We need NLOTH 3 which should be based on 2 (keeping the chorus etc), but have the 'time is irrelevant...' line from 1, replacing the scat singing in 2.
And it should have more variation in the verses like 1 has, but they should keep 2's chorus and the 'no... line!' chant at the end, but add to that 1's quirky keyboard outro.
NLOTH is way better than 2 IMO. 2 sounds like a cheesy remix to me.
Err, no. Unless you want to go to sleep. The chorus and ending (before the guitar outro) in 1 are boring as batshit, no hook, Bono sounds bored and out of breath.
The choruses in NLOTH2 are much better, have much more energy and have a stronger rhythm. And the No Line outro is much more interesting than the 'identical to all the other choruses' ending in 1.
The only problems with NLOTH2 are that it gets a bit repetitive and has that scat singing bit in the middle instead of the "time is irrelevant' line.
The album version is better, imo. It's all about the buildup and the atmosphere. The intensity is palpable from the beginning and it just gets racketed up more and more as the song goes along. And the last chorus is not exactly identical to all the other choruses, since there's a second vocal an octave higher added in, which only adds to said intensity. The whole thing is about creating this thick, palpable atmosphere, like you're entering another world. It's in my top 3 tracks on the album and my top 4 U2 album openers(with Where The Streets Have No Name, Zoo Station, and Zooropa).
The album version is better, imo. It's all about the buildup and the atmosphere. The intensity is palpable from the beginning and it just gets racketed up more and more as the song goes along. And the last chorus is not exactly identical to all the other choruses, since there's a second vocal an octave higher added in, which only adds to said intensity. The whole thing is about creating this thick, palpable atmosphere, like you're entering another world. It's in my top 3 tracks on the album and my top 4 U2 album openers(with Where The Streets Have No Name, Zoo Station, and Zooropa).
Couldn't have said it better myself. NLOTH1 has a thick, distinct vibe about it. It entrances the listener. It sounds ominous. Basically, it's the perfect opener for the album. It takes a solid set of lyrics and manages to give them resonance by placing them in a wholly appropriate context (a seemingly infinite swell of ambient noise), but instead of being content with hypnotic, the band gives the song the right dynamics and rhythm, so not only is it a unique sonic experience, but it's a damn fine pop song at well.
There are pieces of NLOTH2 that are extremely enjoyable, but note for note? Not even fucking close. One is a rollercoaster ride, the other a ho-hum take on a good song.