Songs Worse Live

[Canadiens1131]

Pride as of Joshua Tree.
Bullet the Blue Sky as of Vertigo.
With or Without You as of Popmart.
Steeets as of Vertigo.
Running to Stand Still anytime after ZooTV.
Elevation live, anytime after Elevation tour will never match the TRR remix.
Sunday Bloody Sunday as of Vertigo tour.
Original of the Species stripped down is crap live any day, any time.
One on every tour except for Popmart.

In contrast to the reports of Mysterious Ways' demise, I'd like to say that I think both Elevation and Vertigo versions have been superior in arrangement to the ZooTV version. I never liked the cheesy keyboard intro, I always though Edge should have been behind the guitar.

I love the Elevation version of Ways because Edge was spot on with the slide solo, spot fricken' on and it was always like God opening up the clouds above the arena and pelting it with those little Valentine's Day candy hearts.

The Vertigo version, despite Edge not doing a great job with the solo for the Chicago recording, is sweet just because we get that crunchy, wanky guitar as the first note of the song. I click tracks...

 

[Peterrrrr]

The versions of these songs live isnt bad, but can't be compared with the studio versions:

Pride
UF
WOWY
MOTD
AIWIY
ONE
Stay(havent heard one better then the studio yet)
The First Time
Lemon
Numb

 

[Peter]

Pride

never worked live

 

[Nisse]

New Year's Day
Pride
Unforgettable Fire
The First Time
Discotheque
Staring At The Sun
Do You Feel Loved
If God Will Send His Angels
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car

 

[ponkine]

Pride (in the name of love)
Unforgettable Fire
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
In God's Country
All I Want Is You
One
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Zooropa
Babyface
The First Time
Miss Sarajevo
Hold Me Trill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Discotheque
Do You Feel Loved
If God Will Send His Angels
Stuck In A Moment
Beautiful Day
Elevation (possibly worst ever changes in chords!, and the live version was just a mess of Bono's shouts)
Walk On
Kite
The Hands That Built America (as crap as the studio version anyway)
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It (and they didn't make it anway )
All Because Of You
Original Of The Species

 

[Thanksandy]

Weak songs live:

One (never liked it live for some reason)
With Or Without You (Bono stuggles to sing this live, never been great since Lovetown tour)
Pride (lack of power by the whole band, doesn't have the oomph of the album)
I Still Haven't Found (just doesn't work that well live)
Bullet The Blue Sky (havne't liked it since Zoo TV)
Streets (great on every tour except Vertigo,, seem to lack its usual mesmeric power)
Wake Up Dead Man (why was it ever played live?)
The Hands That Built America (never liked the song anyway and hate it live as well)
Stuck In A Moment (another song I don't like, is overrated and poor live)
All Because Of You (I didn't think it worked on the record or live)
An Cat Dubh (way too slow for today's audiences, got boring after a while)
Hol Me Kiss Me Kill Me (lacked the big sound when played live, needs more than just the four of them)
Unforgettable Fire (same as Hold Me, would be great with extra musicians as its a big sounding song that sounds too stripped down with just four instruments)

Great songs live:

City Of Blinding Lights (what a great song on the record and live, they need to keep this and Streets on the setlist on the next tour)
The Fly (i have always liked this song on the album and live)
Electric Co (great rocking song on the album and live, great idea to bring it back)
Out Of Control (another great choice live, energetic and all four members are always on top form)
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (really glad to hear them play it as never heard it live, i thought it was excellent and had a great reaction)
New Year's Day (never tire of hearing this live)
Beautiful Day (best version was on Elevation Tour)

 

[Peterrrrr]

New Year's Day
Discotheque
Staring At The Sun

New Year's Day is alot better live, in the 80's and in the begining of the 90's Bono sang it stronger and with more power.

Discotheque(Vertigo version), why? Bono sings it stronger, the music is much better.

Staring At The Sun(1997-07-18 - Rotterdam), Bono's vocals on this one is the best ever on this song

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Miss Sarajevo
Hold Me Trill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Stuck In A Moment
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Walk On
Kite
The Hands That Built America
Sometimes You Can't Make It

ISHFWILF(R & H and Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame)

Miss Sarajevo, Milan 1995 and Vertigo version proofs its better live.

HMTMKMKM, can agree with this one, but hard to decide if it is better live or not, just because of this version: 1997-09-30 - Tel Aviv

Stuck In A Moment, better live

Beautiful Day, what????? Bono's voice on the studio version is very weak. The Slane version and the Vertigo versions is very good, just listen to the Good Morning America version from 2005(it's the same performence that is on the Chicago DVD, but this recording got so much more powerful sound and you hear Bono's voice much higher, compare for yourself). Also the Bono holds the notes much longer and higher in the Vertigo versions.

Walk On, Grammy 2002 says it all.

Kite, Slane

THTBA, the 2003 versions

SYCMIOYO, Bono sings it with so much more power and feeling live. Listen to this one: 2005-10-03 - Boston, he hold the "Sing" note in 8 sec, he hold it 4 sec in the studio version.

Weak songs live:

Bullet The Blue Sky (havne't liked it since Zoo TV)
Streets(great on every tour except Vertigo,, seem to lack its usual mesmeric power)
Wake Up Dead Man (why was it ever played live?)

BTBS, I can agree. The best versions was on ZooTV.

Streets, what? in the Vertigo versions Bono sings it in its original key. He couldnt sing it well in the Elevation tours.

Wake Up Dead Man, Slane is the best one. Bono sings it with much more feeling and passion.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

She doesn't have her Zooropa CD. She threw it in the garbage.

Lol... Wow, what a freakin' memory! Oh, and I'm a 'he', not a 'she'.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

New Year's Day
Pride
Unforgettable Fire
The First Time
Discotheque
Staring At The Sun
Do You Feel Loved
If God Will Send His Angels
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car

New Years Day???

Hi, Under A Blood Red Sky, this is Nisse. Nisse, this is Under A Blood Red Sky. I'd also like to introduce you to my friend Slane Castle.

 

[phillyfan26]

Arent most songs worse live? I'm sure I'm in the minority here.

I would think that listing the songs that are BETTER live would make more sense.

I think a majority are improved.

 

[YBORCITY]

Zooropa - they never were able to put this one together live

Crumbs - I was unfortunately at the second attempt at playing this song live and it was just horrendous sounding.

Unforgettable Fire - One of my all time favorites but they couldn't pull off that really BIG sound that this song deserves

Pride/WOWY/ONE - even the Band seems like their really tired of playing these songs every night.

 

[The Disciple]

COBL is greatly improved live. Not worse!

 

[Joey788]

Gloria (never liked this song live)
New Year's Day (any version before Popmart)
Pride (any version except for the one from Rattle and Hum)
The Unforgettable Fire
Still Haven't Found (I only like this tour's version)
WOWY (any version from the 90s forward sucks to me unless it has the Shine like Stars bit)
BTBS (Great until Vertigo)
RTSS (Same as Bullet)
Desire (any acoustic version, the Lovetown and ZooTv versions were amazing)
One (ZooTV was great, the rest suck)
Zooropa (never worked live)
Babyface (same as Zooropa)
Stay (Great on the album, dull live)
Staring at the Sun (I can't into this song live)
Stuck in a Moment (Feels boring live)
Miracle Drug (another dull one)
Yahweh (lacks the power of the album version)

 

[ponkine]

Usually stripped down versions sound weaker with a few exceptions as Where The Streets Have No Name, Bad, etc

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

Walk On
Pride
Stuck In A Moment
Original Of The Species
COBL
Miracle Drug

 

[Yahweh]

Maybe people think they sound better live because they are there or have an emotional power that they dont have in the studio but I dont think any band sounds better live then they do in the studio. U2 just knows how to bring their music to the live environment better then most and in my opinion better then anybody. But I would agree with Sicy. I have also heard a lot of bootlegs in my life from each and every tour, I could think of improved songs that they have done over the years and some that they have done worse but I dont think any live version wold be better then studio as a general term. Some of the live versions we know and love wouldnt work as a studio track.

 

[cobl04]

Arent most songs worse live? I'm sure I'm in the minority here.

I'll join in there. I think the only songs that is better live than its album version are The Fly (Boston) and One (Slane).

 

[Peterrrrr]

Gloria (never liked this song live)

Well I think that the stuido verison of Gloria is good , but the live version is very good. Bono's vocal's and the energy is much better on the live version. Just listen to the Red Rocks version.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Pride live, in the lower key, doesn't do it for me.

 

[bono_man2002]

Gloria (never liked this song live)

Almost the Highlight of San Diego II

 

[JulioArca]

Unforgettable Fire for me.

Love the album version as it sums ut U2 84-86 in a way. However, they never seemed to be able to perform it live. Not sure what it is, but the song lost something live. The balance of the instruments, backingtrack and Bono just doesn't work.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Pride live, in the lower key, doesn't do it for me.

Try this one, best live version I heard so far:
http://www.
uploading.com
/files/4E2H7322/02___Pride__In_The_Name_Of_Love_ .html

 

[salty72]

A Celebration. Never cared for the live performance.

 

[dietcokeofevil]

THE WORKHORSE SONGS: Dump them and take some chances with the setlist. Don't worry about the fans. We're pissed off no matter what anyway

New Years Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
With Or Without You
I will Follow
One
etc. etc.

There are some great songs from every album that haven't seen much live time over the years. Surprise folks by continuing to do the commendable thing of putting emphasis on the new songs but also shaking up the old setlist.

 

[ponkine]

A Celebration. Never cared for the live performance.

Hattem 14-05-1982 blow studio version away

 

[CTU2fan]

How about disregarding all the "they've played it on 7 tours now, and are bored" songs...how many songs are there that have never been better live than they are on the cd?

When I see something like Sunday Bloody Sunday I have to laugh...yeah the Edge solo version was weak, yeah the Elevation & Vertigo versions are completely lacking in power, but SBS on the War, UF, Amnesty, and JT tours absolutely destroyed the album version. And it's the same with just about every U2 song.

The only exception I can think of is Pride. Pride has some depth on the album that's unusual for a U2 song, and the live version really hasn't measured up except for maybe a few performances on the UF & Amnesty tours.

I honestly don't understand how this is even debateable...U2 is just plain better live than they are in the studio, always have been.

 

[shortfuse]

Pride, Zooropa, If god will send his angels,

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

How about disregarding all the "they've played it on 7 tours now, and are bored" songs...how many songs are there that have never been better live than they are on the cd?

I honestly don't understand how this is even debateable...U2 is just plain better live than they are in the studio, always have been.

Bingo. People confuse 'boredom' with 'not better'. These are the same people who filled up a thread with COBL is better than Streets votes. Imagine, COBL better than Streets? Perhaps the most idiotic thread we've ever had around here. I'm a big fan of COBL, but c'mon.

 

[shortfuse]

Ive seen a few mentions of miracle drug in this thread, and its a fantastic song on record (i think im in a minority here), but its not bad at all live. I am listening to a performance from one of the LA concerts and i gotta say its absolutely brilliant...