Boy, October, War and Blood Red Sky Remasters

Originally posted by MWSAH:[..]

Can't wait for that. Wanna have it this weekend. And I hardly have time to go and look for it in shops.

Originally posted by germcevoy:[..]

will they manage to get it delivered for the weekend?

Originally posted by MWSAH:[..]

They will usually. But what's the exact release date? The 30th, isn't it? It has happened before that they postponed a release, but I'm confident I will have it this weekend. And if not, I got something to look forward to.

Originally posted by Remy:Just ordered mine, had some gift certificates so just 5 euros for the deluxe edition for me

If everything goes right I will have it on Saturday the 27th.

This is an anniversary release of the first concert U2 performed in the U.S. at the beautiful Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado. For collectors and fans there are five previously unreleased songs included. It is also a record of the concert that almost wasn't.

Despite the June concert date, the weather decided to make the band feel at home. Fog, rain, and mist were the theme of the day with temperatures low enough to prompt the crew to light warming barrels. Breath steamed from the mouths of the band. As noted by Gavin Taylor (director) in his commentary, the dedication of the fans hiking to the venue despite the weather was a deciding factor in the show going on. Don't expect some gray day, bland video though. The color and performance are rich and strong.

The DVD opens with an aerial shot of Denver, CO circa 1983 under a cloud-filled sky, poetic in itself since this was the Under A Blood Red Sky tour. Note the date, three albums into their career they played their first stateside gig. The DVD is a historical chronicle of the concerts in the 80s too.

We have all gotten used to shows that feature two or three major bands that play maybe five songs each. That night U2 performed five encores, and seventeen songs in total. The scenes include interesting shots done mostly from the on-stage perspective, but the historical factor comes back in to play as you notice 'burns' in the scenes.

Resembling faint scratches, the burns can be a little distracting, but the value of the performance outweighs the distraction. In some ways it seems a shame that fans will have waited twenty-five years for their own copy of the event, yet having waited brings the added interest of comparing then and now to the experience. A younger Larry Mullen Jr. (drums), Adam Clayton (bass), The Edge (guitar), and Bono (vocals) play a great show for over an hour. One favorite is when they exit the stage one by one during the "I Will Follow" encore.

Overall the quality of the cinematography (exceptions noted) and sound is good. With Bono's commentary in the beginning being a little too quiet, I was thankful that they brought the sound up slowly. I have the two-disc CD/DVD combo offering in CD-style packaging that includes a copy of the Under A Blood Red Sky disc. The global plan for the film is evident not only in Bono's invitation to the crowd to "Say hello to Japan", but also in the fact that the director's commentary is available in seven languages.

I am annoyed by one feature on the disc though, the menu is at the end instead of the beginning. At first the fact that the disc auto plays was cool, until I wanted to check out the features and had to fast forward through the concert to access them.

This is definitely something any U2 or music fan will want to add to their collection. 3.5 / 5

Originally posted by aussiemofo:So have we established yet that it will be the full show without I Fall Down?

Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]I must have missed out that piece of news... Without I Fall Doan?!?!?

Originally posted by wikipedia A DVD version will be released on September 29, 2008 with all tracks from the concert except "I Fall Down" in the main feature.

As with the concert Live in Paris, this concert will also be released on Itunes Septemember 29th as audio download.