Beautiful Day or Always?...

[One Tree Still]

What'dya all think?

 

[typhoon]

Always has a humbleness I like.

 

[SkeeK]

They are both truly very special songs.

 

[Johnny Swallow]

The first 30 seconds of Always is great, and then the half-baked and cliched lyrics begin.

I don't know why people think Always is such a great song, it's just proto-BD. I don't ever remember anyone ever thinking that some of the Salome Outtakes were better than anything on Achtung Baby.

 

[Bonochick]

I'm going to go with "Always"...but I think if they had gone with "Always" instead of BD that it wouldn't have been nearly as successful as BD was, going along the lines of Grammies, attracting new and old fans, and radio success.

 

[SweetOnU2]

I'm going to go with "Always"...but I think if they had gone with "Always" instead of BD that it wouldn't have been nearly as successful as BD was, going along the lines of Grammies, attracting new and old fans, and radio success.

I agree!!!

 

[Salome]

I don't know why people think Always is such a great song, it's just proto-BD.

fans always seem to prefer b-sides for some reason (I don't know why)

personally I would have to say that Beautiful Day is about 10x the song Always is (not that difficult since Always indeed is proto-BD)

 

[One Tree Still]

IMO, the lyrics to Beautiful Day are awkward and poorly written. Bono's voice is fried.

Always, while incomplete, had the potential to be stellar. I'd have to disagree with Johnny on the "half-baked, cliche lyrics" comment. To me, those are some great Bono-isms.

Another layer or two of guitars on Always would have done the trick.

 

[Johnny Swallow]

Always, while incomplete, had the potential to be stellar.

That's what I don't get....IT WAS completed in the form of BD. If you like the demo version more, that's cool. But I don't understand how anyone can seperate them as two seperate musical pieces. They are of the same cloth.

 

[The Wanderer]

I have to agree with Swallow for once

and personally there are no bands that I prefer the b-sides/demos over the album versions, ocassionally I prefer 1 or 2 b-sides to the weakest song(s) on an album (like I prefer Summer Rain over, say, Grace), or I sometimes think a b-side was good enough to be on the album, but I can never think of any b-sides for any artist that I thought were any where near as good as the best tracks on the album

for instance, the Smashing Pumpkins had some very memorable b-sides, but they also had some very forgettable ones too because Billy Corgan was never one to withhold songs; Radiohead have some excellent b-sides but they are songs that are b-sides for a reason; a lot of the newer bands I hear out now that I like do not have quality b-sides -- I think that is a phenomenon reserved primarily for great bands

 

[wertsie]

Definitely "Always." The first time I heard it it just blew me away. I felt so free. I can't explain it. It was just incredible...And it's the same every time I listen to it. I can literally listen to it ten times in a row and still not feel the need to turn to another song.

Don't get me wrong, BD is great too, but Always has been bumped up to my 2nd-favorite song of all-time.

Adding more after having read the comments of others...

Yes, I know that Always eventually evolved into BD, but BD just doesn't do for me what Always does. And to the "half-baked cliches" comment. Yeah, I definitely like the term "Bono-isms" better.

Some have called Always disconnected, but I like how the lyrics are sort of all over the place. It's the way my mind works and I totally get it.

 

[Giant Lemon]

I'd go with BD by far. It's just so much more exciting and uplifting than Always.

 

[madonna's child]

Have to go with Beautiful Day, it's going to be a classic someday.

 

[Johnny Swallow]

Isn't it already classic? 10 years from now BD will be in many a 2000-2001 memory of mine.

 

[hotpepper]

Oooooh such a hard decision . . . even if they are both of the "same cloth", they are still unique in their own way. I guess I'll have to go with Always. Lyrically speaking, every inch of that song has personal meaning for me.

 

[Lemonboy]

it?s a beautiful day!!!

 

[bono-vox]

Tough but i picked BD in the end

 

[doctorwho]

IMO, the lyrics to Beautiful Day are awkward and poorly written. Bono's voice is fried.

I found the lyrics to be incredibly inspirational and the analogies wickedly good. It is completely incomprehensible to me how you could feel that they are poor or awkward. It would be like someone dismissing "Walk On" in a similar vein. That song has won accolades around the world for both its lyrical and musical content. In fact, I would say that barring a token line or two here and there, ATYCLB contains some of Bono's best lyrics.

As for Bono's vocals on BD, I think those were intentional, much as they were on "In a Little While." BD is supposed to be coming from a man who has lost it all only then to awaken to the epiphany of how truly beautiful this world still is. It's analogous to the thoughts of John Lennon's "Imagine" where he asks us to create a world where possessions are not important. Bono's vocals wonderfully portray this man who has truly hit bottom, only to be renewed by the joy around him. And this raw emotion is probably part of what helped BD become one of U2's most beloved songs.

 

[bono-vox]

I found the lyrics to be incredibly inspirational and the analogies wickedly good. It is completely incomprehensible to me how you could feel that they are poor or awkward. It would be like someone dismissing "Walk On" in a similar vein. That song has won accolades around the world for both its lyrical and musical content. In fact, I would say that barring a token line or two here and there, ATYCLB contains some of Bono's best lyrics.

As for Bono's vocals on BD, I think those were intentional, much as they were on "In a Little While." BD is supposed to be coming from a man who has lost it all only then to awaken to the epiphany of how truly beautiful this world still is. It's analogous to the thoughts of John Lennon's "Imagine" where he asks us to create a world where possessions are not important. Bono's vocals wonderfully portray this man who has truly hit bottom, only to be renewed by the joy around him. And this raw emotion is probably part of what helped BD become one of U2's most beloved songs.

Well said!

 

[Jody]

BD. Always is no competition at all.

 

[kariatari]

The first 30 seconds of Always is great, and then the half-baked and cliched lyrics begin.

I completely agree about the cliched lyrics. I do like the song, but some of the lyrics come across as being overly trite.

Beautiful Day, on the other hand, is truly a breath of fresh air. The lyrics are uplifting, it has a great hook, and Edge's ringing guitar lick spreads the icing on the cake. I can't tell you how much I love this song!

 

[NicaMom]

I voted for BD.
Always has a funky tune but BD's lyrics are superior and the music is perfect.

 

[Basstrap]

BD is awesome and I picked it.

But I also like the melody of always. very catchy

 

[U2Kitten]

I like them both but BD is best. When I first heard Always I thought it was a prototype for BD. I was right.

 

[Zooropa]

That's what I don't get....IT WAS completed in the form of BD. If you like the demo version more, that's cool. But I don't understand how anyone can seperate them as two seperate musical pieces. They are of the same cloth.

 

[One Tree Still]

I know that BD evolved from Always - but they are two very different songs.

Much like "Lady With The Spinning Head" and "The Fly" share bloodlines, but are very different, both musically and lyrically.

BD doesn't "flow" IMO, whereas Always does (the bridge is pretty weak, however).

I guess it's all a matter of taste, and I don't even rank BD in my top 20 U2 songs - Always just squeaks in.

Had they simply beefed up the guitar tracks and worked out the vocal mixing (more Bono, less Edge) - it would be in my top 10!

To each his own I suppose!

 

[Sperber]

I know the lyrics of "Always" aren?t that deep and inspirational like the lyrics of BD are But the mood of the song is - to my mind - a bit more "warm" and it I like these corny lines like "Always wear a safety belt"

 

[elevatedmole]

Beautiful Day. Besides being sentimental to me and one of my favourite ATYCLB songs, I just love it for what it is.

And, tell me.. am I the only person on the planet who hates Always?

 

[wertsie]

I know that BD evolved from Always - but they are two very different songs.

Much like "Lady With The Spinning Head" and "The Fly" share bloodlines, but are very different, both musically and lyrically.

BD doesn't "flow" IMO, whereas Always does (the bridge is pretty weak, however).

I guess it's all a matter of taste, and I don't even rank BD in my top 20 U2 songs - Always just squeaks in.

Had they simply beefed up the guitar tracks and worked out the vocal mixing (more Bono, less Edge) - it would be in my top 10!

To each his own I suppose!

Yes, they are completely different. I wouldn't rank BD in my Top 20 either, but Always is #2. I think I like the rawness of it. It doesn't feel unfinished to me.

 

[Sweet Tart]

i voted for always but i think i like them equally. maybe i say always now cause i've been listening to BD for 2 years now and i've only came across Always a couple of months back (i know, i know that's bad but i never bought the BD single so i claim ingorance) so it's new and fresh in my mind.

i do think that BD is the better put together song, but Always is a B side so that's expected. i like the rambling of the incoherant lyrics, it kinda makes ya think about the stuff that's running through his head. it seems like one of those songs that ya just say anything just to get lyrics to the music. i say this cause the lyrics are no where near the content put in BD. and there is some great lyrics in always, for example one of my favs is:

"this is the moment that we share for always"

anyway enough of my rambling.....in conclusion i like them both