Hawkfire
The Fly
I make a subtle but important distinction between some of the hit singles. I think Streets and One (along with recent hits B Day and Vertigo) are "requisites"...the U2 concert experience includes these songs and fans young/old, veteran/casual need them. Also, Streets and One still resonate live, the former as a showpiece in any set and One generally as an encore, emotional performance. Consequently, these two have aged better than the next set of songs.
The remaining "warhorses" are Bullet, SBS, Pride, and WOWY. Bullet has been shelved, and thank goodness. It was great on TJT, Lovetown, Zoo, Pop, and Elevation leg I, but since then has been very, very stale. SBS was absent for much of the 1990's, it's reinsertion in Elevation was OK cause we hadn't heard it in awhile. But they are still trotting out the Red Rocks version, only with 1000% less emotion. They basically let the fans sing half the song these days. Definitely needs to go or at least rotate in and out with PRIDE, which has never gotten an extended break and could use one. By the way, it was absent in Miami for the opener in 2001 and being on the floor both nights, nobody said "hey, where is Pride?" It was NOT missed. With a good dose of TUF represented in the current set, why not now for a break?
As for WOWY, I wouldn't recommend U2 drop it - if Bono could still sing the song properly. Unfortunately, listening to ANY Vertigo version of this song next to the Rosemont Horizon 1987 or Rattle & Hum DVD or Paris 1987 or Dublin 1989 version is absolutely painful. It's still a great song...if Bono is feeling it on a particular night, absolutely go for it. So Bullet, keep on the shelf for the whole tour. These other three...I won't go so far as to suggest totally dropping ANY of them, I just think all 3 could rotate and need a break. Play EITHER SBS or PRIDE, and then do WOWY when Bono's vocals are in good shape.
The remaining "warhorses" are Bullet, SBS, Pride, and WOWY. Bullet has been shelved, and thank goodness. It was great on TJT, Lovetown, Zoo, Pop, and Elevation leg I, but since then has been very, very stale. SBS was absent for much of the 1990's, it's reinsertion in Elevation was OK cause we hadn't heard it in awhile. But they are still trotting out the Red Rocks version, only with 1000% less emotion. They basically let the fans sing half the song these days. Definitely needs to go or at least rotate in and out with PRIDE, which has never gotten an extended break and could use one. By the way, it was absent in Miami for the opener in 2001 and being on the floor both nights, nobody said "hey, where is Pride?" It was NOT missed. With a good dose of TUF represented in the current set, why not now for a break?
As for WOWY, I wouldn't recommend U2 drop it - if Bono could still sing the song properly. Unfortunately, listening to ANY Vertigo version of this song next to the Rosemont Horizon 1987 or Rattle & Hum DVD or Paris 1987 or Dublin 1989 version is absolutely painful. It's still a great song...if Bono is feeling it on a particular night, absolutely go for it. So Bullet, keep on the shelf for the whole tour. These other three...I won't go so far as to suggest totally dropping ANY of them, I just think all 3 could rotate and need a break. Play EITHER SBS or PRIDE, and then do WOWY when Bono's vocals are in good shape.