Popmart V Elevation

[lazyboy]

I know this place is seriously split on this issue. Well, almost nobody has serious problems with Elevation, it generally went safe and just plainly kicked ass. But Popmart definitely gets wayyy too much of a hard time from some people round here. Fair enough, all entitled to your own opinions.

Now listen here, this ain't even a thread to proclaim either better, I'm really just trying to grasp a bit of respect for Pop. The only way you can truly compare both is to compare the key songs that featured in BOTH tours. So here is my opinion. If anyone wants to drop theirs, just say which tour's version you preferred. And feel free to add any songs I forgot.

Until The End of The World : Popmart
I Will Follow: Popmart
Mysterious Ways: Popmart
New Years Day: Popmart
Where The Streets Have No Name: Popmart
Bullet The Blue Sky: Popmart
With or Without You: Elevation

I didn't include any Pop songs because Popmart was built around some of them so obviously it was better in those cases, like Discotheque.

So, IMO, from those 7 commonplace songs, umm, 6-1 to Popmart.
I did this as I was listening to bootlegs from both tours, and well, all the above MUSICALLY appear better to me on Popmart. Bullet stands out, way way funkier. The funky edge to the songs gets me anyway. As I said, feel free to add others like ISHFWILF and EBTTRT but I hadn't heard/seen enough versions of these from both tours. Be honest now! With at least those 7, which do you prefer?!

 

[wertsie]

Hey, you'll never hear me disrespecting POP or Popmart!

1997 was the best time of my life up to this point. It was beyond amazing!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

all the above MUSICALLY appear better to me on Popmart.

 

[U2Kitten]

Not only was Elevation superior musically, Bono's voice was much better. Elevation all the way!

 

[SkeeK]

I gotta say I definately prefer Elevation I Will Follow over Popmart's
And I put Bullet to Elevation, too.

Otherwise I think I agree. though some of them are almost too close to call.

 

[The Wanderer]

all the PopMart versions, Bullet might be a toss up though but only with the Elevation Tour versions that featured the Mark Chapman rant at the end, but again, that was only used for the final part of the first leg of the US tour, so overall PopMart Bullet gets the Edge

also, Please was better on PopMart, Staring at the Sun was a carbon copy

 

[Dustybot]

Until The End of The World : Elevation
I Will Follow: Elevation
Mysterious Ways: Popmart
New Years Day: Elevation
Where The Streets Have No Name: Elevation
Bullet The Blue Sky: Elevation
With or Without You: Elevation

I like PopMart, but Bono's voice was just not there like it was on the Elevation tour. And for the most part I like the presentation of the songs better on Elevation. And I'll add that All I Want Is You, One, and Gone all sounded better to me during Elevation.

 

[adamswildhoney]

I loved Popmart because that was the first time that I saw U2 in concert, but I really enjoyed Elevation because I got to see them 3 times during the tour.

 

[jphelmet]

Until The End of The World : same/ same theatrics, i dont really hear a difference musically)
I Will Follow: elevation (like the longer version, and the pure horror of how badly it was played on the first 10 or so dates of popmart makes elevation have the edge)
Mysterious Ways: Elevation- never thought it belonged in the encore.
New Years Day: Popmart
Where The Streets Have No Name: Elevation- way better i prefer the bad to 40 to streets intro, and i never liked the ending of the popmart tour)
Bullet The Blue Sky: Elevation (Edge's solo- way better elevation)
With or Without You: Popmart- love the mexico city version
Gone- say the same, although i love the boston dvd ending
Discotheque-I'll say elevation, liked edge's guitar, sounded harsher on the elevation tour to me.
Please- Popmart, although really liked accousitc version on elevation.
Sunday Bloody Sunday- Elevation, edge's version was excellent for just himself, but the full band version always better.
One- Elevation- the last leg of elevation was the best versions i've ever heard them do.

I loved both tours. Elevation was better overall musically especailly if you take the first month of shows of popmart- which even the band admits was pretty bad musically for U2 standards. Plus Bono's voice was better for Elevation. I would says its a pretty close if you stack the best shows of both tours against each other. For me the setlist (Bad, Like ATYCLB better than Pop songs+ Walk On ending better than One) and the overall feel of the indoor shows makes Elevation better.

 

[Zoocifer]

Well -

My heart will always belong to Pop and Popmart. I loved Elevation, but Popmart was just a better era in my opinion. I love the technology that went in to it and how U2 could still blow people's minds. It was just so large and so powerful. As for the preferred versions:

One: Popmart. I don't know why, but Bono's voice, to me, sounds a whole lot better.

Where the Streets Have No Name: It's a tie. I love the long version from Popmart but I love the intensity from Elevation. The song from Popmart seemed a whole lot glossier, but Elevation was back to emotion and inspiration.

With or Without You: Popmart. Longer and Bono's voice was much stronger (in my opinion, at least).

I will Follow: Elevation. I still think that this song could be a hit single if it were released tomorrow.

Mysterious Ways: Popmart. Even though I love the intro-riff from Elevation - Popmart's ending was a whole lot better. I love the Popmart Mexico version.

Discotheque: Elevation. Though I loved the lemon, the sound from Elevation was stronger and more raw. A great mix between dance and rock. Perhaps someday people will see how great of a song it is.

Bullet the Blue Sky: Tie. I loved Bono's speech at the end of Elevation but Popmart had a little bit more balls in it. Also the amazing visuals from the Popmart screen helped.

Until the end of the World: Elevation. I love Bono swinging that guitar around during Popmart, but Elevation had the excellent ending (the screeching of the guitar).

Gone: Popmart. Bono's falcetto at the end - just grand.

Sunday Bloody Sunday: Elevation. No contest. "Johnny was a good man..."

New Year's Day: Elevation. Bono yelling again was great.

Please: Popmart. No contest.

Staring at the Sun: Elevation. When I say Elevation I mean when they tagged it to the end of "Discotheque". The solo acoustic version is just a tad too bland for me.

Wake Up Deadman: Popmart. No real difference but hearing it in the Popmart Mexico video was great.

All I want is You: Popmart. The Sarajevo version is amazing with the edition of "many rivers to cross" (I think that's the tune). And I love how Bono would add many different lyrics at the end.

Desire: Elevation. When the full band joined in it was fun and very entertaining.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking for: Popmart. Bono's voice was a little weak, yes - but you can't beat "stand by me" at the end.

Pride (In the Name of Love): Elevation. No contest. It seemed like they played it at Popmart just to play it.

Bad: Elevation. No contest. They played it a few times at Popmart and they sounded so drained when they did.

- The Zoocifer -

 

[Salome]

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was better on POPMart

that would be about it


I loved POPMart though
it did have soul

 

[christiana]

Hm... IMO

Until The End of The World : I think both versions are pretty much the same, but I love the Popmart version a bit more.
I Will Follow: Yep. Popmart.
Mysterious Ways: I like the Elevation version of it more. Agree with jphelmet, it doesn't belong in the encore.
New Years Day: Popmart.
Where The Streets Have No Name: The Please intro is always my favourite intro to Street. Popmart.
Bullet The Blue Sky: Popmart. I don't like the Elevation version.
With or Without You: Love the version in Popmart Mexico, but the Elevation version is really good too. A bit hard to choose, but... I'll choose Popmart.
I Still Haven't Found...: Popmart. My favourite version of this song.

I'm still a big fan of both tour...

 

[SweetOnU2]

Re: Re: Popmart V Elevation

Hm... IMO

Until The End of The World : I think both versions are pretty much the same, but I love the Popmart version a bit more.
I Will Follow: Yep. Popmart.
Mysterious Ways: I like the Elevation version of it more. Agree with jphelmet, it doesn't belong in the encore.
New Years Day: Popmart.
Where The Streets Have No Name: The Please intro is always my favourite intro to Street. Popmart.
Bullet The Blue Sky: Popmart. I don't like the Elevation version.
With or Without You: Love the version in Popmart Mexico, but the Elevation version is really good too. A bit hard to choose, but... I'll choose Popmart.
I Still Haven't Found...: Popmart. My favourite version of this song.

I'm still a big fan of both tour...

Exactly! I agree with yah! LOL Ditto for me!

 

[lazyboy]

That's cool, alot of positive vibes for Popmart!
Again I say it's not really declaring either as the king, I was just wondering what people who thought Popmart overall kinda sucked made of the songs in question. It was just a feeling I got everytime I watched/heard those songs from Popmart, like more enjoyable than Elevation versions! Clearly to me anyway.

Interesting too the way some thought Bono's voice was better on Popmart, and others Elevation. Just get 2 versions where he is on top form, can't go wrong.

Thanks for the feedback anyway guys, thought I was the only 1 thinking that way!

 

[wertsie]

Well -

My heart will always belong to Pop and Popmart. I loved Elevation, but Popmart was just a better era in my opinion. I love the technology that went in to it and how U2 could still blow people's minds. It was just so large and so powerful. - The Zoocifer -

Simply brilliant!

They blew my mind with Elevation too...but when DON'T they?

 

[follower]

Interesting idea lazyboy

Lets see...I have 4 Popmart boots and 6 Elevation, but I tend to listen to the Popmart ones more often. Anyways I?ll try to make my choices:

Until the End of the World - I?d choose Elevation, the opening night being my fave

I Will Follow - Popmart all the way! Funkier than Elevation, simply great (the greatest opening combo ever...Pop Muzik/Mofo/I Will Follow!)

Mysterious Ways - gotta go with Popmart again, again funkier than Elevation (although nothing beats ZOO TV performances...the belly dance and all...)

New Years Day - again Popmart, a song powerful enough to make a whole stadium literally shake

Where The Streets Have no Name - definitely Popmart, especially preceeded for Please, a truly redemption song in Popmart)

Bullet the Blue Sky - I?d choose Elevation, the performances with Bono rant in the end

With Or Without You - again Popmart, perfect preceeded for If You Wear That Velvet Dress.

I would like to add One - another Popmart standout for me, the version from Sarajevo is one of the most moving I have ever heard.

 

[rafmed]

Until The End of The World : Not much diference
I Will Follow: Popmart
Mysterious Ways: Popmart
New Years Day: Popmart
Where The Streets Have No Name: Popmart (please rocks with it)
Bullet The Blue Sky: Elevation
With or Without You: Elevation

 

[lazyboy]

Interesting idea lazyboy

Sarcasm huh? Hehe, yeah, I know, Pop Pop Pop, but never really looked at it this way did we? And looks like Popmart is winning the vote here in this mini concert comparison! I'd love to see that style with some of the ATYCLB songs, wicked!

And good luck tomorrow Follower, hope yer boys give Turkey a spanking!!

 

[follower]

Sarcasm huh? Hehe, yeah, I know, Pop Pop Pop, but never really looked at it this way did we? And looks like Popmart is winning the vote here in this mini concert comparison! I'd love to see that style with some of the ATYCLB songs, wicked!

And good luck tomorrow Follower, hope yer boys give Turkey a spanking!!

Yup lazyirishboy I do think you had an interesting idea, because we?re comparing classic songs, from previous albuns, that have been fairly played in both tours. Too bad they didn?t play The Fly during Popmart...I can only imagine how it would be.

Last but not least, a big thank you for your best wishes on our match tomorrow. We?re ready

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Please consider before you declare victory that most who prefer Elevation are just plain not going post. Once again, because only the Pop crowd will post, it looks like it wins. We will never really know.

 

[lazyboy]

Please consider before you declare victory that most who prefer Elevation are just plain not going post. Once again, because only the Pop crowd will post, it looks like it wins. We will never really know.

Will you relax please?!?!
Read the start of this thread, I clearly pointed out that this wasn't gonna achieve a view of either being better, and in my last post I said Popmart had got the vote here in the "mini concert" view.
I was just pointing out a comparison between 2 tours which I really really like, I just happen to find it strange that I find all the classics better on Popmart and wanted to see if people shared my view. That is all, this is not a war!

*flies the flag of Popmart victoriously*

 

[wertsie]

Please consider before you declare victory that most who prefer Elevation are just plain not going post. Once again, because only the Pop crowd will post, it looks like it wins. We will never really know.

Why would only people who prefer Popmart post?

 

[dsmith2904]

To me comparing the two tours is a little like comparing apples and oranges, the vibe and the intention of each tour was so different. I loved PopMart, it was my first U2 concert and I was completely blown away. I did not really care for anything from Pop until I heard it live, then everything took on a whole new meaning. I dug the spectical, I understood the references, I got the joke of the whole thing and I loved it. It completely pissed me off when the tour was labeled a failure. Why? PopMart was loud and bright and energetic and fun and serious and emotional and just amazing. Plus being able to hang out on a warm summer night, under the stars and listen to some really great music is just priceless.
But I loved Elevation because it was everything PopMart wasn't. It was intimate, it was quieter, it was simpler. I still felt the same rush, the same joy I felt at PopMart, but there was a lot more emotion in the air. I think having seen the show at the end of 2001 made a huge difference there.
Right now it's very cool to like Elevation, just like it's always been very cool to say that Joshua Tree is near-perfection. I'm not saying that either of those positions are wrong, I just think that when one product gets hyped so much, it gets hard to see around it to the other things a band has done.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Why would only people who prefer Popmart post?

You haven't been here long enough. When people post against Pop and say something else was better, they get accused of 'bashing' Pop so most of them have just shut up and given up and won't say a word when topics like this come up. It's true.

 

[wertsie]

You haven't been here long enough. When people post against Pop and say something else was better, they get accused of 'bashing' Pop so most of them have just shut up and given up and won't say a word when topics like this come up. It's true.

I've been here quite awhile, and I don't remember seeing that happen (granted, that doesn't mean that it hasn't...I've just never seen it).

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

I've been here a long time. I don't remember you until this year, are you sure you're not Feb. 2002? If it is 2001 you must not have been very active last spring and summer when the things I'm talking about went down. I've seen people shut up, drift away and just give it up. I've seen Pop people close to strangling those who didn't agree with them until they just dropped it and the Pop ones could feel like they win like the bratty kid who's losing at a board game and then throws it until all the pieces fly and claims victory. I have seen this, and I could list names, but I will not. I'm really kind of weary of it myself.

 

[wertsie]

I've been here a long time. I don't remember you until this year, are you sure you're not Feb. 2002? If it is 2001 you must not have been very active last spring and summer when the things I'm talking about went down. I've seen people shut up, drift away and just give it up. I've seen Pop people close to strangling those who didn't agree with them until they just dropped it and the Pop ones could feel like they win like the bratty kid who's losing at a board game and then throws it until all the pieces fly and claims victory. I have seen this, and I could list names, but I will not. I'm really kind of weary of it myself.

No, the Feb 2001 date is correct, but I wasn't very active until 3 or 4 months ago. But in that time, I haven't seen any of the things you speak of happen. I am sorry that they did in the past, but as the atmosphere around here, in my opinion, seems to be very open and friendly, why don't we just put the past away and move on?

 

[Salome]

now that has been decided POPMart was better than Elevation musically (I'm really laughing while I'm typing this ) the question that needs to be answered is:
"why does 95% of the world believe Elevation was the better tour?"

 

[wertsie]

"why does 95% of the world believe Elevation was the better tour?"

Hmmm...Because it's the most recent tour?

I dunno...

 

[Salome]

I dunno...

almost the right answer