What's 1 song (if any) that's better in the studio than live?

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theu2fly

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I'd like to imagine that all U2 songs are great live, but some don't entirely make the cut... what songs do you think belong in the studio, rather than live?
 
coolian2 said:
In the naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame of love
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The Joshua Tree tour versions and Unforgettable Fire versions are ace, but anything after that is just horrendous.
 
Off the top of my head I can name a few, however most of these have been performed only a handful of times and have not by any means been perfected live:

Crumbs
WITS
The Wanderer
Do You Feel Loved
If God Would Send His Angels
The Sweetest Thing

Satellite of Love- the end of the studio version from the 'One' single is in my top 5 favorite jams U2 has ended any song with; the sound of all 4 of them really having some fun. I think they even bettered Lou Reed's original.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet- such a close call because the full band studio version escalates almost like no other U2 song, but Bono and Edge's vocals in their acoustic duets are amazing. I think I still have to give the studio the nod over live. That could and probably would change if we got live full band GBHF.
 
coolian2 said:


Although the later Vertigo versions are particularly good
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not just good...they are some of the best performances of that song in U2 history...he holds the "name" beautifully and the band just sounds really together...at least thats my opinion..JT versions are awesome though
 
theu2fly said:
The Joshua Tree tour versions and Unforgettable Fire versions are ace, but anything after that is just horrendous.
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No fucking way. Bono used to "scream" that chorus in 85-89. They're horrible. He's actually sung it in tours since.
 
I just had a passing thought- I would really like to hear a totally stripped down version of Pride ala Popmart Sunday Bloody Sunday; something that sounds like Running to Stand Still from Vertigo tour, maybe a little piano and backing vocals from Edge. Let the crowd carry the tune. It seems every tour except Vertigo that the song lost more and more speed. It's time to refresh it or drop it so it becomes missed again. IT would be chilling to hear certain parts of the song where the crowd actually takes over, lighters filling the dark arena/stadium:wink:
 
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mofo82 said:
I just had a passing thought- I would really like to hear a totally stripped down version of Pride ala Popmart Sunday Bloody Sunday; something that sounds like Running to Stand Still from Vertigo tour, maybe a little piano and backing vocals from Edge. Let the crowd carry the tune. It seems every tour except Vertigo that the song lost more and more speed. It's time to refresh it or drop it so it becomes missed again. IT would be chilling to hear certain parts of the song where the crowd actually takes over, lighters filling the dark arena/stadium:wink:
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What?!?! The crowd carries this song many times throughout the tour...and it is stripped down at certain points too!!!! I think you should look at some pride video from the vertigo tour :wink:

but yeah regarding the lighters, I agree....U2's lightshow is incredible, but that would be an awesome change for Pride........While on the subject, the walk on performance in 2002 at the grammys, I really like the atmosphere created during the "Oooohhhhhhh, all that you fashion..." part..something along those lines might be effective too..

and as for the speed of the song, some versions were faster than others, they change it up, which I like...and the slower versions allow bono to open up more..I like fast or slow...pride is a great song live in my opinion, not sure why it gets ripped here so much....sure it has its ups and downs live but the band can really perform this song well live....especially when the crowd gets into it! It's great!
 
Pride
Desire
One
Original of the species

(before Vertigo tour I would have added Kite on this list)
 
Angel of Harlem
Original of the Species
A Sort of Homecoming, but then again I've only heard one live version of that
 
Pride is hideous live. The Vertigo Tour was probably the best it's sounded on average over an entire tour - mainly because Edge's guitar tone finally sounded right. It sounds awful and weak on most tours and fails to ring like it does in the studio. There is one amazing performance from the 1980s, though: 31 August 1984, Wellington is actually better than the studio version. It sounds fantastic - the guitar is right and Bono largely nails the vocals. I'm also partial to 30 December 1989, Dublin.

Miracle Drug is another major offender. It just never took off life. Edge's solo lacked punch, and Bono's vocals at the end were nowhere near sufficiently anthemic to carry the song to a strong conclusion.
 
I like the Sarajevo Pride, but that's because it's almost entirely the audience with little to no input from the band...

So yes, definitely Pride. Studio version rules.
 
Bad, MW & Streets are definetly live songs. Ok, but which era they belong to, it's another endless story...
 
Staring at the Sun and Stay are my picks...
Stay (album) > Stay (Zootv) > post-ZooTV Stay
 
everything from Unforgettable Fire, Bad being the exception
Stuck in a moment
In a little while
Lemon (though fun live, nowhere near as good as the album vesion)

there must be more :hmm:
 
Aardvark747 said:
I'd say Zooropa aswell.
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Do we include live debacles/shortened songs live like Zooropa, If God will send his angels and Do you feel loved ?

Overall as albums, all of UF except Bad and all of Zooropa except Dirty day.
First 3 albums work, JT-RaH-AB and most of Pop as well. ATYCLB all except Stuck and Bomb all except MD and Crumbs. I still listen and like the live versions, they just don't improve the album cuts.

The 4 I mentioned before though...live versions are nowhere close to the studio magic. I will say I enjoy the faster paced version of Pride on Rattle and Hum.
 
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Pride (In the Name of Love)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Staring at the Sun
Wake Up Dead Man
Original of the Species
 
U2girl said:


Do we include live debacles/shortened songs live like Zooropa, If God will send his angels and Do you feel loved ?

Overall as albums, all of UF except Bad and all of Zooropa except Dirty day.
First 3 albums work, JT-RaH-AB and most of Pop as well. ATYCLB all except Stuck and Bomb all except MD and Crumbs. I still listen and like the live versions, they just don't improve the album cuts.

The 4 I mentioned before though...live versions are nowhere close to the studio magic. I will say I enjoy the faster paced version of Pride on Rattle and Hum.
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I think I pretty much agree with this, except for the UF part. There are some really tight live versions of ASoH and Wire that blow the album versions away. Even TUF, but not as much as the other 2.

And I pretty much agree with everyone re: PITNOL. I think mainly it's Bono - he just can't nail the chorus live the way he did in the studio. I almost think RHMT would have the same problem and that's why they never played it live...I'm afraid that chorus would fall flat. I do think the Conspiracy of Hope versions of Pride tend to be good, and some of the JT & UF tour versions, and as Ax says the 30 December '89 version (but I love that whole show so...).

Off to find my Wellington recording to hear this version Axver speaks of :)
 
I just think UF and Zooropa aren't really "live" albums.

They did try RHMT live, and Bono couldn't replicate the song (or maybe he did but couldn't handle singing it on a nightly basis, since it was considered for a single at the time). I think it would be hard for him to do Heartland live too. That's ok, we still have the studio capturing the perfect versions.
 
I'm surprised some people think UF wasn't much of a live album. I think those songs that were done were fantastic.

ASOH: I think it's hard to compare as the versions are so different. I love both, for different reasons. By the smallest of margins, I'd favour the live version overall, but the studio version does some features just as well if not better.
Pride: Already stated my opinion on this live clunker. I find it odd though, as I feel like this song was just made for stadiums. It shouldn't fall flat nearly every time.
Wire: This was even more scintillating live. The versions with the Gimme Some Truth snippet in particular slay the studio version.
UF: Even more brooding and intense live. If you don't think this was better live, you haven't heard 21 March 1985, Chicago. The sound quality is astonishing; the band's performance even moreso.
Bad: The definitive live U2 song. Forget Streets. Bad sums up live U2. Best song I have ever heard anybody play in concert apart from One Tree Hill.
Indian Summer Sky: The energy of the live setting gives its infrequent performances the edge over the studio version.
MLK: Really no tangible difference, but the use as an intro to UF makes the live version more worthwhile from my perspective.
 
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