Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - AB vs Single Version[Temple Bar Mix]

[namkcuR]

Which version of WGRHWH do you prefer? The AB album version or the single version, otherwise known as the Temple Bar Mix. And please, when making your comparisons, use the Temple Bar MIX as opposed to the Temple Bar EDIT, which is a minute shorter and cuts out the entire middle slow section. So...AB vs Temple Bar Mix.

Discuss.

 

[david]

AB, the distorted guitar really adds atmosphere to the song. That's why I prefer that version over the almost acoustic version.

 

[scottyT]

i think they're both fantastic. i think the album one is a little too subtle, but it's pretty awesome, and the single is a little too poppy, but shoot.....


they're awesome.

 

[Shade]

I think if they were going to change WGRYWH up for the single release, they should have kept the icy, panoramic, distorted album version, and merely added the guitar solo that Edge was already playing live on the Zoo TV Tour (with Bono's vocalizations during it). They really elevated the song in an arena setting.

But, even then, I still think all "single versions" are bad. (The only superior "single version" I've ever heard is "High" by The Cure.) I think "single versions" bother me because, by the time they're released - at least in U2's case - the album versions have already existed for months. They were born alongside a family of songs, and live as part of a continuum. The version on the album - THAT's the song. Anything else is a) an attempt to cash in on fans who want to collect everything, or b) a not-uncommon instance of the band second-guessing themselves after an album has been released.

I think one of the worst things U2 ever did was its single version of Please. The version on the single ignores the simple, punchy, cool staccato jumpiness of the album version, and replaces it with a slick, digital sheen; an Edge-by-numbers guitar solo; a plodding Adam-by-numbers descending bassline; and strings that sound like they came out of a BeeGees tune. I know, they played it that way live, but in a live setting, it managed to still feel organic. I know many, many fans disagree, but I think they tore the life out of that song when they re-recorded it.

The most bizarre remake, though, was Numb on the Best Of... album. The changes added nothing to the song; they were actually more of a distraction. Because, we'd already known for the better part of a decade what Numb sounds like. And, what they released on the Best Of... wasn't Numb. I guess they thought Larry and Bono didn't get to sing enough on Edge's showcase song? And, they thought they put the samples in the wrong places? It was a completely useless facelift.

I'm actually starting to view U2 as the George Lucases of rock and roll, because, like George and his Special Editions, U2 seem to feel this need to go back and tinker with things that they feel are imperfect or unfinished, even after periods of years. It seems absurd that Bono or Edge or somebody would be stewing for ten years because they think they didn't nail a song. "Huh? It's time to put out the Best of 1991-2000? Good, because the original version of Numb is KILLING ME." Yes, Numb is the property of U2, just as Star Wars is the property of George Lucas, but there's almost something insulting about an artist telling you, years later, that you never heard the real version of a song.

Anyway, to answer your WGRYWH question - ALBUM VERSION!!!

 

[The Disciple]

I prefer the Temple Bar Mix... although if they would have added that guitar in the background..... that would have been amazing. It would b interesting 2 c if anybody can mix that.....

 

[bsp77]

I refuse to decide. I love having both. Most other single versions are inferior but I like the Temple Bar Mix.

 

[LMP]

I love both, but I gotta say the Temple Bar Mix, I can never help singing that tune in the shower or w/e i hear it, the acoustic guitar draws me in. The album version is just a bit too low for me, but w/e I feel down, that one is perfect to listen too, so it rele just depends on my mood.

Upbeat - Temple Bar, Sad/Reflective - Album

 

[rjhbonovox]

I think both are great and each has their own individual brilliance. I love the distorted fuc#ed up intro of the original album version. But then again I think the acoustic guitar intro of the single is great too. Hard to choose between them, I'm just glad that they made both versions. I reckon the video to this song is the best video they have ever done and brings back a lot of great memories. This is probably the coolest Bono has ever looked on a U2 video!

 

[namkcuR]

I think both are great and each has their own individual brilliance. I love the distorted fuc#ed up intro of the original album version. But then again I think the acoustic guitar intro of the single is great too. Hard to choose between them, I'm just glad that they made both versions. I reckon the video to this song is the best video they have ever done and brings back a lot of great memories. This is probably the coolest Bono has ever looked on a U2 video!

It's quite a good video but I don't think it's their best video ever...Please, Lemon, If God Will Send His Angels, Numb, Stay, The Fly, One(Drag and Buffalo versions), and WOWY are better.

 

[LMP]

The classic "FUCK" moment in the video is definitely priceless, and the fusing of ZooTV footage

 

[rjhbonovox]

It's quite a good video but I don't think it's their best video ever...Please, Lemon, If God Will Send His Angels, Numb, Stay, The Fly, One(Drag and Buffalo versions), and WOWY are better.

Yeah I love the fly video as well but I suppose its cos of the memories that 'whos gonna ride' has attached with it that just makes it a favourite of mine.

 

[namkcuR]

The classic "FUCK" moment in the video is definitely priceless, and the fusing of ZooTV footage

What classic "FUCK" moment are you referring to?

 

[rock888nwo]

i really think wild horses never lived up to its potential..it could have been a classic...dont get me wrong, i love the song...but more could have been done with it

in direct response to the thread title, i prefer the album version to the acoustic version

 

[LMP]

What classic "FUCK" moment are you referring to?

at the very end of the video, during the last few "who's gonna ride your wild horses..." lines, you can see Bono lip-synching the lines, then throwing his head back and mouthing the word Fuck, it's pretty funny and hard to miss once you've seen it

 

[lazarus]

I belive Bono flubs his lip synching of the lyrics for the video shoot, and walks off the screen in (mock?) disgust after clearly mouthing "fuck".

I don't know how anyone can put the Temple Bar mix in the same room with the original. Have you people ever actually LISTENED to the album version? It's not what I would call a happy song. It's plaintive at times, but it's not meant to be sunny and upbeat. It's like doing Please with acoustic guitar and handclaps.

The violin in one speaker and distorted guitar in the other is one of U2's most brilliant moments on record. That alone SHOULD make this unanimous, but there's always a handful of people who prefer their U2 with a couple spoonfuls of sugar on top.

And I agree partially with Shade about the Please single version. While I don't believe the Edge solo is by the numbers, the strings are generic, and that staccato beat on the album is one of POP's best elements. It may be closer to the live version, which is great, but it sounds like too much of a compromise.

 

[Azor]

The Album version is very atmospheric and sentimental, but the Temple Bar Mix has a "rhythm" that makes the song more accessible.

 

[Palace_Hero]

ALBUM VERSION.

 

[mobvok]

A lot of what Shade says about Single versions I think rings true. Truthfully, for all the hubbub about how Pop was incomplete, I wouldn't take a single New Mix or Single Version over what's on the album. That even goes for the Please Single Version-the album version may lack the Edge solo, but it has a certain pacing and rhythm that's much more fulfilling.

To tie it in, I initially thought that the Temple Bar Mix was superior, and the acoustic riffing at the start *is* appealing, however, the album version not only matches the rest of AB I think it's a more complete song.

 

[Stefan]

album version

 

[miss becky]

I used to prefer the album version, but lately the Temple Bar mix has really grown on me. And I agree with those who love the video. That "Fuck!" is one of my all-time favorite moments in a U2 video. Kudos to Phil Joanou for keeping that in there.

 

[Aardvark747]

Temple Bar