Taking Sides: "One" by U2 vs. "One" by Metallica

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Plangent strains of unity and redemption against Insanity, War and the Insanity of War. Softly strummed acoustic guitars and Bono's soaring pipes against incomprehensible time signatures, ferociously strummed Gibson Explorers and James Hetfield's merciless bark. Poignantly running buffaloes against a shrapnel-shredded, limbless, faceless mute.

THERE CAN BE ONLY "ONE"! YOU DECIDE!

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp100/p177/p17735oer9c.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp100/p186/p18687t0282.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Aren't they the same dudes?

― Horace Mann, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Metallica, for so many reasons.

― Curtis Stephens, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:12 (twenty-two years ago)

okay, I was being flippant, but now that I think about, they are the post-punk (in chronological meaning, not stylistic or genre-ly) Beatles vs. Beach Boys

― Horace Mann, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The problem I'm having with this is that while U2 is made up of self-important cockfarmers, Metallica is made up of self-important, utterly loathsome cockfarmers. But I like the Metallica song more than the U2 song. Aw, now I'm sad.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i cannot even begin to describe how much i hate that metallica song...i actually feel vaguely ill when i hear it...

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

they are the post-punk (in chronological meaning, not stylistic or genre-ly) Beatles vs. Beach Boys

Kinda weirdly opposite analogy, maybe.

Beatles:British band, from skiffle trad, rocks)::Beach Boys:American band, from doo-wop grad, doesn't rock

U2:Irish [might as well be British for Casey Kasem] band, from "punk" trad, never rocked::Metallica:San Franciscan [might as well be L.A. for Rikki Rachtman] band, from "punk" trad, used to rock

Fire away.

I'll go with Metallica's "One," btw.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I meant more in that they each seem to represent some sort of YouthGeist (apologies) in regards to their disparate continents. To Casey Kasem/Joe Blow, U2 is BritPop, and to his British Isles counterpart, Metallica is AmeriPop. Maybe Beach Boys/Beatles is an imperfect reference point, certainly it is, but what I failed to articulate (or even try, tho it's what I meant) is that U2 and Metallica are bound to each other. Each represents (circa 1991/2) a certain mainstreaming or even sanitizing or why not castrating of something that had previously seemed at least a little subversive. By 2003, these two bands that at the very least hinted at rebellion in the mid-to-late 80s are now very much The Man, whether it's Lars Ulrich testifying on behalf of the Recording Industry or Bono hobnobbing at the WTO.

― Horace Mann, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"One" is the only U2 song I like. One of my house's karaoke DVDs has it, and the video has a field of buffalo wandering around. It never made any sense to me, and then the U2 greatest hits comes out with buffalo (or some such) on the cover. THIS THING TELLS THE FUTURE!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Not to the same degree, of course, but I was picking up on that dichotomy re: Beatles vs. Beach Boys. Don't think it's the most apt analogy in the world, but it's kind of interesting, to a point. For Metallica I probably should've written "Californian [might as well be American for John Peel] band" or something.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

One of the versions of the "One" video was has a field of buffalo wandering around. Just like one of the versions of the "One" video doesn't have clips from Johnny Get Your Gun.

Where does Three Dog Night's "One" fit into all this?

― hstencil, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Where does Three Dog Night's 'One' fit into all this?"

I was going to throw that in as well, hstencil you clever bastard, but felt they were from such a different age that it didn't lend itself to the debate. But.....here you go. Factor them in if you must.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp000/p086/p08690kpb2r.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

same dudes, different shades

― Horace Mann, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Metallica's One is worth ten of that other One.

James Hetfield's beard at the time of ...And Justice For All was almost the anti-beard of the one in the photo up top. It was sort of blond and cowboy style, with the moustache over the lips and down either side of his mouth then along the edges of his jaw up to his sidies.

Perhaps this is his body reflecting their subsequent change of musical direction?

― mei (mei), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

i really really love(d) U2's 'One' in the most predictable way possible...liked Metallica's 'One' too but if i do actually stop and think about the lyrics properly and what its about then i freak out and run away so i've gotta go with U2 really (cos its Bono/Edge's marriage on the rocks = not scary at all!)

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Harry Nilsson's "One"!!!

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Three Dog Night got their start as Redwood - who were signed to Brother Records (the Beach Boys' label) and one of the Wilsons (I forget which, probably Brian) was supposed to produce... so let's see you stretch that tenuous connection and work it into the analogy!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"One" is one of Metallica's best songs, but it's still kind of plodding and dull. I'll go with U2.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Ferrell used to play it on the background during his Friday night show = Metallica hands down.

And into the mix let's also throw:

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Metallica any day of the goddamn week. U2's effort is yet another perverse attempt on their part to make me want to punch Bono in the face.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

U2's One is a great song, you people are all major cockfarmers.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 03:55 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a power ballad for a band that tries to pretend they're above such things.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"One" is the weakest song on _Achtung, Baby_.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

if one "one" were poisoned and the other "one" boyzoned,
every one would win

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 04:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Except me.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

o c'mon Dan, don't be a loser

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 04:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Plus Shakey that one guy in Three Dog Night is the guy who introduced Brian Wilson to cocaine!

Three Dog Night Dude: Brian, this is cocaine. *sniffs*
Brian Wilson: *sniffs* Pleased to meet you, Mr. Coh Caine. *sniffs again*
Cocaine: Whoa. That guy's a Beach Boy!

― hstencil, Wednesday, 8 January 2003 04:50 (twenty-two years ago)

A little too far-reaching on both sides, but they are both still great songs. I like them equally. "One" by Creed though is just hideous (but sadly, probably inspired by both U2 and Metallica).

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 07:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree with Dan again! and I haven't even heard Metallica's 'One'! But U2's 'One' is one of their most loathsome songs (and I don't mind U2)

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I despise U2's "One" and rather like Metallica's. Especially for that double bass drumming that impressed a 5th grade version of myself that didn't know any better.

"Dude! Listen to those drums! Ba-da-ba-da-bump, ba-da-ba-da-bump! Duuuuuuude!"

― original bgm, Wednesday, 8 January 2003 07:58 (twenty-two years ago)

and the winner is...

"One" by Jonnhy Cash.

Cheers

― André Fontes, Thursday, 9 January 2003 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

The Metallica One. Just came up on the ol' iPod. Man, that double bass drum/guitar riff part used to scare the sh*t out of me. Today it just sort of sounds like dork opera. Still better than U2 though.

― Billy Pilgrim (Billy Pilgrim), Friday, 19 August 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

"One" is the weakest song on _Achtung, Baby_.

Weaker than Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Friday, 19 August 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

Dan is clearly on crack upthread.

It's one of the few Bono performances and lyrics that don't inspire projectile vomiting.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 19 August 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

U2's "One" is a nonstop cliche, an overreaching exercise in naivete. Might as well break out an acoustic guitar, a fringed suede jacket, and a pair of moccasins and sing "Give Peace A Chance". Metallica's "One" is a breathtaking display of tender forcefulness, an alarm clock for the senses. You hear the fercious guitar strumming and drum banging and it courses through your veins, thumping its heady beat continously as it shakes you awake right down to your toes. Uh, yeah, I think I'm going to have to go with Metallica here.

― The Edge Of America (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 19 August 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

("Fercious"? "Ferocious" is more like it. I was wondering why that word looked odd....)

― The Edge Of America (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 19 August 2005 23:11 (twenty years ago)

"One" is a breathtaking display of tender forcefulness, an alarm clock for the senses. You hear the fercious guitar strumming and drum banging and it courses through your veins, thumping its heady beat continously as it shakes you awake right down to your toes."

Like U2's "One"!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 20 August 2005 00:17 (twenty years ago)

Except not.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 20 August 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

"One" is rather clearly weaker than "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?" which at least has a nice chorus; the only bit of "One" that's really done well is the coda (and some of that is "WOO HOO THIS SONG IS FINALLY ENDING" relief).

Neither one of them can touch "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways" or "Even Better Than The Real Thing".

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Saturday, 20 August 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

metallica's 'one'. c'mon. though if you're going for 'rawkin' ballad-y song', "fade to black" blows em both outta da water.

― latebloomer's rectal mocha latte (latebloomer), Saturday, 20 August 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

i heart achtung, baby but i never really liked "one." so this would go to metallica by default -- though i also like metallica's "one." it also reminds me of those long-departed days when metallica were cool and important (oh, those were the days).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 20 August 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

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