ONE now or then??

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whats better ONE now or then

  • i like zoo tv better

    Votes: 51 76.1%

  • its better now

    Votes: 9 13.4%

  • i like them both

    Votes: 7 10.4%
  • Total voters
    67
ZooTV. Although I like the song later in the set, it's just about dead live now.

I like to file it with Pride, With Or Without You, and this tour WTSHNN as songs that either need to be retooled live or thrown the hell out.
 
this should seriously be like 80-0. who would go for Vertigo ONE over ZOO TV?

it was done so brilliantly during ZOOTV, especially finishing it with the snippet of "Unchained Melody". Perfection :drool:

another great part of it was bono would say something like "this is one" before it and the band would go right into it during the ZOO, none of this 10 minute speech on Africa like with this tour. :huh:
 
Afffffffffrica........AFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRICAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Cell phones!
Africaaaaa!
Cell phones!
Dangerous!
Africa!!!!!!
 
Now. The Madela gig version is my favorite thus far. I guess that's closer to "now" than ZooTV. But, I didn't like Bono's voice during ZooTV, I didn't really like ZooTV :reject: and the song actually came to mean something to me in recent years.
 
I thought it sounded pretty crap during ZooTV:reject:

Only live version I particularly like is the one from Modena in 1995...now that was perfect....the Popmart versions were decent too...rest of the time I find it pretty boring live.
 
Zoo TV by a long way.

It should have been rested for a least 1, if not 2 tours since.
 
i never liked ONE very much live. but i prefer the live versions during ZOO TV indoor & outdoor.
btw #1 at the time of ZOO TV everything U2 has done was better than its today.
btw # 2 this is my 777 post on interference :applaud:
triple seven...it looks nice...would be a nice title for the next U2 album
 
Last edited:
My favourite versions of One are Bono solo in Modena in 2003 and Bono/Daniel Lanois 1999. I would say orchestra version from 1995 but Bono sounded horrible on that one.
Overall, the song sounded best on its first tour (not that any live version beats the studio perfection).

One always had some sort of dedication - they dedicated it to Sarajevo on Zoo TV, Michael Hutchence on Popmart and Africa on the last two tours.
I don't mind the speeches but I do mind the way U2 is determined to play as close to the album version as possible every tour. It's getting tiring to hear the same synth string intro, the same drumming, the same guitar...this song needs a new version. The new harmonising ending this tour (instead of the old "hear us coming") between Bono and Edge was fresh.
 
zoo tv.
they performed it live on Top of The Pops during rehersals in Florida 1992. That was the best performace of One ever IMO.
 
Much much much better ZooTv.................
Considering Bono speaks for 5 minutes before starting singing the song..............................Couldn't he chose another song to make all those speeches?
 
I picked Zoo TV much because it was edgier. U2 needs to regain itz edge on the next tour with not only 'One' but also 'Pride' and 'Streets'. I suggest not mentioning Africa once and just playing the damn songs. That might help.
 
I like the now version a bit more.

An Cat Gav: zoo tv.
they performed it live on Top of The Pops during rehersals in Florida 1992. That was the best performace of One ever IMO.
Click to expand...

I just saw this on youtube, went off to sorta compare different ZooTV versions to nowadays, kinda eerie/funny you mentioned it.


U2girl said:
It's getting tiring to hear the same synth string intro, the same drumming, the same guitar...this song needs a new version. The new harmonising ending this tour (instead of the old "hear us coming") between Bono and Edge was fresh.
Click to expand...

Not that it's a big deal or very noticeable but Adam adds a few slides to 'One' that he didn't do on the album version, nor on the version An Cat Gav mentioned. Tweaked it just a little bit. I think one has to be particularly focused on the bass to notice but since Adam is the reason I picked up learning bass, I notice these slight changes now.
 
Popmart version is the best ever ! Why isnt on the poll ? Zoo version is good , but popmart puts it on shame , get a good mp3 of Mexicos version and u'll see it .
 
J_NP said:
Popmart version is the best ever ! Why isnt on the poll ? Zoo version is good , but popmart puts it on shame , get a good mp3 of Mexicos version and u'll see it .
Click to expand...

this man speaks the truth:wink:

no really,
"one" from popmart mexico is the best EVER
 
The ZooTV version seems very raw, not "cooked" yet. Bono doesn't seems so emotive singing as now.
Bono's voice may be less clean, but is better. And the instrumental seems more worked, more "felt". I prefer the version they've been playing since Popmart.
 
I don't like my choices...

The ZooTV version to me seems quite hollow. The Unchained Melody snippet adds a ton, but it can't make up for the hallowness.

I think, overall, "One" was at it's peak during the Popmart and Elevation tours. Bono's voice is more gritty, more soulful. The Vertigo Tour was okay, but U2 did seem a bit tired of the song and the long speech didn't help any.
 
J_NP said:
Popmart version is the best ever ! ...
Click to expand...

PopMart with the animation playing on the screens - awe, great memories :)

But to choose from this poll then it has to be ZOO TV, but I never really liked the Unchained Melody coda.
 
without a doubt its gotta be the ZooTv version....Why?

just listen to the falsetto during the outro in the zoo version.....sounds amazing, just like the album version....bono jumps right inot it with NO hesitation at all.....vertigo/recent versions he doesnt/cant sing that part the way it is meant to, he kinda just does botched version if u ask me.....

so yea i like the falsetto outro of the early versions :drool:
 
This was one of my favorite U2 songs for a long time. It helped me through an extremely difficult time in my life about 10 years ago. When I first heard it live, during Popmart, I broke down and sobbed. Now, though, I confess that while I still like it, I immediately associate it with Bono :blahblah:

And then a Mary J. Blige cover on top of that? I think she's a great singer, but her version of One is physically painful for me.
 
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