Customer Reviews

U2 - 360° AT THE ROSE BOWL

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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 a spectacle unto itself, rivaled only 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 complaining about the editing appeared to have only viewed the first five minutes of the film, which is specifically cut to match the furious pace of "Get on Your Boots".

Musically, I'd have to say that Bono is still at his peak as a performer, although past his prime as a singer. His voice is simply uneven, sporadically failing on some songs, while soaring to unexpected heights on others. 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 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 exclusion of the rousing opening medley called "Soon" and the rocked-out first song, "Breathe." 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 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.

FIRST of all I LOVE U2 and have for many years!!! I wish they would get different production on their videos. I agree with other reviewers that there's TOO MANY FAST EDITS!!! TOO MANY QUICK CAMERA SHOTS!!!

I LOVE watching concerts...every aspect of them...the interaction of the band, the music, how they interact with the crowds, the musicianship of each member...etc...

When Editors do all the FAST/FRANTIC/QUICK/SHORT edits...it takes AWAY from the video experience.

This obviously was an AMAZING & INCREDIBLE show from one of the greatest live bands ever. U2 can rock a stadium and have the whole crowd into the show like no other band.

That's why it hurts to say that their last couple of DVDs (including the one from Chicago) have too many 'jerky' and frantic edits.

The 4 guys of U2 and their music are EXCITING ENOUGH without all the dizzying edits.

...that's why I was so disappointed in this DVD. I'm going to keep it b/c I love U2, but I hope they change their future concerts to something more enjoyable to watch.

I wish they could even do another camera angles or alternative edits feature, so you could choose if you wanted... or maybe they could reissue with a 'director's cut' ...LOL.

This is a DVD concert that could have been done SO MUCH BETTER.

I'm a big U2 fan and have all of their concert videos, including this one. But this video was a major disappointment. The actual concert was great, but the video makes the concert seem very disjointed, and it is seriously over-edited. The rapid shot changes are extremely annoying and really take away from the concert experience. I actually prefer the streamed YouTube version, even with the lower video quality.

here's what's simply amazing...

the sound mix on this thing is INSANE if you have DTS-HD surround. i mean... i was there and this makes it feel like you're there. some have complained about the editing or the video quality... i have to disagree. Elevation and Vertigo (both directed by Hamish Hamilton) were cut to be all over the place. this one is different. each song has its own feel and approach and yet is part of the greater whole. it looks fantastic. yeah... it's a little grainy, but i think that's the point. it should feel like a rock show not some slick, glossy pop show. it honestly looks like i remember it feeling. they've captured the feel of this show perfectly.

for my money, i don't know that there's a better concert dvd out there. if they ever get around to releasing U2 3D to the home market, we'll see!

FYI: This review is not so much a review of the concert/contents DVD as much as it is my personal experience of watching it.

I have to admit that at my age (42) and *their* age, this is/was probably the *only* way I was ever going to get to see U2 in concert. While I've been a fan since the late eighties, I am NOT a fan of huge crowds. Unless I could have the insane luck of seeing them live at a tiny venue like SNL or something it just wasn't going to happen.

I've seen some concert footage of U2 before and was always impressed - in one concert, can't remember which, Bono picks a girl out of the crowd and lies down on the stage, serenading her as they both look up at the stars. If I could only trade places for a few minutes.... but I digress. As much as I love their music, I never watched their music videos - not of U2 or any band for that matter because I like to keep my own imagery of what the music inspires in my head and for me videos interfere with that process; weird? - maybe but that's me, go figure. The concert video is another story though; I bought this DVD when U2 came to Utah in 2011 to make up a concert date and I was licking my wounds that I did not have the guts to brave tens of thousands of people to see them live.

In the end, after seeing this DVD I am not all that sorry I missed the live concert.

First, I am a normal, not die hard fan. I am 42 and not about to worship anyone in entertainment - so fanboi/girl I am not. Second I am not a audiophile, videophile or technically savvy person so if this video had serious sound or video or editing flaws I would NOT notice. That said, I think the whole thing was excellent. I can't imagine from *all* the views and vantage points that it would be any better actually having been there. After all even with perfect peripheral vision the most I would have been able to see is 180* not 360*.

I set this up with a Bose sound dock and a projector on my living room wall; seated ten feet away, my screen was about 7ft by 10ft. If there was anything closer to being at the concert I certainly would like to know how to do that. We've all read the lengthier reviews, and we all know what we are looking for as far as what we want and expect from to footage, so hopefully it is suffice it to say I really, really enjoyed this concert via DVD and now I can cross one more thing off the bucket list.

Highly recommended for U2 fans.

THE DVD WAS EXCELLENT. THE 360 TOUR WAS ONE OF THEIR BEST I HAVE TO SAY. I SAW THEM LIVE IN NASHVILLE AND HAVE TO SAY THE DVD QUALITY WAS GREAT EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS FILMED AT THE ROSE BOWL. EXCELLENT TO SAY IT BEST.

A few months ago, U2 wrapped up the 360 Tour, a tour that at one point seemed like it was going to go on forever. Stretching from 2009 to 2011, the tour played around the world to mostly sold out stadiums. Not many bands or artists can pull off a truly enjoyable stadium show, but to make sure that this would be a musical and visual experience the fans would never forget, U2 brought along a 5th band member, created just for this tour: the "Claw". Mounted in the middle of the stadium, it is just gigantic, and an integral part of the show.

"U2 360 Live at the Rose Bowl" (23 tracks; 130 min.) brings the complete show from October 25, 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The set list runs 23 songs, including about half of the then-new album "No Line on the Horizon". For me, it is extremely important for concert DVDs like this one that the editing doesn't go overboard "MTV-style" (if MTV actually played any music videos anymore), and on that level this is a decent result. Yes, there are some tracks (such as "Vertigo"), where the switching of camera-angles every second or so is just dizzying. I was surprised as well that the Claw isn't featured more prominently in this DVD. But overall, this is an enjoyable and pleasant souvenir if you caught U2 on this tour (I saw them at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta just a few weeks before this show).

One final comment: I couldn't help but compare this to the "Zoo TV Live from Sydney" DVD, which was filmed 17 years before the "360" DVD. Incredibly, even though both sets run a generous 23 songs, there is only an overlap of 4 songs between the two (One, Mysterious Ways, Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You). It just shows how much U2 has reinvented itself over the years, and keeps moving forward.

I had the pleasure to see this show Live in Los Angeles 2011. This DVD is an incredible example of how great a live concert DVD can be. The huge size and scale are well depicted while we as the audience are drawn into an intimate performance by U2. This is a concert DVD for anyone who enjoys incredible production design, energy, color, movement and great sound. If you are a U2 Fan, you simply can't do without it. The staging is among the most technologically advanced ever devised and it's transformations are beautifully executed. One will never be disappointed by this DVD. I was a mild fan. This DVD put me over the top. I'm a fan now. Well done, boys!

By all means, U2 360 looks set to be a fantastic concert. The fabulous set list, the venue from space and a rocket ready to launch.

The first two times that I watched this, I felt a disconnect. Perhaps I had not listened to No Line On The Horizon, from which many songs were performed. It could also be the uneven pacing of the songs. It veers from fast to slow and then fast to slow again. The final reason being the disorientated editing on the first few minutes that put some Amazon reviewers off.

I'm glad to say that on the third viewing, I thought that U2 360 was actually a very good show, just a more mellow one. And the setting; a "spaceship" with spider-like claws provides the out of this earth feel. The center of the ship beams out the concert to the back rows.

Look out for U2's tribute to Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in Walk On. The stadium collectively puts on her face as a show of solidarity. The last three encores also features Bono dangling from a mike and he sings while twirling around. U2 still knows how to wow the crowd.

Initially, there appears to be are no extras on the single DVD edition. Only a space age menu greets you if activated. I was fiddling with the DVD remote and discovered this. Go to either Audio Set Up or Track Selection and press the left arrow button. A short film called 21 Days featuring rehearsals and people setting up the stage will appear. Other bonus features and documentary have been saved for the deluxe, super deluxe and what-have-you editions.

As my brittish firneds would say: bloddy brilliant!

360 is a one of the most powerful concerts from what should be the best band in the world. The concert plays music from 5 decades of solid hits, is visually delicious and the music is superb. I especially liked the re-mix of I'll go Crazy Tonight with cuban rythms, its fantastic.

Watching the video reminded me of the times I saw U2 live in concert. It is an experience. There is no other concert like this. A must have for any U2 fan and for anyone who appreciates good rock music.