Live at Red Rocks [Remastered]

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Editorial Reviews:

Description
Recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on 5th June 1983, Live at Red Rocks will be available for the first time on DVD, and will include 5 previously unreleased songs, a director's commentary, digitally re-graded pictures and a 5.1 mix. 1. Out Of Control 2. Twilight 3. An Cat Dubh 4. Into The Heart 5. Surrender 6. Two Hearts Beat As One 7. Seconds 8. Sunday Bloody Sunday 9. Cry 10.The Electric Co. 11. October 12. New Year's Day 13. I Threw A Brick Through A Window 14. A Day Without Me 15. Gloria 16. Party Girl 17. 11 O'Clock Tick Tock 18. I Will Follow 19. "40"

Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

Wow. What a letdown. October 1, 2008
21 out of 26 found this review helpful

So, after 25 years, U2 finally releases Red Rocks on DVD. News comes that we'll even get the full performance and everyone gets excited. My copy comes in the mail on release day. I pop it in and as I'm reading the liner notes I see that I Fall Down is not included because of a "camera malfunction." OK, I can live with that.

I come to my favorite song in the show, Electric Co., and I am apalled that the song has been butchered during the "Send in the Clowns" portion. Long-time fans will remember that the original VHS release included the entire song as Bono climbs to the top of a building adjacent to the stage and crouches in the iconic image from the cover of the CD and sings a snippet of Send in the Clowns by Judy Collins. Subsequent VHS releases of Red Rocks edited this segment to remove the lyrical snippet to avoid paying royalties on it. The new DVD version ENTIRELY removes not only the snippet, but Bono's climb to the top of the side building, so the scene makes no sense when Bono is suddenly absent from the stage for an extended period.

U2, with all their money, chose not offer the complete original song to avoid paying royalties again?!?! After 25 years and remastering and the chance to finally release this classic on DVD for old and new fans, they butcher it. Totally and completely lame.

As for the previous review, there is grain on the DVD, but remember, this was shot on video, not film and it is 25 years old. I think in terms of image quality, the remastering is adequate. After all, this isn't high-def here. The colors are washed out, but I don't think any of us expected perfection with this release.

If you don't care that it is an incomplete show, not in widescreen format, and that the band chose to maim Electric Co., then this will probably satisfy you. However, the band should have done better by their long time fans.

5 out of 5 stars

One DAMNED lucky audience ... January 2, 2002
20 out of 22 found this review helpful

You know, I was planning of walking to my local library later today to donate some old videotapes, including this one, for their collection, because I simply assumed that this would be available on DVD by now. BUT NOW I find out that is not the case! Why not, pray tell??? This is one of the greatest concert films ever made, second perhaps only to Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense." The setting, Red Rocks ampitheater near Denver, is a spectacular geological setting, with wind, fog, gas torches producing gigantic gouts of flame high above the audience, and mountain air chilly enough to show clouds of vapor pouring off Bono's skin. As for U2's performance, well, this was at a time (1983) when they were just moving beyond cult status and into rock superstardom, yet were still retaining enough of their keening punk purity to drive an audience into rapture. And what a lucky audience this is! PLEASE get this onto DVD as soon as possible!

5 out of 5 stars

I reviewed the show January 28, 2005
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

It's hard to believe it's been over 20 years since "Blood Red Sky" was filmed. As a couple of other people have posted who were there, it was an amazing event. It felt historic even at the time.

Although the weather is exactly why it's so dramatic with the fog and steam, the entire show was very nearly cancelled because of the conditions. Like one guy mentioned, it was about 35 degrees out at Red Rocks that night, after a full day of cold drizzling rain.

I was the music editor of the local alt.weekly paper at the time, and had been in on some meetings announcing the filming. Barry Fey, the concert's promoter, had been a very early supporter of U2 and booked them into a small 1400-seat theater in Denver when they first toured the US for "Boy." So they liked Fey and wanted to work with him for this Red Rocks gig.

Unfortunately it got cold in the days before the concert. They actually did officially cancel it -- both The Alarm and U2 agreed to play a second, make-up concert the next day in a local arena (DU, I think, or maybe Regis University). But they decided to do the Red Rocks performance anyway because they'd invested so many thousands of dollars for the shoot -- the pyrotchnics (there are normally no fires atop the dramatic sandstone rocks around the stage!), the camera equipment, the technicians.

I'm sure if the filming hadn't been planned, the performance would have been cancelled in a second. I don't remember if the show as sold out (I kind of doubt it), but in the 9,000-seat amphitheater, only about 3,000 people showed up for the filming. The movie does a great job of making it seem like a full house.

It's to Bono and U2's credit that they came out roaring, and to all music fans' benefit that this performance was caught on camera.

I alternated between the 5th row in the middle and the 2nd row over to stage left, and was in awe of what was going on on the stage. U2 simply took it over and made it their own showcase gig, as if they were playing an audition for entrance into heaven. Everything was (I'm sure) unscripted, including the bit with the flag and bringing the girl on stage. It was all natural, just like the setting.

This was just at the point, as some writers have mentioned, where the band was evolving from cult status to superstardom, and they were just hitting their stride.

One thing, though: their performance was hot, but not hot enough to help you forget the cold -- I froze my butt off that night!

As for why no DVD, I wonder how much of it is because of licensing and ownership rights. I don't even know if TTS, the Denver-based production company that managed the shoot, exists anymore. So I wonder who owns the rights to the film.

Perhaps U2, and maybe they don't want it on DVD ultimately because of the made-for-TV audio and video quality.

I happened to stumble on this series of reviews and I'm glad I stopped to read everyone's comments. It brought back a lot of memories, and made me want to root around my basement for my promotional copy of the film from TTS!

5 out of 5 stars

Classic U2 August 11, 2000
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

When I think of U2, I think of Under A Blood Red Sky-Live At Red Rocks. This is U2 at their finest. This is the epitome of U2. I just wish they would release it on DVD....

5 out of 5 stars

Captures the experience perfectly! December 1, 1999
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I attended this concert. It was 35 degrees F in bone-chilling fog and drizzle. But Bono and the band quickly made us forget our misery - I think they raised the temperature of the place by 40 or 50 degrees - and this video captures it well. This is the performance that launched the band to superstardom and it's a must-see for old and new U2 fans alike.

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