U2 - Elevation 2001 - Live In Boston

Amazon.co.uk Review

After the huge lavish spectacles of previous tours, U2 decided to tone things down a bit for Elevation, which accompanied their All That You Can't Leave Behind album. Just as the album marked a return to a simpler more stripped-down sound, so the live shows did away with the glitter-ball lemons and huge stadiums, returning to smaller venues and all-together more intimate shows. From the small stage with its heart-shaped walkway, and a minimum of special effects, the emphasis is on the music, and from start to finish Elevation provides a welcome reminder of what a great band U2 are. Recorded in Boston, the show features a healthy mixture of new and old tracks, which--considering they were written over the course of two decades--sound as fresh and relevant as ever. From classics such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "I Will Follow" right up to instant favourites such as "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation", every track is stunningly executed. If you saw the concerts, this is a worthy lasting souvenir, if you didn't, watch this recording and you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't go.

On the DVD: With the full concert on the first disc, the second one contains a wealth of superb extras. For starters there's the "Another Perspective", which enables you to watch the concert from alternative points of view--the "Fancam" (from the heart of the crowd ensconced within the heart-shaped walkway) and the "Directorcam" (from the production office where director Hamish Hamilton creates his masterpiece). There's also a Road Movie, which gives a time-lapse photography look behind the scenes of a day on the road, and an insight into how to turn an empty, cold impersonal indoor arena into an intimate, spectacular concert venue. It also includes some alternative live takes of some of the key tracks from the album, including a fantastic performance of "Beautiful Day" from the rooftops of Dublin. With the concert offered in a choice of sound ratios (Dolby 5.1, PCM Stereo) the songs sound even greater. As concert DVDs go, Elevation is a definite benchmark. --Helen Marquis

Customer Reviews:

Wheres our Popmart DVD........2006-10-23

Is this really necessary, I won't talk about how bad this DVD is.
All I can say is that REAL U2 fans like me would'nt half mind seeing POPmart released on DVD rather than the exctinct VHS.

Acceptable live registration.......2005-08-10

The concert I went to in The Netherlands was far better than the recording on this DVD.

This is also because on this DVD, Bono is recovering from having hardly any voice, which he even openly admits on the DVD itself.
You can clearly hear him struggle to reach the higher notes, something that has happened in the last Vertigo tour as well.

This was money not well spent I'm afraid, eventhough I'm a big U2 fan.

The Best U2 Concert On DVD.......2004-09-18

This double disc DVD is of a concert filmed in Boston on their Elevation tour in 2001. It is a great concert even by U2's high standards, as it features a great list of songs. The disc allows the viewer to see the concert from different views including a crowd view. The second disc includes other features such as some videos, but it's main feature is a more limited concert which includes a view showing the director during the actual recording of the concert directing the cameras and really enjoying the experience of recording such a great concert.

If your a U2 fan this a must have. I would say it is even better than the U2 Go Home Live From Slane Castle, although that too is a very good concert DVD. Even if your not particulary a U2 fan then give this a try because there is no better live band than U2, and you will also realise what a great list of songs they have written over the course of the band's life, and just some of them feature here, there are many more.

U2's Best Live Performance.......2004-05-15

After the mistake that was the PopMart tour, U2 aim for intimacy and intensity in the Elevation tour. People are not wrong to draw parallels between the simple bare-bones style of the tour (which greatly impressed Noel Gallagher) and the stripped-down aching melodies that made All That You Can't leave Behind the return to form it was.

Songs from the latter, naturally, dominate. There are others: the staple hits from the early years, the Joshua Tree songs and the more popular songs from Achtung, Baby. I Will Follow gains a particular kick in the context U2 create. There's only one performance in the concertn that I don't like: Sunday Bloody Sunday. The live version of The Fly, I think, stands out not only as the best live performance of the song, but one of the best live songs U2 have ever done - up there with the live aid version of Bad.

I warm to the fact that Bono, as ever, is not afraid to admit to being moved by something and tells the audience so. Watch his face and listen to his voice during Kite to see what it is I'm talking about.

I hope the band pursure their late style of music and performance in ATYCLB and the Elevation tour with their next album and tour. Like this DVD, it will be a potent reminder of the biggest band in the world's power, as they reach the height of their powers and proceed to fire on all cylinders.

Live life alive.......2004-05-05

The greatest live video on earth by the greatest rock-n-roll band in history!

Ever since I saw them live on the tour in Paris and got one of the greatest concert experiences ever, I have been looking forward to this film. It captures the great atmosphere, the contact with the audience and the great live performance.

Just buy it now!

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