Songs that you like on record but...

[nickypiemcg]

they just sound not that great or alot worse live.

I have a few

Desire (acoustic)-Especially as Bono can't sing the "Oh sister" part so he gets the crowd to do it.

Staring At The Sun (acoustic)

All Because of You-Did nothing for me live but I like the album version

Pride-Such a great song on record but live I just can't get into it (apart from maybe the R&H version)

On the flipside of that some songs are much better live-

Streets (obviously)

Who's gonna ride your wild horses (might be bias as I thought it was amazing in glasgow)

Zoo Station (amazing)

I am sure I have forgotten a few!

 

[liamcool]

ACROBAT.

 

[chickadee]

Ah no I love Desire acoustic!

Still gutted I missed the Glasgow show and therefore Wild Horses

 

[TheFly84138]

they just sound not that great or alot worse live.

I have a few

Desire (acoustic)-Especially as Bono can't sing the "Oh sister" part so he gets the crowd to do it.

Staring At The Sun (acoustic)

All Because of You-Did nothing for me live but I like the album version

Pride-Such a great song on record but live I just can't get into it (apart from maybe the R&H version)

On the flipside of that some songs are much better live-

Streets (obviously)

Who's gonna ride your wild horses (might be bias as I thought it was amazing in glasgow)

Zoo Station (amazing)

I am sure I have forgotten a few!

Yeah, I agree with a lot of those. Desire live and accoustic sounds kind of weak and lacking. Gone kicks it pretty good live though.

 

[Cassis]

that song they play just before u2 gets on stage

 

[MsMofoGone]

On the flipside of that some songs are much better live

Please

With Or Without You

Gone

Exit

Until The End Of The World

Gloria

 

[phanan]

they just sound not that great or alot worse live.

I have a few

Staring At The Sun (acoustic)

I can't agree on this one. The acoustic version of Staring At The Sun, released on the Please CD single (and the Popmart EP elsewhere) is the definitive version of this song.

In my humble opinion, of course...

 

[U2girl]

IMO:

Pride (Rattle and Hum version is good, I think the sped up version really worked. otherwise, much as the "oh oh oh oh" crowd singing is great, live versions just don't reach the majestic studio take)

One (except maybe that Modena orchestra version. again U2 studio magic - especially the vocal - that live versions can't touch)

Kite (another example of a superb studio take. Too slow to go off live, and untouchable studio vocal)

Original of the species (I liked the piano early versions but it's really the strings and soaring guitar that make this song. this might change though, now that Edge has played guitar on the live versions and Bono does come close to the studio vocal)

 

[U2alli]

zooropa
with or without you
all because of you

 

[u2granny]

Agree with Desire accoustic but love Desire during the Zoo tour.

 

[2861U2]

Better on the album:
City Of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
Pride
The Fly

Better live:
I Will Follow
Vertigo
New Years Day
Even Better Than The Real Thing

Then there are a few that could fall under either category, depending on my mood, or that particular performance:
Mysterious Ways
One
With Or Without You

 

[VertigoGal]

-Pride
-With or Without You and One both have their average moments live, although there are some amazing live performances of these out there.
-Still Haven't Found (although I bet it'd be a fun crowd singalong)

ones that improve live, that'd be like all of them, but off the top of my head

-Please
-Streets
-Walk On
-Sunday Bloody Sunday
-Mysterious Ways
-Dirty Day
-I'm stopping now...

 

[Theedge070]

The whole Achtung Album is great live. Not to say it's bad on the record.

 

[AtomicBono]

Better on the album:
City Of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
Pride
The Fly

The Fly...is better on the album...?!

Alright, my list:

Pride - Besides maybe during Lovetown, but even then it couldn't quite match the intensity of the original. I've just never gone nuts over Pride live. That's not to say it's BAD, just not great.

Numb - Not bad live, but didn't really improve on the studio version at all.

Still Haven't Found - People are gonna hate me for this, but I think it's kinda boring live.

Wake Up Dead Man - Too short live, and lacked the studio effects that adds to the song's eerieness.

There are probably a couple others, but not much...U2 songs almost always improve live. Some of the best are:

Bad
Streets
Sometimes
Please
Last Night on Earth
Dirty Day
The Fly
SBS
Bullet
UTEOTW
New York
Love is Blindness

and plenty more...

 

[Nisse]

Worse live (generally):
Discotheque, Staring At The Sun (Acoustic), Desire (acoustic), Yahweh, New Year's Day (mostly the older performances), Pride (too slow until Vertigo tour), Trying to throw.., I Fall Down, Even Better.. , In God's Country, Unforgettable Fire

Better live (generally)
I Threw A Brick Through A Window, Gloria, 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, Trash+Party Girl, Please, Streets, Wowy, Dirty Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Seconds, One, Zoo Station, The Fly, Bullet The Blue Sky, Shadows And Tall Trees, Boy/Girl, Bad, A Sort Of Homecoming

 

[Theedge070]

Worse live (generally):
Discotheque, Staring At The Sun (Acoustic), Desire (acoustic), Yahweh, New Year's Day (mostly the older performances), Pride (too slow until Vertigo tour), Trying to throw.., I Fall Down, Even Better.. , In God's Country, Unforgettable Fire

Better live (generally)
I Threw A Brick Through A Window, Gloria, 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, Trash+Party Girl, Please, Streets, Wowy, Dirty Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Seconds, One, Zoo Station, The Fly, Bullet The Blue Sky, Shadows And Tall Trees, Boy/Girl, Bad, A Sort Of Homecoming

I love In God's Country live. The energy is HUGE during that song. And Bullet has lost all meaning in the last few tours, IMO.

 

[Nisse]

I don't like that they changed the key/tone (or what's it called) in it and EBTTRT. I think Bullet was weak on Elevation, now it's much better.

 

[LMP]

I have a boot from JT Denver and UF is extremely awesome, I hadn't heard it live before and it blew me away

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

Worse/ not as good live:

One
All I want is you
Numb
Stay (only when it's done acousticly)

Better live:

Zoo station
Out of control
I will follow
Streets (duh!)
Until the end of the world
Daddys gonna pay for your crashed car
Sunday bloody Sunday
Bullet the blue sky
mysterious ways (not at Slane though)