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Friday, September 14, 2007

CONSPIRACY OF HOPE

My Biko post had me perusing the wealth of YouTube video of the Conspiracy of Hope Tour concert video from 1986.

I remember taping the show at my friend Henry's house.

I couldn't have cared less about the Police 'reunion', hell it had only been two years since they were last annoying me.

I was a huge U2 fan at the time, and it was a great time to be a U2 fan. It was just prior to the onslaught of success that came in the form of 'The Joshua Tree'. Bono's hair was good, the mullet had grown out - the band was shit-hot, and the songs were timeless, even then.

It was the same with Gabriel. 'So' had just been released, but 'Sledgehammer' had yet to push his career over the edge, it's not even in his set.

Jackson recommends:

MLK/Pride - the opening is cut off, but otherwise the quality is fairly good. Damn they were good then, Bono's spontaneity was still spontaneous. Larry's kick is louder then the Edge, but hey, I'm sure it sounded decent in the house....Giants Stadium, that's a big house.

I love the Edge's reel machine - how many guitar players employ a reel machine in their back line?

Bad/Sunday Bloody Sunday - Here you have a band working seamlessly, propelling a song past it's trajectory, into the half light, through the flame......Uh, it's great, okay, watch it.

Help is interesting, I think John would have liked it.

Maggie's Farm/Cold Turkey - Love Larry's massive conga, or whatever it is. The Edge.........play the blues. If you listen real close you can hear 'Bullet the Blue Sky' being born. "Turn off the lights mister!"

Here we hear the fruit of the Edge's tape machine.

Gabriel's Family Snapshot is amazing. Tony Levin, Rick Moratta......it's gonna be.

Comments:
'Bad' is a song for the ages. Tremendously moving.
 
Watching those U2 videos makes me think of John Harms.
Whatever happened to Henry and John?
 
Excellent post. Thanks for the history lesson. I was asleep during this era or too young to understand the meaning of some of those songs.
 
Last I heard Henry was involved in the whole san fran/silicon alley business - this was early nineties, maybe? John Harms? I wish I knew - of all those U of M folks, I miss John the most.
 
as usual, awesome post -

I agree - Bad is one moving song.
 
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