I am having second thoughts about Rattle and Hum

[david]

So yeah, there were a lot of complaints that U2 took themselves too seriously and Rattle and Hum helped solidify that belief. It was as if they put themselves up there (on the level)with the likes of the rock legends they celebrated in that movie, suposedly...

See, now I recently watched an entire Joshua Tree show on DVD, uncut, and it was from the 3rd leg of the Joshua Tree tour and I saw an almost entirely different band than the one I saw in the Rattle and Hum movie.

I know some people here might have saw some JT shows live in person and just maybe they will agree with me.

The U2 I saw on that Joshua Tree was actually not that serious and they were having fun almost like they were on the Slane DVD, just you know, younger. Bono sang the songs with power and he didn't even actually talk that much, or as people would put it, run his mouth off about things. Who knows. Maybe it was just that one show. Towards the end of the show it almost turned into a party. And I have no idea why, but during Bullet The Blue Sky Bono said during his rap "Is that you Captain? Where are my shorts?" And that made me almost shoot soda through my nose as I laughed so hard.

In Rattle and Hum the actual song performances were good, but I think they just appeared tooooooo serious in the perofrmances captured on the film. Which is both good and bad..

 

[Pinball Wizard]

Indeed. The editing didn't fuel criticial favour.

I think that was the flaw with the project in the first place... trying to capture something cinematic rather than the actual performance. The attempt from what I understand was to bring the live show to the masses... and expand the general audience of the band. But it turned out to be more of a testament for those who were already fans.

 

[U2Kitten]

As a fan of U2 at that time, I have always known this, and have been so frustrated and fed up with the incorrect myth after the fact that JT U2 was serious, po-faced and no fun. Not true at all, never was. Outside It's America alone should destroy that image, with all the smiling, laughing and cutting up. Don't be fooled by myths, assumptions, and a few stone faced pics of the guys taken in the desert on a freezing day. They have ALWAYS been fun, fun loving and full of spunk. It didn't suddenly appear in the 90's as some people like to (incorrectly) state. I can't tell you how irritating it is to me to have seen so many posts that U2 were 'having fun' in the 90's, as if they didn't in the 80's? I know better

 

[david]

The best part of that show I watched was during Party Girl when Ali ran on stage with a bottle of champagne and Bono had this "Woah" look on his face and then after saying into his mic "Look, it's the wife!" He let out a "Holy shit." like he was still excited. It was pretty cool.

I think Rattle and Hum would have just been better if it was an entire show maybe in color rather than in black and white and like no other footage. But oh well. That was 1988 this is now 2004. So why should I bother conjuring up something that has been discussed into the ground.

 

[U2Kitten]

Yes it would have been better in color. Don't worry, this hasn't been rehashed nearly as much as many other topics that get discussed into the ground here!

 

[sue4u2]

I completely agree, U2Kitten. Well said!!

 

[Queen Bee]

The best part of that show I watched was during Party Girl when Ali ran on stage with a bottle of champagne and Bono had this "Woah" look on his face and then after saying into his mic "Look, it's the wife!" He let out a "Holy shit." like he was still excited. It was pretty cool.

Indeed. I made a clip out of that scene here.

 

[Schmeg]

What show is this and where can I get a copy?

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

What show is this and where can I get a copy?

I think it's the Rattle And Hum outtakes. I've been after it for a long ass time. I think I'll never have it....

 

[BluRmGrl]

You know, it's funny....as someone who was already a U2 "headcase" by the time R&H was released, I honestly never saw the album or the movie as anything more than 4 musicians paying tribute to some of their own idols. Maybe it's 'cuz I was (am?) just a simple-minded little southern bumpkin, or maybe it's because the album was about 4 musicians paying tribute to some of their own idols!! I never understood how people (are critics people, too?) arrived at the decision that U2 were "saying" they were better, more relevant, etc. than some of the industry's giants.
But who knows? - Maybe all the biscuits and barbeque I've been eating have turned my brains into grits!!!

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Indeed. I made a clip out of that scene here.

Oh my God THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!!!!!!! What a graet video, why hasen't this been released?!?!?! I think you should do this with everything on the Rattle And Hum outtakes....

 

[Queen Bee]

I think it's the Rattle And Hum outtakes. I've been after it for a long ass time. I think I'll never have it....

I don't think it's on the R&H Outtakes. But then again, I haven't seen the R&H Outtakes.

The concert is the Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles show on November 18, 1987.







I got my copy on ebay.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

I don't think it's on the R&H Outtakes. But then again, I haven't seen the R&H Outtakes.

The concert is the Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles show on November 18, 1987.







I got my copy on ebay.

But it's so well recorded. it's professional recording. Was this on the tv at the time or something?

 

[fah]

Indeed. I made a clip out of that scene here.

That was great

ebay?

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

The best part of that show I watched was during Party Girl when Ali ran on stage with a bottle of champagne and Bono had this "Woah" look on his face and then after saying into his mic "Look, it's the wife!" He let out a "Holy shit." like he was still excited. It was pretty cool.

...

LOL at the shorts bit you mentioned, too.

Originally posted by BluRmGrl
I never understood how people (are critics people, too?) arrived at the decision that U2 were "saying" they were better, more relevant, etc. than some of the industry's giants.

I've heard about that, too, and haven't understood that, either. For one thing, from what I understand about 1987, the way the critics were talking when The Joshua Tree came out, they were the ones who made it seem like U2 was now among the big groups of rock and roll, not the band themselves. For another, the artists U2 was paying tribute to obviously didn't seem to mind letting them do their songs or play with them on some songs or whatever, so if they didn't care if U2 were hanging around them and all that, why in the world should critics care? And besides it, I dunno, I personally would put U2 up there in the music world-they've certainly proven themselves worthy of such a place, after all.

Bah. This is why I don't pay much attention to music critics.

Angela

 

[Hewson]

Its a musical journey


Nice clip, thanks for posting it QB

 

[Tizer]

Go and see the Lost Highway video clip at U2Star. Early JT tour in America (where u2 were , as usual , using the USA to rehearse for the UK tour! LMAO) It was recorded for the last show of The Tube, a UK music show, and it blew a huge hole in the 'myth' that was surrounding them at that time..way before R&H.

 

[stagman]

I'm currently trying to download the entire concert in dvd format.....but the user who has it seems to be flooded with other poeple downloading it

 

[wolfeden]

a confession... by the time R&H came out I'd already been a headlong U2 addict...
I think I must have seen it over 35 times in the theatres, following it from the big-screen main release to the smaller 'flicks, wore out one VHS copy altogether and finally got the DVD...

at that time, the end of the 80s, people were still awfully threatened by a guy like the B-man, who wasn't afraid to show his emotions in his performances... so these idiot critics decided to tear them down by saying all the ridiculous things about taking themselves too seriously, don't know how to have fun, etc etc... anyone who got to see the JT tour or even listens to a bootleg can hear the exact opposite....
from an exuberant "Fuck'em! Cmon Everybody.." to "And she won't tell me her name, oh no, not even me... that was irony..."

but yeah. music critics are useless.

 

[Numb1075]

great clip, really cool

 

[OnFire]

On the VH1 Legends series, I remember Adam saying in effect about R&H that it was a modest tour movie that they were all comfortable with but they were all shocked at the overblown spectacle that ultimately made it to the cineplex. Seems to me that Phil Joanou was too much of a fan to direct the film.

It's just as well, if there was no R&H backlash, they might never have "dreamed it up all over again" and U2 would just be some 80's nostalgia act today.

 

[U2girl]

4 musicians paying tribute to some of their own idols

I've never seen the movie but I think that was the idea, too. Personally I think it was very nice of U2 - in their position of being the biggest music name in '87 - to pay tribute to their heroes. Not many bands to that so openly or frequently.

IMO the US critics were mad at Bono's critical Reagan comments and his outspoken ways and so they fired away. You know, the whole "he should stick to music and keep out of the politics" thing.

 

[U2Kitten]

It's just as well, if there was no R&H backlash, they might never have "dreamed it up all over again" and U2 would just be some 80's nostalgia act today.

I disagree with this, because there never was any 'backlash' from the fans. Maybe a few critics, but who cares?

 

[Jim]

Well....

1. I want that entire JT concert on video NOW !!!!!
2. I went to see the Tube clip on u2star.com (which I haven't seen since it was on the telly in 87) and instead they have the full video for 'In The Name Of The Father' which I've never seen..it is stunning. I never knew that it ended with fightring crucifixes like that...

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I've never seen the movie but I think that was the idea, too. Personally I think it was very nice of U2 - in their position of being the biggest music name in '87 - to pay tribute to their heroes. Not many bands to that so openly or frequently.

.

Originally posted by U2girl
IMO the US critics were mad at Bono's critical Reagan comments and his outspoken ways and so they fired away. You know, the whole "he should stick to music and keep out of the politics" thing.

Which is really amusing because, if you go by those same critics' logic, Reagan should've just stuck to acting and kept out of politics, eh?

People are funny sometimes, aren't they?

Also, ditto what wolfeden said.

Angela

 

[OnFire]

I disagree with this, because there never was any 'backlash' from the fans. Maybe a few critics, but who cares?

Yeah, since the R&H CD sold well, you'd have to say this was true but the critical backlash certainly affected them.

 

[I'mstillrunning]

U2 coulda put out the greatest rock album of all time and the critics woulda trashed it - it was the natural 'critic' reaction following all the hype from JT

i remember either adam or edge saying that they felt all i want is you was 10 times a better song than WOWY, but it couldnt dent the radio

i felt the band made their thoughts of the criticism known in the HMKMTMKM video... 'they want you to be jesus, to go down on one knee, but they'll want their money back if you're alive at 33'

 

[Justified]

I WANT A COPY OF THIS!!

Thanks for posting the clip!

 

[U2Kitten]

And the 'dreaming it all up again' pleased the critics? Then why was Pop and Popmart the most critic and media bashed thing they ever did?

 

[U2girl]

U2 coulda put out the greatest rock album of all time and the critics woulda trashed it - it was the natural 'critic' reaction following all the hype from JT

i felt the band made their thoughts of the criticism known in the HMKMTMKM video... 'they want you to be jesus, to go down on one knee, but they'll want their money back if you're alive at 33'

Also Bono said since the last tour ended that "sanctification is only one step away from crucifiction", or something similar. It's a cycle most musicians go through, a succesful album is often followed by a less-liked album (by the critics).

also I think Acrobat deals with critics and Bono's persona (as viewed by the media), I also thought "the Irish been coming here for years, acting like they own the place" in New York was a nice self-parody by Bono.