Best opening 4-song Quartet

[marik]

which has been the best opening 4-song quartet? not which are the best collection of songs, and not including their respective intro's (walking thru crowd, goose-stepping, house-lights up, etc), but just which 4-some was the best opening to a U2 concert(flow, energy-wise)?

Lets just consider the more popularly used 4-somes,

1) Streets, IWF, Trip through your wires, Still Havent Found
2) zoo station, the fly, even better, mysterious ways
3) mofo, IWF, gone, even better
4) elevation, beautiful day, until end of the world, new years day
5) city of blinding lights, vertigo, elevation, electric co
6) breathe, no line, boots, magnificant

 

[Chill Mike D]

Not even close, the ZooTV opener.

 

[discothequeLP]

take ZooTV, make it 10 instead of 4, now you're onto something

 

[Axver]

I'd rather take Out Of Control/Twilight/An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart or The Ocean/11 O'clock Tick Tock/I Will Follow/Touch from back in the day.

 

[marik]

i agree zootv is the obvious choice, but it was occuring to me how highly i also think of the elevation intro. just seems like a good mix of new into old material

 

[U2387]

I'd rather take Out Of Control/Twilight/An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart or The Ocean/11 O'clock Tick Tock/I Will Follow/Touch from back in the day.

Sometimes I feel like you and I are the only ones on this board that remember U2 existed prior to 1984!!

Zoo TV is still my favorite by miles, though.

Next would be Joshua Tree. Streets into I Will Follow is an incredible 1-2 punch, and then the unconventional for U2 Trip Through Your Wires, which is a very, very underrated and unfairly maligned song, I think. Raw energy and desire came right through in every live performance of this song, Larry's drumming here is awesome as is Bono on the harmonica. Then right into those epic JT versions of Still Haven't Found where they would talk about traveling America and becoming super stars overnight.

I will say that this entire list is very, very good with the exception of Breathe/No Line/Boots/Magnificent.

In my opinion, its 3 great songs and 1 good song, but still, it just didn't work. Why? I'd say its because these were not well known songs that got the crowd going early. They tried to repeat Zoo Tv by opening with 4 new ones, but forgot that No Line wasn't nearly as widely known as AB. Also, Breathe and No Line, while top tier U2 songs in my opinion, are just not cut out for the top of the set list. They both kind of start and stop in terms of intensity, which is actually a very good thing, just not at the top of the set list.

So glad that they've put I Will Follow back in slot 2. It lifts the roof off the place no matter where its played or when.

Their best opening quartets have one thing in common- they bring the energy all the way through! Zoo TV 1-4, you can feel the energy even listening to bootlegs.

 

[LemonMelon]

ZooTV, of course.

4) elevation, beautiful day, until end of the world, new years day

But this, while probably not the most popular choice, is a close second. 3 out of 4 are classic songs, and even Elevation is good live.

 

[nielsgov]

ZooTV followed closely by Popmart.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

ZooTV

 

[djerdap]

ZooTV without any doubt. Lovetown with the unforgettable Hawkmoon opener (Hawkmoon 269/Desire/All Along the Watchtower/Bullet the Blue Sky or All I Want Is You ) is great as well. The rocking Popmart opening takes the third place, and while I'm not a fan of Vertigo and Elevation, the opening punch of City of Blinding Lights/Vertigo/Elevation/The Electric Co. (or Vertigo/I Will Follow/The Electric Co./Elevation/New Year's Day on the European legs) worked really good on the Vertigo tour.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

well I have to go with ZooTV

 

[Vlaco]

Is this even a contest? Zoo TV of course!

 

[An Cat Gav]

ZOO TV with lovetown coming in second.

 

[Salome]

1. Streets, IWF, Trip through your wires, Still Havent Found
2. elevation, beautiful day, until end of the world, new years day
3. zoo station, the fly, even better, mysterious ways

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

ZooTV by far

then Mofo/IWF

then 79 or 80 intro

 

[Galeongirl]

1. ZooStation, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways.

Miles lower, but still awesome..

2. PopMuzik > Mofo, I Will Follow, Gone, Even Better Than The Real Thing

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

1. ZooStation, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways.

Miles lower, but still awesome..

2. PopMuzik > Mofo, I Will Follow, Gone, Even Better Than The Real Thing

Why do you have the same tastes as I?!

 

[Galeongirl]

Why do you have the same tastes as I?!

We're one... but we're not the same.


And because you have good taste.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

 

[Galeongirl]

GMTA

 

[U2girl]

Popmart. The best setlist they ever had, and it shows even as early as the opening 4 songs.

 

[prbiker15]

1) ZooTV - Unbelievable way to start a show, with Zoo Station, then The Fly and EBTTRT with Mysterious Ways.

2) Elevation - Great way to start, with the major hits of that time, then moving to UTEOTW and New Year's Day.

3) Popmart - Sort of tied with Elevation.

4-6) The others (with the 360 2009 opening last).

 

[Niceman]

ZooTV followed closely by Popmart.

Yep!

 

[Canadiens1131]

Impossible to break the momentum of the ZooTV opener. Not even Popmart's opening salvo with the boxer and crowdwalk, although it comes close.

Recent U2 tour openings have been more "honest" with the band walking on stage embracing the crowd and doing feelgood numbers.

ZooTV had balls. And leather crotchless pants.

 

[marik]

crotchless?

 

[mad1]

I think Zoo Station, Mofo and COBL made the best openings....the others seemed more down the line mid setlist.

so, that said, I will opt for, in terms of a good foursome - Zoo Station.
followed by Mofo then COBL!


HOWEVER, I never saw the Streets opening.

 

[Canadiens1131]

crotchless?

crotchless.

 

[trevgreg]

The four-song opener on the Elevation tour seems to be the most consistent to me. The first three songs were a great 1,2,3 punch and a classic U2 track to cap it off seemed to do the trick.

 

[Swan269]

2) zoo station, the fly, even better, mysterious ways

all from the new album at the time...such a real statement of faith in the new songs.

 

[marik]

...and such faith shown again in 2009 with opening quartet, with much-different fan opinion.