'All Three Show Openers...'

10 Nov 201174
Band members aside, few know U2360° as well as Show Director Willie Williams.

But forced to choose only 22 songs in  selecting the tracks for  'U22'... what would he choose?

Here's Willie's thinking and, below, his tracklisting.  Jump into the comments with what you  think of what he's included... and what he's left out.


'This was a difficult choice mostly because, through complete force of habit, I kept thinking of it as a set list. It became considerably easier once I'd abandoned the notion of this list ever being performed live so I could start with all three openings of the show -  first the 2010 opening ('Stingray'), moving on to the 2011 opening ('Real Thing') then popping back for the 2009 opening (Breathe).

There was temptation to abandon all the hits in favour of the rarities but given that this is in some way supposed to represent the tour there were a few reinvented classics which it would have been rude to leave out - the 'Arab Spring' remake of Sunday Bloody Sunday, the intense 360 immersive version of 'Still Haven't Found' and, most of all, Beautiful Day as a 'duet', with Commander Mark Kelly performing on the International Space Station.

The pillars of the 360 show have to be there of course: City of Blinding Lights, 'I'll Go Crazy',  Moment of Surrender, 'Boots'.  It is also a great opportunity to immortalise some of the songs that only appeared briefly on the 360 tour, particularly Your Blue Room and the spontaneous medley of All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me.  It seems only right to give space to the songs that we may not hear performed again for some time (Scarlet, Unforgettable Fire) and then there are my personal favourites to cram in (Ultraviolet, Zooropa, No Line).


Given enough space I would have probably included all 46 songs (plus the unreleased ones and a few more that never made it beyond soundcheck) as they all played their part in building the character of the tour.  However, the rules said 22 only so, for better or worse, this is how I'll remember U2360°  - a remarkable collection of U2 songs that references every one of their albums... if you count the 16 bars of 'Discotheque' mashed into 'I'll Go Crazy'.



The Return of the Stingray Guitar
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Breathe
Get on Your Boots
I Still Haven't Found
One Tree Hill
No Line on the Horizon
The Unforgettable Fire
All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me
Beautiful Day (with Mark Kelly)
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Zooropa
City of Blinding Lights
I'll Go Crazy
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Bad
Hold Me Thrill Me
Ultraviolet
Moment of Surrender
Out of Control


The standout track?  Has to be Ultraviolet.  Listen carefully enough and you can almost hear the mirror ball...
'


(If you already subscribe to U2.com don't forget to cast your vote and if you don't, here's everything you need to know about 'U22'.)



Comments
74
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musicabona
Hits and rarities
Willie has composed a beautiful list including both legendary hits and some wonderful rarities. It is also great that he has chosen all three show openers, because each one had the power to heat the atmosphere in the beginning of the concerts. I agree, Ultraviolet (Light My Way) is one incredibly beautiful standout track, because in every concert it created a whole firework of emotions. I am curious what songs will end up on the cd. There are just so many different opinions. Anyway, I can;t wait for it!
youdontnohow
Where is streets
Willie willie willie u2 have forgot where the streets have no name in the set list every live cd needs streets in it FACT!
alanvox5
Willie`s best 22
What No` Streets`?????? Other than that an awesome choice Willie. `Magnificent` would also be good.
Sandywallenhorst
Missing
Great idea, lovely songs, but i miss New year`s Day and With or without you But no problem, maybe the next time?!! It will be a FANtastic album at last
OB
U22, WHY NOT ALL SONGS!!!
OK here is a compromise. Give us a 22 song CD but allow all songs to be download on the U2 site. Seriously, how hard would that be? That way you give us fans a complete package and finally a really nice gift for subscribers since last couple years been pretty weak. Come on U2
jbarnych
Great list!
I really like Willie's choices. I love that he included Breathe and No Line. I really missed hearing those songs this year. I also wholeheartedly agree with what he said about Ultraviolet. It definitely was the stand out track from the tour. I absolutely adore that song!
adamzfun
My picks
I tried to post my list Wake Up intro City of Blinding Lights Even Better Than the Real Thing Breathe Gloria I Still Haven’t Found One Tree Hill The Unforgettable Fire All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me Beautiful Day Stay/Satellite of Love One I’ll Go Crazy Sunday Bloody Sunday Running to Stand Still Scarlet Bad Amazing Grace/Streets Out of Control Ultraviolet Moment of Surrender 40
adamzfun
My two cents
I just had to make my own list. . . Wake Up (arcade fire intro from Vertigo Tour) City of Blinding Lights Even Better Than the Real Thing Breathe Gloria I Still Haven’t Found One Tree Hill The Unforgettable Fire All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me Beautiful Day Stay/Satellite of Love One I’ll Go Crazy Sunday Bloody Sunday Running to Stand Still Scarlet Bad Amazing Grace/Streets Out of Control Ultraviolet Moment of Surrender 40
viveiro
No Streets?
No Magnificent?
pelliatx
Soon
I hope that U22 contains U22.25 - the .25 being the short intro used in 2009, Soon. I absolutely loved the harmony and soft melodic tune. It would be appropriate to use that as the intro to U22 (although, as Willie says, the 22 is not a set list). Looking forward to U22(.25?)!!
karlg
Not a setlist?
Hey, it'd work for me. I love pretty much all U2 songs, it's true. But less of the same old same old, and more of the, shall we say, more creative choices is what so many of us long for in a setlist. Nice job Willie ! Can you talk to the boys and Paul and see if you can swing the next setlist to look something like this?
Pammer23
Elevation
The best U2 song ever...Elevation there has to be room for Elevation and The Fly too. So much fun seeing them live in DC, Baltimore and Philly over the summer. This will fill out a great disc.
K_fu_K
xD
For me it's fine.Even I'd rather that instead of Breathe I'd put Magnificent and instead of bad I'd put Where The Streets Have No Name....IT'S OK MAN!!!I LOVE ALL OF YOUR SONGS MAN!!
pricintra
Last frase
The words about Ultraviolet at the end of the text are so true...I love what he said: "you can almost hear the mirror ball"...That´s an amazing song, in an amazing moment on the show...
greenenviroment
U22
1 stingray guiter 2 even better than the real thing,3 breathe,4 magnificant,5 vertigo 6 mysterious ways,7 beautiful day,8 still havent found,9 unknown caller,10 angel of harlem,11 stay faraway so close,12 party girl, 13 i'll go crazy,14 unfortgettable fire,15 city of blinding lights,16 bloody sunday,17 running to stand still,18 streets,19 one,20 ultraviolet,21 new years day,22 moment of serrender.
matoth
Love love love
IT!
hand195
On the Money!
Except I would swap Hold Me, Thrill me... for the Fly. Just saying.
NoahMG
Even better than the Real Thing...
Willi'e playlist is A LOT better than the one the fans are voting together. I wish we could get his instead!
WH25
One song missing I think...
that no one else has mentionned (as far as I can tell) is Miss Sarajevo. There's an excellent bootleg of the show in Paris in 2010, with Miss Sarajevo, and Bono's vocals on it are just so outstanding it should be mentionned here. I'd definitely swap it with City of Blinding Lights, for instance. Also, you need the Fly and 40.
u2 ka
2 Year Subscription
I love love love the idea of U22. However it's sooo hard to limit it to 22. I think one of the main reasons I would travel the entire glob to catch this tour and many others (dating back to the unforgettable fire) is that the set list can change any given night and during the different stages of a tour. I recommend a two disc set for people who pay for a TWO subscription to U2.COM. If you pay for 1 year you receive the U22 that was voted on and if you pay for two years you get both discs with ALL 46 songs played during all of the stages of 360.
stevie.Phisto.stein
Pretty good...
If I saw that set list performed I would be pretty happy, only thing I would change would be replace "Scarlet" with "Streets". Personally, I think that would lift the entire set to a new level and... it's my favourite U2 song :)
flypp
Fantastic choices - room for an intro?
That set-list will do for me. Having seen the tour in all three years, I think the mood is captured perfectly. Would love to see the 'soon' intro from 2009', also featured on Wide Awake in Europe and on the 360 DVD - it's not been available to the fans on a general release and this would be a great opportunity to give us that brilliant tune....please.......
neil mccormick
Great idea
What a great idea this is even the u2 family cant make up there minds ! ! !. Hits or Rare that is the Question. For me a little rare and more hits. look forward to the outcome.
juliomarmol
Agree!
I'm so happy to confirm that I felt the same way as Willie about the right set list for this amazing CD proyect. Let´s go for the rarities and alikes. I love Willie¨s list. It is pretty much the same one that I did some days ago.
samlaura
U22
Dear Willie, to make a 22 song set list from the 46 is a mind-bender. So it became a thought of why not 46... yes, it must be 46 and more. Thanks, your perspective is a pleasure to read.
mvda
Willie is always right
Perfect. Love you. Let's have it :)
LetMeInTheSound7
Good set list but...
Willie has put together a great list but I think it could be better. "Streets" should definitley be on the list. I'm glad he added "Real Thing" it really deserves to be on there too.I also think The Fly,Elevation and Magnificent should be on the cd aswell
u2rulesmyworld
i dont think so
NO Streets, WOWY or One?
charley_5054
U2360
Nice setlist, but there is a serious lack of Streets on that setlist ! As much as I love Bad, it is one of the best live tracks, it never was an important part of the 360 tour, at least not on the level of Streets
Eddyelo
It Could Be Better
Songs Like I Will Follow, New Years Day, Stay (Far Away So Close¡), Where The Streets Have No Name, But is good specially for including the track "Ultraviolet" i think thats the star of the tracklist
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