djerdap
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2004
- Messages
- 7,605
This tour IS great, there is no doubt, but how does it fair, comparing it to other tours that came before?
There are people disappointed by a certain lack of energy of the band, shows that feel like a Broadway musical, setlists that never change, not to mention that Vertigo x2 thing...
But, there are very positive sides of the Vertigo Tour that don't seem to be mentioned a lot...
1. The shows are longer. It was a miracle if Elevation Tour got to 23 songs; on Vertigo it is a standard. And there are no shortened songs(like Wake Up Dead Man); every song is performed in its full version, full band. The Croke Park setlists are fantastic. Croke Park III had 26 songs(27 if you count Unchained Melody, 25 if you count An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart as one song); the show lasted over 2 and a half hours.
2. Minimum use of backing tracks. Some people would go nuts listening to Popmart bootlegs(I know some) with band's extensive use of backing tracks. On Vertigo, they are really reduced. In U2's case, backing tracks are inevitable(how can you open Beautiful Day, Bad, Love and Peace or Else, Where the Streets Have No Name), but in the case of Vertigo Tour, they are in fact very rare. City of Blinding Lights, Zoo Station or All Because of You are completely stripped down. Mysterious Ways(although there is still that synth in the background) has never sounded so raw and unpolished. My critisicm on this matter is - why oh why they are using those unnecessary backing tracks on Miracle Drug (piano in the second verse,those weird violins in the ending) or another guitar in One, when they already have two?
3. Bono's voice. Hundred times better than both Popmart and Elevation. There wasn't yet a single crisis with his voice (Popmart 1st leg was almost a complete disaster, it didn't get a lot better later - Sarajevo anyone?, he sounded raspy on most of the Elevation gigs - for a complete debacle, check out the Albany gig in June 2001).
4. Some old songs sound better than ever. Come on. Did Zoo Station and The Fly ever sound better? Sunday Bloody Sunday sounds excellent in the War trilogy(I love the Father Abraham part). The Electric Co. ROCKS. Many of you won't agree with me, but I love the new versions of Bullet. Maybe it's just that I adore the way this song is changing during the years.
5. From purely a technical perspective, the band is playing better than ever. Never heard Larry improvise so much. The man can drum(the Twickenham broadcast is especially fantastic to ears). Adam's bass playing is fantastic(especially on the new songs). The fact that every member of the band is a "multi-instrumentalist" is also commendable.
6. The feel of the show is the complete opposite of Elevation. Vertigo Tour is dark U2, who are showing us the world is not that great on the outside. But we can change that. That is, I believe, what the show is telling us.
Now, on the negative side...
1. The setlist. Especially now. Despite McGuinness's claims it won't be a Greatest Hits tour in the beginning, the European shows are just that. Addition of I Will Follow, With or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, All I Want Is You...
I was at the gig in Vienna and the crowd wasn't that enthusiastic to With or Without You. Even those who don't know the band that good understand that this song has no life anymore (well, Larry is keeping it alive on this tour a bit).
The biggest problem with the setlist, in my opinion, is that although it has some fantastic combinations (the War trilogy, the Zoo encore), how are they combined with the rest of the show - that's where the trouble lies. Love and Peace after Sometimes DOES NOT WORK. With or Without You after The Fly doesn't work. All Because of You in the second encore is a weird decision. Why not put it at the beginning with Vertigo? Pride into Streets is weak, considering what transitions into Streets we had in the last three tours.
2. Lack of energy by the band in some gigs? True, I believe. Especially on Larry's side. Although his drumming on technical side is excellent(very agressive), it sounds a bit robotic. Edge doesn't sound so enthusiastic as well(except on Electric Co.).
3. Setlist variation? There is no such thing in U2's case. I wouldn't be so pissed by this(since it is a U2 staple) if the setlist variation wasn't so strongly rumored (Bono was quoted it will happen, McGuinness too, I think).
4. NO CRUMBS!!!
We're not half past this tour, so I believe the minor quabbles I have with it are very much repairable. Vertigo Tour has the potential to be one of the best tours by the band. It's on that path for sure now.
There are people disappointed by a certain lack of energy of the band, shows that feel like a Broadway musical, setlists that never change, not to mention that Vertigo x2 thing...
But, there are very positive sides of the Vertigo Tour that don't seem to be mentioned a lot...
1. The shows are longer. It was a miracle if Elevation Tour got to 23 songs; on Vertigo it is a standard. And there are no shortened songs(like Wake Up Dead Man); every song is performed in its full version, full band. The Croke Park setlists are fantastic. Croke Park III had 26 songs(27 if you count Unchained Melody, 25 if you count An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart as one song); the show lasted over 2 and a half hours.
2. Minimum use of backing tracks. Some people would go nuts listening to Popmart bootlegs(I know some) with band's extensive use of backing tracks. On Vertigo, they are really reduced. In U2's case, backing tracks are inevitable(how can you open Beautiful Day, Bad, Love and Peace or Else, Where the Streets Have No Name), but in the case of Vertigo Tour, they are in fact very rare. City of Blinding Lights, Zoo Station or All Because of You are completely stripped down. Mysterious Ways(although there is still that synth in the background) has never sounded so raw and unpolished. My critisicm on this matter is - why oh why they are using those unnecessary backing tracks on Miracle Drug (piano in the second verse,those weird violins in the ending) or another guitar in One, when they already have two?
3. Bono's voice. Hundred times better than both Popmart and Elevation. There wasn't yet a single crisis with his voice (Popmart 1st leg was almost a complete disaster, it didn't get a lot better later - Sarajevo anyone?, he sounded raspy on most of the Elevation gigs - for a complete debacle, check out the Albany gig in June 2001).
4. Some old songs sound better than ever. Come on. Did Zoo Station and The Fly ever sound better? Sunday Bloody Sunday sounds excellent in the War trilogy(I love the Father Abraham part). The Electric Co. ROCKS. Many of you won't agree with me, but I love the new versions of Bullet. Maybe it's just that I adore the way this song is changing during the years.
5. From purely a technical perspective, the band is playing better than ever. Never heard Larry improvise so much. The man can drum(the Twickenham broadcast is especially fantastic to ears). Adam's bass playing is fantastic(especially on the new songs). The fact that every member of the band is a "multi-instrumentalist" is also commendable.
6. The feel of the show is the complete opposite of Elevation. Vertigo Tour is dark U2, who are showing us the world is not that great on the outside. But we can change that. That is, I believe, what the show is telling us.
Now, on the negative side...
1. The setlist. Especially now. Despite McGuinness's claims it won't be a Greatest Hits tour in the beginning, the European shows are just that. Addition of I Will Follow, With or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, All I Want Is You...
I was at the gig in Vienna and the crowd wasn't that enthusiastic to With or Without You. Even those who don't know the band that good understand that this song has no life anymore (well, Larry is keeping it alive on this tour a bit).
The biggest problem with the setlist, in my opinion, is that although it has some fantastic combinations (the War trilogy, the Zoo encore), how are they combined with the rest of the show - that's where the trouble lies. Love and Peace after Sometimes DOES NOT WORK. With or Without You after The Fly doesn't work. All Because of You in the second encore is a weird decision. Why not put it at the beginning with Vertigo? Pride into Streets is weak, considering what transitions into Streets we had in the last three tours.
2. Lack of energy by the band in some gigs? True, I believe. Especially on Larry's side. Although his drumming on technical side is excellent(very agressive), it sounds a bit robotic. Edge doesn't sound so enthusiastic as well(except on Electric Co.).
3. Setlist variation? There is no such thing in U2's case. I wouldn't be so pissed by this(since it is a U2 staple) if the setlist variation wasn't so strongly rumored (Bono was quoted it will happen, McGuinness too, I think).
4. NO CRUMBS!!!
We're not half past this tour, so I believe the minor quabbles I have with it are very much repairable. Vertigo Tour has the potential to be one of the best tours by the band. It's on that path for sure now.