U2 - 360° AT THE ROSE BOWL (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)U2 360 is without a doubt U2's most visually impressive concert film, even surpassing the ones chronicling their over-the-top 90s shows. The enormous and seemingly sentient "space ship" stage (aka "The Claw") is an undeniable spectacle in itself, only rivaled by the sight of the 100,000-plus perpetually euphoric U2 fans.
Contrary to the many predictable bad reviews (this band REALLY attracts Amazon trolls...), the editing of this film is another high point, alternately manic and graceful depending on whatever song is being performed. Most of the reviewers who complain about the editing appeared to have only viewed the first five minutes of the film, which is specifically edited to match the furious pace of "Get on Your Boots".
Musically, I'd have to say that Bono is at his absolute peak as a performer, although a bit past his prime as a singer. His voice is simply uneven, sporadically failing on some songs ("In a Little While", "No Line on the Horizon"), while soaring to unexpected heights on others ("Vertigo", "MLK"). That said, his gift for genuinely connecting with the audience - even one as monstrously huge as this - remains unequalled in the annals of modern rock.
As for The Edge, he is consistently brilliant throughout, and the sound quality of his guitar is mixed to absolute perfection. He also delivers some of his finest and most elaborate solos ever ("Unknown Caller", especially) which ought to - but probably won't - silence the clueless haters who insist he can't really play.
The inspired setlist is also refreshingly heavy on newer material, with 5 songs from ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND (2000), 2 from HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB (2004), and 6 from NO LINE ON THE HORIZON (2009). Many of the played-to-death '80s classics have wisely been put out to pasture this time, including "I Will Follow", "New Year's Day", "Pride", and "Bullet the Blue Sky".
High points of the show include visually and sonically stunning versions of "City of Blinding Lights", "Vertigo", "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight", and "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)". It's also great to see them playing "The Unforgettable Fire" again, with Edge doing impressive triple-duty on piano, guitar, and backing vocals.
IMO, the show really hits its stride about halfway through, with the outstanding new song, "Unknown Caller", and then never lets up. Everything up until that point is good, but the second half of the show is truly transcendent.
My only siginificant complaints are twofold: Bono's aforementioned vocal malfunctions, as well as the exasperating exclusion of the brilliant opening number, "Breathe", and the adrenalizing opening medley ("Soon") which preceded it. I was lucky enough to see the 360 tour in the third row of the "Golden Circle", and I can tell you that this medley - which culminates with Bowie's classic countdown from "Space Oddity" - whipped the crowd into a frenzy of anticipation I haven't felt at any concert since U2's early '90s ZOO TV tour. Pity it isn't here.
That said, if you're a fan of U2's concert films at all, this one's an absolute must - 5 stars, easy. And now we can start looking forward to the recently rescheduled 2011 North American dates, the second live DVD from the next leg of the tour, the super-deluxe RATTLE & HUM and ACHTUNG BABY remasters, the Broadway SPIDER MAN soundtrack, the long-rumored SONGS OF ASCENT LP, and yet ANOTHER new record - maybe two! - they are reportedly working on. No line on the horizon? I'll say.

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U2'S RECORD BREAKING ROSE BOWL CONCERTFilmed on 25th October 2009U2360° At The Rose Bowl was the penultimate gig of last year's U2360° tour in support of their Grammy-nominated album No Line on The Horizon. The Rose Bowl performance was the band's biggest show of 2009 and U2's biggest ever US show, with a live audience in excess of 97,000.The show was also streamed across seven continents via YouTube. The first ever live streaming of a full-length stadium concert, U2360° at the Rose Bowl had over 10 million views on the channel in one week. Shot entirely in HD, the concert was filmed with 27 cameras and directed by Tom Krueger who had previously worked on U23D, the first live action 3D concert movie taken from U2's Vertigo Tour.Available in standard and two disc deluxe DVD formats, U2360° At The Rose Bowl will also be U2's first concert available in Blu-ray. The deluxe formats and the Blu-ray will feature a new documentary called Squaring the Circle: Creating U2360°, with new interviews from U2, Paul McGuinness and the team behind the touring production.CONCERT:Get On Your BootsMagnificentMysterious WaysBeautiful DayI Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking ForStuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out OfNo Line On The HorizonElevationIn A Little WhileUnknown CallerUntil the End of the WorldThe Unforgettable FireCity of Blinding LightsVertigoI'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy TonightSunday Bloody SundayMLKWalk OnOneWhere The Streets Have No NameUltra Violet (Light My Way)With Or Without YouMoment Of Surrender

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