http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa0qaEw86T8

in this interview circa 1992, Ed says "there's a song I've never wanted to play since the first time we performed it but we play it every night"

does anyone know what song this is?

it's hard to figure out because there isn't really a song he regularly phoned in the perfromance of at this time.

Black or Alive

id say black.

Even Flow?

I can't imagine it being Black.

Probably something Stone wrote

I remember this interview from years ago. Can't re-watch it now due to being at work (firewall). I recall he was talking about a song of Andy Wood's; which I always thought was 'Crown of Thorns'. I could be referring to a different interview though. I get the feeling it was a print interview I'm thinking of...

Randall

I'd say it's definitely Black

they've complained about even flow a few times. It might be black--which isn't to say he doesn't like the song. It just might not be something he enjoys singing for whatever reason

This is an early 1992 interview when they refused to make Black a single.

well, he sure did love it in Ottawa!!!

id say black as well. Not because he doesnt like it, just because its a real personal song that brings things out of him that are hard to deal with. That woul dbe my guess as well.

Black fo shu.

this could apply to Alive too
but I'd say it's Black

if its not black, id say release. i dunno how much they were playing it back then, but i would think its way more than now

I don't think we can get a definitive answer to this but my first thought was that it would be Release.

Eddie explained a few times that the creation of Release was a very spiritual and powerful experience for him. He said the words simply came to him spontaneously as the band was playing together and poured right out of him on the spot.

He went on to say the experience was so special that he could never bring himself to actually write the words down because the moment was so sacred. This is why there is not a single lyric from the song in the liner notes of Ten. He said he would never put the words on paper.

In 1992 Release was played almost every night. In this interview Eddie seems to be saying that it is hard to play some songs because he has to put himself in a certain space emotionally. Since he has specifically gone on record about how special the very first performance of Release was, I would guess that is the song he is referring to.

to go with the concensus: Black

I think it's Alive. Ed used to talk about how painful singing Alive was and that it brought back haunting memories or whatever.

Other than the Black not becoming a single, I've never heard anything about that song.

I'd guess "Black" since they refused to release it as a single. Of course, it's also because I remember this speech from the Wichita, Kansas (11.24.93) show when fans were moshing at the beginning of "Black":

Hey, stop. I tell you what [pause] since we've been getting along alright tonight let's just, uh, you know we haven't even been playing this song lately and it's kind of a heavy thing and how about all these [pause] these stage-, these body surf--this guy. All these guys. Just cool it for one song, alright. And if you come up we're going to spit on you, we're going to kick you and the whole thing. Just mellow for one song. These people up front they just want to watch some music for a minute. So, everyone, all right? Deal? [from the fan boot; my brother was there]

Of course, I haven't heard enough 1991-1994 shows to know if Ed stopping a song to tell the audience to essentially respect and listen to the song is really that significant.

It's gotta be Alive.