1 Crap album, good show.
U2 live at slane castle is'nt a bad gig, in fact its pretty good, although they are more of a stupid pop band now, with their all that you can't leave behind album.
If you think that albums bad, check out how to dismantle an atomic bomb, u2 are boring now, and Bono should take off his stupid purple shades (which he does in this show, besides the point though) and be a real rock star, instead off this Vertigo crappy tour nonsense.
2 Of course U2 can go home ago. Did ye e're doubt it?
A couple of decades ago when U2 played a concert in Champaign-Urbana they showed up after the gig at a local bar and when it was learned the boys had never been to a college sorority they were escorted over to one and shown the place in the middle of the night. The story appeared in the "Daily Illini" and the most interesting part was how the group did not behave like rock stars in a sorority, which sounds like a good idea for a bad movie, but how they acted like they were guests in someone's home. The lesson would be that U2 was not too big for their britches and when you watch the 2002 concert film "U2: Go Home: Live From Slane Castle, Ireland," there is ample evidence that nothing has changed during the intervening years.
The concert itself is from 2001, when U2 did two huge shows at Slane Castle, which is where they recorded their "Unforgettable Fire" album (thereby explaining why the documentary on that album and the recording of "Pride (In the Name of Love") is included on this DVD). What you get is the band performing in front of 80,000 adoring fans on their Elevation Tour (thereby explaining why it is the opening song), in their signature mix of high energy and absolute ease. The concert is a mix of the new (e.g., "Beautiful Day," "Kite," Walk On"), the old (e.g., "New Year's Day," "Out of Control," "Desire") and a few things that came out in between (e.g., "Until the End of the World").
What stands out for me is the balance of the group. While Bono is out in front playing to the crowd and the Edge is right behind with his distinctive guitar playing, the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. are providing a driving hard rock foundation for those songs that always sound best in an arena, content to stand on stage and let the other half of the band stand in the spotlight. It is significant that above the giant screen behind them there are four individual screens that focus on a single band member throughout the concert. There have been so many bands that have self-destructed from interpersonal conflicts that having these four guys from Dublin stick together for what will be three decades come next year (Mullen formed the group in high school in 1976 where they were a Beatles/Rolling Stone cover band called Feedback and then Hype before settling on U2).
The other undeniable fact is that "Sunday Bloody Sunday" remains a powerful political anthem after all these years. Everyone who was weaned on MTV remembers the music video from the group's concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater that was part of the "Under a Blood Red Sky" concert video and seeing Bono lead 80,000 Irish fans in the responsive portion of the song can give you chills. You watch U2 in concert, or put on this DVD and turn up the sound because for some reason the music sounds better than on a CD, and it is hard not to agree they are not the best rock 'n' roll band in the world.
3 Incredible Concert!
Great great concert. As has been said, you can just SEE the emotion of the concert, as well as being able to hear it.
Well worth the purchase if you're even a little bit of a U2 fan.
Hardcore fans - why have you NOT bought this yet??
4 WOW!! U2 HAS NEVER LOOKED OR SOUNDED BETTER!!!
I am a huge U2 fan, and have seen plenty of the dvds they have out. This by far is the best one out there. If you have boston, this is better. Heres a song by song review:
1.Elevation-Genius! The best oppening of a concert ever!
2.Beautiful Day-Awesome second song. Bono sounds awesome and Edge is the best backing vocalist of all time!!
3.Until The End Of The World- This is funny because on the second audio option before Edge's solo begins you hear some women scream Bono's name.
4.New Years Day-Another classic played very well. I love Edge's woooaah on this one, and the piano part too.
5.Out Of Control-This is where the concert goes from Good too great. This is an awesome rendition when Bono tells the story of the band.
6.Sunday Bloody Sunday-This song is all about drums for me!!(im a drummer). The drums sound so awesome on this song. Excellent!!!
7.Wake Up Dead Man-This song sounds awesome in standard tuning compared to half step down tuning, best performance of this one.
8.Stuck In A Moment-All I can say for this is Listen to Edge!! I cant help but laugh! I wonder if he realizes he sounds like a girl?
9.Kite-And after this, the concert explodes. Bono sounds great in this song!! It was written for his dad, which makes it even better.
10.Angel of Harlem-Another classic performed flawlessly and better than any other time.
11.Desire-WOW!! They really pulled this one out of the box. I love how Larry and Adam join Edge and Bono on the heart.
12.Staring at the sun-My only complaint, Stay would have been better, but this is good to.
13.All I Want Is You-I really like that Bono deicates the song to his wife. I thought that was cute and followed by an awesome performance of AIWIY.
14.Where The Streets Have No Name-Not many people know this but Bono's dad died a week before this, and this song explodes because of it. Bono really lets loose right from the start when he wails during Edge's intro. Drummer's note-This was Larry's best Bridge to the outro.
15.Pride-Well done. The Most key changed song. The key has been changed 3 times since The unforgettable fire tour. Very good performance.
16.Bullet The Blue Sky-I thought the performance of this song was awesome! U2 at their talented best.
17.With or Without You-This song is awesome, and sounds even better live! Excellentlly Performed!!
18.One-The only time I have almost cried because of a song. Truly a tearjerker.
19.Walk On-Excellent last song choice. They really do this one better live!
So lets review, awesome concert, awesome features, what more could you want. A must have for all U2 fans!
5 Better than Boston...nowhere near Sidney 1993
I was amazed at the sound quality of this dvd. But after watching it several times and watching Edge's fingers doing his fancy work, I sadly realized that parts of this concert have been doctored.
That's the reason for the excellent sound, the use of overdubs. On certain songs it's obvious Band's playing has been tampered with and cleaned up. Neverthless the concert itself is without doubt one of the best of Elevation Tour (This is the best among countless average performances, including Boston DVD). Bono still sounds raspy and rough, but with a better voice than Boston. Also, better setlist, except for the shameful rendition of 'Angel Of Harlem'. Sadly, Bono's voice on 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' struggles as well. But listen to such wonderful Edge and Bono performance of 'Wake Up Dead Man'. Out of Body!.
Cameras work is far better here, this is a document of a real Gig, not a MTV video promo (as Boston). Crowd is hot and you feel the energy on the air. This is a more honest show. I still don't understand 'Mysterious Ways'. Why they didn't keep the song along the actual concert?. Can't they help but editing and cutting out a performance?. Red Rocks was horribly half edited out, and Zoo TV Sidney missed 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World'.
Rumors say they're going to release a DVD Boxset by late this year. I really don't want 'remastered' versions of shows we've been watching for even 22 years. Rather, I'm fond of watching previously unreleased footage.
Just in case, here's a list of several unreleased PRO-SHOT filmed concerts from early 80's to Pop Mart Tour (I didn't include Elevation because there're 2 DVD's out there from the same Tour). Cheers
1- Belfast 23-01-1981 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
2- Berlin 04-11-1981 (Great Goncert)
3- New York 22-11-1981 (Good Concert)
4- Hattem 14-05-1982 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
5- Roskilde 02-07-1982 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
6- Devore 03-05-1983 (Great Concert)
7- St. Goarshausen 20-08-1983 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
8- Dortmund 21-11-1984 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
9- Montreal 27-03-1985 (Great Concert)
10-Los Angeles 18-11-1987 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
11-Dublin 31-12-1989 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
12-Stockholm 11-06-1992 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
13-Washington 16-08-1992 (Great Concert)
14-Anaheim 14-11-1992 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
15-Dublin 28-08-1993 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
16-Adelaide 16-11-1993 (Great Concert)
17-Rotterdam 18-07-1997 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
18-Sao Baulo 31-01-1998 (Great Concert)
19-Santiago 11-02-1998 (AWESOME CONCERT!)
What the hell are U2 waiting for?
6 E V O L U T I O N !
Man! These guys just get BETTER with time!! I know that this was filmed September 2001, but damn, Damn, DAMN! Saw it first time tonight (12FEB2005, a birthday gift), and I guarantee that "Slane" will remain in my DVD carriage for some time. If you've been a fan since the beginning (like me), the evolution from "Red Rocks" through "Rattle and Hum" to this is amazing, and these guys are at the TOP of their game in this DVD. If you are a U2 fan, BUY THIS!! If you are not a fan, you will be after viewing this. Better yet, buy "Red Rocks," "Rattle and Hum," and THIS one ("...Slane..."), and watch in chronological order...the evolution makes my hair stand on end! And you won't be bored by watching or listening to 7 hours of U2. I promise!
7 Review of U2's Slane Castle DVD - mixed results
Overall:
By and large, this is a good concert and a good recording of it. However, at every viewing, it gives me the feeling that U2 are self-centered during the show (well, more than usual) and basking in the (huge) crowd's adoration. OK, this is arguably normal for a rock band, but U2 concerts are such great events because the band tend to take nothing for granted, and give it as much as they can (see the 1994 Zoo TV or 1998 PopMart videos). This is not the case here, so it comes across as a bit lacklustre.
The setlist:
There are a number of classics here, but noticeably their more experimental (and interesting) work from the 1990s is completely under-represented. Instead, we get a revival of oldies ("Out of Control", "Sunday Bloody Sunday"), plus songs from their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind (which the tour was promoting). The new songs sound and feel very much like the old ones. That in itself is nothing to frown at, but it does make the entire setlist feel very nostalgic. It's like listening to an endless "Best Of" of songs that sound more or less the same. This is like U2 saying "aaah, what a great career we've had". The setlist lacks balance, it lacks an arc. There's no real sense of a beginning, middle, and end to the show (see Zoo TV for a much better structured setlist).
The Show Itself:
The Elevation Tour was hailed as the band's best, most successful, etc. I disagree, and this DVD highlights why.
Despite being performed in front of 80,000 people, there is nothing that really draws in the crowd, or tries to wow them. Mostly it's the four band members performing with a few colored lights thrown in (and tons of close-ups of Bono's ever-wrinklier face). I suppose this is mainly because the tour centered on smaller venues, but still, the spectacle doesn't really look like anything special on DVD. Also, sadly, the band seems a bit uninterested in what they're doing. Edge is po-faced the entire time, Adam is invisible, and Larry just looks bored behind his drum-kit. Bono jiggles around and prances, but the parts where he really gets going are identical to what he did on Zoo TV and PopMart, so no points for originality. Actually a bit boring.
Bono's voice is really not what it used to be. He stretches and screeches through the concert, and seems to have no volume control -- everything is either whispered or howled. The rest of the band plays very well, but lacks passion. Edge's better solos ("Until The End of the World", "Bullet The Blue Sky") used to sound wild and fierce, but now are so precise and clean that they feel like they belong in some suburban TV ad. Otherwise, Bono tries to reach out and speak to the crowd, but when he says "by now each of you has probably given us five hundred pounds", it sounds grossly out of place. This is a concert, it's for the audience, not an opportunity to remind everyone how wealthy the band are.
The DVD package:
Underwhelming. "Mysterious Ways" is a bonus track, which is performed badly (Bono just can't sing it anymore), and features his laughable attempts at dancing. To add insult to injury, Bono brings his 10-year old daughter on stage, and they just wiggle around together for what feels like five hours while the band plays on. Did I mention self-centered earlier?
"The Unforgettable Fire" documentary is also included, which I find very uninteresting. Good footage of the band trying to fight its awkwardness to record some good songs, but again self-serving promo with some artsy camera work. Snore-inducing.
Conclusion:
So what are we left with?
- A generally good concert, but flawed in ways that make it unbalanced.
- An average show/set design with nothing that makes you crave to be at the concert.
- A still-OK-but-aging band, with weakening vocals and a tendency to be self-referential and self-centered.
- A HUGE crowd which is the only real reason why this concert looks epic.
- DVD extras that you'll probably never watch twice.
If you're looking for a decent concert DVD, by all means get this. If you're looking for a great concert DVD, or for the seminal U2 concert video, get Zoo TV Live From Sydney or PopMart from Mexico instead.
8 Popmart blew this "mainstream" tour away.
"All that you can't leave behind" is a lame boring album.
The concert is so "happy and everything is fine."
Popmart tour is way better than this.
9 a must have for true U2 fans..
this is a must have for all true U2 fans..the show from Slane Castle was unbelieveable and the band plays all of their hits from earlier cd's such as the Joshua Tree all the way through to the latest from the All That You Can't Leave Behind cd...this dvd will help you realize why you fell in love with them in the first place
10 Live From Slane
This album brings alot of memories back.Bono's voice just like other veterans of the stage is superb.They all end up a bit scratchy but hey they been at it for a long time.The music is great,stage and lights are fantastic.
This venue is huge.The Castle in the background gives it a real Irish meaning from your living room.The transition from "All I Want Is You" to "Streets With No Name"was a tear jerker,it was full of emotion and bono made sure you felt it...
Excellent packaging also.I hope they come out with a regular CD of the live show.
11 Even for an U2 sceptic, this is superb.
I like U2 as a band, they've made some fantastic songs, but they've also made a fair amount of mediocre songs as well. Considering their two Best Of compilations, I'm not entirely impressed; in my oppinion, these include too many songs of rarther low quality. But let's get back to this DVD, and why it's different.
I've not experienced U2 live - yet - but this concert showcases them as one hell of a live act! Practically all of the songs are performed excellently here, quite a lot of theme are even superior to the album versions. The set list is great, virtually all the great hits are here - OK not all of them, I know, but should I pick 10 of their best hits, I think all of my choices would be on this setlist, which is of course a great satisfaction. Furthermore, a couple of - two me - less known tracks are included as well, however, none of these are below the standard of the hits.
I'll give a brief overview of the setlist, and my thoughts concerning each one of them.
- Elevation - Great track, and perfect opener of the show. A quite intro, and then the main part of the song brings the show to an explosion-like start. Wonderfull performance of this song, at least as good as the album version, I love the energy of the live take.
- Beautiful Day - A lovely song, and I love the interaction of Bono's and Edge's vocals. This version is a little faster than the album version, which works great, and Bono gives a great vocal performance.
- Until The End Of The World - I didn't know this track before I saw this concert, but it's terrific. This version really rocks; I don't know the album version, but I doubt that it will have as much energy as this version, Edge's guitar play is great, as is Bono's vocals.
- New Years Day - I found the album version of this song quite boring, but to my suprise, this live version is great. It's faster than the original, and Bono and Edge sing really great. Bono wraps himself in the Irish flag on stage, which of course brings great cheers, as the concert is in Dublin.
- Out Of Control - U2's first single, and very funny how Bono presents it as if they were actually a new act, trying to break through. A very good rock song. The interlude is perhaps a little too long, but nevermind. The songs leeds directly into -
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday - Which is my favorite U2 song - and this version is even better than the album version. I just love the drumming on this track, and the guitar part is amazing. This version runs for more than 7 minutes, and Bono gives some really thrilling vocals.
- Wake Up Dead Man - This song is really chilling, with Bono singing with virtually no music. However, it's a great conterpiece to -
- Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - Fantastisc singing by Edge and Bono, very impressive performance.
- Kite - Dedicated to Bono's farther, who dies just a week prior to this concert, this song is naturally a very intense moment. The performance is spotless, it's a very beautifull song.
- Angel Of Harlem - and - Desire - are great rockers, quite similar to the album versions, though Desire is unfortunately performed in a rather short edit.
- Staring At The Sun - The rather bleak performance of this song, only played by Edge on guitar and vocals, and Bono on vocals, is perhaps the least good song of this concert, as it is performed here.
- All I Want Is You - dedicated to Bono's wife, this is a beautiful love song. The performance is really great, Bono gives a fantastic vocal performance.
- Where The Streets Have No Name - follows directly after All I Want Is You. I like the transition from one song to the next. This is a spotless performance, it's not my favorite song, but it works well on stage.
[- Mysterious Ways - This song was cut from the main concert for some reason - and is available as a DVD extra. The first part of the performance of this song is perhaps not as good as the album version, but overall I think it's a good performance. Bono's daughter Eve enters the stage, dancing in front of the audience, which is a nice touch.]
- Pride (In The Name Of Love) - Another favorite U2 track, this version is practically as good as the album version - great vocal by Bono.
- Encores:
- Bullet The Blue Sky - Fine rock track - I didn't know this one, but it's a very powerfull performance.
- With Or Without You - One of their best tracks, this is a nice live version, perhaps not as flawless as the album version, but still fine.
- One - Lovely, lovely, one of their strongest tracks as well. Bono's vocal is more rough than the studio version, but it's fine. Nice ending of the track as well.
- Walk On - This track was released as a live single, and I understand why. It's a superb performance, everything just works out perfectly, music, vocals and arrangement. A perfect closer for the show, running for more than 7 minutes in this version.
All in all, this is a superb concert. The performance and the setlist is great. Essential for fans, and a perfect place to start for newcommers.
12 BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES
THIS DVD IS ONE OF THE FEW MUSIC DVDS THAT CAPTURE THE FEEL OF A BANDS SHOW. I SAW U2 DURING THE JOSHUA TREE TOUR AND WATCHING THIS DVD BROUGHT BACK ALOT OF MEMORIES OF HOW INCREDIBLE THEY ARE LIVE. THE SOUND IS GREAT AND THE SO IS THE CAMERA WORK. ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN U2 LIVE SHOULD OWN THIS DVD.
13 Best rock band af all time
In the 25 years of its existence, U2 has done more than any other band to bring feeling, soul and emotion into live rock concert shows. Words cannot fully express how wonderful their music is - it is full af joy, hope, doubt, burning conviction, fear, truth and triumph. Anyone with a heart can respond to these great songs. This concert is from 2001, and was filmed at Slane Castle. Not far from Dublin (the hometown of all four members of U2), this stately country house should be recognisable to fans as the venue for the recording of 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire (it appears on the cover of that album).
This show features songs from the Elevation tour of 2001, a year of triumph and tragedy for the band as they performed brilliantly across the world's stages, yet were sadly bereaved by the passing of frontman Bono's father Bob in May 2001(shortly before this show was filmed). Despite this, Bono is in terrific form here, and a celebratory rather than sad feeling permeates the film.
Tracks:
Elevation - loud, punchy rocker & great starter track
Beautiful Day - great song, wonderful reception by crowd
Until The End Of THe World - atmospheric, deep track from Achtung Baby very good
New Year's Day - the first U2 song I ever heard (from 1983) this is a magical performance showcasing the Edge's guitar and keyboard playing
Out Of Control - This is FANTASTIC !! I love the idea of U2 presenting this very-early tearaway adolescent rocker as "our first single" as if they are debuting their act all over again. A surprise delight for longterm fans who may never have heard U2 play this one live.
Sunday Bloody Sunday - Larry's drums really make this track work well. A timeless song urging opposition to war and conflict.
Wake Up Dead Man - slow acoustic despair-filled number segues into...
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - This is an uplifting soul song and I love it. It's the perfect antidote to Wake Up Dead Man.
Kite - song dedicated to Bono's dad shines rather than palls
Angel Of Harlem - Every U2 show I've been to or seen on TV has them singing this fabulous crowd-pleasing singalong tune from Rattle & Hum
Desire - same album but a basic two-note stomper and another great past hit
Staring At The Sun - another acoustic guitar song performed on the front of the stage. Works well
All I Want Is You - the second delightful surprise of the disc. I love this song and have never seen them play it on TV or live in concert before. Wonderful
Where The Streets Have No Name - This is for me U2's greatest song. It sends shivers up my spine every time I hear its wonderful ringing guitar chords and inspiring lyrics. Thiis performance leads on directly from the previous track with that glorious introduction and beautiful orange glowing light. I cannot praise this highly enough.
Bullet The Blue Sky - The full version of this dramatic , controversial song from The Joshua Tree album is performed here. Much better feel than on the Rattle & Hum movie. This is the best version of this great song available to own on disc.
With Or Without You - Again off Joshua Tree, another classic and well done here
One - A magical performance of this great song. My second favourite U2 song ever.
Walk On - I was so glad they came back for an encore to do this one straight after One. This was the key song on the 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind and finished this glorious concert with a great message of hope.
No-one else in rock music could play such a great set of songs.
DO NOT be without a copy of this disc!!!!!
I'd give it 6 stars if the scale would let me!!
14 BONO OH BONO!!!
U2 is crazy beautiful....this live CD sends chills down my spine. U2 is amazing -- I mean SLANE CASTLE!! It really is hard to believe--in the US we just don't get this kind of beauty and strength within a culture. Sit back or jump up and down like me ---but then again anyone who holds the beauty key to life already has this.
15 AMAZINGLY THE BEST CONCERT I'VE EVER SEEN
U2 is by far the best rock band ever to grace this planet anyway. So with that said, this DVD shows the passion and the incredible talent of U2. The camera angles are great and the music mixing is superb! This DVD will impact the way you look at this band for the rest of your life. They pulled in songs like Pride and One that were excluded on the Boston DVD which make this DVD even better. Watch for the segue into Where The Streets Have No Name. It made me honestly cry. Haha. Go buy this CD if you want to lay your eyes upon the greatest Concert DVD ever filmed by the greatest rock band ever invented!
16 Looking for U2 on DVD, this is the one to buy...
This a unique glimpse of the band at home, and they are fantastic. This is the first concert DVD that I've played start to finish and never had to desire to skip ahead on a song or two, that's because U2 keeps the energy level extreemly high. On top of a great concert and great musical performance, the show is very entertaining and Bono's dialog with the audience makes the concert even more special.
If you do buy this, read the booklet that comes with it. It helps explain some of the events going on that may otherwise be overlooked.
17 Emotional concert by the worlds best band
There is a moment in this film that never fails to give me chills: The segue between"All I want is you"to "Where the Streets Have No Name"in which Bono holds the last note of"All I want..." in such a way that you feel as if he pouring out his soul at that moment.....and then in a great catharsis the band delivers a stunning performance of "Where......"It is for me the best moment I have seen in a concert! I strongly recommend this dvd..the entire concert is filled with the best rock you will ever hear(I am 51...I have heard my share of"the rock and roll")!
18 A brief overview
Ok I wasn't at Slane and I didn't see the DVD but I can remember the huge build-up to the 2 concerts that year. I just thought I'd help a few of you to get a feel for the occasion and the history of Slane since some of you seem a little misled. This is probably one of the most amazing concert venues in the world and (until this year - Madonna should be ashamed of herself) has always been a rock venue. Slane is NOT in Dublin - it is in a tiny village called Slane (funny enough) in Meath which is about an hour and a half drive from Dublin. The reason I did not go to this concert was that the tickets were literally gold dust - all 80,000 sold out in a matter of minutes, thus the reason for the second show which also sold out in minutes (it had always been a one concert a year venue until that year). It is estimated though that there were at least 100,000 fans at each show - possibly something to do with the wonderful support acts (one night was coldplay and the other were Red Hot Chile Peppers along with others). The venue is literally a castle set in a huge field (with a hill and a few trees as meeting points) with the Boyne River in the background and is quite close to the historic ancient Boyne Valley. There have been quite a few deaths of ticketless fans trying to swim the river to the castle over the years. The first concert was in 1979 headlined by Thin Lizzy and supported by a, then unheard of, U2 (which is why the DVD is entitled U2 go home. They HAVE played in Ireland several times in that timeframe, just not in Slane.) And has since been rocked by legends no less than Queen, Springsteen, Neil Young, REM, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Guns N Roses... The list goes on and on. To the eejit who asked if the crowd have no seats... WHAT??? It's Slane, it's a field, it's a mind-blowing experience, NOT a lesson in comfort. That's not how we do things here in Ireland anyway. People camp out the night before and sometimes the following night. It's great if it's hot and sunny but even better if it's wet and mucky. Anyway apparently they've booked a few nights in the equally legendary Croke Park (HQ of Gaelic football & hurling here in Ireland) for next year and this time I DEFINITELY won't be missing out.
19 U2 Live!
What can I say!? This DVD is unbelievable. It took me back to the only U2 concert I had the honour of attending many years ago (not this one). I felt like crying several times while watching (and maybe I did). I hope to God that one day I may again see the greatest band in existence play live. I feel sorry for all those who do not understand U2, but, to those who do... this one is for you! WALK ON!
20 Feel like you are there
Whenever I watch this DVD I feel like I am at the concert. before U2 come on stage you can feel the passion from the wall of U2 fans, you can smell the excitement and expectation. Then the place is in utter ecstasy - the opening two tracks are explosive. As always bono pushes the right buttons - proclaiming to the 80,000 fans 'This is our tribe'. The middle of the gig is quite emotional as Bono's Dad who raised him as a single parent from childhood died a few days before. U2 bang out the classics such as Sunday Bloody Sunday when Bono proclaims 'were not going back there' and attacks the IRA, UDA and other so called freedom fighters who murder Irish people regardless of their beliefs. It is an emotionally packed experience brimming with great music and moments. Music DVDs do not get much better than this.
21 PERFECT
I didn't think that I will ever see a show like this ... and I did ... And I still can't believe my own eyes ...
I like U2. I like them a lot. But this ... PERFECT!
22 Capture a U2 concert
I'm pretty critical of music and concerts. I currently don't care for the state of U2 or Bono. I am more in the generation that played my WAR cassette out and bought the CD when it first came out. With all that being said....this DVD simply captures U2's transformation from an incredible young energetic band to the current commercial juggernaut they have become. Even with all of that....the sound, the picture, the energy is top notch in this. The only reason I wouldn't rate this as good as Red Rocks is because of the songs covered.
Is a must have for anyone that has ever liked U2 from the Boy albumn to the current state.
23 A Sort of Homecoming
About half of this show appeared on CBS-TV in the USA months before the DVD release in a documentary titled "U2's Beautiful Day". In this documentary we learn that on the day of this concert Bonos father has passed. The second of two huge sold-out shows at Sloan Castle a crowd that MUST have topped 6 figures wait enthusiasticly in the rain for arguably the best performance the band has ever given. The 5 channel DTS mastering on the DVD is amazing, the video unfortunatley is a bit over compressed. During a heartfelt speech during "Out of Control" Bono talks about the 500 pounds his father loaned him to record their first demo and thanks the fans for the 500 pounds they each have given the band over the years. Unlike the Boston video recorded a few months earlier the set is complete and relatively un-doctored and truly captures the energy of the bands live performance.
I haven't stopped watching this long enough to put it in my PC and check out the DVD-ROM features, But I did watch the "Unforgettable Fire" documentary which seems longer than the one I had on VHS, Admitedly its been a few years since I have watched it so I could be mistaken.
24 U2 Rocks Ireland!
This is the first video by U2 that I have ever purchased and I must say it is amazing. I was knocked out by this one! The sound quality is awesome, but U2 is what knocks me out. They are awesome live and Bono's voice is flawless here. Wake Up Dead Man gave me chills. The scenery is awesome with the Slane Castle in the background. Sometimes the castle glows orange and sometimes it glows blue. My only complaint would be that the camera got too close to Bono's face and nearly inside his mouth during a couple of songs. If I were Bono, I don't think I would have approved some of the camera shots in this DVD, but I guess he wasn't bothered by it. After watching this DVD, I plan to buy some more DVDs by U2. U2 Rocks!
25 U2 FROM IRELAND
Camera shots, songs, and sound are amazing.
Is DTS
Really worth 4 stars
26 Excellent sound and photography
After I saw U2 live and then the subsequent release "Rattle and Hum" (their live show in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium..ooh, that dates me!), I thought that video/DVD was a great docudrama of an exceptional band playing live and telling about themselves and their inspirations. Now, U2, Go Home Live from Shane Castle, has brought the same charisma and talent to a new, younger audience, as well as us that first heard them when in high school/college. I just want to say, this is a great DVD. The concert footage shows they have passion and inspiration to fuel their talent. The songs are flawless. I especially like how they go from current release numbers from their recent released CD to their earlier songs from Joshua Tree and Unforgettable fire. Plus, the documentary "Unforgettable Fire" from 1984 brings back great memories (and this goes to show new discoverers of U2 that though the band was younger looking, they have gotten better with age-sound, style, and professional craftsmanship) What a way to go U2, you have won more than Irelands hearts.
27 Amazing
This concert is a must have for any music lover, not just U2 fans. While it is very fulfilling for U2 fans to see the band playing in their hometown, anyone can, and will be caught up in the magic of the moment that U2 creates. The band is in rare form during this concert and it is unlike anything that I have seen before, especially from U2. It must be the home crowd that brings this out of the band because I have never seen a show of theirs to match this one. They are extremely relaxed and having a good time. Even Larry is seen smiling often. This DVD is a must have and should recieve a rating of 10 stars.
28 El Mejor Grupo Del Mundo
Definitivamente U2 siempre nos sorprende. En este caso, El concierto en Slane Castle es increible. El sonido es perfecto y el show en general es asombroso. Este DVD no puede faltar en la colecci—n de quien le guste U2 (la mejor banda de la historia).
29 Perfecto!
Un concierto totalmente recomendable, especialmente para los fans.
Me gust— m‡s que "Live From Boston", un recital m‡s natural
adem‡s el sonido y la imagen son muy buenos, al igual que el repertorio de temas.
30 Everything els e put aside...
It is the most powerful collection from U2 ever.....
31 Over priced, more of the same(Elevation video)..
Only difference is that the sound quality on this 1 is worse.
The vocals are louder than everthing else. If the energy
was there, this wouldnt be a prob, but it's just not a very good performance on a badly mixed DVD.The fact that its in Ireland dose'nt make it any better. The crowds seems dissapointed that they played alot of newer songs.
32 AMAZING!!!
U2 are the greatest rock band to ever grace this world. It is probably their best live concert. Awesome
33 The biggest band in the world, where's the audience?
U2's Elevation tour was putting up big numbers. Not since The Joshua Tree had they been this successful. But you might think "Well it's easier to fill a 20,000 person stadium than a 50,000 one." Well how many attended this show? 80,000. In fact a 2nd show was added becuase of chaos of the tickets. In Wednesday before the first show Bob Hewson died. Paul buried him the day before the 1st show. That was maybe the best setlist I've ever seen. September 1st, 2001 the 2nd show began, a celebration, a sort of homecoming.
I must say the setlist is ok, but instead of "Pride" and "New Year's Day" I would have rather heard "The Fly" or "Gone" and those songs could probably have been played but U2 chose to play 19 songs instead of 20, 21, or even 22 like on other shows.
The stage is different. If you are reading this you probably watched Super Bowl XXXVI. U2 played halftime and that stage is a typical setting. Strait, 5 ft up maybe 4 feet wide. This catwalk on GO HOME slants downward because the band is on a raised platform. When the tour started they had nothing but bleachers and fans behind them.Not here as you'll find out.
The show is incredible, expect for the audience who seems dead. Are there chairs in the grass or does everyone stand in the area?
1. Elevation
2. Beautiful Day
3. Until the Ebnd of the World
4. New Year's Day
5. Out of Control
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. Wake Up Dead Man
8. Stuck in a Moment
9. Kite - dedicated to Bob Hewson
10. Angel of Harlem - Bono, Edge at tip of heart.
11. Desire - full band at tip
12. Staring at the Sun - just Bono and Edge
13. All I Want Is You - Dedicated to Ali
14. Streets
(15. Mysterious Ways, this is the bonus track, but accroding to Larry's setlist they palyed it here.)
15. Pride
16. Bullet the Blue sky
17. With or Without You
18. One
19. Walk On
34 Brilliant!
An amazing, brilliant, emotional concert. A must for U2 fans and lovers of their music and Ireland. Very moving. Excellent live music. Great visuals of the band, Slane Castle and the crowd. Wish I could have been there at this concert. This DVD, however, is the next best thing to being there.
35 Where's the Popmart In Mexico City DVD?
This is the second DVD from the Elevation Tour, with mostly redundant setlists from the Boston DVD.
The music and sound quality are superb, but the camera work is the typical MTV-style flashy, fast-cut-jumble where nothing stays in place for more than one second (just like the Boston DVD). If that type of editting annoys you, be prepared for lots of it, including extremely grating close-ups of Bono's face during one song I can't remember, due to dizziness and eye-strain, this video is mostly a visual blur.
A wiser decision would have been to release this show as a limited collector's item for the U2 Fanclub, and release the visually superior and more musically inspiring "Popmart From Mexico City" finally on DVD instead.
5 stars for the musical content, 0 stars for the editting and camera work.
36 BEST U2 LIVE PERFORMANCE I HAVE EVER SEEN...
Just a simple review...If you like U2 you will love this DVD. The Boston DVD is great but this is even greater. Amazing band live!!!
37 U2 - jewel case version
I bought mine in Ottawa, Canada for $17. For some reason the packaging seems to be worth $10+ go figure......
This is simply the best U2 DVD concert out there - better than the Boston one, which I bought that after seeing the same tour in Oakland, CA.
You won't be disappointed.
Kix
38 Nearly Perfect!
Everything about the intensity of this show is incredible!! If you haven't bought a U2 DVD yet, buy this one. You will not be disappointed!
The only gripe I have about the entire DVD is the fact that it concentrates just a bit much on the most recent studio effort. Don't get me wrong, it's great! It's just that many, many other U2 songs are fabulous as well. I have not seen a U2 show since the Achtung Baby tour, so I cannot comment on whether this was an edited version of the complete show, but I would have loved to hear lots more -- U2, please make a double DVD set next time!
Bring on offbeat songs like Zooropa, or some of their better covers, like the Beatles' Help!... More, please!
39 A Great Companion to Live in Boston
Although it's more or less the same show as Live in Boston--on a different stage--it's worth owning for the small variations.
a) The band of course sounds great and is obviously thrilled to be playing in their hometown.
b) The setting--Slane Castle--is amazing. Also, check out the stage background being projected during "With or Without You"--so cool
c) Of course the band sounds great, save for what I always thought was a lame acoustic version of "Desire."
d) There's a couple of songs not on "Live in Boston," most notably the song which they announce as their first single ever: "Out of Control." (The only thing from Boy on LIB was, as I recall "I Will Follow").
e) There's even a kickass version of "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday," a song you'd think they'd be sick of playing by now. Obviously not.
If you already have LIB you pretty much have this show (I enjoyed that DVD a lot more than apparently some people here). For hardcore fans, though, this is probably a must-have.
KILLER BONUS: The long-lost documentary "The Making of Unforgettable Fire" is reissued as a bonus on this DVD. If you haven't seen it, it's a kick to see them back in the 80s (Bono's mullet!) and in what began their experimental phase with Dan Lanois and Brian Eno. You wouldn't believe how many different ways they kept tweaking "Pride" before they finally just left it alone, as evidenced in this film. There's also some classic footage of Bono--in his "improvised" lyrics period--faking his way through what would eventually become "The Unforgettable Fire".
40 Get this not Boston
This concert dvd is superior to the Boston Dvd for 4 reasons:
1) Most important of all, Bono's voice is at 100% this time making the whole thing much more enjoyable.
2) The crowd and the energy of the concert are impressive.
3) The track listing this time is far better, New Year's Day, Mysterious WAys are included, and surprises like Out of control, Angel of HArlem and All I want is you, with the full band.
4) The band seems to truly be "into" this concert, they look alive and happy, and this special energy is transmitted through their instruments as well.
41 A Good Time Capsule, But Not As Great As One Would Think
To be honest, I bought this one on the respected advice of a friend. In the end, I was somewhat impressed, but really only given what I expected from this band.
In "U2 Go Home" we see U2 go home -- in Ireland, that is true. And, in fact, the crowd does lead them to some excellent performances of "Elevation" and "Beutiful Day". These songs, in fact, give spine-tingling moments. The energey of the crowd and the band feed off of this greatly.
The concert, from this point takes a reasonable turn. The second movement of this show leads to a feeling of anti-war, anti-establishment, and, subsequently, anti-death. The foursome of "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday", "Wake Up Dead Man", "Stuck In a Moment ...", and "Kite" work well to establish a theme of futility and loss.
U2 build on this with the loose jams of "Angel of Harlem", "Desire", the inept "Staring at the Sun", and the motif of "All I Want Is You," but lose gas with "Where The Streets Have No Name".
U2 tries to build in the fourth movement of their show with "Pride", "Bullett The Blue Sky", and "With or Without You",
but the momentum has been lost. The emotion that the band began with has been lost, and so has ours. By this point, most of us are just willing ourselves through the rest of this video.
By the time U2 hits "One" we are waiting for the end. "Walk On" is mearly an excuse for us to make meaningless resolutions for our future lives as we leave this video.
In the end, this video shows us how powerful U2 can be, but also reminds us why we still like more resonant artists like Bob Dylan and George Harrison.
42 Just everything you can ask for in a dvd
If you are looking for a dvd that contains 20 songs you can't skip, excellent sound, natural picture/video takes, if you want to get into the soul of one of the best singers ever when you see him dealing with mixed and very intense feelings like losing your father and playing in front of your people for the first time in 20 years, and if you want to understand why U2 fans love U2 so much and why a U2 concert is almost like being in heaven, then you don't hesitate and buy this DVD.
Since i saw U2 playing their last concert in Miami on december 02, 2001, my soul has been missing the feeling of joy and happiness that i felt after they closed their tour with an unbelievable version of Walk On.
Here i am, 2 years later,having found this DVD and suddenly all of the joy, all the adrenaline and all of the happiness come alive once again!
The 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound:
Amazing. Bono's voice sounds clear and passionate all allong the concert. Great drum and guitar sound. Adam Clayton's bass is not so prominent like in the Boston DVD but still great.
DTS Sound:
Too much noise coming from the rear speakers. DTS is not a reason to buy this DVD.
The songs:
Out of Control their first single and an excuse to thank each band member's family for giving them 500 pounds/each to close their first record deal in London, Sunday Bloody Sunday (the best version ever and maybe the most passionated performance i have ever seen from any singer), Wake up Dead Man, Kite (Bono almost comes to tears while remembering his dead father),All i want is you (dedicated to his wife......also devotion to his wife in the middle of a great concert),and One are the key reasons to buy this DVD.
Rage, pain, joy, love, passion...any known or unknown emotion.... you can feel them while tasting those excellent pieces of music.
The Video:
Really good video for not being planned to be put on DVD. The takes are natural and capture completely the escense of the interaction and love between U2 and their fans. The lack of preparation allowed the director to capture unique reactions and colors and textures you can only see when you are in the arena with them.
The Crowd:
Amazing. Very involved with Bono and all the rest of the Band.
U2:
Maybe the best song selection for a band with more than 50 hit songs, a frontman singing deep from his heart, unlimited interaction with the crowd, smiles and jokes surrounding the typical mistakes a music player can make (like Edge missing a chord in Staring at the sun or Adam Clayton missing to start on time in Angel of Harlem). You can't ask for more...
You don't need to be a U2 fan to love this concert. If you are a human being looking for joy, for good music, excellent tunes, if you are looking forward to experience something different and fulfilling, then this DVD is the right choice.
43 Absolutely incredible
I own just about every cd/dvd that U2 has made. This dvd will give you the chills each time you see how far the enormous crowd goes back past the castle. Sound in DTS is incredible.
44 U2 sets the Gold Standard for live concert with this DVD.
A long time U2 fan, I treated myself to "Live...Slane Castle" for Christmas. In a nutshell, the DTS audio version of this is fantastic. If you don't own a DTS player and receiver, go get one. PCM stereo is fine but hold on to your seat when DTS is selected.
The Elevation DVD, from Boston a few months earlier, lacks the energy and passion that this concert has. Plus, it lacks DTS. Bono is more engaged with the Slane crowd, too; "Sunday Bloody Sunday" actually means something to this crowd.
Vocals are clean. Video editing is great. You believe you're actually in the crowd. I've watched this over and over.
Did I mention DTS surround?
45 Close to Perfection
FINALLY! Music DVD producers are getting the formula right - Widescreen 16:9 and DTS!!!! That's what they should ALL be. PERIOD!
O.K., with that said...this is a very nice package. I got mine from Best Buy for $15.99. The redone "Unforgettable Fire" documentary is worth the price of admission alone.
The audio is very good (not stellar). Very hot mix. About the same dB level at "55" volume on my system as others at "60" volume.
46 A Must-Have DVD
U2's performance at Slane Castle is unbelievable. The band really gets involved with the crowd, making it seem like you're there. The audio and video are unbelievable, making it one of the best concert DVD's out there.
47 The Greatest Concert DVD I've ever seen...
Just when I thought I couldn't appreciate u2 any more than I already do, they release an absolutely incredible DVD with the Slane Castle performance. It is hands down the most brilliant concert I've ever seen as the greatest rock band ripped the stage in front of their hometown crowd in Dublin. The Irish government should declare Sept. 1, 2001 a national holiday in dedication to this concert. This concert was perfection, created by amazing tunes, high emotions, and a crowd of 80,000 fans that didn't stop the whole show. Legendary producer Rick Rubin summed it up perfectly when stating that "seeing u2 live is like a religious experience."
It is hard to write in this review why this DVD is so incredible, but here are some of the reasons: (1)The way u2 walk onto stage and the crowd absolutely erupts as the band rips into "Elevation" (2)The complete performance of "Until the End of the World," my favorite live u2 song, laced with the wicked riffs of the band's genius guitarist, the Edge. (3)When Bono sings "New Years Day" with the Irish flag wrapped around him (4)The surprising appearance of "Out of Control" in the set and Bono's speech during the middle of the song which brings the crowd to probably it's highest peak of rowdiness. (5)The emotional performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" which concludes with u2's frontman singing "Wake Up Dead Man" while thousands of lighters appear in total darkness. (6)"Kite," one of my favorite u2 tracks ever, which Bono dedicates to his father who had just recently passed away.(7)"Angel of Harlem," which shows how much fun the band members still have together playing live after 20 years. (8)Probably my favorite on the DVD, the absolutely amazing "All I Want is You," which the lead singer dedicates to his beautiful wife Ali. I also like the part when a fan drenches Bono in water and he turns around and says "All I want is f***ing you, man!" (9) "Streets Have No Name" = The crowd. Get the DVD, you'll realize what I mean. (10)The emotional conclusion of the concert with classics like "One" and "With or Without You."
This DVD makes you feel like you're at the concert, it will make you forget you have a couch in your living room as I stood up the whole time I watched it. I liked the camera work even though some didn't, it made me feel like I was there. The Bonus features are terrific as well, with the Unforgettable Fire documentary and a spincam in which you can rotate the camera angles. Pretty cool stuff.
u2 are one of the greatest bands of all time hands down, they've always made amazing music but they just have that "something else" which put them on top of everyone else. Whether it be the original sound of Edge's guitar, having the most charasmatic lead singer, the friendship between the four members, I don't know. Bono refers to this as "IT", that u2 "just have IT." Well, "IT" was present and stronger than ever on Sept. 1, 2001.
48 Sound and performance are off the charts
We are 20+ years into the careers of U2,but this concert is U2 at their best.The definitive statement from a band in their prime.The performance in general is stellar,but the vocals from both Bono and the Edge leaves me breathless.Bono,s performance is understated,yet still,emotionally charged and powerful.I've watched this several times,and the initial charge that I got is still there.Intelligent camerawork and editing,along with reference quality sound,punctuate this performance.From the exploding opening bars of Elevation,through a mindblowing Bullet the blue sky,and finally Walk on,this concert never lets up.These guys craft hits in the studio,but the true experience with U2 is Live!If you only buy one,this is it!
49 Superb
U2 proved once again on 1st Sept. 2001 that they ARE the greatest rock band in the world by delivering up their hearts and souls in this mighty concert at Slane Castle.
What to say? The show was excellent, and the DVD captures it beautifully. If you've got the DVD of Elevation Live in Boston, you may want to pick this one up also, even though it's basically the same set. It's interesting to see the band put the same playlist through subtle variations, and always interesting to hear Bono wax eloquent (as well as extemporaneously!) during the songs.
Songs like "Kite" and "Stuck in a Moment" get an extra dramatic kick due to the fact that Bono's father passed away only the week before this concert was performed. As usual, U2 blow the lid off the world with "Elevation," "Beautiful Day," "New Year's Day," "Bullet the Blue Sky," and, hell, just about everything else. The Edge once again performs up to his usual standard -- he is sublime -- and Larry and Adam provide their typically strong work on drums and bass guitar, respectively. This is the core of the best rock band since, let's face it, The Beatles.
And there's Bono. If there is a more charismatic man on the face of the planet, he is in deep hiding. Bono was made to prowl, prance, preen, stalk and altogether dominate a stage. He was in top form the night of Slane, his voice alternately thrilling and heart-breaking.
Complaints? None. This DVD is a must-have for any U2 fan, or for anyone who just enjoys really, really, really great music, played at full volume. But be prepared to cry. Their performance of "One" left this grown man in tears.
50 Where do I begin?!
Awesome sound (DTS), the right songs, amazing sound/ picture quality..... one word WOW!!!! This is by far the best DVD purchase, I have made this year!
My ears still hurts ;o) I would highly recommend this one to all of you U2 fans out there, like myself...
Cheers.
51 "The goal is soul" -- A true "live" concert DVD...
U2 Go Home gives you the bare essence of U2, stripped of much of the made-for-TV pyrotechnics and flash of the also-excellent Boston DVD. Many of the songs are the same, even some of the canned dialogue. But the emotions are different, the audience is enormous and amazing, and the history of the setting really does wonders for U2's performance and for the DVD. If you look closely, you can even see the Teutonic Larry Mullen Jr. tear up at points.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, along with the Boston DVD. They really are quite distinct performances and both are worthy of your DVD collection.
I especially enjoyed the Bonus making of "Pride: In the name of love" at the same Slane Castle two decades earlier. My wife and I were chuckling at Bono's mullet and Adam Clayton's 'fro and the intimate look at the band's late-night strokes of musical genius.
...
As for U2, the band already had a powerful message before Sept. 11, born in the troubles in Ireland, expanded by their decades of seeking out truth and opposing despair, prejudice and destruction.
U2 has been the most influential, most meaningful band of the past 20 years, singing powerfully of love, hate, war, terrorism, famine and simple pop happiness too. They have the whole repertoire, and it's amply on display here.
U2 has had the right message all along, but not enough were listening.
When Bono strikes up, "How long, how long must we sing this song" on Sunday Bloody Sunday, you feel it in your guts. When he implores the crowd through chants of "no more IRA," you see the passion of a natural born leader for peace.
There are a lot worse ways to spend your hard earned cash.
52 Exhilarating And Essential
U2 is the most popular non-American rock band since Led Zeppelin, this is in equal measure due to their live shows and of course, the music, always the music. "U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle Ireland" is an exhilarating document of the band's homecoming concert. The Irish pride of Rock bumps, grinds and shouts here proving why they are the world's biggest band. It's also a fitting companion piece to the previously released "Live In Boston" DVD which was also great to watch but was missing some essential songs which are present here (and this DVD in turn is missing essentials like "I Will Follow" and "Gone" which are in the Boston release). A stunning performance of "Elevation" opens the show (watch the enormous crowd react in unison to the song) and then the soaring, evocative "Beautiful Day" follows with it's almost celestial chorus. "Until The End Of The World" is still an epic, exhilarating concert moment with Bono's stage presence and The Edge's sonic assaults of melody and power that project from his guitar. Now to the new songs, "New Year's Day" is here with it's evocative feel and wonderful piano playing from The Edge. "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" is still inspirational and rousing while "All I Want Is You" is a lovely tune Bono dedicates to his wife. "Bullet The Blue Sky" here has a nice, classic choral intro. "Live At Slane Castle" manages to create a more grand, exciting tone mainly due to it's significance for the band and the fact that it's a huge, outdoor show while the Boston show was a smaller, more intimate venue. The band's dialogue is more interesting here, especially before "Kite" when Bono speaks of his and The Edge's fathers both being tenors who used to sing together from time to time. "Out Of Control" is a neat look at the band's early days. The DVD's extra features are also worthwhile like the "Unforgettable Fire" documentary which is a fascinating look at the band in the 80's. Another extra treat (which should simply bee included with the rest of the show) is "Mysterious Ways," which of course many fans noticed was missing in the Boston DVD. Bono's daughter even makes an appearance and does a few moves to the song which is still an intoxicating groove. "Live At Slane Castle" is a must for fans of the band, especially those who want to see the excitement of the band playing in their hometown, in the country of their roots. Simply put, unforgettable.
53 Unbriddled energy
The energy of the crowd and the band makes the concert truly special. After seeing this concert I would be interested in seeing U2 in Ireland --- there was a true connection here that I have not seen in other U2 concert videos. Amazing video.
54 Outstanding
Any true music lover will love this DVD, but if you are a true fan of the group, this is a 'must have' for your collection. The DTS 5.1 Surround Sound audio is the preferred listening choice of this DVD if you have comparible equipment. It is just amazing at the groups sheer performance and the crowds energy. U2 definitely has not missed a beat over the years and they pour a lot into it for the home fans of Ireland. Bono's vocals are on target and even The Edge lends a helping hand on several tracks. Knowing that I will probably never get to see them live, this was all the more reason to have this.
55 Buyer Beware!
The fact that the same dvd has been released in two packaging formats- typical dvd and cd jewel case- has created no end of confusion for buyer and retailer alike.The jewel case version was in the cd stacks in the retail store I went to and the salesperson was convinced it was music only.
The Deluxe Limited Edition is probably neither deluxe nor limited. We received both versions as gifts and were able to compare. The only variation we could see was a marginal one in the booklets.
And with a price difference of up to $10.00 in some places I've seen you can make your own conclusions.
56 so so
This concert has the usual, post-MTV-genereation, cutting in and out, fuzzy fade editing approach, which often only succeeds in giving 30-somethings like me a headache.
The bonus UF doc. doesn't include the videos that were part of the original of the VHS; and the picture is not very clear.
The menu screen is a mess of high-tech looking graphics that only cause discombobulation (it took me awhile to figure our how to go from one segement to another).
Basically, this concert is a rehash of the Boston Elevation Concert. But if this is the only way to get a DVD version of the outstanding UF documentary then...oh well.
57 The best DVD that U2 ever published
I have seen various reviews on this DVD, and as a U2 fan I own all of their concerts from the beginning. I instantly bought this one, no matter what the reviews said. I've decided to write my own review because of the fact that as far as I like U2, I want to be objective regarding their work, and we all know that they had some bad editions. I will rate this DVD simply as a MUST HAVE regardless if you are U2 fan or not. Once you've listened to first couple of songs, fan or not, you will love them.
Concert itself
The concert is something that I haven't seen in a long time. I remembered the times where the band recorded Rattle and Ham and after that Achtung Baby, how the concerts from those tours were filled with energy, spontaneous interaction of the band with the audience, performance that simply makes you shiver. I had the exact feeling when I watched the band in front of a huge audience, the guys are giving the maximum, and Bono's interaction with the audience is amazing. With the excellent performance, the relaxed atmosphere, stories from the past, and with excellent performance of their first single Out Of Control, the band managed to awake the spirit from the past that was long gone, lost and forgotten.
Conclusion? Go for this one!!!
If you still don't get the full picture about this DVD, you can read the next couple of paragraphs regarding the technical details of this edition
Content
The DVD comes in paper cover, small illustrated inlay, with excellent quality and pictures. DVD itself contains the concert in Slane Castle, Mysterious Ways as bonus song which was left out of the concert part (strange but anyway they put it in), The Unforgettable Fire documentary about making of the concert is listed in "extras" where you can also find Elevation tour diary calendar and clock and couple of screen savers and themes for Windows. DVD ROM bonus tracks section contains three songs that can be viewed on PC in 360¡ using Quick Time Player (Elevation, Beautiful Day and Where The Streets Have No Name).
Sound
Sound is recorded in PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and finally DTS 5.1 format which makes this DVD the first DVD with DTS Sound released by U2. The sound quality is astonishing, if you listen in Dolby Digital 5.1 and especially in DTS, will simply become part of the audience, experiencing the full power this excellent concert.
Picture
Like in other U2 concerts, these guys spend big time on visual effects and cameras recording the concert. The monitors are present, this time 4 big ones for each of them, and once again they use state of the art technology for their visual effects. Picture format is 16:9 wide screen with excellent quality.
58 Great DVD
As soon as I had this DVD in my home I sat right down to watch it. I love the fact that songs such as Out Of Control, New Years Day, Angel of Harlem, and especially One are shown on this DVD. Having seen U2 live on this tour, I was hoping for a more live feeling concert DVD with this one. Boston was a great concert, but it feels more like a music video taping rather than a concert. I own all of the U2 concert videos and DVD's and so far I'd have to say that this is one of my favorite. If you're looking for a live, exciting, feel like you're in the crowd DVD, than this is the one you want to own. The lighting comes through just as though you were sitting in the crowd. On the Boston DVD the lighting seemed alot darker and sometimes wrong, like how an orange would come through as red, blue as green, etc. The Slane Castle DVD has the lights as they were at the concert, and this really keeps the mood going from song to song. The band were on, the crowd was on, and it was overall a great show to watch as it seems everyone had their own share of fun. Overall on a scale of 1-10 I would rate this DVD a 9 mainly because of the fact that they left Mysterious Ways as an extra where it should have fit in with the rest of the concert. I'd recommend this DVD to anyone who is a fan of U2 or listens to their music.
59 Almost Unwatchable
The video quality of this product was aweful. The lighter areas are completely blown out and all detail is lost. The lighting, though appropriate for the event, is horrific in terms of photography. The only gem here is Out of Control, the rest is rubbish we've all heard over and over again.
60 Annoying Photography
This was a major disappointment & irritation thanks to the whacked pseudo-artsy ideas of some photographers. It seems like a full 50% of screen time is wasted on bringing it home time and time again just how large, grand, and populous the crowd is. Frankly, I don't care about the damned crowd, but the editors don't seem to trust viewers with an attention span longer than a split second, for the cameras constantly treat us to scintillating views of Edge's ass when Bono is doing something that looks like it might be interesting farther down the stage. I will never find out most of the things that looked potentially interesting that Bono may have been doing thanks to Edge's butt, the same shot of Larry's pained profile, and the same joyously frenetic dude in the audience that I didn't care to see in the first place. Also, since we are paying for a *DVD* viewing and not a live in Ireland concert viewing, why so many long shots from the nosebleed section? Is that for the you-are-there feeling? I'd rather have the you-are-onstage-with-them feeling since it is, after all, a DVD, and they can do that sort of thing with the wonders of modern science.
After the halfway mark we are in awe of some *extreme* close-ups of Bono's dental work, another sight I could live without. The cameramen also seem to come from the Brownie Camera Skool of Photography where the cardinal rule is to put the guy's head smack in the center of the frame, ensuring we get gobs of dead white space and cut off all of the other more interesting parts of performer's bodies.
But the music of course gets 7 stars, making this review an average of 3 stars.
61 My experience of U2 at Slane 25th and now 1st Sept!
I was at Slane the 25th of August so I was anxious to get this DVD and compare it to the great time I had at the concert held week before.
The camera style is fast, close and a bit rough. It would have been nice to see better some of the visuals (all the light - text, stars, etc.) which are not revealed unless the whole stage is shown, as seen from the audience away from the stage. I guess you have to get the Boston DVD for all the extra camara work!
The tone is a bit different between the 25th and the 1st, mainly because of the death of Bono's father and the funeral day before the earlier concert. On this DVD there is less "drama" regarding that and I feel I was lucky to have been on the earlier concert for that moment. Still the same, you can feel the crowd, the music is great and the band is active, having fun.
There are not many features extra that make any differance. I feel there could have been more, about Slane and the concerts, U2 - but hey, the concert is great and you get the feeling they are live at your home.
I have not tryed the DVD ROM features but I understand you can see few songs 360 degrees, which is great I guess, but I would like the sound to be the same as in my DTS DVD player instead of a computer speakers. As said before, if you want more camera angles, you get the Boston Elevation Tour (also?) !
Bottom line, extra features are thumbs down and the event as live, rough with great sound is five thumbs up!
Because I don't care about the extra features it gets five stars and recommendation for anyone wanting to be in LIVE mood!
Subtract one and a half star if you expect something extra.
62 Virtually Perfect
This DVD is everything that the Boston video wasn't. It's live, spontaneous and conveys what the Elevation shows were like. Both videos were compiled from 2 seperate shows. However, this one has lingering shots of the audience and the band, while Boston often felt like an MTV video. For some shows that works. For this tour it mostly didn't.
Then there's the sound. The PCM track from Boston was fine, but the 5.1 track was nothing short of unlistenable.
Thankfully the clarity is roughly the same on all 3 tracks. I personally find the vocals (center channel) a bit grating, but it either gets better as the show goes on, or I got used to it.
Either way, for 12 bucks this is a no brainer.
63 U2 have as much fun as the crowd
this is simply a fantastic live spectacle from one of the great bands of rock. there is an absolute and undeniable exchange of energy between the band and this audience, it's hard to tell who's enjoying themselves more; the band or the fans. because of it the show is real joy to watch and listen to. i'm by no means an authority on U2 shows or the band for that matter, i just love great rock-n-roll whatever flavor it comes in, but the set list here and the spirit and alacrity that they give the performance is just stellar. if all U2 shows are this fun, i'm definately going to catch the next tour. the unforgettable fire documentary on the disc is also enjoyable in that it shows the band before they got to be super rock stars with all of the money and beauty that comes with it. they're just 4 rock dorks living for the sake of the song, the sound and the moment, which of course, is where all great art is generated.
64 U2 is best when seen live, and this DVD delivers it.
As Bono once said in an interview, U2 lives out on the road, and no booteg, no DVD no Paramount movie has captured it better than the Slane DVD. This DVD is significantly better than the Live from Boston DVD for so many reasons: 1) the DVD captures the spirit of the crowd, the organic intensity and passion in what U2 loves to do--make music--and the symbiotic relationship U2 feels with its crazy fans in a live show; 2) the filmmaking is much more spontaneous and rough, giving the viewer/listener a much more authentically visceral experience of an unforgettable U2 show; 3) all the songs in the lineup are included in the Slane DVD, namely, "New Years Day," "One," and "Mysterious Ways," all staples of the Elevation tour but curiously not included in the Boston DVD, and 4) the sound mix is much more robust and enveloping than the elevation DVD: Edge's thrashing guitar during "Until the End of the World" and "Bullet", Adam's rumbling bass during "New Year's Day" and "Mysterious Ways," Bono's vocal passion as he howls at the wind during "New Years Day," and Larry Mullen Jr.'s hard hitting drums during "Sunday Bloody Sunday. The introduction and the performance during "Out of Control," sends chills. Apparently, producer Ned O'Hanlon mentioned in an interview that signifcantly less money was spent on this production than the Boston show. As U2 has been discovering with the last album, less is so much more.
65 What Rock Music Sounds Like When It's Done Right
I've been to a U2 show. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. U2 are easily the best live band in existance today and also probably one of the best live bands in history. The Boston DVD was great, but the band didn't seem at ease during that show. In this show, the band looks like it's having delerious fun from Bono's first howls at the beginning of Elevation all the way to the last Hallelujah and last chord of Walk On. Also, on this DVD you get several songs(New Year's Day, Out Of Control, Angel Of Harlem, Staring At The Sun, All I Want Is You, One, Mysterious Ways) that weren't on the Boston DVD. And as an added bonus, you get to see Bono's most-adorable-kid-in-the-world daughter dance during Mysterious Ways. Bottom line, if you're a U2 fan, you can't go witout this. This is a great band in a great mood playing great performances of great songs, in their element, to a great crowd. You can't go wrong. Please get this.
66 Best Conert, Best DVD EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
I've never been to a U2 concert, but after seeing this DVD, I don't think I would be able to survive a U2 concert, I would simply have a heart attack. This DVD portrays the absolute insanity of U2 fans and their concerts. The DVD makes me shiver while i watch it once a day if i have time. I can't get enough of it. I will definately be at their next concert when they come to New York again. Woooooooo, MUST have DVD for anyone who has ever heard of U2.
67 Run, don't walk to buy this DVD :)
U2 Go Home is spectacular. It truly made me fall in love with this band all over again. It has heart and it rocks the house. Equally wonderful is the inclusion of the Unforgettable Fire documentary. A great look at the process of making an album and the evolution of the song Pride.
68 Fans from the early days will appreciate it
This is the same concert that aired on CBS last year. A very different edit though. I actually liked CBS' version better because it included greenroom interviews with Bono. In one he said that he buried his father the day before the concert. From there we see him on stage emotionally yelling into the mic for the intro of the song. It made a lot of sense and was quite moving. The DVD does not have this interview and Bono just looks like an animal yelling into the mic. No where on the DVD did it mention *specifically* the death of his father.
Basically the guys looked tired, probably due to Bono's father's death and the end of a long tour. The quality isn't great as they were not planning on releasing it. For early fans, you will appreciate the show for what it is. You will like the documentary of their early work in the castle and in the studio. For we later fans, well...just don't watch the documentary. It has permanently jaded my view of Bono and Adam.
If you were going to get just one DVD of the Elevation tour, I'd get Boston. Hands down. Techies and TV people will appreciate the behind the scenes work and the concert edit is incredible.
69 Breath taking
This is one of the best DVD's I have ever bought. It has so much energy in it and is truly a awesome experience to watch this.Its got a awesome atmosphere with 160,00 odd screaming fans there, with about 60,000 more people more present than the Elevation DVD. Every track stands out and Bono's vocals. This is very, very good. Go out and buy it if your a true U2 fan.
70 Excellent
I was at this concert and it rocked and the DVD was just great. Must have!
71 U2 Go Home Live From Slane Castle
I'm not a big U2 fan but this is an amazing concert DVD. DTS is a must. Full of energy and feeling. Click to "KITE" turn it up and play it over and over again.
72 More passion, less techno, rare tunes = best show yet
If you're a U2 fan and after reading all these reviews you haven't gotten the DVD, stop right now and get it! Seriously, watching a U2 show in front of their hometown fans forces them to raise the bar, and they deliver! This one reminded me of why I got into U2 in the first place - watching "Under a Blood Red Sky". Same intensity, but obviously captures them much farther along in their now historical career.
True, it is mostly the Elevation Tour, but each song is delivered with noticeably more emotion - throw in the sad death of Bono's father and, to steal the phrase its easy to get, 'stuck in a moment'. Unlike the other concerts, rather than showcase new songs, this one only has 5 tunes (all of which made it to radio) from the latest project and brings back "New Years Day", "All I Want Is You", and even better "Out of Control" (Bono even alludes to their parents funding them $500 lbs to get a record deal). We're talking high energy from start to finish. Plus, the special feature of "Making the Unforgettable Fire" gives a very cool insight into the making and editing of "Pride". True mainstay live tunes "The Fly", "I Will Follow", and "Bad" would have made this complete, but hey, 20 (including Mysterious Ways) out of 23 aint bad. Beside, include those and why do you need the Elevation DVD?
Heck, if nothing else, you get to see someone dump a beer on Bono. That's worth the $$$ isn't it?
If you only buy one live performance from U2, this one is a no-brainer.
73 Million times better than Elevation DVD
I loved the Elevation DVD and today I got the Slane castle one and was blown away by it. It had much more soul and looked less grandiose than the Elevation DVD, although this one had 60,000 people more present than the Elevation DVD. Every track stands out and Bono's vocals. Everything stands out in this DVD. Not much more I can say since the other reviews have said a lot. Go get it!!! You must!
74 By far the best live U2 release!
I have been a loyal fan since 1988. I've seen them live 8 times live (which is not a lot compared to some, but still a good amount) and own pretty much everything you can get your hands on. This show is by far one of the most emotional and powerful shows I have seen them perform. It is also the first time that I was brought to slight tears by watching a rock and roll video (understand that Bono's father passed away the week prior. ("Communication. Talk to each other.")) Even my friend's wife, who hates all concert videos in general, was drawn into this one (My friend said that he had never seen her do this before with a concert video). I won't go into all the details, you can read some of the prior reviews for that. I'm just a 15 year fan throwing in my hearty approval.
Oh, this DVD is obviously much better than the televised version a year ago. That broadcast only played a few of the songs and interrupted them with endless commericals.
Also, for those wondering why "Mysterious Ways" is included as a bonus feature...it is because the director felt that it did not fit with emotion of the rest of the concert. I agree with his decision. You do get to see Bono's daughter come on the stage at the end (Eve) which is fun.
75 Craic 's Ceol
What an amazing homecoming! As good as the ELEVATION DVD from Boston was, this is even better! The band is adrenalin pumped as they take the stage and while the set list is pretty much the same as the Boston show, there is the entire dynamic of thE triumphant return here for this band from North Dublin. If you were to own only one U2 DVD, it's this one.
More than likely because they are playing to people who actually know them beyond their rock status, there is less playing to the gallery than there was in the Boston show and much more intenseley and passionately delivered music. Bono tones down his Vegas proclivities, postures a whole lot less and gets back to the business of singing his soul out. The music is absolutely razor sharp start to finish. And the sea of people! It is quite impressive to see however many thousands of people are on hand with Slane Castle in the background.
Most particularly because they are home and the tragedy of Omagh is still fresh in everyone's mind, Bono addresses Northern Ireland's absurd obsession with brutality and blood letting in SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY more forcefully than he ever has. His vitriolic admonition that "Compromise is not a dirty word," hopefully resounded in what is largely a Republic, tri-colour- waving crowd long after the concert ended.
I would encourage you to get the expanded version for the additional documentary about making the UNFORGETTABLE FIRE CD at Slane all those years ago. It shows the band on the cusp of greatness. When you realize that, apart from some misguided excursions into techno, just how consistently great they have been, you can nearly identify the anticipation of such accomplishments in their nascent state with the Eno driven project.
If you are a fan of the band, you don't need me to tell you to get this. If you're wondering what the fuss is about, absorb this disc in every detail. Indicates just what a gap there is between them and everyone else except a quartet from Liverpool all those years ago.
76 U2 out doing themselves again
I live in Des moines, IOWA which is pretty far away from NY and LA and i am only 16 which gives me no chance of seeing U2 live, and for them to release this dvd, its just like i was there. i was singing, dancing, jumping up and down just as the crowds were. the audience at slane castle was so amazing, even the fans in the way back. this dvd is just more evidence of how u2 have touched our hearts and changed the face of music.
77 U2 Having more fun than ever!
I have seen U2 live many times in person and have a pretty thorough collection of live footage. Some officially released and some bootlegs. I have never seen the band having this much fun while performing! It makes an already "great" live band reach even higher ground. This is by far the best concert footage ever... Everyone from the most remote U2 fan to the die-hard U2 fan should own this... Um, er, even if you hate U2 you should own this... It's that good.
78 A truly Unique Occasion captured forever
So many events conspired to make this show truly unique. Slane Castle has been host to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Guns n' Roses, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers (this year, and whose Slane DVD is due 1 week after this one) but was never headlined by U2 until 2001.
2 other events that make this show equally jubilant and emotional is fact the Bono was in mourning over the death of his father. The funeral was the eve of the first Slane show the week before. However, the truly magnificent event that had the crowd on a high all day was the World cup qualifier held that afternoon in Dublin. The 2nd half of the match was screened to the Slane audience.
These 2 events are so apparent during a lot of the banter with the crowd. 'Kite' is dedicated to his father Bob Hewson, Bono changes the words of beautiful day to 'beautiful goal' in reference to Jason Mc Ateer's wonder goal. (He did dedicate 'One' to Jason Mc Ateer, but this was edited out for one reason or another, most obvious one being the scope of Mc Ateer's fame, the other may have been an attempt to ease the suffering of Dutch U2 fans).
Other highlights include, Sunday Bloody Sunday, in which Bono recalls the names of the victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing. This is quite powerful as it helps to humanise the victims instead of making them statistics of a bloody outrage. The Boyne river, scene of the famous divisive 1690 battle in the background makes the message even more potent and relevant. Bullet the blue sky is brilliant. The introduction by Sinead O Connor is inspired. However they did leave out the Charlton Heston footage at the end of the song.
The only cringe-worthy shot is Bono's Ireland flag waving moment, however considering the days events, he does go out of his way to explain its 'just once, just once for Jason Mc Ateer' and not some jingoistic retarded nationalistic gesture. 'Mysterious ways' was taken from the main track selection and placed on the DVD as a bonus track. No idea why, but its a great tune made all the better by Bono's daughter accompanying him on stage. Likewise he dedicates 'All I want is you' to his wife Ali. Bono also summons up their early days with a rendition of their first single 'Out of control'. During which he recounts the story of raising the 2000 pounds necessary to fund the band and how the band decided to stay and live in Dublin with 'the tribe'.
This is a truly unique, excellent and uplifting DVD that all U2 fans will enjoy and which U2 themselves will find difficult to replicate again.
79 You naysayers make me sick!
It's great that everyone has an opinion. But some people should either get their facts straight and or develop a love for live performances.
This DVD was PETITIONED for release. THE TRUE FANS WANTED IT! They campaigned for it and successfully got it released. It's by no means a Christmas cashing-in. Of course the so-called fans would favor the Boston DVD, which is great...but suffers from an overly controlled environment, bland sterility at times, over glossed production and doctored audio and lighting. Is it a true live performance? No, not as it should be. What makes the Slane DVD a true live performance? Raw energy, emotion, sponteneity, musical diversity...and an electric crowd!
I applaud those fans for U2 for having this DVD released, even if it is a second offering from the same Tour. Every concert goer knows that each show is different, and true music lovers and true fans can appreciate that.
Pearl Jam released their official bootlegs series which is being lapped up by their fans...even if those shows are from the same tour! Each show offers something different, each one as important as the next. Peter Gabriel has done the same, releasing official bootlegs from his Growing Up Tour...and you know what...the fans are buying them, because is't about the music, it's about the passion and emotion, it's about the intangible sensation of experiencing a live performance.
For those of you who loved the Elevation Tour, search online for DVDs of U2's Southbend Indiana/Notre Dame performance and the August 8th Barcelona Spain perormance (which is Edge's Birthday and features "Spanish Eyes" and "Party Girl"!!!).
And the fellow from Oakland Ca, did you tell your son to throw out the ZooTV live from Sydney or Popmart in Mexico tapes for failing to include "Bad?" Sounds like a grown up hissy fit to me.
80 WHAT A SHOW!!!!
This is one of the best live Dvd's that I have ever seen. I have seen U2 in concert before, and this is very realistic.
81 Homecoming after 23 years
Finally, a great concert played with the live power of U2 to their crowd. Songs played are a bit different from the Boston concert, but a lot of feelings are shown by Bono, which makes the concert very special. Plus bonus material is quite good, a must for U2 fans. That's it..buy it..you won't regret it.
82 An emotional homecoming: GET THIS EDITION, not limited one
I flew from my home in nyc just to attend this once-in-a-life-time event, U2 returning to Slane Castle after 20 years. For this gig, they were not opening for another band, but it was their own show. And it was a big show. 80,000 people big to be exact. It was powerful and moving to be attending a U2 gig in their hometown with their "tribe." It was a concert that got imprinted in my heart. So, I was in disbelief when I saw this DVD. I almost cried at the record store (no joke). After watching it again, the charisma, the enthusiasm, the love all come rushing back. Even if you didn't attend, you will most probably get chills down your spine. I've been to many U2 shows, but this one, certainly is one of the best. And of course, this show happend only 10 days before 9/11. The concert is still wonderful to watch, but it also transposed me back to the blissful time right before the world changed drastically. In short, highly recommended.
83 How Anyone can say Boston is better is way beyond me
The band was simply in the groove during this show, nothing like the stiff performance in Boston. There is a reason the fans lobbied to get this released, It rocks!! Simple as that. Bono hasnt sounded better in years and there is real emotion in his vocals.
84 Much Better then Boston
U2 Go Home might just be the best live U2 DVD on the home market today. It's all about U2 being U2. It's raw, it's genuine and it's fun. These factors are what make U2 the band they are today, and were some of the things lacking on their previous DVD release U2 Live From Boston.
Sure, the Boston DVD was probably better in technical terms. There were no obvious band slip-ups in that release. However, most of that has to do with inter-cutting moments from the night after while the cameras were still rolling. In U2 Go Home, there is none of that. When the band screws up, you know about it. You see Bono laughing and Larry Mullen smirking after a rocky start to Angel Of Harlem...that's what live music is all about. To be fair the gaffs are rare. However, for those who are paying attention, Bono's voice is much better in U2 Go Home. Overall, the songs are more inspired and powerful this time out.
U2 Go Home also did something unique in using a variety of film and video stock for the show. It gave the performance that extra raw feeling. There were no perfectly timed crane shots or any nonsense that you might find in previous U2 live releases. It was also nice to see them use a 16:9 aspect ratio. It really adds to the grandeur of the show and gives the DVD a much more cinematic feel.
What about that crowd? I'll take 80'000 screaming hometown fans any day over the 20'000 tame Boston fans. Let's not forget about that silly sit down protest that took place inside the heart that is very visible on TV. (you people should STILL be ashamed for doing that....you still got a great viewing location that other fans would have almost died for) In U2 Go Home, there is none of that nonsense. It's just a lot of U2 fans who are grateful to be there, even the ones at the back.
You're also getting eight songs you didn't get on the Boston DVD. New Years Day, Out of Control, Wake Up Dead Man, Angel Of Harlem, All I Want Is You, Pride, One and Mysterious Ways(bonus track).
What's there not to like on this DVD? (well maybe a few more DVD extras would have been cool) This is one of the better U2 performances you'll ever see.
85 U2 Go Home IS BETTER then U2 Live from Boston
U2 Go Home might just be the best live U2 DVD on the home market today. It's all about U2 being U2. It's raw, it's genuine and it's fun. These factors are what make U2 the band they are today, and were some of the things lacking on their previous DVD release U2 Live From Boston.
Sure, the Boston DVD was probably better in technical terms. There were no obvious band slip-ups in that release. However, most of that has to do with inter-cutting moments from the night after while the cameras were still rolling. In U2 Go Home, there is none of that. When the band screws up, you know about it. You see Bono laughing and Larry Mullen smirking after a rocky start to Angel Of Harlem...that's what live music is all about. To be fair the gaffs are rare (unlike what the previous reviewer had to say). However, for those who are paying attention, Bono's voice is much better in U2 Go Home. Overall, the songs are more inspired and powerful this time out.
U2 Go Home also did something unique in using a variety of film and video stock for the show. It gave the performance that extra raw feeling. There were no perfectly timed crane shots or any nonsense that you might find in previous U2 live releases. It was also nice to see them use a 16:9 aspect ratio. It really adds to the grandeur of the show and gives the DVD a much more cinematic feel.
What about that crowd? I'll take 80'000 screaming hometown fans any day over the 20'000 tame Boston fans. Let's not forget about that silly sit down protest that took place inside the heart that is very visible on TV. (those folks should STILL be ashamed for doing that....you still got a great viewing location that other fans would have done anything for) In U2 Go Home, there is none of that nonsense. It's just a lot of U2 fans who are grateful to be there, even the ones at the back.
You're also getting eight songs you didn't get on the Boston DVD. New Years Day, Out of Control, Wake Up Dead Man, Angel Of Harlem, All I Want Is You, Pride, One and Mysterious Ways(bonus track).
What's there not to like on this DVD? (well maybe a few more DVD extras would have been cool) This is one of the better U2 performances you'll ever see.
86 Unless you're a fan, get the Boston DVD instead
Originally shot as a personal memento by the band, "U2 Go Home" was pushed into release by the group's ardent European fans, who lobbied and clamored for its release after portions of the concert were broadcast on worldwide television as "U2's Beautiful Day." While it is a valuable addition to any U2-philes collection, the simple fact is that the video, audio and overall performance is not up to the bands usual professional standards. Casual observers who take a chance on this DVD will probably be left wondering what all the fuss is about.
Still, "U2 Go Home" does have its charms. The venue, Slane Castle outside Dublin, is as picturesque and romantic a setting as one could ask for a major rock concert, and with the death of lead singer Bono's father just a few weeks prior, there is a strong emotional bent to the whole evening. But this performance and DVD must be compared to the November, 2001 release of "Elevation 2001 - U2 Live From Boston," which was meant to be the definitive chronicle of the groups hugely successful 2001 Elevation tour.
In almost every respect, "U2 Go Home" falls short of that prior release. This was the last concert of the second leg of the tour, and in listening to the audio and watching the performance, it's clear the group needed the month-long break that would come after this show. Bono tries hard, but the intensity and performance just are not equal to the task at hand. He's noticeably less active than usual, and the whole group seems hindered by a case of road weariness. Bono forgets the words to some of the songs, and his voice is weaker than on the Boston DVD. While he's not bad, it is hard to come away from this show with an appreciation of him as one of the world's great singers, which he is.
The song list is very similar to the Boston DVD. In almost every case, the better versions of some of the group's classics like "Elevation," "Beautiful Day," "Desire," and "With or Without You" come from the Boston DVD. There are a few notable exceptions, like "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which is one of the few moments where the band's fire and intensity really picks up. There are also some nice moments in some of the songs that are different from the Boston set list. "One" is particularly good, as is "Out of Control," the group's first single from the "Boy" album.
The visuals suffer from a clear lack of preparation, probably due to the fact that this is basically a revved-up home movie. The lighting, camera placement, and editing lack the flow and energy of the Boston set, even though it is directed by Hamish Hamilton, who also did the Boston DVD. The audio is good, but a notch below the Boston DVD as well.
All in all, U2 Go Home amounts to little more than a snapshot of the band on an average night. Still, as a fan, I appreciate getting some different songs from the earlier Boston DVD. However, fans might have been better served if this was treated as an "Authorized bootleg" sold through the band's website. I'd much rather have had the earlier video releases of the Zoo TV tour and "Popmart Live from Mexico City" get the full DVD treatment.
In the end, I can recommend this DVD to fans of the group, but anyone wanting to give U2 a try for the first time should pick up the Boston DVD instead.
87 $15... I'm game!
The biggest band in the world performing the biggest concert in the world, and cheap. I saw trailer and it's incredible the way Bono sounds. He sounds like he is 28. Remember Popmart when sometimes you couldn't even hear him, well when he talked about 1,000,000,000 watt PA, he wasn't kidding.
88 Get the jewel case version instead, save some money
Well, at the time when I ordered this, Amazon.com couldn't really confirm if there were indeed two versions: one packaged in a CD jewel case, and one packaged in the usual DVD format. They had them listed with the exact same product description, contents, etc. I called them, and they told me they probably made a clerical error, and that the items were identical, just different in price. Turns out now that they've re-listed one as a Limited Deluxe Edition.
However, from what I can tell, the contents inside are identical to each other, with the only difference being the packaging, and that the CD jewel case version is about $5 cheaper.
The packaging claims that there are English, French, Spanish, German, and Brazilian Portugese subtitles on the DVD, but I couldn't activate them...I've had no problems with other DVDs with subtitles in the same player, so either the subtitles don't exist, or the disc may not have been mastered properly.
I did get the impression that this disc was thrown together in a bit of a hurry, most likely the record companies wanting to cash in for Christmas. I find it ludicrous that they would charge an extra $5 for DVD-style packaging. It's nothing more than a cash grab.
Bottom line is that if you're a die-hard U2 collector, you'll want this for your collection, but it'll probably wind up alongside the Popmart album also collecting dust. The Boston DVD still takes the prize for the best production to date.
89 Woah
For the past 2 years the Elevation DVD has been the music DVD standard in my mind, the one against which all others are measured. In my view, only Nine Inch Nail's "And all that could have been" has ever lived up to that disc.
And now this comes out.
So me and my girlfriend are big U2 fans, and have heard seemingly every version of all of their songs. Some of the songs from this concert are my new favorite versions. Angel of Harlem has never swung so much, Sunday Bloody Sunday has never sounded so... hopeful.
You definately want this one.
90 A truly unique occasion
When I heard that this show was going to be released as a DVD, I was a little apprehensive. There was already a DVD issued from the Elevation tour and feared fans might find a home town event too parochial.
So many events conspired to make this show truly unique. Slane Castle has been host to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Guns n' Roses, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers (this year, and whose slane DVD is due 1 week after this one) but was never headlined by U2 until 2001.
The first Slane show on August 25th sold out in 10 minutes, 80000 tickets in 10 minutes. The result was that a second show had to be held. This meant that planning permission had to be pushed through very quickly by the Irish government.
The setting for the concert is unique and magnificent. The hill outside the castle is a natural amphitheatre. The castle itself was lit up with various colours throughout the show. Behind the castle lies the river Boyne, the setting for the 1690 battle that has left so much emotional baggage between the 2 people who share the island of Ireland.
The 2 other events that make this show equally jubilant and emotional is fact the Bono was in mourning over the death of his father. The funeral was the eve of the first Slane show. However, the truly magnificent event that had the crowd on a high all day was the World cup qualifier held that afternoon in Dublin. The 2nd half of the match was screened to the Slane audience.
A chance of an Irish victory was slim and was further reduced when Ireland where reduced to 10 men. Imagine the ecstasy of the crowd when Jason Mc Ateer hammered home the only goal of the game to knock the mighty Dutch out of the world cup and keep Ireland on the path to the world cup.
These 2 events are so apparent during a lot of the banter with the crowd. 'Kite' is dedicated to his father Bob Hewson, Bono changes the words of beautiful day to 'beautiful goal' in reference to Jason Mc Ateer's wonder goal. (He did dedicate 'One' to Jason Mc Ateer, but this was edited out for one reason or another, most obvious one being the scope of Mc Ateer's fame, the other may have been an attempt to ease the suffering of Dutch U2 fans).
Other highlights include, Sunday Bloody Sunday, in which Bono recalls the names of the victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing. This is quite powerful as it helps to humanise the victims instead of making them statistics of a bloody outrage. The Boyne river in the background makes the message even more potent and relevant.
Bullet the blue sky is brilliant. The introduction by Sinead O Connor is inspired. However they did leave out the Charlton Heston footage at the end of the song. The only cringe-worthy shot is Bono's Ireland flag waving moment, however considering the days events, he does go out of his way to explain its 'just once, just once for Jason Mc Ateer' and not some jingoistic retarded nationalistic jesture. 'Mysterious ways' was taken from the main track selection and placed on the DVD as a bonus track. No idea why, but its a great tune made all the better by Bono's daughter accompanying him on stage. Likewise he dedicates 'All I want is you' to his wife Ali. Bono also summons up their early days with a rendition of their first single 'Out of control'. During which he recounts the story of raising the 2000 pounds necessary to fund the band and how the band decided to stay and live in Dublin with 'the tribe'.
This is a truly unique, excellent and uplifting DVD that all U2 fans will enjoy and which U2 themselves will find difficult to replicate again.
91 timing and venue is not everything - get 'Live in Boston'
Sure, this concert is considered a historic homecoming, lodged tightly between the death of Bono's father and 9/11. However, with all of its imperfections (most of us saw shows better than the two that were documented from the 2001 tour), the 'U2 Live in Boston' DVD represents a better performance and better song selection.
This DVD also includes a rather overrated documentary on the making of the rather overrated 'Unforgettable Fire', but I would characterize this as a plus only for those insane U2 completists like me.
92 Full Track List/Features for DVD case edition
This is the Full Track List/Features for DVD case edition. (Be aware the 'jewel case' edition may not contain same contents.)
Tracklisting:
- Performance from Slane, 1st September
1. Elevation
2. Beautiful Day
3. Until The End Of The World
4. New Year's Day
5. Out Of Control
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. Wake Up Dead Man
8. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
9. Kite
10. Angel Of Harlem
11. Desire
12. Staring At The Sun
13. All I Want Is You
14. Where The Streets Have No Name
15. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
16. Bullet The Blue Sky
17. With Or Without You
18. One
19. Walk On
- The Unforgettable Fire documentary (28 minutes)
The DVD includes a bonus track ("Mysterious Ways"), and DVD ROM special features include U2 calendar, screensavers and weblinks plus three songs shot on 'Spincam' allowing the viewer an interactive, 360 degree view of the concert. U2 Go Home is presented in PCM Stereo, DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Aspect ratio 16:9.
93 U2's "Go Home" better than Boston DVD
I liked the Elevation DVD from Boston a lot, but this one from Slane Castle had a much more concert-like feel. The sound is better, and the set list is better too. It includes U2 staples "One" and "Pride" which were taken out of the Boston DVD. You definitely feel the energy from the 80,000 fans that were at the Slane show. I like the interactive features on the DVD too. The only songs that I would've liked to see the band do are "Stay(Faraway, So Close)" and "Bad", but other than that, it's a great way to spend two hours. My favorite songs on this DVD are "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "All I Want is You", "Streets", "With or Without You" and "One". I think over all this DVD is better than Boston's, though I liked "Streets" from that one better, and "With or Without You" is not as good as it is in Rattle and Hum (but not many performances are). I also think perhaps the band could've changed the set list even more from the Boston shows. Besides "Stay" and "Bad", they could have included more songs from Pop. I expected this DVD to be very similiar to Boston, but it's got it's own feel to it. I'd definitely recommend it to all U2 fans.
94 The 8/25 show should be on this, not 9/1
It's ok. I would've rather seen the August 25th Show at Slane. With highlights like A Sort of Homecoming and Dancing in the Moonlight (by Thin Lizzy, who U2 opened for 20 years ago at Slane).
95 Great concert!!
If you are any kind of U2 fan, you need to pick up this DVD ASAP!! The show is unbelievable. You can tell that Bono and the boys are having fun playing in front of their home crowd, it shows in their performance. All of the songs are great, with an especially powerful Sunday Bloody Sunday being my favorite of the show. U2 Go Home blows away the Boston Elevation DVD in my mind, which was an incredible show in its own right. Do yourself a favor and pick this up pronto!!
96 Limited Love for the DVD of an Incredible Show. . .
I had already seen U2's CBS special entitled 'U2's beautiful day' that aired more than a year ago and knew how special this concert was to U2 fans and to the band. There was an incredible energy there that evening and U2 seemed to love every minute of it. Indeed, I have been hoping for this release since seeing that special. I even lobbied for its release with Bono when I ran into him in NYC this past spring. Usually U2 can do no wrong in my eyes. I guess I expected too much from the world's greatest band.
BOTTOM LINE:
If you love U2, you'll like this DVD and it's worth purchasing. There are some precious moments, like when Bono is talking about their families' respective financial contributions when they were starting out 20 years earlier. This DVD adds some tracks missing from the Boston DVD: One, Mysterious ways, and Pride, all of which were sorely missed from that production. Where's the Behind the scenes/Making of documentary? Bizarre. However, I still get goose bumps whenever I watch `Where the Streets Have No Name' on this DVD, so it passes that test.
THE DVD:
**16:9 gritty video with a substandard set of 5.1 mixes-- the DTS is not any better than the DD, but they're both below the standard previously set by the Boston DVD, which I thought was a lot better. However, Bono's vocals are incredibly good and come through very clearly. There are not enough crowd microphones-- you can barely here them at some key times. I can't even put my finger on exactly what's wrong with the audio, it just doesn't carry enough of the emotion that there was that night.
**NO documentary of this show, which I found amazingly odd-- the CBS special had some touching moments of Bono talking about his father who had just passed away. I find it very strange that there's nothing about U2 returning to Slane.
**Annoying menus that seem slapped together at the last minute.
OVERALL:
Not a polished U2 production- better than Popmart, but certainly not as good as the Boston DVD. I wish the audio was more engaging. Odd omissions (documentary about THIS concert and not the Unforgettable Fire) and I'll never understand why mysterious ways is a separate track, regardless of how it 'fit in.'
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From U2.com:
U2 Go Home is presented in PCM Stereo, DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Aspect ratio 16:9.
Here's the tracklisting:
Performance from Slane, 1st September , 2001
* Elevation
* Beautiful Day
* Until The End Of The World
* New Year's Day
* Out Of Control
* Sunday Bloody Sunday
* Wake Up Dead Man
* Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
* Kite
* Angel Of Harlem
* Desire
* Staring At The Sun
* All I Want Is You
* Where The Streets Have No Name
* Pride (In The Name Of Love)
* Bullet The Blue Sky
* With Or Without You
* One
* Walk On
Bonus track: Mysterious Ways
97 A more relaxed and emotional version of Boston
Back in 1984, U2 recorded parts of their landmark 4th album, the Unforgettable Fire within Slane Castle's ballroom in Ireland. 19 years later, they've returned to give a grandiose concert, filled with rants(what would a U2 concert be without them anyway?), emotional singing and a beach ball.
One thing you'll notice about the concert is a more relaxed band. Viewing Boston's concert, you can see a bit of nervousness, as if they know they're being filmed and later releasing the show. With Slane Castle, they did film it but had no intentions of releasing it until a petition started. What seems a little pre-planned and tense in Boston is looser and relaxed here.
The other thing is the setlist. Boston has songs that weren't on Slane Castle's set: In a Little While, New York, Bad(aww), Stay, Gone, The Fly and I Will Follow(nooooo) while Slane Castle has ones that aren't in Boston's set: Pride, One(yes!), Angel of Harlem, Staring at the Sun(I prefer this version), All I Want Is You(amazing and a great segue into Where the Streets Have No Name), New Year's Day, Out of Control and the bonus track Mysterious Ways(does it matter that it rocks but it's not as dance-y as the original? of course not)
The only problem I have with the dvd is the Unforgettable Fire documentary. There must've been an affair with the song Pride cause that's practically what the entire thing is about. I don't have a problem with the song but what about the other classic Bad? Or a Sort of Homecoming? It's nice to see a making of but at least have ALL the songs, not just Pride.
All in all, excellent concert with one rather throwaway documentary
98 Slane is an emotional homecoming gig for U2 and Ireland
I flew from my home in nyc just to attend this once-in-a-life-time event, U2 returning to Slane Castle after 20 years. For this gig, they were not opening for another band, but it was their own show. And it was a big show. 80,000 people big to be exact. It was powerful and moving to be attending a U2 gig in their hometown with their "tribe." It was a concert that got imprinted in my heart. So, I was in disbelief when I saw this DVD. I almost cried at the record store (no joke). After watching it again, the charisma, the enthusiasm, the love all come rushing back. Even if you didn't attend, you will most probably get chills down your spine. I've been to many U2 shows, but this one, certainly is one of the best. And of course, this show happend only 10 days before 9/11. The concert is still wonderful to watch, but it also transposed me back to the blissful time right before the world changed drastically. In short, highly recommended.
99 Simply Incredible
After watching this DVD I said to my wife that I thought I discovered gold. The DVD is amazing throughout and the Bonus track when Bono's daughter Eve comes on stage and dances to Mysterious Ways is awesome. Go buy it.
100 No B.A.D. No Dice !!!
My son brought this home and put it on the 6.1 Surround system. I asked if "BAD" (You know, the song that 'made' U2?) was on the set list. He said: "no", I said: "Turn it off, take it out and throw it away." I don't want to see or hear anymore of Bono's egotistical jive. Either you ROCK in my house, or you're outta here! And this time...Thumbs down on this "loser" Concert DVD. Pure sell-out garbage. Go away U2. Quit taking up other people's air!
