The live version of New York so surpasses the studio take it's not even funny. Unfortunately it makes it hard for me to enjoy the album version because it's not as alive as a song about New York should be. Instead of the drum machine there should be banging on plastic buckets or something.
Even including the live version, all New York really has going for it is the guitar solo. Miami is such an interesting confection, you have to give it credit for ambition. The fact that it's so devisive only supports that. The creepiness of the drums and bass in the first half, the Jane's Addiction-esque "baa baa baa"s, Edge's atypical guitar solo which is the perfect complement to the "car chase" line, and finally Larry's homage to Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks. The obvious talking point is Bono's lyrics, which some feel are ridiculous, others think Beat poetry. Let's just remember that ALLEN GINSBERG himself was filmed reading the song's lyrics. Pretty high praise if you ask me. I'd rather hear more songs where Bono does stream of consciousness snapshots of places and their atmospheres than another fucking song about how the heart aches, breaks, beats, or whatever.
Miami by a mile.
laz