Songs Bad on Album, Good Live

[the rockin edge]

Anybody really like a song live but on the album it's not so good?

Mine are

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Kite
Bullet The Blue Sky

 

[ADecentMelody]

Miami

 

[Aardvark747]

too many to mention

 

[Yahweh]

I agree with Miami it was brilliant live.

 

[Pero]

Didn't hear pop and zooropa much live, but Kite and Bullet are better live

 

[nuke126]

Beautiful Day (Bono's voice was weak on album), Where the Streets Have No Name, .......this is too hard because most of their songs sound better live

 

[U2jer]

Stuck in a Moment, I really like how Edge plays some jazzy lines on the live versions, the studio version sounded too Top 40 Pop for me.

 

[djerdap]

Kite
Elevation
Miami

These are bad in its studio versions. Next ones are not bad, but they are improved immenesly in their live formats:

Bullet the Blue Sky
God Part II
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
Mysterious Ways
Love is Blindness
Dirty Day
Last Night on Earth
Beautiful Day
Walk On
...almost every song from Boy(especially Out of Control, I Will Follow and The Electric Co.)

 

[Axver]

Miami live gave me an appreciation for Miami in the studio. Miami --> Bullet was one of U2's best flowing sequences.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Love is Blindness is okay on the album. It is effin' brilliant live!!!

 

[OnFire]

Gone.

 

[Lancemc]

Not that it's necessarily "bad" in the studio, but it's not anything too special, but "The Ocean" is just amazing when they used to perform it back in the good ole days.

 

[madonna's child]

Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World is my new one. I've never liked it on the album, but I love what they did with it live.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Surrender

Elevation

Last Night On Earth

Maybe not necessarily terrible on the album, but definitely better live.

 

[Ellay]

When I saw Miami Live at Popmart it didn't do anything for me, but listening to concert bootlegs since, it's really grown on me, more than a lot of songs in fact.

New York took me by surprise, Didn't seem so great when listening to the album, but it really rocked Live.

 

[korczykp]

bullet..

bullet...


bullet...





and oh yeah,

BULLET!

 

[Lisa71]

I've gotta go with Bad. That song is okay on the record but has much more energy Live! Also, the same with Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Ooooh, let's not forget "40"! Man, I wish they'd play that again.

 

[lazarus]

I've gotta go with Bad. That song is okay on the record but has much more energy Live!

Agree big time. The album version is way too slow, and Bono's vocals sound really awkward ("Let it go-OH") and almost out of tune at times. There's no denying that he hadn't quite found his voice yet.

In my opinion, the song came alive once they put those pre-recorded sequencers in, as much as I hate that kind of shit.

This might sound crazy, but with the exception of When Loves Come To Town, there's not one U2 album track from the Joshua Tree onward that I actively dislike and skip. That's not including non-album clunkers like Hands that Built America or Electrical Storm, but am I alone here?


laz

 

[Undostres....]

I think mofo it's the most expression of a bad song in album but a great open-show song...I remember the cry of edge's guitar duringthe intro on POP mart tour...it was really great version

 

[the tourist]

Miami, All Along The Watchtower (some of the boots where Bono sings the lines to In God's Country at the end are amazing!), 40....

 

[paulrg]

I think the vast majority of U2 songs sound better live than in the studio. Most notably springing to mind right now are:
New York
Last Night On Earth
Bad
Bullet The Blue Sky

Off the new album I am hoping that Love And Peace Or Else will receive something of the Bullet treatment live. It could really build and come alive in concert. It probably has the most potential to grow musically live.

 

[miss becky]

This might sound crazy, but with the exception of When Loves Come To Town, there's not one U2 album track from the Joshua Tree onward that I actively dislike and skip. That's not including non-album clunkers like Hands that Built America or Electrical Storm, but am I alone here?


laz

Not alone. I feel the same as you.

And I even like the two songs you mention as being clunkers.

 

[miss becky]

Not that I think any of these songs are "bad" on the studio version, but their live versions sound better.

11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Bad

On Zoo TV:

Running to Stand Still. I LOVE the "Hallelujah" outro on this version of the song. Much better than on the JT tour.
Mysterious Ways. The falsetto at the end rocks.

Popmart:

Last Night on Earth. 'nuff said.
Miami. I agree with those who said hearing this song live made them appreciate the studio version more.

Elevation:

Kite. One of those songs I just didn't really get at first. Hearing it performed live helped immensely.
Elevation. The energy of this song live is incredible. It makes the studio version sound watered down.

 

[deltau922]

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Maybe because I heard it live several times before I ever heard the studio version, but I think it's rather poor.

 

[kellyahern]

New York took me by surprise, Didn't seem so great when listening to the album, but it really rocked Live.

Not that there's anything wrong with the album version, but I've always liked Gloria better live too

 

[theedge111]

I can't listen to the studio version of Bullet the Blue Sky. When its performed live its usually one of my favorites!

 

[Eric G]

Bad - I didn't like this song until I heard live versions. The studio version sounds painful.

Angel Of Harlem - I think the studio version drags, and I don't think the sound of the horns helps at all.

Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car - I guess the character of MacPhisto made it better live. I still think it's a pretty dull song though.

 

[kawai17]

IMO, every song is better live...with the exception of Pride, ISHFWILF and all other songs that are played several steps lower live.

 

[Aygo]

Stay [Elevation Tour]
Miami [Popmart Tour]
Elevation [Elevation Tour]

 

[one4u2]

wake up dead man