With all the acclaim around 4Reels' Ladies And Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones", this release of the long lost U2 performance(s) from San Francisco '81 will very soon overshadow the former as the crowning jewel in their catalog.
The story of the films' unearthing is as interesting and entertaining as the film itself.
As the complimentary liner notes outline, Rumored to have been lost in the infamous Bill Graham fire, this uncirculated film does exist and has survived. They also call it a very rare masterpiece. I'm not sure on the masterpiece though. This implies that there was some sort of artistic talent fused into the production, which is purely subjective. 4Reel Productions clearly has professionals at the helm, lets leave it at that. The DVD is cleverly produced to provide the viewer 2 angles from which to choose, even seamlessly and interactively! A FIRST IN BOOTLEG DVD...and it is a fun feature that will certainly be used constantly from the collectors who pick this one up.
This title is remarkable due to all the circumstances involved with the questions of its' existence, appearance and ultimate condition, as well as what is documented here. How often are we able to talk about such a lengthy film document of a superstar rock band, caught in its' infancy? Unbelievable when you think about the importance of the film and the meteoric rise of the band after this first tour of the States. VERY cool.
The performance is something I am not going to talk about too much. This is a solid band at an early phase. Clearly showing a professional demeanor, incredible desire, a solid rhythm section with a charismatic front-man. U2 were finding their legs on this trip around the U.S. They had much to learn. In this set, their sound to me is just repetitious and lacks any imagination to stretch. The tempo is the same for nearly every tune though they clearly have much to say! It is a show of that forces Bono to be spontaneous with the crowd during some lighting and technical glitches...including dancing with a little-girl (one of the entourage's daughters?)...and even eating during the impromptu jams! This is all very fun to watch for the first time EVER!
The sound is spectacular with the disc offering Dolby Digital Stereo or a nice 5.1 Surround mix. Given the stellar audio and video (aside from the ever-present counter in the middle bottom of the screen), the real star in the production is the multiple angle feature. It is very interesting that the event was filmed with 2 cameras (shooting continuously, not just switching cameras per direction from a booth): one at the rear of the hall, offering a straight-on shot of the entire stage with zoom (45 minutes of the show) and a second camera positioned in the front row area, right of center stage (complete show). The menu offers the viewer a choice in which to watch the show, initially. But, the viewer can also switch seamlessly between the angles during play, which is really nice. One thing to watch out for is that if you switch to angle 2 towards the end of the main set, it will take you back to the beginning of the show because that footage is only 45 minutes long. Once you realize this, it isn't an issue. This is waaay too cool to nit-pick, consider it a tip.
The bonus footage is a wonderful inclusion for U2 fans. The California Hall is also where the band shot their "I Will Follow" video and this 52 minute mini-documusical shows you the set-up and filming of the video. It should be noted that the video also utilized the actual show footage, which explains why Follow and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" were played twice that evening.
All of this along with a beautifully layed-out digipack package and picture disc make this truly...a must-have. SEEK THIS ONE OUT AND PLAY IT LOUD!
