Honestly i could nearly backtrack on this because the sheer elegance of the ZOOTV performance (Uno) stacks up rather highly in the echelons of all time great performances - that voice over the chiming guitars "here us coming love....." it just wails to the heavens like a white dove released from captivity.
Now contrast that to the emotional POPMART performance of the same song, a large heart as a backdrop on the giant screen behind the band, Bono's touching tribute and a tight solid band make for a heart wrenching closer - even more powerful with Bono's scratchy voice, almost struggling at the end (i realize dead man was actually the closer).
So there are two examples of where 'one' live is the better song. But in keeping with the album version and the question at hand, 'One' really comes alive in the live setting, but isn't necessarily any "better" imho on the album format than 'staring at the sun', which is the one i feel has more mystique about it.
And the thing about SATS and POP in general, it's often overlooked (except for here, naturally) and widely discarded, because it didn't have the mass appeal of Achtung Baby and One. While Achtung Baby had the cooler name, those radio hits (including One) weren't nearly as exciting as the deeper tracks. Whereas POP had a more ironic name but in reality had more alternative sounding songs and a more adventurous, daring style from start to finish.
The fact that the band feels the need to occasionally give it a little shout out now, after years of dismissing it as if they were ashamed of it's very existence, it's funny to me. Almost like a recollection of someone you once dated, suggesting you might have had a good time once or twice, in spite of the fact that you broke it off hard with them and ruined their live in the process. But hey - at least we had the weekend at the lake in your uncles' cabin - that was fun, right?
