Best song live from new album

[Dr. Lemonseed]

This thread has probably been done but I couldn't find it so here goes:

What, all things considered, do you think was the best live song from the new album?

This limits us to:
No Line on the Horizon
Magnificent
Moment of Surrender
Unknown Caller
Crazy Tonight (2 Versions)
Get On Your Boots
Breathe

I would have to go with NLOTH. While a solid studio track, its wall of noise really rumbles the whole stadium in a live setting, making it much more thrilling live. Sadly, I found Magnificent underwhelming live, due to the "death by mid-tempo" effect.

On the Rose Bowl stream I really enjoyed UC live. And the techno Crazy Tonight proved to be quite thrilling live.

Your thoughts?

 

[SethVincent]

Wow this is a little tough

Crazy Remix stands out to me but NLOTH LIVE was really really good too

 

[Ronnie269]

Firstly the gig I was at had dodgy sound so NLOTH sounded a bit week, still enjoyed it, Magnificent live is ruined!!! loses its grove completely, bit of a snore fest live, MOS is great musically but I don't like the way Bono sings it live tbh, he try's that roar vocal style like the album bit misses it everytime, Unknown Caller is great real high point of the live concert, Edge's solo sounds incredible as do the Organ and French Horns leading into it, definitely one of the best from the new album in a live setting, Crazy Tonight is fun maybe it drags on a bit too long, it has the best use of stage lighting for the whole gig exept TUF and COBL of course, Pretty enjoyable, Boots in the same vein as Vertigo on the last tour really rocks an arena live although on the record its kind of a weak point, live to answer your question I think Boots works the best, sounds loud and rocky and really gets the crowd going, finally Breathe is the song I have the biggest problem with, as an opener it sucks!!! I find myself bored halfway through it, after Larry's incredible drum opening its all down hill, Its a far cry imo from the fuck off live rocker it was described as!!!


Unknown Caller or Boots for me!!!

 

[JROJ44]

best live song from NLOTH

For me its a tossup between Breathe and Magnificent. For sure the worst live song off new cd is IGCIIDGCT(Conga Version)

 

[LyricalDrug]

Tough call - for me, best overall live song would be Magnificent. It's a classic U2 stadium anthem and sounds incredible.

Most IMPROVED live song, from the album version? Gotta go with 'Get On Your Boots.'

Personal favorite, new live song? Toss-up between 'Breathe' or 'Moment of Surrender.'

I also give the band a lot of credit for radically reworking "Crazy Tonight" on the tour. For a band that usually hesitates to "get crazy" and have fun with their songs, and instead likes to stick to the script, this one really surprised me.

All of them are really good. I love the dramatic pause during "No Line," right before Bono yanks on the guitar string, stomps his foot, and rips into the "I'm a traffic cop!" bit

 

[2861U2]

I'd have to go with Breathe. I think that's their best song since Beautiful Day, and the best possible opener for the show. Edge just kills the solo, and Larry's build-up at the beginning was just amazing to hear love.

 

[Axver]

The Crazy Tonight remix, no contest whatsoever.

 

[cleazer]

I'll vote for Crazy Tonight, Moment Of Surrender, and Get On Your Boots. Probably in that order. (Though it might be different if you ask me again tomorrow.)

I love the remix version of IGCIIDGCT. And MOS is a brilliant ending song that brings all the emotion of the night to a close. GOYB, though, is a song that sounds so much better live than on the album. It's a true rocker live, perhaps even in the vein of The Fly. I wouldn't be surprised to see GOYB played again on future tours.

 

[2861U2]

For the record (no pun intended), the only song that I think translates worse live than on the album is UC, and maaaaybe Magnificent, though it's probably a tie studio vs live.

 

[bonoschild2009]

I loved No Line live, although I don't think the Glendale crowd appreciated it as much (or really any of the new songs for that matter)...Same for Unknown Caller....Not that crazy about Crazy Tonight- I really loved the original version of that song, and I'm still not sure about the dance treatment.....

I know I'll be stoned for it, but I love Moment of Surrender...and I'm happy for Larry to have somewhat of a drum solo in Breathe

 

[Rich79]

Crazy Tonight Remix, hands down. In fact, I'll go as far as to say it was the best song performed this tour (and this coming from a guy who thinks the original "Crazy Tonight" is one of the worst songs they've done in a long time)

By the way, can anyone point me in the direction of a Crazy Tonight Remix request thread if such a thread exists?

 

[corianderstem]

I'd say Crazy Tonight, but I feel weird voting for that one, considering they're for the most part just playing over a backing track of the remix.

So I'll go with No Line, which RULES live.

.... and really, I'm just saying that so I don't really have to choose, because I think they're both awesome live.

 

[coolian2]

I'd say Crazy Tonight, but I feel weird voting for that one, considering they're for the most part just playing over a backing track of the remix.

So I'll go with No Line, which RULES live.

.... and really, I'm just saying that so I don't really have to choose, because I think they're both awesome live.

whenever i've ranked live tracks, i've always excluded crazy tonight. it's great, though.

but yeah, no line on the horizon is a huge surprise - not only how well it translates, but how well the crowd responds.

unknown caller also translates brilliantly.

 

[LyricalDrug]

I'd say Crazy Tonight, but I feel weird voting for that one, considering they're for the most part just playing over a backing track of the remix.

Yeah exactly, that's the thing about the remix. It's not really a live song at all, but just a backing track with the band sort of noodling over top of it, and grooving out. It sure is fun though!

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

No Line or Crazy

 

[mirrorballman]

NLOTH and UC

 

[TM]

No Line and Magnificent.

Particular Magnificent sounds more raw, the studio version is a bit too smooth.
No backing track, drums or whatsoever the first to notes... Love it!

 

[rdy4thdl]

NLOTH for sure. Could even be more of a "singalong" on future legs, if the band played that angle more. The first show in Barca, Bono had issues with some of the "ow ow owwws", but listen to this video of the crowd helping, especially on the last one, which B omits completely.
YouTube - U2 Barcelona 2009-06-30 No Line On The Horizon.

Granted your hearing the GA crowd (diehards) primarily- but this song could be more universally liked IMO if played up more by the band.
Cheers,

 

[last unicorn]

NLOTH and Crazy

 

[Galeongirl]

NLOTH and Crazy indeed.

 

[U2girl]

Crazy NLOTH.

 

[TM]

How can you say that Crazy sounds better live? It's a totally different song. I like it, don't get me wrong. If you compare the live Crazy version, you should compare it to the Redanka remix they used. Not the album version.

 

[Billy Rotten]

Crazy Tonight remix - all kinds of fun and the lightshow was wild!

 

[Rochdale3]

I concur with most:

NLOTH
Crazy Remix

All the upbeat/fast/hard songs were great on this tour, the slower ones not so much, though obviously they can't play a whole set of these songs (Vertigo, Boots, Streets, Elevation, COBL, etc) . It would be great though to have solid 45 minute block and then a slow part and so on...

I actually liked all the new songs better than most of the old songs live, they seem to fit Bono's voice a lot better these days (since he just recorded them in the studio as well!)

 

[Galeongirl]

How can you say that Crazy sounds better live? It's a totally different song. I like it, don't get me wrong. If you compare the live Crazy version, you should compare it to the Redanka remix they used. Not the album version.

It's still a song from the album.

And if you want to nitpick, Crazy from barca II does sound better than the album version.

 

[Axver]

How can you say that Crazy sounds better live? It's a totally different song. I like it, don't get me wrong. If you compare the live Crazy version, you should compare it to the Redanka remix they used. Not the album version.

Guess we might as well stop comparing any live reinvention to its album version then!

 

[catlhere]

I would say Crazy Tonight, but they could have done that type of reworking with any of their songs and had the same type of awesome experience just by keeping the image/light show and funky beat. I mean it's really not even the same song at all besides the lyrics and repeating bassline (which in all honesty, is nothing special). I would have liked to have heard what they were going to do with EBTTRT. It probably could have been just as good, imo.

So for me, Unknown Caller was the most fun out of all the new songs for me each of the nights I went. For some reason the entire thing just came together really well. The birds, then the "chorus of voices". TL playing the organ in the underword was awesome. Edge's solo was KILLER! I didn't appreciate how badass it is until I heard it in person, totally one of his best. Everything was beautiful.

 

[subnet]

UC and MOS, but I am selfish, and with that MOS should be brought ahead in the setlist and get replaced by a song from SOA

 

[Rob33]

I'd prefer the album version of CT...I thought after seeing/hearing it live, I would change my mind about this remixed version. Even though I enjoyed it at the show, I still think that overall, it's awkward...the verses came off as weak (i.e. "...just a little hit"), and really, if they're going with this remixed sound...just play Mofo, and then play album version of Crazy...that would advertise the album better anyway.


I think the best live translation from the album is either NLOTH or MOS.

 

[U2lunatic]

I'd say that NLOTH and MOS.
Bono's singing in MOS seems to me far better live.