Rate The Song: Where the Streets Have No Name

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Streets


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ONE love, blood, life
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And today we move on to the first half of The Joshua Tree.

Please rate Where the Streets Have No Name 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.
 
10, what else is there to say. Probably their best song next to Acrobat for me. The only thing I miss in the studio version is the click clack intro, but it works without that. They fixed the backing vocals thing with the Single version, so that's better.
 
10. Possibly the easiest 10 I'll give. The studio version is a 9, but the live version makes up for that. The live version is probably a 47.

Amazing song. Quite possibly the best song I've ever heard. That captivating synth intro, the chiming guitar hook, the pounding drums, fantastic underlay of bass, and passionate vocals from Bono. It's the perfect package.

Live, it's taken to a whole 'nother level. The crowd goes wild, and when the house lights go up shortly after the time signature switch, it's amazing. I could listen to the song over and over again and never get tired of it. The song frequently gives me chills.

My faves...
1. Slane Castle
2. New York 1992
3. Point Depot - December 26, 1989 (Bono is AMAZING on "trampled in dust")

Here's New York 1992 if you haven't heard it. Bono sounds FANTASTIC. FANSTASTIC I tell ye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99mleyFNDwA
 
A '10', obviously, but this track only works for me in the late-80s context. (Then again, I pretty much only enjoy live songs that are fresh, new, or rarely played.)

The lyrics probably could have been a little less simplistic if I were to be extremely picky, but who cares as it's such a beautiful and powerful track. Their most exciting song, one of their best melodies, awesome rhythm... and maybe my favorite recorded vocal by Bono. If you stripped the song down to nothing but his vocal, I'd probably still give it a 10!
 
10. Of course 10.

Can there be any doubt? The fact this song is so much better live (with the exception of the Popmart version, that goes without saying), shouldn't detract from the sublime perfection of the studio version. Nor should it be penalised for over familiarity with its haunting chords. No one should deduct even one tenth from this song because they are "sick of it."

The song U2 turned down 10 million for. The song that, no matter how bad a night they are having, can elevate any show. The song that saves & change lives. Its genius lies in its universal simplicity. If it were any more, in lyric or music, it would be too much. An epic that has not one note or word more or less than needed.

The Elevation versions, both Slane and especially Boston, are to be looked upon for particular greatness. Even the 360 version soars towards the heavens with a surprising expansiveness.

Any U2 "fan" who rates this less than a perfect 10 has lost their humanity.
 
^ Well said! :up:

Of course a 10. I don't listen to the studio version much, with Montreal 2 being the version that I like the most. Perfection! :heart: It still manages to make me cry every time I see it live!
 
10, of course. A song that's already perfect on the album, and yet live grows even bigger, almost on a transcendent level. Certainly their most epic song.
 
My favorite U2 song - by a million miles. Epic, epic, epic - especially live. One of Edge's best guitar riffs ever. It managed to get me emotional when I saw U2360 last June. Just epic.

Easiest 10 I'll ever give. I hope they never drop this song on future shows.
 
Thanks for the link- this is the version that is on the Outside Broadcast/Zoo Radio bootleg, right? I'd heard it many times, but never seen the video. You're right- fantastic.

Easy 10 all around. No question.
Yes it is. As far as passion goes, Slane Castle has it, and tops this performance because of it. But as far as the musicality goes, this can't be beat.
 
10.

Utter perfection.

I know there aren't many others that think it, but for me the studio version is unbeatable, incredible as it is live, Bono's voice, Edge's jangles and Adam's thundering bass are unbeatable on the studio cut.
 
...minutes is how long the track almost is. It should be an hour. 10/10.
 
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