U2 wrote Miami

[youarenotimmune]

and then performed it live, and it was fucking beautiful!

U2 - Miami - Roundhay Park, Leeds 28-08-1997 - YouTube

 

[The Panther]

It's a good performance (though I could do without the hammy posturing) by Bono -- excellent vocals.

The song itself is unremarkable, but sounds a lot better here than on the album.

U2's incorporation of digital sounds into their music has been largely successful when they've combined it with the sound of the band playing their instruments. But when the digital has over-taken the band (e.g., "Miami"), then the very thing that makes U2 great -- the sound of the 4 guys, together -- is out the window and we're left with the quality of the song and Bono's vocal. This song is unremarkable, but the vocal is great on this performance.

 

[trevgreg]

Digging the guitar in that version. Nice and brash!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Dat guitar tone.

 

[djerdap]

Ah, Leeds 1997. One of my favourite concerts. The band never sounded so raw as on that bootleg.

 

[AndrewCowley]

U2's incorporation of digital sounds into their music has been largely successful when they've combined it with the sound of the band playing their instruments. But when the digital has over-taken the band (e.g., "Miami"), then the very thing that makes U2 great -- the sound of the 4 guys, together -- is out the window and we're left with the quality of the song and Bono's vocal. This song is unremarkable, but the vocal is great on this performance.

Very well written. Discotheque, Crazy Tonight, Numb and Babyface all fall into the same category.

 

[lemonfly]

Love the bass line. The grooves Adam conjured up on Pop were sen-fuckin-sational. He pretty much owns that album.

 

[lemonfly]

Btw I'm still hungover, but does Bono sing "Big tits and southern accents" in that clip....?

 

[gman]

I have always really liked the song Miami. Prefer it live tho. For me...it was one of the highlights of the Popmart tour....along with Please.

 

[Thaavi]

the ref is good, the rest of the song is thrash, the experiment that went nowhere

 

[Nick66]

Quite possibly U2's worst song performed on their worst tour from their worst album.

 

[mad1]

I love Miami, its sounds like U2 trippin' on drugs, thats why its so awesome!

 

[mikal]

Ah, Leeds 1997. One of my favourite concerts. The band never sounded so raw as on that bootleg.

This. I actually played this concert for a U2 hater and they were floored.

 

[djerdap]

This. I actually played this concert for a U2 hater and they were floored.

I had the exact same experience. Managed to convert the skeptics on that basis.

 

[mikal]

I had the exact same experience. Managed to convert the skeptics on that basis.

Discotheque alone would have converted me. Fucking amazing.

 

[djerdap]

Last Night on Earth/Until the End of the World/New Year's Day is what sold it. Popmart was crazily good with the transitions between songs. Please/Streets, Miami/Bullet, Discotheque/Velvet, Mofo/I Will Follow... The flow was fantastic. I almost don't blame them for never changing the set.

 

[popacrobat]

word. they struggled with it a bit at first but figured it out. Popmart might feature my favorite setlists ever from them, though some of the ones from Vertigo are quite excellent too, but they don't really match the flow of Popmart once they got it working right.

 

[rjhbonovox]

I was at this gig. George Harrison had been critical of the band the day before so Bono had a message for him during the gig. Pop and Popmart was the last time the band were truly at their peak.

 

[BVS]

Pop and Popmart was the last time the band were truly at their peak.

That's a pretty silly statement. First of all the term "peak" suggests a single time span, not something you have multiple times. But secondly, as much as I love Popmart it really was a band in identity crisis. It's hard to suggest a peak in any band's career when you have an audience that was conflicted and a band that wasn't sure who they wanted to be.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Quite possibly U2's worst song performed on their worst tour from their worst album.

I agree with you regarding the tour. The shows I saw were the U2 shows I've least enjoyed. Miami was a highlight though strangely enough.

 

[popacrobat]

ESPN just used Miami as part of a highlight/teaser package for the BCS title game.

 

[Y2K]

ESPN just used Miami as part of a highlight/teaser package for the BCS title game.

I did a triple-take when I heard the song on my TV. Probably the song I least expected to get licensed....

 

[Vlaco]

U2 - Miami / Bullet The Blue Sky (live from Leeds, 1997-08-28) - YouTube

As Bono himself once said: ''Is this cool of what?!''

 

[ATLU2]

Miami comes on in the car today, and I hit skip. My 17 year old son half jokingly says, "Dad, would you be ashamed of me if I said I liked 'Miami?' " I was kind of happy and kind of wtf? I hit back button and turned it up.

 

[prbiker15]

You raised him right.

Never had a problem with the studio version. But it’s live performances did the trick, as is the U2 way.

 

[Mac_Fly]

Always liked Miami.

Something surreal about it.

Really cool bass line.

Maybe I could do without the "my mammy" part though.

 

[Catman]

Didn't think much of it initially, but I've since learned to appreciate the tune's laid back, insouciant groove. It's quality background noise.

 

[ATLU2]

I agree wholeheartedly that's it's grown on me. But of all the U2 songs my son has heard (probably close to all of them), he's admitted to liking one of them. Miami.

 

[The_acrobat]

It took me awhile to like Miami, but it grew on me! Was a monster live! I really wish it had stuck around for the Mexico City show so we could have a good proshot version of it. It was kind of an essential part of the popmart show, really.

 

[An Cat Gav]

It was one of the better moments on the Popmart shows I saw, though that isn't saying a great deal as that was my least favourite U2 tour.

I think it has an interesting eerie vibe to it, good song.