tracks on its album IMO but I think that says more about the quality of Achtung Baby than the song itself...
EBTTRT easily beats COBL for me.
Even Better Than The Real Thing is one of the songs which got me into U2.
As had been said, probably one of the "coolest" U2 songs.
Probably one of the weaker tracks on its album IMO but I think that says more about the quality of Achtung Baby than the song itself...
EBTTRT easily beats COBL for me.
Aardvark747
Blue Crack Addict
I tire of hearing EBTTRT these days.....tho i'd still take it over COBL.
But as for Scarlet!!!
But as for Scarlet!!!
XHendrix24
Refugee
Hm. Well, I guess I should have expected this kind of outcome on the Achtung Board. 
menelaos
War Child
Even better than the real thing...
The guitar part is amazing...
The guitar part is amazing...
OP
OP
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
Lila64 said:I still protest!
It was Khanada's evil doing!
EBTTRT is 2 times better as a studio version
COBL is 50 times better as a live version
So doing the math; 50/2 = 25
Therefore, COBL is 25 times better than EBTTRT, but I've got to calculate the fact that EBTTRT is even better than all things real. So I'll give that a factor of 10.
25/10 = 2.5
In conclusion, I'm forced to pick COBL because it's 2.5 times better than EBTTRT.
COBL is 50 times better as a live version
So doing the math; 50/2 = 25
Therefore, COBL is 25 times better than EBTTRT, but I've got to calculate the fact that EBTTRT is even better than all things real. So I'll give that a factor of 10.
25/10 = 2.5
In conclusion, I'm forced to pick COBL because it's 2.5 times better than EBTTRT.
OP
OP
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
All math goes by the wayside if you watched Even Better Than The Real Thing on MTV on a regular basis in 1992. 
Zootlesque said:All math goes by the wayside if you watched Even Better Than The Real Thing on MTV on a regular basis in 1992.
Trust me, I was still watching MTV on a regular basis in 1992. I'll agree that the video of EBTTRT is better, but I didn't calculate that into my equation because videos have no bearing on a song's quality, IMO.
Basically, it comes down to the fact that I think COBL's live superiority is much greater than EBTTRT's studio superiority.
tiny dancer
Blue Crack Distributor
xaviMF22 said:
Ditto!
Catman
Rock n' Roll Doggie
XHendrix24 said:City of Blinding Lights.
I honestly don't see how this is even close.
what??Zootlesque said:It was Khanada's evil doing!
OP
OP
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
Holy shit!!! I can't believe most people here think COBL is actually better!
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
I voted for COBL, but jeez, trying to compare the two is really hard. Like comparing an apple to a truck. EBTTRT is a great track, though. Like, really great.
The EBTTRT video, however, is 6 million country miles better than the video for COBL.
The EBTTRT video, however, is 6 million country miles better than the video for COBL.
cobl04
45:33
EBTTRT has never done anything big for me. I give it a 4/5, but the something about has always bugged me.
COBL, on the other hand, well. I happen to like it a bit (avatar, username)
. But it's actually not my favourite now. Streets is now my favourite song.
COBL, on the other hand, well. I happen to like it a bit (avatar, username)
. But it's actually not my favourite now. Streets is now my favourite song.
Lila64
Blue Crack Distributor
Zootlesque said:
It was Khanada's evil doing!
where's the moderators when you need one?
not a fair poll - I demand a recount!!!
Queen Bee
Blue Crack Addict
Lila64 said:where's the moderators when you need one?
not a fair poll - I demand a recount!!!
Chill out. It's a useless poll anyway.
Lila64
Blue Crack Distributor
I know - I kid. Did you really think I was serious?
rjhbonovox
Refugee
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2002
- Messages
- 2,139
XHendrix24 said:
I honestly don't see how this is even close.
You right it ain't even close. COBL aint fit to lace the boots of EBTTRT. They are on a different planet. Ones a cool song and the other is very tired sounding with god damn awful lyrics such as "oh u look so ugly tonight".
XHendrix24
Refugee
rjhbonovox said:with god damn awful lyrics such as "oh u look so ugly tonight".
OOLOLOLOLOLOLOLL.
I see what you did there. You changed the original line - "Oh you look so BEAUTIFUL tonight" - and you changed it so that it said "Oh you look so UGLY tonight." So it means something completely different. Man. That is brilliant. I am really amazed at how someone could come up with something like that. My small, incapable mind can barely even comprehend that type of comedy. Thank you for enlightening me. Seriously.
Really.
Honestly.
Not kidding.
At all.
P.S. I can totally understand your negative view of the lyrics, though. I mean, all of Bono's lyrics can't be as brilliant and mindblowing as "Let me be your lover tonight." Which is so extremely different from "Oh you look so beautiful tonight" anyway.
Last edited:
Earnie Shavers
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
EBTTRT's lyrics, in context, are far better. COBL's lyrics don't really need a context.
timothius
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
COBL sounds like U2 trying to write their own songs. EBTTRT is one of the underrated cogs of the Achtung Baby machine.
Although I think time will treat them similar in terms of live long jeapordy. EBTTRT worked so well on ZooTV, yet on PopMart & Elevation I really think it was nothing more than filler. Maybe, as Earnie said, that boils down to context. COBL will die a quick death on the next tour, and all rumours of it being the second coming of Street will laid to rest.
Bizzarely though, I really do think EBTTRT would work quite well on this tour.
Although I think time will treat them similar in terms of live long jeapordy. EBTTRT worked so well on ZooTV, yet on PopMart & Elevation I really think it was nothing more than filler. Maybe, as Earnie said, that boils down to context. COBL will die a quick death on the next tour, and all rumours of it being the second coming of Street will laid to rest.
Bizzarely though, I really do think EBTTRT would work quite well on this tour.
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
XHendrix24 said:
pre chorus vs pre chorus
"well my heart is where it's always been, my head somewhere in between, give me one more chance, let me be your lover tonight"
"you're honey child to a swarm of bees gonna blow right thru you like a breeze, give me one more chance we'll slide down the surface of things"
vs
"and I miss you when you're not around, I'm getting ready to leave the ground oooh-oohh etc. "
first of all, Bono used to mix things up to keep it more interesting two seperate ideas on the PC to EBTTRT, on COBL the pre-chorus stays the same. Obviously more clever word plays in EBTTRT
verdict: hands down EBTTRT
actual chorus vs actual chorus
"Oh, you like so beautiful tonight....in the city of blinding lights"
vs
"You're the real thing, even better than the real thing"
neither is particularly mind blowing, but hell it's the chorus, it's bound to be repeptitive. EBTTRT wins by default, far less cheesy because really EBTTRT was really meant to be part cheese adopting the Coke advertisment "The real thing" with a wink and a nod. At least there is a hint of cleverness about it. COBL just reeks of 'need something catchy', no wink, no nod, no elbow to the ribs just "yeah, that's the chorus alright".
verdict: EBTTRT
didn't even get to the verses, which i think is pretty much the same thing. Neither is among Bono's best. Everything wrong with COBL is everthing that works better in EBTTRT. Just my opinion.
Earnie Shavers
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Yep, in the context the nod to the Coke slogan is more than a wink. It's the whole song really. The girl, and his intentions for the girl, are as much about instant satisfaction and gratification as that Coke slogan and the Coke adverts of that generation (and still today I guess) were all about. The song is about a one night stand. There's no love, no romance. It's simple. She's hot. She's a product. 'She' has been marketed to him as much as any product, as a satisfaction to a need (sex sells). She's honey to a swarm of bees and he's only interested in satisfying that on the surface, then disappearing (blow right through you...). She's instant gratification. She's Coke, but better.
"Oh you look so beautiful" - I actually like COBL (production aside, which infuriates me), but it's not in the same league. It's a whole song that is sliding on the surface, instantly satisfying a need. That's not a bad thing, but it's not a great thing.
"Oh you look so beautiful" - I actually like COBL (production aside, which infuriates me), but it's not in the same league. It's a whole song that is sliding on the surface, instantly satisfying a need. That's not a bad thing, but it's not a great thing.
rjhbonovox
Refugee
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2002
- Messages
- 2,139
timothius said:
Absolutely right. COBL is like a song from a U2 80's tribute band. EBTTRT is a great song that follows a great song and precedes a great song on THE greatest album of all time!
I'm surprised by all the support that EBTTRT gets around here. I've always considered it one of the weaker tracks on Achtung Baby (my favorite cd by far). It's catchy,yes, but it doesn't have a lot of substance.
It took me a while to warm up to COBL, but now it's one of my favorite Atomic Bomb tracks. Plus, the live version is outstanding. So no contest for me - COBL wins hands down.
It took me a while to warm up to COBL, but now it's one of my favorite Atomic Bomb tracks. Plus, the live version is outstanding. So no contest for me - COBL wins hands down.
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Zootomic said:
It's all relative, there are plenty of people around this forum who think one of the weaker Achtung tracks is considerably better than one of the best Bomb tracks.
And I agree, EBTTRT is about the 8th or 9th best song on Achtung.
It's still pretty damn good, and it's still much better than COBL which might very well be the best song on Bomb if not for some lousy production. It's got to be in the top 3 or 4 (consensus) anyhow. Personally I'd put it in my top 3 or 4 from Bomb, the live version really bails out the album version, for me anyways.
