Song Wars!: The Fly (ZooTV) vs. The Fly (Elevation)

[discothequeLP]

This song could easily make the top 10 of any "Best of" song list for U2, though it was left out of the Best of 1990-200 (but made it on the Asian versions...go Asia!), and it is a killer live. But which version is better?


At ZooTV, the song was 2nd on the playlist and was part of the huge, high-energy intro (Zoo Station, The Fly, EBTTRT, Mysterious Ways). Bono played some quiet but awesome backup guitar that really added to the song; Edge played some mean guitar (with some really hot pickups!) and he sang! The really cool subliminal messages added to the visual display of the song, and it was more of a, so to speak, "loose" performance of the song.



During Elevation, the song sometimes closed out the first "set," but the placement of it at Boston was awesome. I think it is even better without One following it, just WUDM and Walk On. Bono added some extra lyrics, and you couldn't really quite pick which song it was until he sang the chorus during that amazing intro. (I especially love the lights that showed a map that was projected inside the entire arena.) Edge played a super solo, but it always seems as if he was "guitar-synching" so to speak, and not actually playing the notes! (I know that he would never do such a thing, but it really looks like it!)


But which one is better???




It's almost impossible to choose. The ZooTV performance was off-the-charts cool, especially the Edge, but hats off to Elevation man. The first time I saw Elevation Boston, I was blown away. The song was so good, I literally almost cried as i was watching. There's just something about the way they played it and the way the camera showed it that was just really special.




What do you think?

 

[Axver]

I feel there's absolutely no competition at all. Elevation Fly leaves Zoo Fly for dead. The way it was reinvented was just stunning ... oh, I could listen to it forever, I was knocked over when I first heard it on a tape I recorded off TV of the Boston show. I was trying to figure out what song it was, and then they ripped into The Fly. I was in awe, saying "WOW!" I envy those who were there.

 

[AndrewCowley]

Elevation version all the way!!! It leaves me gobsmacked every time I hear it. I think it's the band (Edge, Adam and Larry) playing at or beyond their capability which is just unreal.

I hope that they don't drop this version for future tours. Alas it wasn't even a permanent member of the Elevation tour setlist.

 

[U2girl]

Elevation.

 

[EPandAmerica]

Elevation

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Elevation

 

[babyman]

maybe the arrangement on elevation sounded better, but the zoo tv version is, in my opinion, just unbeatable! so powerful and really rock n roll!...and by the way, they cancelled the fly from the setlist after the 2nd leg of the elevation tour...i guess they were having a good reason, i don't think they were satisfied with it

 

[gareth brown]

...this is the stupidest question I've ever read...!

To me, when I first bought the Elevation DVD, I was absolutley GOBSMACKED at the way they re-invented that song and tore everyone in the Fleetcenter a new asshole with this superb new version with amazing instrumentaton and a excellent new opening! I think it is the best song on that DVD and like I've said before...I was disgusted that they didn't play it at Slane Castle. U2 are complete bastards for leaving this one out of the set. Can you not imagine The Edge ripping out that absolutley stratospheric guitar solo as it echoes across the open air in front of 80,000 fans in a home crowd?! Now, THERE'S a chance wasted! The Boston version of The Fly ruins everybody's shit, quite simply, because of Edge's jaw-dropping sound he gets out of that guitar during the solo and I doubt they will ever match something like that!

Yes, I hope they will play that on the next tour, but only once or twice a leg...they musn't ruin this one! Let's not turn it into another Pride or Sunday...

In conclusion...the ZOO TV version is like something stuck to the bottom of my shoe compared to the Elevation version...

 

[Peter]

Elevation!!!!

Hopefully The fly will be back on the next tour...

 

[island girl]

Elevation without a doubt!

 

[MrBrau1]

Zoo TV. It most resembles the album track. The Elevation version was good, but a little dumbed-down w/ 1 vocal instead of 2, and the overdriven guitar.

 

[iacrobat]

Originally posted by
and tore everyone in the Fleetcenter a new asshole with this superb new version

*gets up off the floor*

Elevation. Absolutely.

 

[innocent_eyes]

Zoo TV, There was no bwaaanq!!! (guitar ringing thing at the begining after first verse!)

Elevation would have taken ity if it included Edges back ups though!

 

[follower]

The Fly is a great live song and was one of the highlights of Elevation tour, stealing the show from, lets say, the new songs from ATYCLB. So I choose The Fly (Elevation).

Cheers
MT

 

[pepokiss]

sure, the Elevation version has the intro and amazing guitar effect... but NO Bono guitar... No Edge singing... the drums with the cymbals?... kinda weird... it was cool, though.

But ZOO TV... first of all, the drums are amazing (I worked on them for a little less than a month... it was hard). Larry looked like a real bad ass on the Sydney video.
Edge.. just amazing, especially at the 3rd time he had to sing.. doing that holy-shit difficult solo, songing at the top of his longhs (or whatever they're called, )
Bono... playing an hypnotic guitar, making the chorus a lot higher than the record, and bringing new life to those same lyrics. The "Achtung, Baby" part was just pure Elvis-ism by Bono... and lets face it... everybody want those Fly shades...
The show was just amazing, and The fly was the real show starter. Those words being shoved up your eyes still lie in my head.
And the finish of that song... just amazing... the best finale to a U2 song (snare-bassdrum-bassdrum-snare... a jumping Edge an Bono, both hitting the ground as Larry hits the finish... NOW THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL)

You just can't go wrong with a guitar that has a sticker that says "I FEEL GOOD"

 

[U2zoogirl]

Zoo TV... "the fly" is not the same without ..."the fly"....

 

[intedomine]

Elevation sounds better, but to be honest it's a completely different song IMO

 

[ginger edge]

I like both versions - I would like to see it fully developed, with the new intro, Bono on guitar, Edge on vocals, screens going apesh1t, maybe a few dancers dressed up as flies, a brass band, a gospel choir and a big silver/mirror mechanical disco lemon

 

[JOFO]

Zoo TV... "the fly" is not the same without ..."the fly"....

good point there....


I love the intro on elevation though...

 

[madonna's child]

Elevation

 

[Bono B. Jones]

You walk into a sports hall, lights go down, it's a whole different scene.....

Elevation version sounds better to me, especially the guitar solo, but I'll never forget ZOO TV and how The Fly sounded then.

I also love how Bono runs and then sticks to the video wall at the end. Gotta go....gotta go....gotta go....gotta go.....


Amazing....

 

[sindaddy]

elevation wins for me...never saw zoo tour though.

gotta go, gotta go, gotta go" echoes throughout the arena.

When the band comes back on stage --Bono going "gotta come back, gotta come back"

 

[SpaceBoy]

I was at the fleetcenter show the night before the one that was filmed, and I'd have to say that the performance of the fly they did was without a doubt an experience I'll never forget. For me, there were two truly unforgettable moments from that concert.

1. The band walking onto the stage, and my realisation that I was in the same room as them.

2. The Fly. Knocked my socks off. You know, they still did the beLIEve thing on the screens, but the boston DVD doesn't show it.

 

[mofo82]

both are amazimg versions...zoo tv is RAW and its all about the band making noise

elevation to me is more about the edge cus bono's vocals dont have the strength that zoo tv had, and agreeing with PM above, the fly needs to be on the next tour.

I get a weird feeling we'll see not only the song but the character back next time around, especially with all the bs (to put it nicely) goin on in the world. itd be great to hear what the Fly has to say -i'd love to see/ hear Bono go off on an uncensored tirade, especially after all the hob-nobbing hes done with politicians and seeing the strife in Africa again. The Fly might let him do that. the glasses make him do strange things

hope i didnt get too off track

 

[Bono B. Jones]

1. The band walking onto the stage, and my realisation that I was in the same room as them.

I remember feeling this same way when I saw them for the first time on the Zoo TV tour during the first leg when it was in the small sports arena's. It was amazing! When Bono walked out during the opening of Zoostation and the moment I saw him in person, it was overwhelming. It's a feeling you only get once in your lifetime. After that, I saw Zoo TV two more times in the big arena's and Elevation twice and it wasn't the same. It was still exciting, but not the same as the first time.

It's weird that we react that way because at the end of the day, Bono is just a man. He's just got an ultracool job and gets to share his talents and express himself with the rest of the world.