bettydalton

Bono was determined NOT to let politics get mixed up with their ZOO TV tour back in the nineties. Ofcourse it did happen, in a very good way. U2' s manager already confirmed that he liked the idea of a remake of the ZOO TV tour, as they have done with the 2017 Joshua Tree tour as well. Adam is into the idea as well. U2 played lots of Achtung Baby songs during their European leg of their most recent tour. MacPhisto returned with a vengeance, scary to watch, but his messages are so needed in these troubling times. I have heard a lot of rumors about Bono wanting to give ZOO TV a new life, but till this day he stays a bit evasive when asked about it. The 2017 Joshua Tree Tour started out as a spur of the moment though as well. Things can happen very quickly in the world of U2. I just cant imagine Bono sitting idle at home when the US elections in 2020 are going on. 2020 would be the ideal year for a rebirth of the powerful ZOO TV tour!

Listening to the San Jose concert I really liked "American Soul". I already liked it before on the cd, but this is one of those songs that seems to gain a lot of strength when it's played live. Americans do seem to like it too, because it seems to be played often during football games, so I have heard. I think it is a worthy replacement of "Bullet the Blue Sky". When looking at the San Jose youtube video I could even see the U2 crew behind the computer screens swinging to "American Soul" as well. I think the use of the big American flag is a powerful symbol, more powerful than the video images. U2 is using the European flag in Germany and I guess in the rest of the European tour as well. "Let there be unity" as quoted from "American Soul", that must be the idea behind the flags right? Why not start waving white flags again? I would prefer that above looking at an european flag which only symbolises economic unity and not people's hearts and minds. Bono got critized a lot back in the eighties for waving white flags. Although it were just journalists who objected for whatever reason. I didnt hear any journalists complaining though these days and even during the Joshua Tree tour 2017 when U2 uses even bigger flags that arent white. I like to think of a white flag as THE color of innocence, as the international symbolic color of surrender or peace. Any fan will remember that scene where Bono holds that white flag. I think it is truly the most powerful symbol of peace and innocence. European Soul, American Soul, Asian Soul, African Soul, isnt true unity best symbolised by the white flag?

I got worried. But when I saw the youtube clip I wasnt worried anymore, because he hadnt totally lost his voice AND his voice was fine before the show. Therefore I have high hopes that he will recover soon. My thoughts go back to the start of the Joshua Tree Tour and the end of the Love Comes to Town tour, back in the eighties. In those younger days he lost his voice regularly. Maybe it was a combination of the smoke machine and a bad air conditioning system in the hall, as Bono said on stage while battling his lost voice. I think with a week' s rest at most he will be back. The shows in Berlin will probably become the final shows of the tour because they have to be rescheduled to later in the year or maybe even 2019. When my concert got cancelled in 1989 in the Ahoy in Rotterdam they came back in 1990. That was also the final concert of the tour and it was a really great gig, with lots of special songs: "anybody outthere like to take this guitar.." and Bono let a u2 fan from the audience play along with them on stage. "People get ready" was what they played. Awesome concert. Awesome voice as always. Bono undoubtedly will be back soon!

I keep loving all the old U2 songs BUT ONLY if they perform them in a new way. Hence I do love Sunday Bloody Sunday the way they perform it now. But Pride still sounds the same as back in the eighties. BUT if U2 can perform old songs with lots of energy and soul then I will still even like to hear Pride again. I heard Pride being played in Italy and Mexico at the Joshua Tree tour and the U2 fans went beserk with energetic crowd singing. I love that. I LOVE THAT. Therefore my bottomline for which songs to play is: ANY U2 song that is new or newly interpreted OR played with that much energy and spirit it will lift up everybody skyhigh... Achtung Baby is probably the only album of which I feel seperate songs feel like orphans when played live, "One' being the exception to this rule. I love that Achtung Baby album, second best or the best of all U2's work in my opinion. But for this tour I would like to suggest to skip all the Achtung Baby songs. They feel out of place for me personally. Hopefully U2 will consider a full tribute tour for the Achtung Baby album, like they did with the Joshua Tree. The U2 manager thinks it's a great idea...

Varunjay, could you please be so kind to provide a link to that interview? That suggestion by the manager would be my biggest wish! A celebration tour of Achtung Baby! Man oh man, that would be the ultimate thrill. I so dearly enjoyed the recent Joshua Tree tour, that I really would be thrilled to see the return of Achtung Baby. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are my personal U2 favorites. I have already mentioned this in the ZOO TV thread on this forum, that these violent political days are perfect for a full blown big stadium ZOO TV tour. U2 was so good at that tour. Just gives me shivers of joy thinking back to those days...

SOA seems streching it, for me too Manohlive. Edge recently said that they will they take a break after this tour. U2 will NOT play live in other parts of the world in 2019. That is just a fan's dream. New record in 2019, forget about it... Thinking about the future of u2, what was really unnerving to me, was seeing Bono walk on stage during this recent tour. I hadnt noticed it during the Joshua Tree tour. Has something happened since then? He really moves very carefully and restrained. I usually never read about private things of the individual band members, but for the first time I am worried about Bono's health. He really seems to lack energy during this tour. Never had that feeling about Bono before. But for the first time I really do feel Bono could be at the end of the road. He still has got the spirit. But the fysical power is definitely lacking on stage. I really would be pleased however if U2 would decide to scale down their music to more delicate acoustic performances. Songs dont have to be LOUD and BIG to be convincinng. Power of the soul is found in the beauty of the songs. And songs played acoustically can be SO POWERFUL, as they have demonstrated recently with several songs. Bono will sparkle till the end of the world. Bono will never throw in the towel, but he will have to adapt to his fysical limitations that came along with his biking accident and the permanent injuries he has to endure...

Really had hoped U2 had went for more acoustic versions of the new songs when they played live. For the first time I prefer the CD version of some new songs above the live performances. The best songs that I liked during this recent tour were the (semi) acoustic songs, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Staring at the Sun etc. I really loved it too that they played "The Ocean" live. And that they ended with a delicate song 13 (There is a Light), similar to the use of "Love is Blindness" as a finale during the ZOO TV tour. However I felt that the Achtung Baby songs during this tour fell flat without the big ZOO TV stage surroundings. I love the idea though of a full ZOO TV tour like many others suggested. These violent times in world politics are the perfect period for a full blown huge Actung Baby stadium tour. Those songs need to be BIG in BIG stadiums. However the new songs from the recent album lend themselves better to more delicate, acoustic versions. I hope U2 will perform many acoustic songs in the upcoming Apollo theatre performance . Just found some youtube collection of U2 acoustic performances which I had never heard before. But I must admit that I am terribly late at "discovering" U2 songs online, so perhaps everybody has heard these songs already. Still it is a great collection!

I have become used to it, NOT be able to getting tickets for a U2 show, but thankfully youtube fills that gap. Unfortunately I have only been able to find 1 full concert, that is the St. Louis concert and the sound quality wasnt great, to say the least. Was a heatwave going on in St Louis, because the audience response sounded flat and dull, or was it AGAIN the bad sound quality of the youtube recording that I could not hear the audience reacting to U2? So my question to all you U2 loving crazies is: WHICH FULL 2 hour long U2 concert is the best on youtube? Please provide links if possible...

At the start of the recording of Songs of Innocence I heard the manager of U2 talk about a trilogy. But it has been a long time ago and I dont know if U2 themselves ever plan to make a trilogy. I did think however that I heard Bono once talk about it too, but my memory on that isnt very reliable. Some zootopians mentioned that they could also release a best of album or live album. I hadnt thought of that. A best of cd would be possible. Dont like to spoil the fun, but the greatest hits period with the big commercial hits has been a while back for U2. They have released two best of cd's from 1980 till the year 2000. So the end of this decade would be a good moment to release a new best of cd from the period 2000 till 2020. I wont buy it, who will? But it would buy U2 time to get out of this Live Nation contract. I guess they will renew it however. There really isnt an alternative to Live Nation for a big band like U2. But maybe they can renogotiate a better deal with more freedom for U2. As I am not particulary waiting for a best of cd I really would like another live album! U2 does release a DVD of every tour however, so maybe it is unlikely that they will release a seperate live cd. However they could collect all the best live rare performances. That would be a killer move!!! I would buy that instantly!!! You can hear every rare U2 song online, but the sound quality often is lousy. U2 must have numerous high quality recordings of rare live songs! Oh, now I am getting really enthusiastic!!! That would be on my number 1 wishlist: high quality live recordings of rare U2 live songs. "Drowning Man" would be number 1 on my wish list. I only have heard that online at a rehearsal and that was recorded outside the stadium. Still it sounded so great. I guess the reason they dont play that song live is because of emotional reasons. The subject is rather heavy. It is one of Adam Clayton's favorite U2 songs.And one of mine too. I loved "Like A Song" thundering into "Drowning Man". That duo rocked my house many times! Who has ever heard "Like a Song" live? Is it ever played live? I really love those thunderous drums! Sorry that my post interupted the great thread about new live songs a bit. I am just as thrilled as you guys. I cant wait to hear the new songs being played live! I know that with EVERY new U2 tour time I got pleasantly surprised by U2's performances. U2 is the best live band in the world. And Bono is gonna rock us all !!!

Nothing makes me more enthousiastic than to hear other forummembers say that U2 will come back next year to prolong this year's tour. But U2 has got a contract with Live Nation that expires in 2020 and they are obliged to put out one more record. Am I right? Time seems to be running out. Songs of Innocence was planned to be a trilogy at the start. We have got the second album now and some fans are calling the yet to be released third album " Ascent ". These are my thoughts: in 2019 U2 will be making the new album. In 2020 U2 will release the new cd and do the "Ascent" tour. I am very curious what U2 is going to negotiate with Live Nation because their contract expires within 2 years. That would predict a lot of what U2 wants to do after 2020. U2 is still alive and kicking. Some fans thought "Ascent" would be their last album, but knowing Bono's yearning to be heard through his songs U2 will certainly make more music after 2020.

Me being very critical of the new album in the very beginning I must confess (to my own joy) that Songs of Experience is growing on me. I really start liking the songs. After some months now the songs have become part of me. Even wake up with them in my head sometimes. The first live shows dates are coming closer everyday. U2 must be rehearsing these songs live right now. I wont be present, (no tickets!), but I will follow them online on youtube when they start in the States. I am very curious HOW U2 is gonna play these songs live. Live is the place that can make or break a U2 song. Even when a song sounds crap on the cd it can still sound great live and vice versa... Are they gonna use strings? Synthesizers? A choir ? A capella ? Songs of Experience lends itself for an entirely different presentation. The BBC Christmas show was an example of that. Are there any rumours yet to what U2 is going to do live ? Multiple stages I read somewhere..

What has happened to me with Songs of Experience is that I often wake up with an Experience song in my head. Right away, first thought in the morning is a U2 melody from their new album. It varies which one it is. I have never had that before. I like it. Start the day with a U2 song. As a toddler I used to sing songs after I had woken up, that's what my parents told me anyway, because I can't remember. But when I got older I rarely had a song in my head when I woke up. Untill this new release of Songs of Experience. Now my head is like a U2 jukebox every other morning. Lovely ! Manohlive you get intrigued by lyrics, but have you got special songs from which the lyrics keep stuck in your mind? I often have it with the openingstrack "Love is all we have left", which I didnt even like very much at the beginning, although it is changing now. But that line sticks in my head like glue. I love it. It is a great line.

Grammy awards quote of Bono : "Blessed are the sh*thole countries, for they gave us the American Dream". I never listen to the lyrics of the U2 songs, but when Bono goes off into politics I do pay attention.

Interesting to read on this forum about other peoples first reactions back in the eighties to classic albums like Joshua Tree etc. I can remember the first time I heard "With or Without You" on the radio. I thought they had sold out to a commercial sound. I didnt want to listen to the rest of the album and I didnt go to the concert. Worst decision I ever made and which I still regret. I couldnt have been more wrong. But I had yet to become a real U2 fan back then. And WHEN I truly started listening to the whole Joshua Tree album I did became a U2 fan for life... As mentioned by many others and also by "unforgettableu2" the band U2 has a reputation of always trying to change their sound from album to album. I know that by now, but the PRODUCTION of THE SOUND of this album sounds too soft for my personal taste. I love U2 sounding lean and mean but at the same time keep preaching love. Hard shell but with a heart of gold. Although I still have problems with this soft "boybandproduction" sound maybe I am wrong again and will the songs only come to life after some more weeks of listening.... I am curious HOW U2 will shape the live concerts with these new songs on SOE. Their BBC string version of All I Want is You (Gorgeous!) maybe is an hopeful indication that they will try to make a very intimate concert with acoustic instruments... Bono and the Edge played "Get out of your own way" with just a guitar in the Berlin subway. It sounded great played live although I disliked the cd version of the very same song. That melody of "Get out of your own way" stayed in my mind the last days. And after hearing it live I COULD listen to the lesser cd version and appreciated it better. So there is hope. I am on this forum because I am really big U2 fan. I really want to like this album because U2 has been the soundtrack of my whole adult life... I want them to fare well, I want them to excell. They didnt excell on the cd but they probably will when they perform the songs live. U2 always rocks live, even when they play a ballad. Rock is like Soul to me. You have it or you dont. U2 has always got SOUL and although I think the energy of this soul gets muddled by the boybandproduction sound of this cd I have good hope that the songs will SHINE live...

I actually was the one who made that quote that the boyband producers on SOE messed up this new album for me. I actually do think onerepublic is a boyband. Boybands can make great songs too. I have seen ryan tedder live on a festival and it is perfect music for crowdsinging. Really lovely songs. But U2 is NOT a boyband in my opinion and should stay far away from such a sound. It's got nothing to do with rock and roll. Keep ryan tedder as far away as possible from u2 in the future. I dont mind acoustic or slow songs. U2 was always very good at that. I just get annoyed about a layer of sound over U2 songs which producers put there to PLEASE. This record sounds too safe, too dull. And I dont even believe all the songs are bad. 5 songs I really like. 8 songs I just cant listen too however hard I have tried. Hopefully some of those 8 "boyband" songs can become alot better when played live. And I have good reasons for this hope of mine, because I have heard Bono sing with the Edge in the Berlin Metro. (Check it out on youtube). He sang one new song ( get out of your own way) which I didnt like on the album but I DID LIKE it when he sang it live there and then in Berlin. Just raw and UNproduced I like that song. WITH production on the SOE cd I cringe... That confirms my believe that it is the production of this album which makes me dislike it. Not the songs themselves. Other example: I heard "The Little Things" performed live many times and I thougt it was a good song. But the boyband production messed it up sonically on the cd. They smeared that boyband softrock sound over this song which killed it for me. I dont want to put Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois on a pedestal because they messed up Zooropa pretty bad. But at least they took a risk with Zooropa. Great risk. Because almost NOTHING on that album sounded like the U2 we knew before. All the other albums produced with Eno and Lanois are among the most popular and most critically acclaimed albums: Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, All that You Cant Leave Behind, No Line on the Horizon. The 360 tour which accompanied the No Line album was their biggest tour ever. Even the biggest tour in history of ALL bands. That album was produced by Eno and Lanois. They have magic ears and have the talent to make an album sound as ONE. And they take risks. Sometimes they fail, but at least they try out new stuff. But SOE sounds dull and too safe exept for a few songs. No risks taken on SOE whatsoever. On 8 songs the production of SOE SOUNDS like a boyband. But I still have good hope for the live performance of these "boyband"songs. Because U2 always makes the best performances live. EVERY time....