Alright, so how do we think the warhorses are sounding this tour?
That's always a topic for much debate that, beyond MW, hasn't really come up yet.....
My thoughts:
I Will Follow: Excellent- though it always is, isn't it? Elevation is a bit slower than the others, but that's the only tour that stands out as not up to par.
Sunday Bloody Sunday: I am in the minority here who think it was the best since JT on 360. I thought it was awesome 2009-2011. Especially the Brandenburg gate version. However, I do like the new arrangement a lot and it's a good 1-2 punch with Wolves. I'd like to see it back to traditional form at some point, but I'm enjoying this version and the band seems to like it! Has a new energy to it. I like how it fits into the innocence theme by going back to the time and place for which it was written. Kind of a nice change after it's been fit into every other world event for many tours now.
40: SPECTACULAR. Much, much better than Vertigo! Close your eyes and it's 1983! Just listen to Larry pound out the ending in LA after Sheehan's death!
Bad: A notch below 360 due to the short length and Bono's voice not being quite as good. However, the MOS/Into The Mystic snippets are awesome and you can turn in your U2 fan card if you're going to complain about this in the set list! A notch below 360 is still very good, as those versions were the best since the mid 1980s. Easily. (Rome and Sydney 2010).
Pride: Popmart and Elevation were flat. Vertigo a bit better (more so toward the end) and 360 much better. It has continued the improvement it began 10 years ago- and right now is, I think, the best it's been outside of TUF-COH tours. JT and Zoo TV, Edge just didn't have the guitar tone he had 1984-1986 and has 2005-present. Pride sounds awesome this tour!
Bullet The Blue Sky: Nothing to add to what has been discussed. 1987-2001 performances all kicked ass (in different ways), 2005-2006 was the Vertigo Tour neutering and now it's back. Up there with Zoo TV!
Where The Streets Have No Name: Never a bad version of this song. Vertigo is the weakest. This tour's Streets, though far better than Vertigo, doesn't live up to its potential the way it did on every other tour. "Weak" Streets is better than strong almost anything else, but coming off the 2011 versions, which rivaled JT performances, it's a bit of a letdown.
With Or Without You: Inconsistent. Just like 360. 2009 flat. 2010 incredible. 2011 somewhere in between. This tour seems show to show. When Bono has tried (LA 2, Chi 5), it has sounded great. Otherwise, just mediocre.
Still Haven't Found: Sounds the best to me since Zoo TV. Excellent! 360 was an improvement over Elevation and Vertigo and this is another improvement.
All I Want Is You: It's 2 for 2 so far. Both times it's been played this tour, it's been phenomenal. For post Lovetown shows, only the Australian performances from 2010 are better.
One: Inconsistent. Vancouver 2, it was excellent, I thought. Most others, not so great. I like the Invisible snippet.
Mysterious Ways: No slide solo, which we all want. However, I do like it on the E stage and the band is having fun with it. No problems with MW. It could be better, but doesn't stand out as anything near weak like WOWY and One can some nights.
Until The End of The World: Best outside of Zoo TV. Unreal. Some versions on I&E could easily top some Zoo TV versions. It's never been weak, but this time, it's a show stopper.
Beautiful Day: Very good. Coming in just a bit below Elevation Tour for me. Vertigo, it flattened out a bit and then, for the most part, improved on 360. I think this one is an ever-so-slight improvement on 360. It seems like the band changed their perception of this song somewhere between Vertigo and 360. Vertigo, it felt like they were saying "here's the smash hit from our last album that we have to play, so here goes," whereas on 360, they seemed to recognize it not only as a big, relevant hit but as one of their best songs.
That's always a topic for much debate that, beyond MW, hasn't really come up yet.....
My thoughts:
I Will Follow: Excellent- though it always is, isn't it? Elevation is a bit slower than the others, but that's the only tour that stands out as not up to par.
Sunday Bloody Sunday: I am in the minority here who think it was the best since JT on 360. I thought it was awesome 2009-2011. Especially the Brandenburg gate version. However, I do like the new arrangement a lot and it's a good 1-2 punch with Wolves. I'd like to see it back to traditional form at some point, but I'm enjoying this version and the band seems to like it! Has a new energy to it. I like how it fits into the innocence theme by going back to the time and place for which it was written. Kind of a nice change after it's been fit into every other world event for many tours now.
40: SPECTACULAR. Much, much better than Vertigo! Close your eyes and it's 1983! Just listen to Larry pound out the ending in LA after Sheehan's death!
Bad: A notch below 360 due to the short length and Bono's voice not being quite as good. However, the MOS/Into The Mystic snippets are awesome and you can turn in your U2 fan card if you're going to complain about this in the set list! A notch below 360 is still very good, as those versions were the best since the mid 1980s. Easily. (Rome and Sydney 2010).
Pride: Popmart and Elevation were flat. Vertigo a bit better (more so toward the end) and 360 much better. It has continued the improvement it began 10 years ago- and right now is, I think, the best it's been outside of TUF-COH tours. JT and Zoo TV, Edge just didn't have the guitar tone he had 1984-1986 and has 2005-present. Pride sounds awesome this tour!
Bullet The Blue Sky: Nothing to add to what has been discussed. 1987-2001 performances all kicked ass (in different ways), 2005-2006 was the Vertigo Tour neutering and now it's back. Up there with Zoo TV!
Where The Streets Have No Name: Never a bad version of this song. Vertigo is the weakest. This tour's Streets, though far better than Vertigo, doesn't live up to its potential the way it did on every other tour. "Weak" Streets is better than strong almost anything else, but coming off the 2011 versions, which rivaled JT performances, it's a bit of a letdown.
With Or Without You: Inconsistent. Just like 360. 2009 flat. 2010 incredible. 2011 somewhere in between. This tour seems show to show. When Bono has tried (LA 2, Chi 5), it has sounded great. Otherwise, just mediocre.
Still Haven't Found: Sounds the best to me since Zoo TV. Excellent! 360 was an improvement over Elevation and Vertigo and this is another improvement.
All I Want Is You: It's 2 for 2 so far. Both times it's been played this tour, it's been phenomenal. For post Lovetown shows, only the Australian performances from 2010 are better.
One: Inconsistent. Vancouver 2, it was excellent, I thought. Most others, not so great. I like the Invisible snippet.
Mysterious Ways: No slide solo, which we all want. However, I do like it on the E stage and the band is having fun with it. No problems with MW. It could be better, but doesn't stand out as anything near weak like WOWY and One can some nights.
Until The End of The World: Best outside of Zoo TV. Unreal. Some versions on I&E could easily top some Zoo TV versions. It's never been weak, but this time, it's a show stopper.
Beautiful Day: Very good. Coming in just a bit below Elevation Tour for me. Vertigo, it flattened out a bit and then, for the most part, improved on 360. I think this one is an ever-so-slight improvement on 360. It seems like the band changed their perception of this song somewhere between Vertigo and 360. Vertigo, it felt like they were saying "here's the smash hit from our last album that we have to play, so here goes," whereas on 360, they seemed to recognize it not only as a big, relevant hit but as one of their best songs.
