Under a Blood Red Sky - Deluxe Edition CD/DVD

U2-Under a blood red sky was for most people the breakthrough album of this everlasting famous band. What was missing was their unreleased video coverage of this unique performance in a very special environment and very challenging weather conditions. It is out there now, don't miss it.
Next the remix of the original album gives you as a fan the combination of the 80's atmosphere in which the album was recorded and the digital remix experience you could already enjoy from the previous remixed albums like Boy, October, War and The Joshua Tree. So a definite must have for die hard U2 fans and more even for those limited group that want to discover how and why U2 became that famous. Don't miss out on this one!

Two of things that make U2 such as special band is their passion and energy. While these traits are present on their studio albums, they come to the front in their live performances. Under A Blood Red Sky perfectly captures all their raw emotions and energy. The album opens with the soaring "Gloria" from their October album and then sieges into "11 O'Clock Tick Tock". Next is a scorching version of their first hit "I Will Follow". "Party Girl" is a great lost U2 song. It was originally issued as a b-side and available on imports only. It starts off with just the Edge strumming his guitar and builds up to a powerful crescendo. Bono states on the record that "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is not a rebel song, but it is definitely an anthem. Bono has always had a bit of a preacher in him and as he urges the crowd to chant "no more", the album takes on the feel of an old time revival. After whipping things up to a fever pitch, "The Electric Co." and "New Year's Day" follow and they mellow things out. The hymn-like "40" is the final track and the album ends on a poignant note with just the crowd singing the chorus. For those of you who may only be familiar with the U2 of the 90's and their mammoth Pop Mart and Zooropa concerts, this album is a fine sampler of their earlier efforts. While the approach is simpler in nature, it produces just as big of a sound. This deluxe edition is superb on several levels. First it contains the full concert video presented for the first time on dvd. The visual setting of the band in this breath-taking amphitheater perfectly compliments the music. The picture is crisp and clean with the sound being excellent. Then there is the packaging that has the cd and dvd housed in what looks like a hard covered book. The booklet contains a lengthy text as well as rare photos including ones from a different set of shows at Colorado State University.

Finally, this classic concert movie is on DVD, along with the mini album that captures U2's War tour wonderfully. The DVD includes the other songs from their famed Red Rocks concert in Denver Colorado in 1983 which were not on the original VHS tape, but that were on a widely circulated bootleg of the show. This concert,even though the crowd was cut in half due to the cold and rainy weather, was a landmark show that put U2 on the national map in much the same way that their Live Aid performance in 1985 catapulted them on their way to super stardom. This show captures them at that point when they were transitioning themselves into a major rock act, showcasing their talent of bringing the audience close together and to them on the stage. They were still honing their sound and their playing, and the sheer emotion of this performance is set against the eerie fog and cold of the evening. Highlights of this DVD are New Years Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, I Threw a Brick Through a Window, and Electric Company. It had their trademark ending song of 40, which is base on the 40th Psalm. Great band, great DVD and CD. If you are just getting into U2's more recent stuff, you need to listen to this to get a feel of where they have come from.

This DVD is really well done - no frills, the focus was just on the sight and sound, and the result is excellent. It has a really nice hardcover book format in a thick hard slipcase. Great booklet. The only disappointment in this particular package is that the CD wasn't expanded. If you love this music, you only need to decide whether you want this or just the DVD.

If you have seen the tape Version of this then you know what you can expect. Only that this is clearly the better Sound and picture quality. Sure you can see that this is an old recording but the Sound Quality is amazing. This set is for every U2 fan out there a must have.