Rate the Song: Kite

[digitize]

The 90s are over! We are almost done with this competition. Today begins the first voting round of the 2000s, as we rate the first half of All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Please rate Kite 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.

 

[Galeongirl]

Very emotional, love the slide guitar! Shame they're not playing this live anymore in favour of Walk on.

 

[ryancoke71]

I'd love to hear this live! Great song, very emotional indeed. 10.

 

[Globo14]

8. Really enjoy this one, especially the vertigo versions.

 

[Nick66]

Airy, Wavy and Wondrous. If it wasn't for the unfortunate ending, it might be the best song on ATYCLB.

9.

 

[An Cat Gav]

7.

Moving but again it just lacks that something extra that only U2 can usually provide,

 

[djerdap]

A great song live, ruined in the studio by neutered production. Rarely have Larry's drums sounded so awful, and that intro organ is a bit too much. 8

But again, a beautiful song live, especially the Vertigo versions.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Clunky beginning and end, but overall beautiful: 9

 

[lazarus]

I appreciate the personal lyric, and it actually paints a picture instead of just dropping a bunch of bromides on the listener.

But musically it's pretty boring, and I hate to say it but once someone compared this to Bon Jovi I can't get that out of my head.

Personally, I love the end of the song because it's the only part where it takes a creative chance. That lyric and Edge's little guitar piece after "that was the big idea" is prob my favorite thing, ironically.

 

[trevgreg]

Brings me back to a very youthful time in my life. 8.

 

[Globo14]

But musically it's pretty boring, and I hate to say it but once someone compared this to Bon Jovi I can't get that out of my head.

I've been a hardcore Bon Jovi fan for over a decade, and I honestly can't hear that connection.

 

[theedgeu2]

Slane Castle. That's all.

 

[theedgeu2]

9. Kite is a very nice song. I really enjoy it and it kinda hits me on a personal level.

 

[lemonfly]

Second best song on the album, but not without its problems. First the positives - Bono delivers one of his best vocal performances of the 00's, he's quite sublime. Edge's slide guitar is cute and perfectly complements the song. A big thumbs up to Lanois/Eno who do a sterling job with the production, swirling and magical. The negatives - when he sings "Don't wanna see you crrrrryyyyyy", yes, it does evoke Bon Jovi. I don't hate the Bon as much as some, but it takes you out of the song thinking of him. And the ending is totally fudged. The song is (presumably) about mortality and letting go of loved ones, and then he starts talking about hip hop and big cars and new media - wtf?! But still a classy tune. 8

 

[flybabe]

Great lyrics, though it doesn't really cut it music wise. It was like they weren't sure how they wanted to play the song and just decided to wing it. 8.

 

[mama cass]

i only gave the others a 9 so this would be a definite 10

 

[LemonMelon]

This is a solid 9 (10 when it was performed on Vertigo), but I've got to remove a point for those hideous fake violins and the relatively weak final verse. 8.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Cate...

Blanchett...

This is for you...



EDGE!

 

[The Panther]

Good song, nice tune. Pretty poor lyrics. ("I don't wanna see you cry / I know that this is not goodbye" is dipping into Celine Dion territory.) Love slide guitar in general, but it sounds over-produced and too slick.

Living in the Material World -- now there's some slide guitar!

 

[Globo14]

Pretty poor lyrics.

Ahh, memories.

 

[Babydoll]

Pretty poor lyrics.

 

[ryancoke71]

 

[prbiker15]

I'd love to hear this live! Great song, very emotional indeed. 10.

My thoughts exactly. Always reminds me of my deceased aunt, as well as celebrity deaths for some reason. Maybe my second or third-favorite song on ATYCLB - just a powerful song. 10.

 

[The Panther]

Well, sarcasm is one thing, but what do you like about the lyrics? You don't find the chorus hopelessly cliche?

I actually do like the ironic, post-rock rhyming at the end.

 

[cobl04]

Perhaps the greatest moment of my life so far (I'm 21 and a half) was seeing U2 play this in Melbourne on the 18th November 2006. Something I will treasure until the day I die. Means a great deal to me this song, I find it incredibly emotional, in spite of what everyone else might think. Studio version is a 10, and probably my favourite song U2 put out in the 00s.

Live, well. That's the closest this atheist has ever come to religion.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Some of Bono's best lyrics and vocals. Definitely can feel he meant what he was singing in this one. The production and music are a bit boring though but hey you cant have everything, right? 9.

 

[ryancoke71]

Live, well. That's the closest this atheist has ever come to religion.

Best quote of the thread!

 

[Aardvark747]

Nearly perfect. That extra guitar solo on some of the live versions would be a 10. As it is, 9

 

[djerdap]

I've been a hardcore Bon Jovi fan for over a decade

Takes a man to admit this. Kudos.

 

[Globo14]

Takes a man to admit this. Kudos.

Thanks, I guess. I've caught some slack over it for the years. In my options, they're the ones missing out!

I'm not ashamed of my musical taste.