Best bootlegs

[AM]

Q.

If you had to chose one or two bootleg/s of each era, which one would it be? I?m trying to get a collection of good bootlegs, but there are so many out there that I?m kinda lost.

Thanks for your help.

 

[corianderstem]

I don't have a lot of bootlegs, and none pre-Joshua Tree tour (I hope to rectify that soon!). But out of the ones I have, there's a definite favorite.

From the Zooropa tour, there's a 2-disc boot of the show that was broadcast over the radio. From Dublin, I believe? Can't recall the date. Anyway, it's a soundboard recording, and it's fabulous. It's called "Zoo Europa," but the same show may be out there under different names as well.

I play it over and over; it's definitely my favorite U2 thing that I own.

 

[mebythesea]

this is a pretty great list for a start.

http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=2471

for Popmart, I'd go for Shalom Israel and/or Sarajevo.

 

[AM]

thanks, I?m gonna check out the list

 

[U2Lynne]

Just to put in my two cents, but people will rate bootlegs as the 'best' for various reasons: sound quality, performance, setlists, etc. So, you will get different answers based on how you word your request.

As for Aarons list, he is spot on! Some of those shows are a little harder to find though.

Here's a list that I had put together a while back of popular (read: easy to find) bootlegs:

Another Time, Another Place March 6, 1981 Boston, MA excellent soundboard CDR (1)
Riverboat President Feb 11, 1982 & Dec 6, 1982 New Orleans, London very good/excellent audience CDR (1)
The Complete Boston '83 Tapes May 6, 1983 & Oct 14, 1980 Boston, MA and Holland excellent soundboard CDR (2)

Rattle and Hum Digitally Remastered Outtakes various various excellent professional recording CDR (2)
Rock's Hottest Ticket (Red Phantom) April 29, 1987 Chicago excellent audience CDR (2)
December XXVII Dec 27, 1989 Dublin, Ireland excellent soundboard CDR (2)

Dancing Zoo TV June 11, 1992 Stockholm excellent audience CDR (2)
The Real Thing June 15, 1992 Rotterdam good/very good soundboard CDR (2)
Zoo Europa August 28, 1993 Dublin excellent broadcast CDR (2)

Macarena Out of Control Sept 13, 1997 Barcelona excellent audience CDR (2)
Miss Sarajevo Sept 23, 1997 Sarajevo CDR (2)
Meximofo Dec 3, 1997 Mexico Excellent television broadcast CDR (2)
Viva Santiago Feb 11, 1998 Santiago, Chile good/very good broadcast CDR (2)

Blessed Are the Peacemakers March 29, 2001 Charlotte Audience recording by George W (very good) CDR (2)
I Remember You April 15, 2001 Portland Audience recording by GL (excellent) CDR (2)
The Last of the Rock Stars April 20, 2001 San Jose Audience recording by SG CDR (2)

The Cleveland Tea Party May 3, 2001 Cleveland ALD/audience recording (excellent) CDR (2)
That's Where I Lost You: New York June 17, 2001 New York Audience recording by SB (excellent) CDR (2)

Stronger Than Love & Pride July 18, 2001 Paris Audience recording by CV (very good/excellent) CDR (2)
(no title) July 21, 2001 Turin Audience recording by CV (very good/excelletn) CDR (2)

(no title) Oct 24, 2001 New York Audience recording by GW (very good/excellent) CDR (2)
When I Look at the World Nov 27, 2001 Kansas City Audience recording by AE (very good/excellent) CDR (2)

 

[AM]

Another Time, Another Place March 6, 1981 Boston, MA excellent soundboard CDR (1)

I just got this one. It?s excellent!!!

And Lynne, thanks for the list. I already have a few of the ones you mentioned, but I?m definately going to look into the others as well.


But there?s one thing. Isn?t there any decent UF bootleg??

 

[U2Lynne]

But there?s one thing. Isn?t there any decent UF bootleg??

Definately! I put that list together ages ago for newbie collectors and I guess I just missed that time.....

Unforgettable Fire Nantes Soundboard Oct 23, 1984 Nantes, France excellent SBD CDR (2)

The Unforgetable Night Feb 5, 1985 Bologna excellent AUD CDR (2)

The Unforgetable Show Feb 27, 1985 Houston excellent AUD
see FLOM CDR (1)

Cinema Screen Mar 27, 1985 Montreal excellent SBD CDR (1)

Close to the Edge June 22, 1985 England excellent AUD CDR (2)

Also, if you have lots of time, you can just go to FLOM and look through the reviews of bootlegs during that period.

 

[FallingStar]

I don't have that much bootlegs, but I love the last Elevation gig in Miami and the New Year's Day gig at Point Depot.

 

[Liesje]

My fave = At The Eleventh Hour (Point Depot, Dublin Dec. 30, 1989)

I also really like the audience boot from the concert on the Boston DVD - Cops and Priests and Kennedys (June 6, 2001)

 

[BostonAnne]

My 3 of my 4 favorite recordings are on the list!

New Year's Eve, Point Depot 12/30/89
Rock's Hottest Ticket, Chicago, IL 4/29/87
The Complete Boston Tapes 5/6/83

My favorite is Providence 10/30/01

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The 10/27 Elevation MSG show isn't the greatest sound quality by any stretch... but the emotion of it is just... i dunno... can't pick a good word to describe it...

 

[AM]

..isn't the greatest sound quality by any stretch... but the emotion of it is just... i dunno... can't pick a good word to describe it...

I know that feeling. I was in Slane and the bootleg from the Slane show isn?t of great quality either, but the emotions..... it?s incredible.


thanks everybody for their input

 

[Muad'zin]

I tend to shun Soundboards and Earpieces, they are soulless recordings. In a U2 show the audience IS the 5th member that makes or breaks a show and you barely hear any audience in such recordings. So I like bootlegs where I can hear the audience sing along but with balance. They musn't be louder then the band nor do I want to hear conversations or individual screamers. But if the chemistry of a show comes over I will not make fuss about quality. One of my favorites is the Naples Zooropa show which has barely listenable quality but excellent atmosphere.
The next thing I select for is setlists. I like things out of the ordinary, when they pull one of their more obscure warhorses from the stables,, when most of my favorites are being played or when they hustle up the setlist like in Chicago. For that reason leg 3 of Elevation never goes into my CD player, they're all the same, while any Elevation show with 11 o'clock tick tock never leaves it.

 

[corianderstem]

Interesting! I've never really looked at bootlegs from that viewpoint before. I have to say I'm on the "better quality" side of the fence, but that was when I was shelling out $$ for them. Now that I've learned so many are available for download here or there, I'm definitely going to be less picky.

For the most part, I find the heart and soul to be the music itself, but I loves me a good crowd moment.

"Rattle and Hum," fer instance. In the movie itself, during "Pride," the crowd almost drowns out Bono after he instructs them to sing the last chorus with him. Never fails to give me chills. But on the CD? The audience's singing has been dropped out of the mix. Bummer!

A few months ago I ran across a live version of "Whiskey in the Jar" where after two or three words sung by Bono, it turns into the largest singalong ever. What a great moment! I don't know where or when this was from, but I'm assuming Ireland, since the thousands in attendance obviously knew this Irish song.

 

[Liesje]

I tend to shun Soundboards and Earpieces, they are soulless recordings. In a U2 show the audience IS the 5th member that makes or breaks a show and you barely hear any audience in such recordings. So I like bootlegs where I can hear the audience sing along but with balance.

AMEN!!! I'd rather laugh at the annoying guy singing off-key directly into a recording device than NO audience at all. And sometimes when you listen to the audience boots at full volume on your headphones, it feels like you are there. You can here different people on either side and in front and back of you. The soundboards and earpieces are so dull, might as well listen to the album.

 

[U2Lynne]

In general, I am not so into listening to the earpiece recordings either, but if I want to hear Bono moan right in my ear, that is the type of recording I will put on!

 

[corianderstem]

The soundboards and earpieces are so dull, might as well listen to the album.

Ooh, I have to jump up and open my mouth again at that!

For me, the appeal of the bootleg is the variations in the songs. It never sounds the same as it does on the album (and if it does, then that's dull). Sometimes I end up liking the version performed live over the studio version.

Also, you can often feel/hear the energy in the live version. So even if I can't hear the energy of the crowd, I get it through the music, and you can feel the joy the band gets out of performing.

So hey, if I can get both the quality sound and all the other stuff, I'm gunning for the soundboard boots!

I'm not familiar with earpiece boots. Can someone tell me how the sound quality compares to a soundboard boot? Are they about the same?

 

[U2Lynne]

I'm not familiar with earpiece boots. Can someone tell me how the sound quality compares to a soundboard boot? Are they about the same?

An earpiece recording is a soundboard in the truest sense in that it comes directly out of the soundboard. However, it is mixed differently because it is for the members of the band's earpieces. Each band member has certain sounds/instruments they need to hear better than others. For instance, Bono needs to be able to hear his voice really well to make sure he is singing on key. Thus, if you listen to a recording from Bono's earpiece, you hear Bono up close and personal. Like I said, he moans right in your ear!

 

[Liesje]

Ooh, I have to jump up and open my mouth again at that!

For me, the appeal of the bootleg is the variations in the songs. It never sounds the same as it does on the album (and if it does, then that's dull). Sometimes I end up liking the version performed live over the studio version.

Also, you can often feel/hear the energy in the live version. So even if I can't hear the energy of the crowd, I get it through the music, and you can feel the joy the band gets out of performing.

So hey, if I can get both the quality sound and all the other stuff, I'm gunning for the soundboard boots!

I'm not familiar with earpiece boots. Can someone tell me how the sound quality compares to a soundboard boot? Are they about the same?

ok, I guess what I said was a little harsh, after all, my favorite bootleg happens to be a soundboard/broadcast. I just think that in general, the audience bootlegs are much more satisfying than soundboard. I think one major difference that should be noted is the difference between soundboard and broadcast. Lots of my favorite "soundboard" boots are really broadcasts (examples: PopMart Mexico City - not sure exactly which one, PopMart Santiago - not sure exactly which one, PopMart Sarajevo - looks like ALL of them, Zoo Europa.....) and it seems with these recordings there is an attempt to include more audience rather than using plain soundboard.

Earpiece bootlegs are very strange to me. Especially the Elevation rehearsal one. You can't even hear Adam at all, I didn't even know he was there until I watched it on tape!

 

[U2Lynne]

Earpiece bootlegs are very strange to me. Especially the Elevation rehearsal one. You can't even hear Adam at all, I didn't even know he was there until I watched it on tape!

Earpiece recordings are like any other recording: you have your good ones and you have your bad ones. And, of course, it depends on whose earpiece you are listening to! I do love the Popmart earpieces though. All of this talk made me to put the Vancouver one on tonight and I'm in heaven (even though Bono seems to have a bit of a voice problem). Sometimes I really do want to listen to something a bit different.

 

[corianderstem]

I never realized that "soundboard" was a different thing from "broadcast." Just goes to show you're never too old for the adage: You learn something new every day!

In that case, I'll change my stance to preferring bootlegs where the sound quality is great.

 

[U2SJ]

One of my favorites that I have had in my car for months now is Oakland 11/15/2001, Bono tells the cigarette story which kills me every time, and Sunday Bloody Sunday rocks, the crowd goes wild after Bono yells out "Osama Bin Laden you can kiss my royal Irish arse", great crowd moment!! Great show, Bono seemed extra chatty that night

 

[U2Lynne]

One of my favorites that I have had in my car for months now is Oakland 11/15/2001, Bono tells the cigarette story which kills me every time, and Sunday Bloody Sunday rocks, the crowd goes wild after Bono yells out "Osama Bin Laden you can kiss my royal Irish arse", great crowd moment!! Great show, Bono seemed extra chatty that night

Bono was very chatty that night! That's part of what made it so special. And I loved the cigarette story. And I loved the little girl he put on his shoulders and took around (she was only about 20 people behind me in the GA line). I loved the people around me in the line and I loved the people I met in the heart.

OK, I think I went OT here, but that was a great show for me (probably the only time I will ever get my hubby to go GA to a show with me!)

 

[U2SJ]

U2Lynne- Where were you in the heart that night? I was with my friend (her 1st U2 show!) and we were on Edges side inside by the tip of the heart...It was a special night for me too, Dallas gave me a Bono pick that night and I met spanisheyes and debbiesg....we didn't meet up on the way in? You probably would have remembered me, I made quite a scene after security took my camera and then nearly took me out that night anyways, great memories! Bono was in a great mood that night!
Aren't you bummed there is no VHS boot?

 

[U2Lynne]

U2Lynne- Where were you in the heart that night? I was with my friend (her 1st U2 show!) and we were on Edges side inside by the tip of the heart...It was a special night for me too,

You probably would have remembered me, I made quite a scene after security took my camera and then nearly took me out that night anyways, great memories! Bono was in a great mood that night!
Aren't you bummed there is no VHS boot?

I was right where you were! I was in the heart, about 10 people from the tip on Edges side and YES!!! I remember a gal right in front of me while going in who got stopped for trying to go in when they wanted to take her camera. Was that you? You then got in and were right in back of me walking *really* fast and you got all excited as you got close to getting into the heart and said something like 'Oh my gosh, I got in anyway' or something like that. I can't remember. I met up with this guy and his two sisters and we all hung out together in the heart with this other guy who was in charge of taking pictures. We had such a blast!

And yeah, I haven't found a tape of that show yet either. I don't think there is a video taper up in this area and I'm not brave enough.

 

[U2SJ]

Yep, then we were definitely close, I was like 4 people from the tip... Ya know that whole scene with my camera was so horrible, it was like my worst nightmare, we were numbers 55-56 in line, there since 6am, and then they wanted to kick me out cuz of my camera!!!! I almost started crying so then they let us back in, and I did kinda run like hell! I would love to see your pics, are they up somewhere? I have seen very few of Oakland
Yeah, you are right, we must not have a taper up here cuz so far neither San Jose show, nor either Oakland show have shown up on video...

 

[U2Lynne]

I would love to see your pics, are they up somewhere?

Hubby took great pictures of San Jose, but when we were in line for Oakland, we talked to the guards several times and they were very adamant that we could not take pictures. I had hubby take the camera back to the car before the show (so we wouldn't get stopped). So, we have no pictures from there.

We were numbers 98 and 99 in Oakland, I think. We got there just before 9:00 (had to drop the kids off at school first. I live in Sunnyvale).

 

[Blue Room]

Ok, just a couple of things.

First, no one mentioned probebly one of the best "quality" bootlegs out there.

Back In Denver 11-7-87 soundboard (re-master of the direct video feed that was used for the Caught on 35mm Black and White" bootleg. This is probebly one of the best "quality wise" U2 bootlegs out there.

Regarding ear feeds. I dont think you have good ear feeds then. Personally, I would rather hear the band over the crowd anyday.
Sorry, but hearing some girl scream Bono I Love you at the top her lungs or some drunk yelling UUUUU 2222 the whole show isnt appealing to me. The audience recordings that are good IMO are the ones that have little crowd noise. But I have had this argument before. Most of the great ear feeds out there are not circulating. So there is your answer. Also, a little remastering goes a long way on alot of ear feeds I remastered the 3-22-01 Miami rehearsal and it almost sounds like a direct soundboard now.

 

[AM]

Also, a little remastering goes a long way on alot of ear feeds I remastered the 3-22-01 Miami rehearsal and it almost sounds like a direct soundboard now.

I like good sound quality as well. Listen, I got Bono?s earpiece recording from the rehearsals, but I don?t relly like them because you can?t hear Adam at all. And U2 without Adam isn?t U2. Is there chance you might be willing to share your remastered piece??? I?d be such a happy girl

 

[STING2]

I agree with Blue Room, 11-7-87 is awesome. I bought on cassette in Dublin for $5 and it sounds better than most of the Soundboard CDs that I have! I'd like to start converting a lot of my cassette boots to CD though. A great show from the Boy Tour is the PINKPOP Festival in June 1981! Its the last or second to last show of the Boy Tour, and the band sound amazing! Blows away the March 6, 1981 show even though thats a great show.