Search - U2 - Zoo TV Live from Sydney (Limited Edition) on DVD

Way Ahead of its Time...

Hawkmoon | California, by the sea | 09/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is U2 at their creative highpoint. Zoo TV was far ahead of it's time, and is captured very well on this release. Disc 1 is the same as the 1994 VHS release. The video has been cleaned up to todays DVD standards, and is worth getting for that alone. However, the sound has been upgraded as well, and will not disappoint.

The sound is available in Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby
Digital 5.1, and DTS.

Extra Disc:
'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World' (4:19) is an edit of several concerts from the ZooTV Tour.

Bonus track 2 is 'Desire' (5:18) from the well-known 'Zoo TV Special' filmed in New York's Yankee Stadium, recorded to promote the ZooTV-Tour.

The Fly' (4:37) and 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' (4:23) are recordings from the Stop Sellafield Concert from 19 June 1992 in Manchester. Both songs have only recently been released on the single for 'City Of Blinding Lights'.

Documentaries:
'A Fistful of Zoo TV' (7:50) is an edit of various scenes from the ZooTV era, while a text tracker informs about the materials used for the stage, PA and
so on. Brief snippets of Mr. MacPhisto are included in the mix, as well as a reference to the ZooTV Confessionals, which are another extra on the DVD.

Zoo TV - The Inside Story (4:11)
Brian Eno and The Edge explain how the idea for ZooTV developed from the video for 'The Fly'.

Trabantland (7:45)
This is the story of the 'Trabbie' and U2's love for it during the time. Paul McGuinness, Anton Corbijn, Bono and others comment.

Extras::
The 'Video Confessional' was located within the
standing area of the stadium shows, and fans were invited to 'confess' - the results being broadcast onto the big screens during the encore break of the show.
This extra is an edit of people from all over the world.

Numb Karaoke (4:13)
A special version of the 'Numb Video Remix' to sing along to! Edge's voice has been cut from the mix, while Bono's (and Larry's) vocals remain in the background.

DVD-Rom:
Inserting DVD 2 into your PC or Mac gives you access to the CD-Rom Extras. These contain two screen savers and four background pictures for different screen
sizes.

Easter Eggs:
One of the Easter Eggs is the 24-minute documentary about U2's history, as originally featured on the 'Achtung Baby - The Videos, the cameos and a
whole lot of interference from ZOO TV' video release under the name
'Interference'. Another Easter Egg is a video (1:15) with pictures about nuclear weapons
and war. More interesting is the third video (4:16) showing a sped-up version of the setting up and taking down of the ZooTV indoor stage.

***Update on easter eggs***
Try this:
EGG #1)
While you are in the Main Menu on the second disc,
move the cursor onto "Extras".
Using the arrow keys on your DVD remote press "right" once (nothing will
happen) and then press "down" once.
This highlights the ZOOTV logo at the top of the tower.
Hit "enter" on your remote and it will take you to a screen with ABORT
written on it.
Slowly hit the numbers 2, 7, 1, 1 using your DVD remote (make sure your
pause between each number) and the egg will start. (27/11 was the day of the show: Nov. 23rd)
This egg shows the assembling of the ZOOTV stage/the show/and taking down
the stage in fast-forward with "Some days are better than others" as a
background song.

EGG #2)
Go to the "Documentaries" menu on the second disc.
Click on "Play all" and fast forward through everything, including the
credits.
When it gets back to the menu, move the curser down to "Subtitles".
Once your cursor is on "Subtitles" press "Down" once (the cursor will not
move) and then press "Left" with the arrow keys on your DVD remote.
A small symbol of an O with a line through it appears in centre screen.
Press "enter" on your remote and you'll get the 25 minute documentary "Interference", which includes "The History Mix"

EGG #3)
Go to the "Extras" menu on the second disc.
Scroll down the menu until you select "DVD credits".
Press "down" and then "right" using the arrow keys on your DVD remote.
A small symbol of an O with a line through it appears in centre screen. Hit "enter" on your remote and it will take you to a screen with ABORT written on it. Slowly hit the numbers 1, 9, 9, 3 using your DVD remote (make sure your pause between each number) and the egg will start. (1993 was the year of this show) This egg is about 1 minute long and is a montage of atomic-bomb themed warning drills."

Beautiful Technology at its highest

Memo Alfaro | San Salvador, ES | 09/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By far the best U2 show recorded. The perfect mix of songs in an era where the band was confused, yet remarkable and groundbreaking. Highlights from this concert include: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Stay (Faraway, So Close!), Bullet the Blue Sky, Lemon and Love is Blindness. A MUST for all U2 junkies."

Best Concert Ever!

Paul Machnick | Chicago, IL | 09/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"U2's ZooTV Tour was one of the greatest tours ever recorded. U2 went above and beyond what most artists would do to create this tour. I have the VHS version and have worn it out. I can not wait for this DVD to be released. If you want to see a really cool concert from one of the greatest live bands ever, buy this DVD."

Great show, not my personal favorite

joe mama | marin county, ca | 09/25/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Clearly, this 1993 show from the Zoo tour in Sidney Australia is a favorite among U2 fans, and it's easy to see why. The band was tight and energetic, they were full of passion, and the stage production was simply incredible -- especially for its time. And, yet, after watching U2's most recent tours on DVD ("U2 Go Home: Live at Slane Castle" and "U2 Vertigo 2005: Live in Chicago"), I'm not nearly as impressed as I thought I'd be with the fabled Zoo tour.

In all fairness, I should come right out and admit that as an ardent U2 fan from the early '80s, I began to lose interest with my favorite band around the time Zooropa was released. I loved Achtung Baby, but I somehow felt that the Zooropa and Pop albums were trying a little too hard; in an effort to stay ahead of the game, I thought that U2 was losing sight of whatever it was that made them great in the first place. To me -- and to many other fans from my era -- U2 had no need to reinvent themselves; their sound was already revolutionary, and any major departure would be a step backward.

Having seen U2 in concert four times between 1983 and 1988, I skipped the Zoo tour and didn't shed a tear. I felt I had seen U2 in their prime and at the so-called top of their game. Ironically, it wasn't until years later, when I watched the 2000 Slane castle DVD, that I began to discover and appreciate U2's music from the '90s. Watching U2 in 2000, I realized that they hadn't lost a step since their "glory" days; they could still play and perform as well as ever, and, in some ways, I liked them even more. I was especially impressed with the consistency of the material from every stage of U2's career (including the '90s albums I had previously dismissed), and, all of a sudden, I felt a deep sense regret for passing on the Zooropa and Pop Mart tours.

And so, when I learned that the Zoo tour DVD was scheduled for release, I seized it with relish, eager to find out what wonders I had missed. I ran home, popped in the disc, and prepared to be dazzled. While I found certain numbers amazing -- "Zoo Station," "Mysterious Ways," "One," "Running to Stand Still," and, of course, "Where the Streets Have No Name" -- very few of the Zoo performances eclipsed, in my mind, the versions on the recent Slane Castle or Vertigo tour DVDs. Moreover, I found the whole Zoo TV concept distracting, over the top, and, I daresay, silly. Just like before, I felt U2 was trying too hard.

Meanwhile, I do respect and appreciate U2's effort in those days to step out of their comfort zone and into something more risky--especially when abandoning their signature sound could've ended in disaster. Furthermore, I'm convinced that U2 is a better band today because of that period in their career. What a lot of people forget, however, is that the Zoo and Pop Mart tours are NOT the essence of U2, but two unique -- and wonderful -- chapters in one band's 25-year odyssey. Meanwhile, I would argue that the recent tours, which do pay considerable homage to the '90s era, are a better and more complete representation of the "real" U2."