U2 - U2 - The Best of 1990-2000
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Free Music Notes for U2 - The Best of 1990-2000
Free Music Review: Good but not the best
Hit: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this cd but not as much as the best of 1980-1990. Still great music from u2!Free Music Review: a little bit of a disappointment
Hit: 3 Stars
If you were expecting the qualitative equivalanet to U2's first compilation of singles, 'Best of 1980-1990', you will find this one a bit of a disappointment, even if you liked the music of U2 from 1990 to 2000. Here's a song-by-song review:1. "Even Better Than the Real Thing". As the fourth single from their most successful record of the decade, 'Achtung Baby' (1991), this pop dity, appropriately the opening track, has excellent guitar work and a lyrical irony that would characterize the "reinvention" of U2 in its second decade.
2. "Mysterious Ways". As one of their most popular singles and live songs from 'Achtung Baby', the underwater guitar sound, the funky bass-line, and a distinct lyrical shift into the secular (or is it?) would yield success of U2's debut as a pop band. (NOTE: For U2 fans, a line is changed from the original at 1:43.)
3. "Beautiful Day". If you don't know this one, a dose of optimism and heavy guitars hearlding the first single from the "return-to-their-roots" record, 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000), you have probably been living under a rock.
4. "Electric Storm" [William Orbit Mix]. As the first of two new songs on this release, it is curious that the band included a remix on the original compilation. While the first 50 seconds are appropriate for the accompanying lyrics, this remix lacks the venom of the original version of the song (included only on the Limited Edition bonus disc), the quality of which lies somewhere between just-good and classic.
5. "One". If any song of U2 in the 1990s will be remembered, it is "One", a bittersweet ballad with multiple interpretations, which has been covered by a number of artists (e.g., Johnny Cash, R.E.M.) and would have been just as big of a hit as the other contender for U2's best ballad ("With or Without You") if it had a catchier chorus.
6. "Miss Sarajevo". This sleepy tune is the one single and sole entry included from the U2/Brian Eno collaboration, 'Passengers: Original Soundtracks' (1995). Unfortunately, because of the deletion more than one minute, what was a stunning guest performance by Pavorati on the original version seems awkward immediately following Bono's subdued verse on the edited version here.
7. "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)". This relatively traditional and mellow single from U2's exploration into art rock, 'Zooropa' (1993), moves along nicely, with its value as a U2 classic derived from the lyrical imagry and fine vocal performance by Bono.
8. "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of". Although the lyrics are a bit hokey for Bono, this single was originally an ode to the deceased INXS singer who killed himself in 1997 that took on new meaning in the nationwide grief post-9/11. Nonetheless, it seems a bit out of place among the tracks from the 1990s. (NOTE: This single was not actaully released until 2001, which is when the Grammy-winning "Walk On" and Elevation" were also released, leading me to wonder why these stronger tracks were not also included.)
9. "Gone" [New Mix]. As one of the three tracks from the much-maligned 'Pop' (1997) record, this one was not a single, but it is hard to argue against its inclusion on this compilation, as this plodding rocker is a lyrical highpoint of the U2 canon and has remained a live staple. On this "new mix", certain vocals and guitar parts have been re-recorded and the middle section has been re-arranged to mirror the live version - unfortunately, the result is flat and uninspiring when compared to the original.
10. "Until the End of the World". This is another strong non-single rocker, this time from 'Achtung Baby', which lyrically a conversation between Jesus and Judas. It has rightfully remained within the U2 live set for a decade.
11. "The Hands That Built America". This is the other new song on this compilation and the theme to the upcoming film 'Gangs of New York'. Initially, it comes across as a over-orchestrated and uninteresting ballad; when Bono's filtered, operatic vocal break shows up in the middle, you may find yourself cringing; and with the thrown-in lyrical reference to 9/11 at the end (without any real contextual connection to the rest of the song), one has to wonder what were they thinking?!
12. "Discotheque" [New Mix]. As one of the most controversial singles and introduction to the poorly-received 'Pop' record, this version is the most different from the remixes here. Unfortunately, where the original version was pumped up with many sonic colors and heavy beats, wonderfully closing the seemingly wide gap between club music and metal, this version is, quite simply, unfulfilling by comparison.
13. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". The non-LP single from the 'Batman Forever' (1995) soundtrack is a welcome inclusion here, an autobiographical rocker which characterizes U2-in-the-1990s - "You don't know what you're doin' - babe, it must be art".
14. "Staring at the Sun" [New Mix]. As the second and perhaps most well-received single from the 'Pop' record, members of the band have often stated that they could never get the tempo right on this one (as an ill-fated attempt at the song in the opening night of the PopMart tour would prove). However, the added drum tracks in this remix here only adds a sense of disjointedness as compared to the original.
15. "Numb" [New Mix]. In the attempts to rewrite parts of U2's second decade by including several remixes, this is the one that was tampere with the least, and as such, may actually be better than the original, which was easily their most experimental and controversial "single" ever. In this version, the vocals have been moved up in the mix (so you can actually here what the Edge is chanting . . . well, kind of), the Bono's falsetto of the chorus ("I feel numb") in the original has been replaced by the deadpan voice of an unnamed singer who actually sounds numb (drummer, Larry Mullen, I presume), and some guitar has been added to make the sound a bit more anthemic.
16. "The First Time". This is the third non-single track included on the compilation, and while lyrically strong, the minimalist musical elements are far to similar to a previous U2 hit ("All I Want Is You") to warrant inclusion here. On this note, one has to wonder, where are the more experimental singles that defined the decade (such as "The Fly" and "Lemon") or even the stronger more traditional-U2 releases (such as "Please" or the single semi-acoustic version of "Wild Horses")? Whatever the answer, this compilation could have been bettter constructed and pales by comparison to its 1980s counterpart, even if you liked U2 in the 1990s.
Free Music Review: U2 dodged a bullet in '97
Hit: 3 Stars
Can a band like U2 really get away with putting out compilation albums? Not really; the hardcore fans would never allow them to. There will always be complaints about compilations released by a band of this stature. They always center around the songs that were left off, particularly by those fans who feel this band owes them something. That's the equivalent of a hardcore fan going to see a band, and leaving disappointed because some "obscure album track that was never a hit" wasn't performed just for them. I remember going to PopMart in '97 and some guy next to me being bummed out because "Indian Summer Sky" wasn't on the setlist. Any complaints about this kind of petty thing is ultimately pointless. What WAS left off were tracks that would have made sense in a compilation like this. The omission of "Please" is inexcusable, as the song was a centerpiece of the PopMart tour, much more than "Gone" or even "Staring At The Sun". Considering that the album version of "Please" was incomplete at the time of POP's release (listen to Bono's vocals on the album), we would have all had the definitive version of the song had this included the single version. Also interesting, even if included on the B-Sides cd, would have been "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" and the Clayton/Mullen rework of "Mission Impossible", if only for completists' sakes. Looking at the track list of this "Best of", it's obvious from the various different mixes and the omission of other big tracks ("Walk On", anyone?) that this compilation is intended almost solely for the longtime U2 fans. Any casual fan wanting to pick up the singles they've heard over the years or the radio would have been VERY disappointed, "Best of" clearly NOT the same as "Greatest Hits".
What is most alarming about this collection is the work that was done on the tracks off POP, released in 1997. After the album had been out, and considered by many to be a failure, it was revealed that one of the reasons the album was so odd was that with the PopMart tour booked, the album itself was rush-released UNFINISHED just to meet the deadlines. As a result some of the tracks were deemed sub-par by some of the members of U2. If the remixes on here are supposed to be the definitive, COMPLETE versions of these songs, then thank god for the original versions. Who knows what damage an album full of this kind of thing would have done to their career. "Discotheque" and "Gone" sound even more unfinished than the POP versions. "Staring At The Sun", meanwhile, doesn't fare much better. The fact is that the original mix of these songs wasn't the problem the first time around. The songs themselves were the real issue. A thousand remixes couldn't make "Staring At The Sun" sound any less flat and uninspired than it already did. What would have worked better would have been the single versions of these tracks.
On the plus side, the new tracks are brilliant, particularly the gorgeous "Electrical Storm". U2 should consider William Orbit for their next album. He adds a warm, cinematic touch to the song, much like he did for the Madonna "Ray Of Light" album. For those fans who complain about having to get the "Best Of" CD just for two new tracks, the price is more than worth it for these two.
Even with the omissions and the detours, this album is full of brilliant songs that should be a great listen to anyone interested in listening to one of the great bands of all time daring its audience to "see colors that have never been seen, discover places no one else has been".
Free Music Review: The Higher Standard
Hit: 3 Stars
U2 is a band that is held to a higher standard. They were the best in the music business for a stretch--about 1986-1991. No one could compare to what U2 did, mixing their Irish blood with American roots music. No one could write about pain, sorrow and heartache, hope and dreams like Bono did in the Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum. No one was even close, during a time when soullessness seemed the norm. Instead of "Like A Rolling Stone," U2 competed with "Pump Up The Jam" and they won.They changed their style in 1991 and drowned out much of their bluesish sound, but Bono's spirit drove the band to it's highest point. "One" is U2's standard. Which makes it unfortunate, because the rest of this record is good, but not "One." It's also unfortunate because not many artists get to write a song like "One," excepting the Beatles (Let It Be).
It's almost preposterous to put Discotheque on the same record because they aren't performed by the same band in many respects. But that is the band that U2 was in the 90s, a band that reached majestically high (One, Mysterious Ways, Stuck in a Moment and Staring at the Sun) and also just reached (Discotheque, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Numb).
But even if U2 is a band that hasn't been what it was in a while, they are getting better. You can see it in the songs from All That You Can't Leave Behind. "Beautiful Day" and "Stuck in a Moment" are songs with undeniable energy and rawness that U2 hasn't had since Rattle and Hum.
And even more important, the two new songs are both up to the standard that "One" set. "Electrical Storm" is the best U2 song in a decade. Bono's vocals are what they were when he recorded "One" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." The Edge's guitar is delicate and beautiful when used, although the atmosphere of the song is almost too thick (like an electrical storm) to allow the guitar to get through. The lyrics are beautiful, the story of two lovers deciding the next step and holding on to each other because there is nothing else to do. It's a thick song, the kind that leaves you emotionally drained after it, and it's the kind that U2 has always excelled at.
"The Hands That Built America" is no less powerful and no less dense, it's only the subject matter that changes. Bono's voice is at his strongest in this music and both songs give hope that U2 will not soon forget the emotion that they once had in making music about people--lovers, immigrants, rebels, singers and dreamers alike.
If their next album is like these two songs, not only would U2 be the best again, they will have reached that higher standard that sets this collection off as mediocre, only because of the potential that the decade began and ended with.
Free Music Review: an incomplete work
Hit: 3 Stars
First of all, the "New Mixes" of the songs from 'Pop' ("Discotheque", "Staring at the Sun", and "Gone") are inferior to the originals. So to is the William Orbit Mix of "Electrical Storm" (the original is on the Limited Edition bonus disk and Part 2 cd-single).Second, there are a few essentials missing - namely:
1. "The Fly" (the introductory single to U2's reinvention in the 1990s);
2. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" [Temple Bar Remix] (the popular and more acoustic version than the version on 'Achtung Baby');
3. "Lemon" (one of their most experimental singles and videos in a decade of experimentation);
4. "Please" (simply one of their most underrated songs);
5. "If God Would Send His Angels" (another popular remix from the immensly popular 'City of Angels' soundtrack)
Others have pointed out the omissions of "Walk On" and "Elevation", the Grammy-winning singles from the Grammy-winning last LP, 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000). This is also a fair criticism. One reason for their omission might be the fact that they were released as singles in 2001 (but then again, so was "Stuck in a Moment"). The other, perhaps more practical, reason may lie in the fact that U2 has a three-compilation deal with their old label, Island, and the last LP was done with their new label, Interscope, the latter of which does not want to spoil the current sales of their last record by including too much on this compilation. Whatever the reason, these tunes will probably show up on 'The Best of 2000-2010' a decade from now.
And then there are few songs, for the sake of consistency with U2's first compilation 'The Best of 1980-1990' (a collection of great singles), that should not be on here:
1. "Until the End of the World" (a great song and staple of their live set for years, but then again, so is "Bullet the Blue Sky" which was not included on the first compilation);
2. "Gone" (ditto);
3. "The First Time" (ditto - except this one is not even performed live); and
4. "The Hands That Built America" (Bono's pseudo-opera sounding vocal part is just awful and the out-of-context 9/11 reference at the end is just predictable)
If you want a really complete collection, I highly recommend the DVD version of 'The Best of 1990-2000', complete with almost all versions of their 1990s videos with commentary (in most cases) and a few added bonuses.