Please on the Elevation Tour

[midnightlemon]

I just downloaded the Elevation Tour show from 2001.10.27 and was disappointed to hear that "Please" was played somewhat acoustically. I was looking forward to a version similar to that on the Popmart tour. Were all versions of "Please" played acoustically during the Elevation Tour?

 

[popacrobat]

they were all acoustic except for the first night they played it in baltimore...


i think.

 

[J_NP]

1 and only Once it was played electric , like the combo P - S in Popmart , it was done good , by the seconds I could watch

 

[Axver]

Yeah, 2001-10-19, Baltimore was electric. The rest were the watered down acoustic form.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i know it's not elevation, but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQEx5jQ1Zxc

 

[martha]

Yeah, 2001-10-19, Baltimore was electric. The rest were the watered down acoustic form.

Maybe watered down, but it sounded great.

 

[xaviMF22]

I listened to the "electric" version they did on the elevation tour...and it was awful

 

[X-it 7]

I can see it losing a lot of it's power on a recorded version, but it was absolutely amazing to have seen it live. Keep in mind this was right after September 11. Bono noted during the introduction of the song that his wife pointed out how eerily similar the lyrics reflected that day (i.e. "September, streets capsizing, spilling over down the drain, shards of glass, splinters like rain, but you can only feel your own pain, etc.). The scaled down performace by he and The Edge made the song seem much more personal...and VERY haunting. So, perhaps if you listen to it with that in mind it may be a little better listening experience for you.

However, you're absolutely right: The full band version is mindblowing

 

[The Disciple]

Yeah, 2001-10-19, Baltimore was electric. The rest were the watered down acoustic form.

That is an AMAZING version.

 

[xaviMF22]

That is an AMAZING version.

man, I thought that version was awful..
it didn't come close to some of the popmart versions....

 

[zoopop]

When I saw the "Elevation" Please in Austin TX you could hear a pin drop. It was a very haunting version with 9/11 happening. The lighting was cool too during the performance. Just 2 spot lights on Bono & Edge.

But, nothing tops the Please/Streets on the Popmart. So emotional/mindblowing. And for those who say Bono didn't have any pipes on the Popmart Tour just listen to his vocal solo at the end of Please

 

[Swan269]

I can see it losing a lot of it's power on a recorded version, but it was absolutely amazing to have seen it live. Keep in mind this was right after September 11. Bono noted during the introduction of the song that his wife pointed out how eerily similar the lyrics reflected that day (i.e. "September, streets capsizing, spilling over down the drain, shards of glass, splinters like rain, but you can only feel your own pain, etc.). The scaled down performace by he and The Edge made the song seem much more personal...and VERY haunting. So, perhaps if you listen to it with that in mind it may be a little better listening experience for you.

However, you're absolutely right: The full band version is mindblowing

I was lucky to see an acoustic version in Providence on the 30th of October. Haunting is a great word to describe how it felt....everyone was quiet during the song and you could feel the power of it sweeping through the arena.

 

[Axver]

man, I thought that version was awful..
it didn't come close to some of the popmart versions....

I agree that it was not on the level of the Popmart versions, but it was far better than the acoustic versions. I really dislike the acoustic versions. Then again, I think everyone here already knows what I think about U2 watering down their songs. Some bands can pull off good acoustic versions of their songs and U2 are not one of them.

 

[The Disciple]

man, I thought that version was awful..
it didn't come close to some of the popmart versions....

It was such a different arrangement, and so raw of a per4mance. I prefer PopMart, but this version has always given me the chills.

 

[martha]

I agree that it was not on the level of the Popmart versions, but it was far better than the acoustic versions. I really dislike the acoustic versions. Then again, I think everyone here already knows what I think about U2 watering down their songs. Some bands can pull off good acoustic versions of their songs and U2 are not one of them.

But it wasn't really watered down, it was just acoustic to suit the mood.

 

[J_NP]

Then again, I think everyone here already knows what I think about U2 watering down their songs. Some bands can pull off good acoustic versions of their songs and U2 are not one of them.

I disagree , I think u got a problem with acoustic songs really axver , I mean can u tell me 5 bands that strip their songs better than u2 ?

Now tell me What do u think of :

Stay Zoo Version ?
Ground Beneath her Feet ?
Slow Dancing ?
She's A Mystery to me ?

Even Please sounded good acoustic , very very much away from Electric's perfection but .......

 

[Axver]

I disagree , I think u got a problem with acoustic songs really axver , I mean can u tell me 5 bands that strip their songs better than u2 ?

Artists like Pure Reason Revolution and Steven Wilson do it much better. U2's are just "hi, we can play a handful of chords on an acoustic guitar in a really boring way!" versions.

Now tell me What do u think of :

Stay Zoo Version ?
Ground Beneath her Feet ?
Slow Dancing ?
She's A Mystery to me ?

Stay Zoo version: Fantastic. The way the song should be played. I don't know why you're asking about this one as it's electric. The Elevation acoustic version could cure insomnia.

TGBHF: Loathsome. I can't even listen to it. Even by U2's acoustic standards, it's dreadful. It's such a shame that a song as beautiful as TGBHF got so horrifically slaughtered live.

Slow Dancing: Alright. The full band version is light years ahead of it.

SAMTM: Meh. The full band version is the only way it should be played. Just listen to that amazing 1989-12-30 performance.

For the record, I consider the stripped down live version of Yahweh to be superior to the album version.

 

[J_NP]

Stay Zoo version: Fantastic. The way the song should be played. I don't know why you're asking about this one as it's electric. The Elevation acoustic version could cure insomnia.

For the record, I consider the stripped down live version of Yahweh to be superior to the album version.

Electric ? U mean coz in Sydney Bono was playin with his guitar ? But see , that is a Gibson ES = Semi-Acoustic Guitar ... And it's turned down , I mean it's only connected with the AMP , in Zooropa Bono was playin it with his Red Gibson Acoustic Guitar , and about Edge's sound , yes he's using a bit of delay on it , but still acoustic guitar ..... Why do u see it as electric ?

For the record, I consider the stripped down live version of Yahweh to be superior to the album version.

That's a beginning

 

[xaviMF22]

Electric ? U mean coz in Sydney Bono was playin with his guitar ? But see , that is a Gibson ES = Semi-Acoustic Guitar ... And it's turned down , I mean it's only connected with the AMP , in Zooropa Bono was playin it with his Red Gibson Acoustic Guitar , and about Edge's sound , yes he's using a bit of delay on it , but still acoustic guitar ..... Why do u see it as electric ?

regardless of that...it is a full band version....the way the song is meant to be played ......
unlike the snooze fest that was the elevation version

 

[J_NP]

regardless of that...it is a full band version....the way the song is meant to be played ...... unlike the snooze fest that was the elevation version

That's right , but did I say anything against it ? What have u been smellin lately ?

 

[xaviMF22]

That's right , but did I say anything against it ? What have u been smellin lately ?

I don't understand why you you think the Sydney version.....wasn't electric?

 

[U2Kitten]

I was standing within a couple feet of Bono when he sang it in both Baltimore and Atlanta. In Baltimore he had someone showing him the lyrics sheet, in Atlanta, they were taped to the floor. He couldn't remember the words.

 

[U2girl]

He has a built-in teleprompter on stage now.

 

[U2Kitten]

He has a built-in teleprompter on stage now.

Hooray for technological advances!

It's kind of sad not to be able to remember your own songs you wrote, though

 

[U2girl]

Plenty of singers use that.

 

[Z00rop@83]

I don't understand why you you think the Sydney version.....wasn't electric?

if u are refering to Zoo's version of stay then i agree that it doesnt sound completely electric. Not like the album version, its the best way they ahve played it but i still think even the Zoo version lacks alot compared to the album.

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTngOPOWe9M

 

[Axver]

Electric ? U mean coz in Sydney Bono was playin with his guitar ? But see , that is a Gibson ES = Semi-Acoustic Guitar ... And it's turned down , I mean it's only connected with the AMP , in Zooropa Bono was playin it with his Red Gibson Acoustic Guitar , and about Edge's sound , yes he's using a bit of delay on it , but still acoustic guitar ..... Why do u see it as electric ?

I'm going by the 1993-08-28, Dublin version as that's my favourite performance of Stay. Bono's playing an acoustic, Edge is playing an electric, and it's a full band version, the way the song is meant to be done.

I can't even remember if the Sydney version's the same as the Dublin one as I have little interest in anything on Sydney besides Dirty Day and Bullet, so I never watch it.

 

[J_NP]

I'm going by the 1993-08-28, Dublin version as that's my favourite performance of Stay. Bono's playing an acoustic, Edge is playing an electric, and it's a full band version, the way the song is meant to be done.

I can't even remember if the Sydney version's the same as the Dublin one as I have little interest in anything on Sydney besides Dirty Day and Bullet, so I never watch it.

Here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzm7ehi8QTk

Edge since the beginning of Zooropa Leg , was playin the same acoustic guitar , it happens that he was using a pedal called Digital Delay , which made it sound like an electric one

It's the same of Arms around the world , and Stay on Zooropa , sounds like a electric guitar , but it's acoustic

 

[Axver]

Here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzm7ehi8QTk

Edge since the beginning of Zooropa Leg , was playin the same acoustic guitar , it happens that he was using a pedal called Digital Delay , which made it sound like an electric one

It's the same of Arms around the world , and Stay on Zooropa , sounds like a electric guitar , but it's acoustic

Ah, right. But there's the important thing: it sounds electric. Edge is playing the song properly, he isn't dulling it down like he did on Elevation. I can barely listen to the acoustic versions of songs like Stay, SATS, and TGBHF on the Elevation Tour as they are just so slow and drawn out and boring. I've nothing against the acoustic guitar itself - hell, Edge was playing The Fly this tour on some form of a modified acoustic, wasn't he? And unless I am wildly mistaken, Nick Drake uses an acoustic on the Pink Moon album and it's stunningly beautiful. But when U2 do acoustic versions, they're usually - but not always - dreary and bland, weak imitations of the full song. To return to the subject of this thread, Please is a good example. That song is nothing without the build-up to Edge's solo and Bono's intense wailing over the top.