IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?

[spanisheyes]

U2 guitarist the Edge says the band is happy to make these documents of its concert available for fans, even though the group itself doesn't invest much energy in promoting them."I think that there's a big demand amongst the real die-hard fans for the recording of the shows. And I think that it's interesting to be able to offer the real die-hard fans those recordings, but not necessarily market them or promote them in the way you would a studio record, where it's a lot of attention and, you know, money. We discovered with Rattle And Hum you can't really have a small conventional album release when you've become a band as big as we were then. You can't tell people that 'We just want to release this record and we just want this to be a small one.'"

First a comment on the above boldface: I must admit that I was a little saddened by this comment...we all know U2 is one of the greatest live bands ever, and for U2, in marketing terms, not see this as an important aspect of U2 doesn't make sense to me...not don't get me wrong, I've loved this band since 1980, and I'm just trying to find reason for things I've wondered for years, and it appears as if The Edge has answered it for me.

However, I'm hopeful, and want to make suggestion, and also hear suggestions that if The Edge is reading this place, may see what the die-hard fans really wish for.

First: Release 'U2 Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky' on DVD with full set songs put back on. I have bolded the songs emitted from the VHS.
June 05, 1983/Denver, CO, Tour: War-2nd leg
Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheater
Main Set: Out Of Control, Twilight, An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart, Surrender, Two Hearts Beat As One, Seconds, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Electric Co., I Fall Down, October, New Year's Day, I Threw A Brick..., A Day Without Me, Gloria
Encore(s): Party Girl, 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, I Will Follow, 40
Comments: Recorded and released as 'U2 Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky'

Second: A DVD release of a show from The Unforgettable Fire tour (a video was released with the making of the album, and the live performances were pieced together concerts of 'A Sort of Homecoming, and 'Bad'), along with their performances at Live Aid in Wembley and The Amnesty Tour at Giants Stadium. We all know that certain fans have the last two on VHS, but it would great to have cleaned up versions visually and sonically for all fans to have, and a show of that time period of the band.

Since Rattle and Hum has already been released on DVD, and with just the trailer added in addition to the movie, I'm doubtful about this suggestion. However...here it goes:

Third: Re-release Rattle and Hum, and on a second disc, add the Denver show in it's entirety, along with outtakes of the original movie, or other songs or highlights of the tour that were caught on tape.

The next one is not long either, well...

Fourth: If they release the Sydney show from the ZooTv tour...then just add 'Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World' which was dropped from the VHS. Of course, a second disc of highlights from the tour, tour design concepts from Willie, and the creations of Mirrorball Man and MacPhisto.

Fifth: If they release the Popmart show from Mexico on DVD, the second disc could include highlights from the tour, tour designs from Willie, and possibly the contruction of the Popmart stage from beginning to end, now that would be awesome. Other highlights could include the memorable shows of Sarajevo, Chile, Brazil, and South Africa, and other shows.

Lastly, we all know that U2 has recorded ever show they have ever done, and it would be great if U2 would open its vaults and offer these shows to fans. I would love to be able to have the chance to have clean versions of the shows that I've personally attended, plus those shows that were highlights for the band, or just songs that I might have missed on my show, but would love to hear live. This could be done through U2.com, with a certain percentage of the proceeds going to Amnesty, Greenpeace, Jubilee 2000, and other U2 supported charities.

Chris





[This message has been edited by spanisheyes (edited 10-27-2001).]

 

[Se7en]

IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?

in one word...yes.

but it was a good idea...

 

[Johnny Swallow]

In short, Yes.

Sydney and Rattle & Hum might happen, but I doubt any of the others will.

 

[NicaMom]

We discovered with Rattle And Hum you can't really have a small conventional album release when you've become a band as big as we were then.
hmmm, R&H wasn't realeased in "small conventional way", they made a movie out of it.
The critics were not kind to U2 then, could that be the reason why they don't release all that material?

I love your suggestions, Chris, let's keep hoping.

[This message has been edited by NicaMom (edited 10-27-2001).]

 

[melon]

Well, I think such a proposition could theoretically be possible once DVD-R/RW recording becomes fast enough that, for instance, you could perhaps order a show from U2.com, and they could just create a DVD of the show right there. No fancy artwork, etc. Just a plain old DVD with your show. This technology, however, is still a few years away from the mainstream, although, seemingly, it has less to do with technology as it does with corporations dictating to us what they deem is "in-demand," and DVD-R/RW is not in their game plan yet. Stupid corporations.

However, then you get into trouble with the record label, which often seemingly "owns" U2 more than U2 owns itself. They probably will frown upon all of this, mostly because they want their piece of the action.

In short, it's a nice idea, but it will never be implemented. Too bad really, but there's always that chance, as U2 continues to archive their shows.

Melon

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"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

 

[spanisheyes]

Great comments everyone...I realized all of these suggestions were almost impossible, but I would like to think that "our band" is different...wanting their fans to have a part of themselves, especially the part of themselves they put out on the road.

Lastly, if you think about it, we have never gotten a conventional live album from U2...Under A Blood Red Sky is awesome, but it is cut up from several shows, as well as Rattle and Hum...that is why I made the suggestion of a fan being able to order their shows they attended.

Chris

 

[camiloj]

No Chris, I dont think it is too much to ask of a band like U2 at all.

 

[follower]

Camilo! How are you? I?ve missed you!

On the topic, it seems that the whole Rattle & Hum thing was a bit thraumatic for them. What a pity. Chris described above what would be a dream for any U2 fan, and mainly for someone like me who dooesn?t have so many opportunities to really see them live.

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Seu pa?s ? lindo. Seu povo ? lindo. Suas vozes s?o lindas. N?o esqueceremos voc?s. - Bono - S?o Paulo - 01/31/1998

 

[artinis1]

from nick,
while what your asking for would be
absolutely incredible from a u2 fan's
perspective, they could certainly
do some of the things you mentioned
i do beleive that sydney and popmart
will be released on dvd soon, but i can
not understand for the life of me
why they don't release a live cd
of a full show or a live anthology set
like springsteen did on about 3 or 4 cds
covering their entire career, it seems
as if edge is resigned to the fact that
live cds don't sell very well these days
so the edge should do as he mentioned
in an interview a few months ago, when
he thought there might be a possiblity
of releasing live shows on the internet
only, every time there is a web chat with
these guys no one asks them these questions
or the moderator choosed not to include
them, but u2 is great because of their
live shows and they owe the fans a great
live release on cd, not just some single
disc like rattle and hum
thanks and peace

 

[Liam Gallagher]

Too much to ask for? Of course not. We blokes in Oasis 'ave decided to one-up Pearl Jam and release every show we ever played, on DVD no less. That should satisfy the rabit, Liam-starved crowd.

 

[anitram]

I really like the idea of putting out a 2nd DVD with the Mexico City Popmart one, and featuring bonus footage. They could easily do it in the way the did the Elevation DVD. Feature a few bonus tracks like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Miss Sarajevo" from Sarajevo, "One/MLK" from Tel Aviv, or a version of "One/Hallelujah" following Jeff Buckley's death, "Mothers of the Disappeared" from Santiago and any other memorable single song performances.

 

[Salome]

mmm, I just don't know
I would like to have those DVD's, but I really don't think I'd be watching them a lot

I do think the time will come when U2 will release a lot of stuff from their archives, but I don't think this will happen as long as they're able to give us a new album/tour instead

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

[This message has been edited by Salome (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[brettig]

true salome...i really think the idea of releasing their archives of concert recordings is quite reasonable...perhaps releasing a couple 'official bootlegs' from each tour a la pj, because from what ive heard, alot of the best bootleg material never becomes available to the majority of fans, eh blue room?