Rate the Song: Last Night on Earth

[digitize]

Let's now begin voting on the first half of what is perhaps U2's most controversial album, Pop.

Please rate Last Night on Earth on a scale from 0 to 10, using whatever criteria you feel allows you to best evaluate the song as a whole. I will not set criteria for people to based on, but if you feel like your best evaluation of the merits of a song comes from voting only based on, say, the studio version, go right ahead and vote that way. Full information on the Rate The Song series may be found in this thread.

Have fun! This poll will close in 96 hours.

 

[nielsgov]

This could have been so much better if they'd had more time. The live version would be a 9 or a 10. Studio is a 6 for me.

 

[theedgeu2]

Pretty good tune. An 8 from me. I feel like it improved some live.

 

[Nick66]

The best of the bad songs on Pop. Decent chorus that actually sounds like U2 for a few seconds, which is why it gets a 4.

 

[corianderstem]

This one's pretty middling for me. I always think I like it, and then get bored about halfway through. I can never put my finger on why it falls short.

 

[Nick66]

This one's pretty middling for me. I always think I like it, and then get bored about halfway through. I can never put my finger on why it falls short.

Like most of the songs on Pop, they never really finished this one, and legend has it Bono laid down the chorus on literally the last day of recording. This is probably why I like the chorus and why it actually sounds like U2...they didn't have a chance to fu*k it up like the rest of the album with all those loops, sampling and sequencing.

Too many cooks in the kitchen on this record.

 

[LemonMelon]

Nick, are there instances in which you enjoy loops, sampling and sequencing?

 

[Nick66]

Nick, are there instances in which you enjoy loops, sampling and sequencing?

Sure. U2 has used them effectively at various times. I don't have anything against those techniques per se. I just don't think, by and large, they worked on this record. Again, just too many people involved with this thing, and not enough U2.

What makes U2 special, and unique, is the sound that these four men make. The more you layer on top of that, the further you get from who they are and what they do...and the less effective it is. Just my opinion, of course, though I think the bands comments on Pop over the years bear this out.

 

[LemonMelon]

I didn't mean with regards to U2, I was asking if you appreciate electronic music in a more general sense.

My favorite aspect of Pop is the lyrics, actually. Bono walked back from the cliff after this and became a poorer writer almost instantly.

 

[Nick66]

I didn't mean with regards to U2, I was asking if you appreciate electronic music in a more general sense.

My favorite aspect of Pop is the lyrics, actually. Bono walked back from the cliff after this and became a poorer writer almost instantly.

I actually agree with you on the lyrics...Pop has some of Bono's best, and in a strange sort of way they are in complete contrast to the music that accompanies them...particularly in a song, say, like Please. Or even Mofo. I think SATS is perhaps some of Bono's best lyrics, well, ever.

This type of contrast can work. I just don't think it did on Pop.

You're correct in that since Pop the quality of his lyrical output has been much more inconsistent, ranging from sometimes brilliance, to banality, to worst of all, mediocrity.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Never been crazy about this track either, kind of a cliched rocker, and being cliched isn't something normally suffer from.
Still, it does indeed rock the live version especialy so!
7

 

[BlueSilkenSky]

8. Great, rocking song... You gotta give it awaaaaaaaaay!!!

 

[Nick66]

8. Great, rocking song... You gotta give it awaaaaaaaaay!!!

Yeah...like I said, great chorus that actually sounds like U2.

 

[The Panther]

A weird one. Along with "Gone", it's the more typical rock song on the album, and it has nice bass and a pretty good little groove. Something is kind of desperate about the chorus, though -- seems like it doesn't develop naturally from the verse. The production is pretty messed on the album, but the vocals are less enjoyable on the later remix/re-recording. So, like several of the Pop songs, no version is 100% satisfying, which is kind of frustrating...

 

[prbiker15]

One of my favorite 'rockers' off of Pop. Just an epic song. Nothing wrong about it, though it's easily one of the best songs on the album. Worked really great live on Popmart as well.

Easy 9. Slipping away, slip-sliding...

 

[gareth brown]

Mexico City version makes it a 10 for me.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

One of my favorites. Love that opening guitar tone, the lyric, the chorus and its simple message, the bridge. Kickass tune.

The song became another of the Pop songs to become a bit dated lyrically, though, with the News Of The World being shut down and turned into a relic of the past. Not a big deal, just something I thought of recently.

Oh, also, I've always thought that the subject of the song, the "she" that Bono's referring to, is probably super hot. And blonde.

 

[j72]

Seems like "they're holding on to something so tightly" to use the bands terminology from elsewhere on the album, but can't get the engine running properly for this song, try as they might. If this makes any sense at all to anybody, sorry it's late. Like the "Give it away" bit though, best bit for me.

4 is the best i can give it.

 

[gvox]

Better than Discotechque

 

[coolian2]

Better than Discotechque

sounds like a club for car mechanics. bet it would suck.

 

[Dfit00]

Great upbeat tune with an amazing video. The only downside is that it's too noisy.

 

[Globo14]

Studio version is about a 7, live version a 10. I'll give it an 8.

 

[Aardvark747]

Great, but better live. 8

 

[gvox]

sounds like a club for car mechanics. bet it would suck.

No idea.

 

[trevgreg]

Studio version is about a 7, live version a 10. I'll give it an 8.

My thoughts exactly. Considering that the chorus was developed at the last minute though, I think it turned out pretty well.

 

[gman]

I scored it a 9. I LOVE this song, especially live.

 

[lemonfly]

This song was amazing live, can't believe they don't play it anymore. Great groove, rollicking chorus. Video was a lot of fun also. 8

 

[The_acrobat]

15 years on (HOLY SHIT!) I can honestly say that this song is kind of MEH. The verses are stupid, as if we're supposed to care about this female he's referring to, and then the "YOU GOTTA GIVE IT AWAAAAAAAAAAAY" just kind of comes out of nowhere. Plus, I can't listen to it without comparing Bono and Edge's vocals, which is annoying.

The bridge is meandering, as if they didn't have anything except Bono scat singing and just left it because they were out of time. It'd be like if they left the vocals for "Feel Free" on the album version of "UTEOTW".

 

[Galeongirl]

Love the song, though it didn't take off completely. I feel there was much more potential there. Still a solid 8 though.

 

[djerdap]

Full potential of this song was realised live, where it was a fucking monster. Deserves a comeback.