Rating: 
Summary: Requisite Christmas time money grab
Review: I'm sure it was great to be at this show in person...but this release was phoned in. If you already own the Elevation - Live in Boston dvd, there's little reason to purchase this one (unless you are an obsessive collector). The camerawork pales greatly in comparison with the Boston dvd. The Boston show has arguably the best cinematography for a concert video ever...whereas this one is mediocre. The show was obviously shot with digital cameras and they are known to not be that great when filming in dark lighting (ie: concerts). As well, given that the Slane venue is sooo huge, there are many shots that don't feel intimate to say the least. As well as, there are many (too) far away shots of the band and tons of (unnecessary) shots of the audience. The setlist, given that it is from the same tour as the Boston show, isn't all that different. It's nice to see One and Pride which had been omitted from the other dvd...but most of these songs are the same. Out of Control is probably the highlight as it is rare that the band performs it. The sound of this dvd is great. The extras are inferior (again) to that of those on the Boston dvd. The inclusion of the Unforgettable Fire doc is kinda cool, but it feels a little out of place given that it is from almost 20 years ago. To me, this looks like the record company cashing in for the Christmas season. There is absolutely no need to release 2 concerts on dvd from the same tour...especially when one is so much better than the other. BUY LIVE IN BOSTON!!!
Rating: 
Summary: 'U2 Go Home' - Finally we've got it!
Review: The Packaging
The first surprise is that the DVD is available in two different kinds of packaging. One version comes in the usual digipack-cover as we know it from the Boston DVD. Inside you find the booklet in the usual DVD upsize format. The second version, in contrast, comes in a suprising format: its a standard cd jewel case with a booklet in the same format. A pretty unusual format for a DVD and day-to-day customers might easily mix up this version with a normal audio CD.The Content The DVD contains the entire slane castle concert from September 1st. 'Mysterious Ways' is not part of the concert, but listed as a 'bonus track'. The reasons for this are still unknown. The concert without Mysterious Ways lasts 1:38h, the bonus track is 6:26 min long. Furthermore the DVD contains a remastered version of the 'Unforgettable Fire' Documentary, which has been available before on the 'The Unforgettable Fire Collection' VHS from 1985. Bonus-Features include the already mentioned Mysterious Ways track, a DVD-ROM section with screensavers, desktop wallpapers, an elevation tour calendar and weblinks, plus - for the the first time ever - the possibility to view 3 songs from the show in a 360° perspective. The Concert The most noticeable fact about this concert is the perfect mood the band was in on this evening. What seemed somewhat artificial and nervous in the Boston show, you can see much better here - the band enjoyed playing a second time in front of such a crowd at Slane Castle. Maybe it's the fact that it was not planned to release this concert for sale. Some incidents before the shows made both Slane concerts very emotional. The huge crowd brings a terrific spirit to the homes of all U2 fans, and the interaction with fans is much better here than in Boston. Between songs Bono tells stories, plays games with fans and makes other kinds of jokes, all this makes the recording and U2 on this evening so likable. We pass on a song by song review, as we think that each viewer has to make up his own mind about this concert. We just want to point out that U2's mood and musical performance is outstanding. In comparision with all the other live videos this is the one which transports the feeling of a live concert best. All other videos tend to be stiff in some way or too well prepared. U2 at Slane Castle 2001 is the band U2 we want to see, they act with their hearts and have fun. The Picture The concert was recorded with many camera perspectives although Ned O'Hanlon said in an @U2.com interview that the expenses on that show were just a small fraction compared to the expenses for recording the Boston show. The spirit of the entire show is captured very well, shots from and of the audience are used very often and reflect its enthusiasm. The video format is 16:9, the pictures are sometimes very coarse, sometimes due to special effects, but this may have to do something with the light conditions during the shooting. The Sound This is the first time a U2 DVD is released with DTS sound, in addition to the PCM stereo format and DolbyDigital 5.1. But we think that for a normal user there is no relevant notable difference. Bonos voice is transferred very clearly via the centre speaker. The instruments are mixed to the front speakers, from the rear speakers you can notice quiet echoes, which are sometimes irritating. The audience is well mixed into the rear-speakers. There is no crystal clear mixing as can be found on DVDs like 'Eagles - Hell Freezes Over', where each instrument can be heard on a different channel. But maybe it's not comparable, because the Eagles show was a club-gig especially prepared for this, U2 in Slane was an open-air show which was, at the time of recording, not scheduled for a release. The Extras
'The Unforgettable Fire' documentary
As mentioned before this is a remastered version of the 'Unforgettable Fire' documentary which follows the recordings of the album of the same name at Slane Castle in 1984. The video format is 4:3 and the documentary is 28 min long. The Documentary also includes the "Pride (In The Name of Love)" video. The picture quality is not the best, it's far away from DVD-quality. Bonus-Track 'Mysterious Ways'
Once the track list of the DVD became public, many fans were shocked as the same song which was already missing on the Boston DVD was once again cut out. For still unknown reasons the song was taken out of the usual running order of the DVD and instead placed as a bonus track. It is not as was rumoured (and feared) a so called "easter egg", but a normal track which can easily be accessed via the main menu. (Remark: Producer Ned O'Hanlon said in a recent interview that the song just didn`t really fit into the show). DVD-Rom Bonus Tracks The most anticipated special, the 360° view of the concert, ends up being a Quicktime video of the three songs Elevation, Beautiful Day and Where The Streets Have No Name. Users have the possibility to spin around 360° degrees in real time at the touch of their mouse. A real high-end-special-feature feeling unfortunately doesn't come across due to the lack of quality which reminds one of a cheap webcam. The second special feature is the 'Elevation tour diary calendar and clock'. Furthermore two screensavers in red and blue are available - their style matching the artwork of the DVD. Nice, but not really exciting. Four desktop motives are available to polish up your Windows system. They are available in 1024x768 and 800x600 resolution. Finally the obligatory links to U2.com and NGOs that are supported by U2 are featured. Exclusive weblinks are unfortunately missing.
Rating: 
Summary: U2 FROM IRELAND
Review: Camera shots, songs, and sound are amazing.
Is DTS
Really worth 4 stars
Rating:
Summary: Capture a U2 concert
Review: I'm pretty critical of music and concerts. I currently don't care for the state of U2 or Bono. I am more in the generation that played my WAR cassette out and bought the CD when it first came out. With all that being said....this DVD simply captures U2's transformation from an incredible young energetic band to the current commercial juggernaut they have become. Even with all of that....the sound, the picture, the energy is top notch in this. The only reason I wouldn't rate this as good as Red Rocks is because of the songs covered.
Is a must have for anyone that has ever liked U2 from the Boy albumn to the current state.
Rating:
Summary: E V O L U T I O N !
Review: Man! These guys just get BETTER with time!! I know that this was filmed September 2001, but damn, Damn, DAMN! Saw it first time tonight (12FEB2005, a birthday gift), and I guarantee that "Slane" will remain in my DVD carriage for some time. If you've been a fan since the beginning (like me), the evolution from "Red Rocks" through "Rattle and Hum" to this is amazing, and these guys are at the TOP of their game in this DVD. If you are a U2 fan, BUY THIS!! If you are not a fan, you will be after viewing this. Better yet, buy "Red Rocks," "Rattle and Hum," and THIS one ("...Slane..."), and watch in chronological order...the evolution makes my hair stand on end! And you won't be bored by watching or listening to 7 hours of U2. I promise!
Rating: 
Summary: Review of U2's Slane Castle DVD - mixed results
Review: Overall:
By and large, this is a good concert and a good recording of it. However, at every viewing, it gives me the feeling that U2 are self-centered during the show (well, more than usual) and basking in the (huge) crowd's adoration. OK, this is arguably normal for a rock band, but U2 concerts are such great events because the band tend to take nothing for granted, and give it as much as they can (see the 1994 Zoo TV or 1998 PopMart videos). This is not the case here, so it comes across as a bit lacklustre.
The setlist:
There are a number of classics here, but noticeably their more experimental (and interesting) work from the 1990s is completely under-represented. Instead, we get a revival of oldies ("Out of Control", "Sunday Bloody Sunday"), plus songs from their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind (which the tour was promoting). The new songs sound and feel very much like the old ones. That in itself is nothing to frown at, but it does make the entire setlist feel very nostalgic. It's like listening to an endless "Best Of" of songs that sound more or less the same. This is like U2 saying "aaah, what a great career we've had". The setlist lacks balance, it lacks an arc. There's no real sense of a beginning, middle, and end to the show (see Zoo TV for a much better structured setlist).
The Show Itself:
The Elevation Tour was hailed as the band's best, most successful, etc. I disagree, and this DVD highlights why.
Despite being performed in front of 80,000 people, there is nothing that really draws in the crowd, or tries to wow them. Mostly it's the four band members performing with a few colored lights thrown in (and tons of close-ups of Bono's ever-wrinklier face). I suppose this is mainly because the tour centered on smaller venues, but still, the spectacle doesn't really look like anything special on DVD. Also, sadly, the band seems a bit uninterested in what they're doing. Edge is po-faced the entire time, Adam is invisible, and Larry just looks bored behind his drum-kit. Bono jiggles around and prances, but the parts where he really gets going are identical to what he did on Zoo TV and PopMart, so no points for originality. Actually a bit boring.
Bono's voice is really not what it used to be. He stretches and screeches through the concert, and seems to have no volume control -- everything is either whispered or howled. The rest of the band plays very well, but lacks passion. Edge's better solos ("Until The End of the World", "Bullet The Blue Sky") used to sound wild and fierce, but now are so precise and clean that they feel like they belong in some suburban TV ad. Otherwise, Bono tries to reach out and speak to the crowd, but when he says "by now each of you has probably given us five hundred pounds", it sounds grossly out of place. This is a concert, it's for the audience, not an opportunity to remind everyone how wealthy the band are.
The DVD package:
Underwhelming. "Mysterious Ways" is a bonus track, which is performed badly (Bono just can't sing it anymore), and features his laughable attempts at dancing. To add insult to injury, Bono brings his 10-year old daughter on stage, and they just wiggle around together for what feels like five hours while the band plays on. Did I mention self-centered earlier?
"The Unforgettable Fire" documentary is also included, which I find very uninteresting. Good footage of the band trying to fight its awkwardness to record some good songs, but again self-serving promo with some artsy camera work. Snore-inducing.
Conclusion:
So what are we left with?
- A generally good concert, but flawed in ways that make it unbalanced.
- An average show/set design with nothing that makes you crave to be at the concert.
- A still-OK-but-aging band, with weakening vocals and a tendency to be self-referential and self-centered.
- A HUGE crowd which is the only real reason why this concert looks epic.
- DVD extras that you'll probably never watch twice.
If you're looking for a decent concert DVD, by all means get this. If you're looking for a great concert DVD, or for the seminal U2 concert video, get Zoo TV Live From Sydney or PopMart from Mexico instead.
Rating:
Summary: Popmart blew this "mainstream" tour away.
Review: "All that you can't leave behind" is a lame boring album.
The concert is so "happy and everything is fine."
Popmart tour is way better than this.
Rating:
Summary: a must have for true U2 fans..
Review: this is a must have for all true U2 fans..the show from Slane Castle was unbelieveable and the band plays all of their hits from earlier cd's such as the Joshua Tree all the way through to the latest from the All That You Can't Leave Behind cd...this dvd will help you realize why you fell in love with them in the first place
Rating:
Summary: Live From Slane
Review: This album brings alot of memories back.Bono's voice just like other veterans of the stage is superb.They all end up a bit scratchy but hey they been at it for a long time.The music is great,stage and lights are fantastic.
This venue is huge.The Castle in the background gives it a real Irish meaning from your living room.The transition from "All I Want Is You" to "Streets With No Name"was a tear jerker,it was full of emotion and bono made sure you felt it...
Excellent packaging also.I hope they come out with a regular CD of the live show.
Rating:
Summary: Even for an U2 sceptic, this is superb.
Review: I like U2 as a band, they've made some fantastic songs, but they've also made a fair amount of mediocre songs as well. Considering their two Best Of compilations, I'm not entirely impressed; in my oppinion, these include too many songs of rarther low quality. But let's get back to this DVD, and why it's different.
I've not experienced U2 live - yet - but this concert showcases them as one hell of a live act! Practically all of the songs are performed excellently here, quite a lot of theme are even superior to the album versions. The set list is great, virtually all the great hits are here - OK not all of them, I know, but should I pick 10 of their best hits, I think all of my choices would be on this setlist, which is of course a great satisfaction. Furthermore, a couple of - two me - less known tracks are included as well, however, none of these are below the standard of the hits.
I'll give a brief overview of the setlist, and my thoughts concerning each one of them.
- Elevation - Great track, and perfect opener of the show. A quite intro, and then the main part of the song brings the show to an explosion-like start. Wonderfull performance of this song, at least as good as the album version, I love the energy of the live take.
- Beautiful Day - A lovely song, and I love the interaction of Bono's and Edge's vocals. This version is a little faster than the album version, which works great, and Bono gives a great vocal performance.
- Until The End Of The World - I didn't know this track before I saw this concert, but it's terrific. This version really rocks; I don't know the album version, but I doubt that it will have as much energy as this version, Edge's guitar play is great, as is Bono's vocals.
- New Years Day - I found the album version of this song quite boring, but to my suprise, this live version is great. It's faster than the original, and Bono and Edge sing really great. Bono wraps himself in the Irish flag on stage, which of course brings great cheers, as the concert is in Dublin.
- Out Of Control - U2's first single, and very funny how Bono presents it as if they were actually a new act, trying to break through. A very good rock song. The interlude is perhaps a little too long, but nevermind. The songs leeds directly into -
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday - Which is my favorite U2 song - and this version is even better than the album version. I just love the drumming on this track, and the guitar part is amazing. This version runs for more than 7 minutes, and Bono gives some really thrilling vocals.
- Wake Up Dead Man - This song is really chilling, with Bono singing with virtually no music. However, it's a great conterpiece to -
- Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - Fantastisc singing by Edge and Bono, very impressive performance.
- Kite - Dedicated to Bono's farther, who dies just a week prior to this concert, this song is naturally a very intense moment. The performance is spotless, it's a very beautifull song.
- Angel Of Harlem - and - Desire - are great rockers, quite similar to the album versions, though Desire is unfortunately performed in a rather short edit.
- Staring At The Sun - The rather bleak performance of this song, only played by Edge on guitar and vocals, and Bono on vocals, is perhaps the least good song of this concert, as it is performed here.
- All I Want Is You - dedicated to Bono's wife, this is a beautiful love song. The performance is really great, Bono gives a fantastic vocal performance.
- Where The Streets Have No Name - follows directly after All I Want Is You. I like the transition from one song to the next. This is a spotless performance, it's not my favorite song, but it works well on stage.
[- Mysterious Ways - This song was cut from the main concert for some reason - and is available as a DVD extra. The first part of the performance of this song is perhaps not as good as the album version, but overall I think it's a good performance. Bono's daughter Eve enters the stage, dancing in front of the audience, which is a nice touch.]
- Pride (In The Name Of Love) - Another favorite U2 track, this version is practically as good as the album version - great vocal by Bono.
- Encores:
- Bullet The Blue Sky - Fine rock track - I didn't know this one, but it's a very powerfull performance.
- With Or Without You - One of their best tracks, this is a nice live version, perhaps not as flawless as the album version, but still fine.
- One - Lovely, lovely, one of their strongest tracks as well. Bono's vocal is more rough than the studio version, but it's fine. Nice ending of the track as well.
- Walk On - This track was released as a live single, and I understand why. It's a superb performance, everything just works out perfectly, music, vocals and arrangement. A perfect closer for the show, running for more than 7 minutes in this version.
All in all, this is a superb concert. The performance and the setlist is great. Essential for fans, and a perfect place to start for newcommers.
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