by BewareThePhog

U2 once again showed that they're the best rock band in the world with this show. There were superb individual performances from all 4 members, the sound was first-rate, the lights and multimedia enhanced the music without overshadowing it, and of course their material (both current and historical) is exceptionally strong.

While I don't think that HTDAAB is as strong as Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, there are a lot of good songs from this CD, and like Achtung Baby I have liked this one more and more each time I listen to it. It's good to see a band that's over 2 decades old featuring lots of material from their current CD, and not just playing greatest hits, although they certainly have a trememdous back catalog from which to choose.


Highlights:
City of Blinding Lights - I like this one better each time I hear it.
Love and Peace or Else - The extra energy of a live performance made this much better for me than the recorded version.
Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, Streets - Three classics delivered with great energy.

Lowlights (this is, of course, a very relative term, as this was a superb show)
Omission of All Because of You. U2's live act has extraordinary energy. Seeing them leave out what is probably the most straightforward rocker from HTDAAB was a major disappointment. I appreciate the mixing up of setlists over time, but this is one that I think should be played on every date for this album's tour. Just another reason to put the Vertigo DVD on the Christmas list, I guess.
Bullet the Blue Sky - this has never done much for me, and by now I find it to be flat-out tired, although I know that it's always going to be included since many love it and it's also a cornerstone of their politics.
Stuck in a Moment - I didn't think much of a number of the songs from All That You Can't Leave Behind until I heard them live, with more energy behind the delivery than is present on the CD. Unfortunately, even after hearing this one live several times, I still find it to be one of their weaker tracks.
Miss Sarajevo - While I can appreciate the sentiment behind it, I just don't think this song is very strong.
Original of the Species, Yahweh - neither of these songs are bad, but I just can't justify their inclusion over All Because of You from the current CD or other songs from the back catalog. I would keep them over the above three, however, so these are minor quibbles.

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