The U2 Discussion thread

[dr_evazan22]

Here is The Complete U2 from U2.com:

25.11.2004
Download To Die For
The Complete U2 - well a mere 446 tracks anyway - is now available to download through iTunes. (Warning! It's unbelievable.)

Along with the new album 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb', the boxed set includes all U2's previous albums, plus more than 100 rare live cuts, remixes, demos, b-sides and alternate takes of well-known songs.

The set features three complete live shows - Boston from 1981, Dublin from 1989 and Mexico from 1997.

But perhaps the most exciting section is titled 'Rare And Unreleased' which features not just alternative version of material from the new album like
Yahweh, or the track that Vertigo was before it became Vertigo - Native Son - but early demo versions of the very first recordings U2 made, including Street Missions and The Fool.

This amazing 'Rare And Unreleased' collection from the U2 vaults features : Levitate (from ATYCLB sessions); Love You Like Mad (from ATYCLB sessions); Smile (HTDAAB sessions); Flower Child (ATYCLB sessions); Beautiful Ghost (Joshua Tree sessions); Jesus Christ (Sun Studio); Xanax and Wine (HTDAAB sessions); All Because Of You (Alternate); Native Son; Yahweh (Alternate); Sometimes You Can¹t Make It On Your Own (Alternate Version); Numb (Radio Edit); Bass Trap (Extended); Night and Day (Twilight Remix); Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix); Salome (Zooromancer Remix); Christmas (Baby Please Come Home); Stateless (MDH Soundtrack Version); Street Missions (1st Demo Version); Shadows And Tall Trees (1st Demo Version); The Fool (1st Demo Version)

You can find read more about 'The Complete U2 Digital Boxed Set' here

Incidentally, if you're thinking of investing in the iPod U2 Special Edition, it comes with a $50 coupon to use against purchase of The Complete U2. More here www.apple.com

And, again from U2.com regarding SNL:

22.11.2004
Four For SNL
The band performed on ‘Saturday Night Live’ on US TV at the weekend.

Kicking off with ‘Vertigo’, they also played ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’ and ‘I Will Follow’ with ‘All Because of You’ to finish, as the programme went off air.

Some very, very lucky fans in the US can expect to see more of U2 today!

‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’, the band’s first studio album in four years, is released in the US tomorrow.


More news as we get it.

I'm trying to click on your AIM icon and add you to my contact list, no success though. I can share anything I ahve either thru AIM, or thru snail-mail.

So, since this a discussion thread, how do / did you feel about Pop? I kindof felt like U2 apologist at the time. I didn't really love the new stuff. Between a somewhat ambivalence towarda the Pop album, and ticket prices I passed on the PopMart Tour. Now, I wish I had gone. That was the only tour I missed since first seeing them on Joshua Tree.

I sometimes think we, here in America, are lucky because they start their tours here. But even by the time they hit the West coast they have already adjusted and freshened up the tour and songlist. By the time they get to Asia and back to Europe (1 - 2 years after the release of the album they are supporting) they have a new album to release and the audience is hearing something totally different.

Getting back to Pop, I still think some of it is crap - ... Velvet Dress for one, ...Deadman, Playboy Mansion is there too - but I have come to really like and appreciate some of the other songs - Gone, Mofo, Staring at the Sun, and others.

One of my coolest U2 collectibles that I once had was a huge poster, like for a bus stop. It was of the Achtung cover montage, about 4' X 6'. I don't really know what happened to it.

[Kidhuman]

U2 kicks arse sans that Discoteque malarky.They are a hugely talented band IMO and are even better in concert. Would have to say my favorite album is The Joshua Tree. Has some of my faves on there.

[dr_evazan22]

I liked thier music since the first time I saw them on MTV (New Years Day, and later Sunday Bloody Sunday from Red Rocks) in '83. In '84 or '85 they came to Philly and one of the rock stations was replaying songs from the concert or something. 2 of those songs were Bad and A Sort Of Homecoming from Wide Awake... What really got me hooked was Adam's bass playing and Larry's drums (besides Bono's lyrics). Then Joshua Tree came out and I saw them for myself. I'm not a religious person, but that was like a religious experience for me. I haven't looked back yet (other then my aforementioned Pop feelings).

Almost forgot...

I was looking over the song list for the 150$ box set on iTunes. It's called the Complete U2, but there are 2 songs missing. There were 2 CD singles for ...Wild Horses, one of which had cover versions of Paint It Black and Fortunate Son. I did see a number of songs I don't have though.

[El Chuxter]

That "Complete U2" is definitely drool-worthy. I plan on purchasing that once I get the high-speed connection it will require to download. It's nice to see that the Mexico City concert is on there -- they played that on Showtime and released it on VHS, and it's a great show.

I thought the second GH album was kinda meh for a couple of reasons. "Electrical Storm" was a worthy new track, but "The Hands That Built America" was a bit of a "Miss Sarejevo" retread. The actual hits could've easily been two full discs without any b-sides, and there were some glaring omissions ("Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" comes immediately to mind). And the b-sides disc was almost entirely crappy remixes (though they did include a few great tracks, like "Summer Rain" and "Your Blue Room"), when there were plenty of non-album tracks that were far more worthy. Either version of "Slow Dancing"? "Where Did It All Go Wrong"? "Paint It Black"? "One Shot of Happy, Two Shots of Sad"? "The Ground Beneath Her Feet"? All MIA, and all a good deal better than most of the remixes they included. Not to mention we really didn't need two almost indistinguishable versions of "Electrical Storm."

And as for Pop, well. . . . I hated all the 90s albums when they were first released, thinking each was another step into selling out. Over time they grew on me. I'd have to say Achtung Baby is now my favorite U2 album by a fairly long shot. I didn't even pick up Pop for a long time, until I heard "Staring at the Sun" and "Last Night on Earth." Now I rather like most of it. The production is kinda strange, but for the most part the songwriting is some of their best. And "Staring at the Sun" is one of their best live songs from their repertoire.

[JEDIpartner]

I HATED "Rattle and Hum" and didn't like anything they were about at that period. It was so much vanity. I got tired of that same guitar riff the Edge kept playing over practially every song over 100BPM.

I didn't care too much for "Zooropa" either. I'm a HUGE fan of everything else, though. I really like the new disc. It's definitely one of my top 5 of the year.

[El Chuxter]

First, how can you hate Rattle & Hum? U2 dueting with BB King and Bob Dylan, and covering the Beatles? Come on!

Next, and more importantly, this is apparently what $150 buys you these days: http://u2log.com/archive/2004/completeU2.html.

I noticed most of the cover songs are missing, which is a shame. I'd much rather have "Paint It Black" or "Satellite of Love" than yet another remix of "Discotheque." Not sure if it's a rights issue or what. Oddly enough, the two non-U2 tracks from Rattle & Hum are on the list. A couple of friends and I are trying to come up with a list of what's missing. I'm sure there's such a list floating around somewhere, but Google just gives you too many results and I don't want to wade through an intricate fansite to find it.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Woooho!! Tour dates for the "Vertigo Tour 2005" will be announced Monday morning! There is one date, which is when the tour kicks off:

Mon 03/28/05 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena


I'll post dates when i hear'em!

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

The dates for the first leg of the US tour and the European tour have been posted. check'em out:

Mon 03/28/05 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena

Fri 04/01/05 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond

Tue 04/05/05 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Sat 04/09/05 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Thu 04/14/05 Glendale, AZ Glendale Arena

Wed 04/20/05 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sun 04/24/05 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center

Thu 04/28/05 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place

Sat 05/07/05 Chicago, IL United Center

Mon 05/09/05 Chicago, IL United Center

Sat 05/14/05 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center

Tue 05/17/05 East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena

Wed 05/18/05 East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena

Sat 05/21/05 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Tue 05/24/05 Boston, MA FleetCenter

Thu 05/26/05 Boston, MA FleetCenter

Fri 06/10/05 Brussels, BEL Koning Boudewijn Stadium

Sun 06/12/05 Gelsenkirchen, GER Schalke Stadium

Tue 06/14/05 Manchester, UK Manchester Stadium

Sat 06/18/05 Twickenham, UK Twickenham Rugby Ground

Tue 06/21/05 Glasgow, UK Hampden Park

Fri 06/24/05 Dublin, IRE Croke Park

Wed 06/29/05 Cardiff, UK Millennium Stadium

Sat 07/02/05 Vienna, AUT Ernst Happel Stadion

Tue 07/05/05 Chorzow, POL Stadionie Slaskim

Sat 07/09/05 Paris, FRA Stade de France

Mon 07/11/05 Zurich, SWI Letzigrund Stadium

Wed 07/13/05 Amsterdam, NET Amsterdam Arena

Sat 07/23/05 Rome, ITA Olimpico Stadium

Wed 07/27/05 Oslo, NOR Vallehovin Stadium

Fri 07/29/05 Goteborg, SWE Ullevi Stadium

Sun 07/31/05 Copenhagen, DEN Parken Stadium

Wed 08/03/05 Munich, GER Olympic Stadium

Fri 08/05/05 Nice, FRA Stade Charles Ehrmann

Sun 08/07/05 Barcelona, SPA Camp Nou

Tue 08/09/05 San Sebastian, SPA Estadio de Anoeta

Thu 08/11/05 Madrid, SPA Estadio Vicente Calderon

Sun 08/14/05 Lisbon, POR Estadio Jose Alvalade

Random info: Tickets for performances in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and San Diego will go on sale this Saturday, January 29th.

Tickets for performances in Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose go on sale this Sunday, January 30th and tickets for New York and East Rutherford go on sale next Monday, January 31st. (All additional on sale dates will be announced in the next few weeks.)

Once again, U2 will offer General Admission floor tickets giving fans the best view in the house for the lowest ticket price. Reserved seat tickets in the stands will also be available. In North America, general admission floor tickets will be $49.50 (plus applicable service fees). Additional ticket prices will vary per market. There will be an 8 ticket limit per person with a maximum purchase of 2 general admission floor tickets.

tickets for
Brussels go on sale Saturday, January 29th and tickets for Dublin go on sale on Friday 4th February. (All additional on sale dates will be announced in the coming weeks.)

Paid-up subscribers to U2.Com http://www.u2.com/subscribe can take
part in a presale of tour tickets which begins on Tuesday 25th January, four days ahead of the general onsale - they will receive an e-mail about this direct with booking information.

More news on Vertigo//2005 as we get it.

Info from Pollstar and U2.com

[Kidhuman]

I guess I wont see them. They arent coming anywhere near me.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Chin up, KH. That's just the first leg of the US Tour. More dates are expected!!! With those first 10, they don't cover much of the US. Patience, friend!