TOP 10 Studio Versions

[TheBrazilianFly]

90% of U2's songs develop more and get even better on the road, but still some studio versions of a lot of songs hold some uniqueness in the production and the band's performance and have a lot of passion to them. So which are your favorite studio tracks?

Mine:
01. Sunday Bloody Sunday
02. Bad
03. Zoo Station
04. One
05. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
06. Ultraviolet
07. Angel Of Harlem
08. Gone
09. Hawkmoon 269
10. Mofo

 

[wolbersu2]

My top ten + ten extra) :

1. Tomorrow (1981)
2. Drowning man (1983)
3. Seconds (1983)
4. Surrender (1983)
5. The unforgettable fire (1984)
6. Red hill mining town (1987)
7. Deep in the heart (1987)
8. Heartland (1988)
9. Zoo station (1991)
10. Until the end of the world (1991)
11. Lemon (1993)
12 Your blue room (1995)
13. Gone (1998)
14. Ground beneath her feet (2000)
15. When I look at the world (2000)
16. Kite (2000)
17. Electrical storm (2002)
18. The hands that built America (2002)
19. Miracle drug (2004)
20. Window in the skies (2006)

And if 'Mercy' will be released on the new album it would definately be the 21th.

 

[Zoots]

One
Pride
Stay
The Unforgettable Fire
Even Better Than The Real Thing
Miami
Miss Sarajevo
In God's Country
If You Wear That Velvet Dress
All I Want Is You

All these songs are in my opinion better in the studio!

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

This thread made me think of how much rawer Edge's guitar sounds on the live versions of Wire. They need to bring that back!!!

 

[Rich79]

I've always been one to enjoy the studio version of Please better than the subsequent live version and single mix.

 

[rattleandhumgir]

1) One
2) hands that built America
3) Red hill mining town
4) in a little while
5) the fly (the production on the fly is mind blowing in my eyes, well ears, the way the solo is structured is fu****g immense)
6) still haven't found
7) miracle drug
8) love is blindness
9) when I look at the world
10) trip through your wires


I think these are U2's best, in the production way, lanios and eno truly are two of the best producers in the world....and lilywhite and flood ofcourse

 

[theFly51]

1. Surrender
2. The Fly
3. Zooropa
4. Elevation
5. Last Night on Earth
6. Discotheque
7. God Pt. 2
8. The Ocean
9. Another Time, Another Place
10. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)

 

[LemonMelon]

I don't feel like numbering them at the moment, but here's 10:

Zooropa
Wake Up Dead Man
Your Blue Room
Lemon
Red Hill Mining Town
Do You Feel Loved
An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart
Pride
Promenade
When I Look At The World

 

[chocky]

The studio version of Pride is far superior to any live version IMHO.

Other songs I prefer studio versions are:

Lemon
A Sort of Homecoming
Hawkmoon 269
Babyface
Beautiful Day


Sometimes I also prefer the album version of Bad (even though the WIAA version is awesome).

 

[phillyfan26]

1. Bad
2. With or Without You
3. Pride (In the Name of Love)
4. Acrobat
5. All I Want Is You
6. Zooropa
7. New Year's Day
8. Gloria
9. Twilight
10. Red Hill Mining Town

 

[U2387]

Pride is the only real stand out to me. I think it was edge who said U2 is essentially a live band, and I generally agree 100%. I may be a little biased as I was only a casual fan until I was completely blown away by a Vertigo show in Boston. After having got a job doing concert security in all of New England in 2006, I have seen over 100 bands live and no one has surpassed them yet. Even those that improve live(the police, John Fogerty, Springsteen) over studio did so nowhere near the extent that U2 did, IMHO. Even for Pride, it is a tie between the studio version and: 1.)1986 conspiracy of hope Los Angeles 2.)Rattle and Hum 3.) U23D and select Vertigo tour performances. If I am anything odd for a site member, it is a live version of Pride buff. I have listened to many versions of this song from all tours, and it is one of my favorites and the song I use to gage how I think they did that particular show, tour, etc.

Off the long winded BS and back to the point, I also enjoy the studio versions of: Stay, One, Bullet, Walk On, All I want is you, Still havent found and Please.

 

[U2girl]

Pride, WOWY, Desire, One, OOTS studio > live versions, so those are the best studio takes. (Kite would be on the list if it wasn't for the Vertigo versions)

 

[Rob33]

I don't think I could rank them....but here's a few studio tracks that I don't think have ever been matched live.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - The studio version of this song is so epic, so vast, so atmospheric...it has not yet been matched live. Some versions come quite close though, such as 12-4-2006 Tokyo , but nothing quite like the studio version.

Unforgettable Fire- Live versions have come incredibly close to surpassing the studio version, but they fall just short. They're still unbelievably great, but the drums, effects, and perfect vocals make the studio version the very best version of this song.

Mothers of the Disappeared- There aren't too many live versions out there, but from what I've heard, the studio version of this beautifully melancholy song has just never been matched.

Zooropa- Again, barely any versions out there, but it doesn't quite match the perfection of this intro on the album.


This is a list of songs that have been played live but don't match the awesomeness of the studio versions...so I didn't include songs like When I look at the World or Red Hill Mining Town....There's probably more but can't think of them at the moment

 

[Aardvark747]

Heartland (couldnt be better live even if they played it)
Acrobat (see above)
Lemon
Zooropa
Pride
One
Angel Of Harlem
Electrical Storn
With Or Without You
All I Want Is You

 

[Salome]

1. A Sort of Homecoming
2. Stuck in a moment ...
3. All I want is you
4. Unforgettable Fire
5. The Fly
6. Lemon
7. Pride
8. Angel of Harlem
9. In a little while
10. Wake up dead man

all of these I feel are better in the studio than live

I'd almost throw Hearland, Peace on Earth and A man and a woman in there as I love the studio versions of those 3
but I dont think any live versions of them exist

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

There are some great lists here but remember it's about which songs hold a special charm on its studio version not which songs are better on studio than live. My number 2 is Bad, whcich is clearly one of U2's best live songs but for me the studio version has a really amazing and particular atmosphere and Bono's vocals are fantastic, not to mention that Larry's drum sound a bit different (and I love it).