I think Bono's voice reached it's peak in beauty on Popmart.
I think that Kite thing was good marketing... if he was so amazing, who does that exact line have so much production on it on the studio version. Then, on the tour it was tuned down a 1/2 step, and it sounded very raw.
The entire ATYCLB album is overproduced to stupidity. They're simple songs, why overproduce them so much. In ways, Pop was less produced than that bloody thing.
That's what I love at a live show. Leave the crap behind, just get the core instruments (have a keyboard if you have to) and play. This is what pissed me off with Guns N Roses (or whatever you'd call them these days!) at the show. The old songs had just drums, bass, three guitars - because you need to, obviously - and vocals, stuff like Don't Cry, Whole Lotta Rosie, Welcome To The Jungle, Sweet Child Of Mine etc.
Then you had the new songs, and if you could have extras, by god they'd be there. Keyboards, backing tracks (because the new songs are piled to hell with bits and pieces), strings, pre-recorded stuff and everything. That's what I hated about it and what annoyed me most about 360. Just sing and forget the extra bits and pieces and if it doesn't sound like the studio version, so be it. Surprise me!
However, at a Orbison tribute show last June I think it was, they had drums, bass, one guitar and vocals plus keyboards. Now that was stripped back and it was amazing.
Zooropa is my second-favourite U2 album behind Passengers. Which, ironically:
Levitate
One Tree Hill
I Threw A Brick Through A Window
Crumbs From Your Table
Playboy Mansion
Miami
Window In The Skies
Elvis Presley And America
All I Want Is You
When I Look At The World
Not one of those songs is in my favourite top 10 list. Although I'm sure that needs an update, badly.