Zooropa Discussion (AKA We're Gonna Tweet Out Loud)

[djerdap]

If I could demand one ultimate fantasy U2 hook up with another artist on a U2 song - it would be them some how, some way, some where, some time, busting Lemon out with Prince taking the lead. And really Prince-ing up the arrangement along the way. Fucking hell.

I'm not sure if you're serious, but I wouldn't take that road mate. Lemon has a certain melancholic, tragic note to it - it's a very personal song to Bono (one of a couple of songs dealing with the loss of his mother), Prince would only glam and whore it up.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

No, no, no I completely understand that. It’s not one of my two or three single favourite U2 songs just because it sounds cool. And the ZooTV Lemon-WOWY performance from Bono, I think, is probably his most naked, personal moment on stage, and definitely one of his single strongest. (And as a random aside, I hate people saying ‘Macphisto’ ruined WOWY. If you think that, it’s gone right over your head.)

But it’s pretty simplistic to think that Prince is just glam/whore, and it’s very limiting to think that the only way they could possibly perform it together is if it were turned into a Prince hump-fest. It’s entirely possible for U2 to play a re-jigged version that does play up to what are its live strengths (and as a 'performance', they won't top what he did with it on ZooTV, if hypothetically they did pull it out on 360, you know that in reality it would be a simple, jumped version that purely plays on it as 'fun', they don't really do moody/thinky on 360), with a guest vocalist who absolutely suits that vocal (given that the assumption is that Bono couldn't pull it off anymore), and keep true to the meaning/feeling. And besides, It’s also song Bono once described as ‘a Prince song’. It’s not that much of a stretch. But yeah… U2 are never, ever going to perform Lemon with Prince, so it’s not really worth talking about.

 

[cobl04]

(And as a random aside, I hate people saying ‘Macphisto’ ruined WOWY. If you think that, it’s gone right over your head.)

Cool idea.

 

[coolian2]

I hate people saying ‘Macphisto’ ruined WOWY.

i still think it's shit because bono kept applying it to with or without you after zoo tv. when i say macphisto ruined it, that's what i mean.

now, if we want songs that were ruined with the character, roll on desire and ultraviolet.

 

[djerdap]

i still think it's shit because bono kept applying it to with or without you after zoo tv. when i say macphisto ruined it, that's what i mean.

now, if we want songs that were ruined with the character, roll on desire and ultraviolet.

He didn't apply Macphisto's style of singing to post-1993 versions. Macphisto put more energy into it. Almost every post-1993 version is Bono simply being bored stiffless. Hardly had anything to do with 10 performances he probably barely even remembers in 1993. Besides, most of Macphisto's performances of With or Without You were more akin to the 1992 ZooTV versions, since that version was played on the '93 European leg.

Didn't have problems with Ultra Violet, and I loved his interpretation of both Desire and Daddy's Gonna Pay.

 

[cobl04]

Mirrorball Man's Desire is by far my favourite version of the song.

 

[cathalmc]

Pardon the French, but get fucked.

You are right, that there were some poor reactions in Oz to certain songs, did I ever say that there weren’t? Forgive me for being part of the 5-10%. Forgive me for being disappointed when we finally get our 5-10% share of the setlist and people treat it like a bucket of cold water. The band see those reactions as disincentive to play surprises. Would have expected more from Sao Paulo, given how great the audience is generally. I made no judegements on them as an audience in general, just disappointing for US fans that U2 will run scared on the thought of playing Zooropa because 90% of the crowd can’t appreciate it.

Bad doesn't fit in the category I am thinking of anyway, it is not a left-field song. It is an underplayed gem, but still played.

Melbourne should also be ashamed with it's reaction to Bad.

Hey, French is very welcome, no need to pardon yourself to me if you want to use a wee swearie.

You still seem to think that U2 audiences around the world should all know what songs they have and haven't been playing during the last twenty years. Not every U2 fan is a setlist junkie. Personally I'm all for people not following setlists and enjoying the one show they go to see; I've never followed setlists.

Melbourne should feel the Smee Finger of Setlist Shame too, eh?

Shame! Shame! Shame!

 

[cathalmc]

Unfortunately, absolutely no one around us was moving or singing. Even the fans inside the pit in front of us stood there like trees flapping in the wind. I didn't give a fuck, but it made me think that most of the fans there that had waited six days in line for those spots weren't familiar with the song (no shit).

They were going nuts whilst entering the stadium, perhaps they were all burned out by showtime.

But Zooropa isn't really a jump around and go nuts songs. Those fans that did go ape are the ones who knew how rare and special a treat it was, and that's what caused them to jump around.

This whole "the crowd didn't respond to Zooropa" argument is a red herring imo. I don't think the song itself is as jumpable as I Will Follow, Elevation or Streets. It's more a Magnificent or COBL type of song for crowd response i.e. stand and watch and occasionally wave your hands in the air.

 

[djerdap]

I think whether a song is "jumpable" or not depends on the listener. I certainly wouldn't go crazy to Zooropa because it's a rare or special song, I would go crazy simply because I love the song. The second half of Zooropa is pretty damn jumpable to me anyway. I would do the same with Until the End of the World, Streets or I Will Follow, tracks that get played all the time.

 

[Tommy WM]

I don't think they want everyone to go crazy during this song. Yes its a great song, but its purpose is to be the transisition, the moment we go from A to B and in the Claw's case, the moment in the show when the screen comes down. The band unfortunately didn't come up with the idea to play Zooropa, it was an idea from Willie Williams and sound engineer Dec (same with Scarlet, Your Blue Room & HMTMKMKM). I guess it didn't help playing it in the dark either. Anyone else remember the first North Star in Turin? You don't have to go apeshit to really enjoy a song. However as we all know, U2 have probably become use to this because fans usually go apeshit during their songs.

 

[chrissybaby]

Zooropa looks and sounds fabulous, really sharp. I do think that after the middle 8 and the big boom(!) with "I have no compass..." they could light the stadium up a bit more, but that's just a small criticism... The "What do you want?" text looks incredible... We've all said it from the start, that this stage needs rock songs with atmosphere and art...

Every gift they give us like this just keeps me wanting more and lamenting the fact that they don't use that INCREDIBLE screen with The Fly or Mofo, or now I'll be honest, even Bullet. I also find it strange that they haven't played Discotheque. The song would finally make sense live on that stage IMO, moreso than even Popmart.

Above all though, Mofo and The Fly. They'd be the showstoppers. Although 360 looks the best it's ever looked now, both in setlist and lighting IMO... The US leg will be a real treat.

 

[brooklynmike]

I don't think they want everyone to go crazy during this song. Yes its a great song, but its purpose is to be the transisition, the moment we go from A to B and in the Claw's case, the moment in the show when the screen comes down.

Exactly

 

[brooklynmike]

But Zooropa isn't really a jump around and go nuts songs. Those fans that did go ape are the ones who knew how rare and special a treat it was, and that's what caused them to jump around.

This whole "the crowd didn't respond to Zooropa" argument is a red herring imo. I don't think the song itself is as jumpable as I Will Follow, Elevation or Streets. It's more a Magnificent or COBL type of song for crowd response i.e. stand and watch and occasionally wave your hands in the air.

Also exactly

That being said, the same goes for YBR which was in the same or similar slot and got the boot pretty soon based on crowd reaction.

I just hope Zooropa gets some solid cheering/ applause after the song ends, not necessarily during the song.

 

[BVS]

I think, is probably his most naked, personal moment on stage,

This is what I love, everyone has completely different experiences when it comes to music. I get the complete opposite feeling with his performance of Lemon, it's probably his most "covered up" performances it's as if he really is a completely different person performing this song.

 

[Steved1998]

Please play Zooropa at Giants Stadium

 

[corianderstem]

To me, "jumpable" means "I would like to jump that person's bones. That person is very jumpable."

So yes, I do agree that Zooropa is jumpable.

 

[garciaricky0019]

Every gift they give us like this just keeps me wanting more and lamenting the fact that they don't use that INCREDIBLE screen with The Fly or Mofo, or now I'll be honest, even Bullet. I also find it strange that they haven't played Discotheque. The song would finally make sense live on that stage IMO, moreso than even Popmart.

Above all though, Mofo and The Fly. They'd be the showstoppers. Although 360 looks the best it's ever looked now, both in setlist and lighting IMO... The US leg will be a real treat.

^^This!!! ...The Fly, Mofo, Discotheque, and Gone..do belong as staples in this 360 setlist, all of them combining with EBTTRT, UV, HMTMKMKM, and ZOOROPA is what THE CLAW should really be all about!!!

 

[ramblin rose]

^^This!!! ...The Fly, Mofo, Discotheque, and Gone..do belong as staples in this 360 setlist, all of them combining with EBTTRT, UV, HMTMKMKM, and ZOOROPA is what THE CLAW should really be all about!!!

Then people will say, oh U2 is doing a 90's greatest hit tour.

 

[powerhour24]

Please play Zooropa at Giants Stadium

Too late, Giants Stadium doesn't exist anymore, .

 

[powerhour24]

That Amplifier article called the Zooropa album 'critic-diving', that's not really true, it was pretty universally acclaimed.

 

[ramblin rose]

That Amplifier article called the Zooropa album 'critic-diving', that's not really true, it was pretty universally acclaimed.

Yeah, I mean it won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

 

[garciaricky0019]

Then people will say, oh U2 is doing a 90's greatest hit tour.

...but you would love it also!!!! ...say it ain't so?? dare to!!!!

 

[ramblin rose]

...but you would love it also!!!! ...say it ain't so?? dare to!!!!

Of course. I wouldn't even mine if they played Pop in it's entirety and then people could say oh this is Popmart all over again.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

Of course. I wouldn't even mine if they played Pop in it's entirety and then people could say oh this is Popmart all over again.

I would be more than okay with that. To me, this stage and this tour have always screamed ZooTv/PopMart. I'd love to see them do mostly JT, AB, and Pop songs on it.

 

[BoMac]

If I could demand one ultimate fantasy U2 hook up with another artist on a U2 song - it would be them some how, some way, some where, some time, busting Lemon out with Prince taking the lead. And really Prince-ing up the arrangement along the way. Fucking hell.

They could probably do a passable version of it with Edge on the lead, but it wouldn't be quite as good. Not the same tone. Bono can probably still bust that voice out, probably just not anywhere near as clear or with as much strength. ie, not something they could bank on for midway through a long set, in a large stadium, on a long tour, on any given night. It would take near perfect conditions, voice-quality wise. Chances are you'd just get his overcompensation, which is just shouting normally, but for Lemon, would be some godawful satanic shrieking or something.

Anyway, make this happen U2!

Bono in Rolling Stone:

In fact, one of the best bits the other night was "Get On Your Boots." The song has finally connected. It took awhile. I always knew there was a great song in there. It's punk rock now, where before it was Prince. There was a moment when Prince did rock & roll with a sponge-y seductive sound. I think that's what was in our head for "Get On Your Boots." But actually the song is much more punk rock.

 

[mama cass]

^ how? how is it punk rock? i mean, really, B-man

 

[BoMac]

By the way, that quote was from August.

 

[nirniva]

^ how? how is it punk rock? i mean, really, B-man

They wrote it on Venus, if that helps any.

 

[powerhour24]

It's a very simple riff-based rock song, .

 

[BoMac]

U2 overworked 'Get on Your Boots' | The List

This started popping up on Google alerts today, and blogs have started picking it up, but I think the quotes are old.

Anyway, maybe Zooropa got a muted reaction because Sao Paolo fans aren't groovy enough?