U2 - Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky

Deluxe audio-visual flashback to U2’s first glory year

Recorded in Colorado in June 1983, Live At Red Rocks, U2’s first ever concert video, makes it to the digital domain on its 25th anniversary. It’s a deluxe package with a remastered Under A Blood Red Sky album, also released in 1983 and consisting of live recordings from War, which broke them big as a live act in America.

The 18-song DVD now boasts five additional titles and a 5.1 mix, while the CD is remastered, but disappointingly remains a modest eight-song snapshot. Compiled from three shows as a quick-fix bootleg buster, there must be much more material in the can. With a new release on the horizon, though, U2 aren’t about to play archaeologist.

Live At Red Rocks deserves its reputation as one of the key concerts in U2’s 30-year career, capturing a band on the cusp of greatness. 25 years on, it’s lost none of its power. U2 devotees will undoubtedly snap up this deluxe package (the component parts are also available separately), but while Red Rocks remains a classic, Blood Red Sky remains the missed opportunity.

Universal | 1764968 (DVD+CD)

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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