U2: Rattle and Hum

The only concert I have ever attended in my life was the U2 concert held at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on the first of August 1987 . This was part of the band`s Joshua Tree tour and I was slightly disappointed with the concert possibly down to the fact that The Joshua Tree is the band`s most Americanized album and as a die hard fan I much preferred their first three albums

U2:RATTLE AND HUM is the movie release made to tie in with the album of the same name that when it was released in the Autumn of 1988 became the fastest selling album in British chart history . It consists of interviews , concert footage (and the occasional track being recorded in the studio , nothing groundbreaking or radical and what you make of this documentary all comes down to what you make of late 1980s recordings from Bono and the boys since most of the concert tracks are from The Joshua Tree . In its favour it`s far better directed and edited than the 1983 release UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY but if like me you prefer early 80s U2 then you`ll be disappointed with what`s missing , stuff like Gloria ( Not the Van Morrison song ) , I Will Follow and Electric Co . Bizarrely the best track from the album HawkMoon 269 is conspicious by its absence . I say bizarrely because Bono is on record as saying at the time it was his all time favourite U2 track and is the stand out track from the album . As it stands the movie`s highlight is the rendition of Sunday Bloody Sunday played on the night of Sunday 8th November 1987 hours after an IRA bomb had murdered 11 people and maimed scores more at a remembrance service in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen where Bono explodes a few myths of " The glory of the revolution "

I got the DVD for my Christmas a couple of years ago ( Thanks Michelle ) and I was very disappointed since it basically contains just the movie and a choice of subtitles with no extras

This movie delivers U2 doing what they do best (touring), experimenting with new types of music in America and showing us that they're truly the nice guys they're projected to be. I see nothing disappointing about charismatic interviews, solid musical performances and meaningful reflection. Those who disliked this departure from the band's "usual" style can't recognize the importance of musical growth we see here. Looking back to what The Joshua Tree was and what became Achtung Baby, it's easy to see Rattle and Hum was a necessary expression of their progress at that time, and a humble look at a band celebrating their artistic heroes.

I love this film, and have for years. Some were unhappy with the lack of documentary-like footage concerning who the band "really" are and such...but since it is described as a "concert" film, i got what i expected...footage of and about the formation of key songs and song adaptions. I never saw the film as self-congratulatory, and i think that's just a swipe by bashers of the band.......they (u2) just seemed to be enjoying themselves delving into the new musical forms they were discovering and paying homage to those forms. If you like music, see this dvd.

"U2 Rattle & Hum" is one of the best rock documentaries ever produced because it not only showcases a band at work on stage and in the studio at the peak of their success, but also because it shares with us a rock group in the middle of a discovery. That discovery is U2's first wide-scale American tour, in which they start to explore American "roots" music, namely Elvis Presley and B.B. King, among unmentioned others. Aside from the blistering live performances in Denver, San Francisco and Phoenix, the band makes 'holy pilgrimages' to Graceland, Sun Studios and a Harlem church.

U2 were criticized for supposedly saddling themselves up against American musical icons (B.B. King collaborates with them on a tune, they record 5 tracks at Sun Studios, and haggle a Graceland tour guide into letting them photograph one of Elvis' motorcycles), but once the mechanics of the band's relationship are understood, it's obviously clear they are only peeking into this world in an introverted manner instead of trying to include themselves in it. U2 have always been a band with sharp detractors because they place an importance upon music to suggest that it can BE more than just music. This attitude has enabled them to arguably remain the most consistent and important band of the last 20 years.

The live performances are just amazing. "Exit," Bad," "Pride," "Bullet The Blue Sky," and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" are delivered with ferocious energy. The film is mostly in black-and-white, which lends itself that needed 'documentary' feel, except for 5 songs performed in color. The energy of the band onstage guarantees this to be a film that will sustain its liveliness no matter how many times you see it.

An outstanding documentary/concert film detailing the irish rock band U2 on a tour..of course the band plays their greatest hits and some other known songs, including a duet with blues great BB king..

Great cinematography and the black and white usage makes it all that much better.

A must see for any U2 fan.. On a scale of one to ten.. 8