Rate the Song: Even Better Than the Real Thing

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Rill Thang


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digitize

ONE love, blood, life
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As I explained in the results thread, I have waited off on starting to post rating threads for the 90s until the forum had cleared out a bit of all of the gazillion rating threads that were open in it for several days. But now it is time to start ranking the songs of Achtung Baby!

Please rate Even Better Than the Real Thing on a scale from 0 to 10, using whatever criteria you feel allows you to best evaluate the song as a whole. I will not set criteria for people to based on, but if you feel like your best evaluation of the merits of a song comes from voting only based on, say, the studio version, go right ahead and vote that way. Full information on the Rate The Song series may be found in this thread.

Have fun! This poll will close in 96 hours.
 
I'm really happy to have experienced the slightly different live version (Fish Out Of Water Remix) last summer, a out-of-this-world opening song. But regardless, the album and live versions of EBTTRT are just fantastic. I love Edge's solo and Bono's vocals on this one.

It was also one of the first U2 songs I ever listened to - so it will get a 10 from me.
 
Cool tune that's enjoyed new life with the recent stellar Fish Out of Water Remix.

Not in the top tier of AB's best songs, but that doesn't matter because the whole albums top tier. It's had staying power, and I like it today about the same as I did the first time I heard it.

8.
 
Awesome song, with a great underlying theme. It's catchy and fun. I'm giving it a 9 because it's brilliant, yet not perfect.
 
One of the weakest songs on AB but it's still better than any of their "rockers" of the past decade. Great riff and solo. 8
 
9. I love it.
The lyrics are brilliant, I especially like these lines:

We're free to fly the crimson sky
The sun won't melt our wings tonight
 
Live it's killer, especially on 360, but album version's a bit...weak, sound-wise. It's still a lot of fun, though. Because of how good it is live it's an 8.
 
The sexiest and most thrilling song U2 have ever recorded.
One of my top 10 U2 songs of all time.
Great video as well.
10
 
9. Studio version is great, but live, it's a whole different beast. I couldn't pick a favorite between the ZooTV/Popmart version and the 360 version, though. Each is awesome in their own way.
 
Please change my vote to a 9. Love it to death, but I have always felt it doesn't quite grab you by the balls as much as it should. Still a pretty firm grip though.

Best chorus lead-in the band ever recorded?
 
This song (in any remix too) kicks so much ass, it's incomprehensible. 10. Let's just face it, this album is THE album for awesome lyrics.
 
Gives me a buzz at the start, love some of the lyrics but somehow fades badly despite hoping each time it might change for me, and one of the bands more over rated songs for me.

A 6 then - from this miserable old git.
 
Weakest song on AB, but still deserving of a solid 7. U2 veering a little too blatantly into late 80's INXS territory, maybe that's why it has aged pretty badly.
 
I'm thinking the scores for this are inflated because of its live resurrection; it did not perform this well last time. But I'd still give it an 8, and a 9 or 10 live, depending on the version. I'd just about give the NLOTH version a 10.
 
I'm thinking the scores for this are inflated because of its live resurrection; it did not perform this well last time. But I'd still give it an 8, and a 9 or 10 live, depending on the version. I'd just about give the NLOTH version a 10.
well to be fair, people are allowed to vote based on the recent live version.

but i'm pleasantly surprised the song's enjoying a resurgence in popularity here!
 
I'm thinking the scores for this are inflated because of its live resurrection; it did not perform this well last time. But I'd still give it an 8, and a 9 or 10 live, depending on the version. I'd just about give the NLOTH version a 10.

Very true. It seems many rediscovered the song thanks to the recent appearance on the setlist. :D Can't say I mind it!
 
I love the remix version but when i heard it live at glastonbury it was one of the worst live u2 songs ive ever heard.

Im pretty sure this was a one off though as other live versions ive heard on bootleg have sounded good.
 
I'm thinking the scores for this are inflated because of its live resurrection; it did not perform this well last time. But I'd still give it an 8, and a 9 or 10 live, depending on the version. I'd just about give the NLOTH version a 10.

You may well be right, but for me, my 10 is purely for the album version. I never thought they quite got it right live until the 360 tour.
 
One of the best decisions the band ever made was finally playing this song live in the original key (albeit a "remixed" eversion). Still a great song nevertheless.
 
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