U2

BEST OF U2-1980-90

Look for the B-side package

Review Score:

(8/10)
The music on here deserves five stars, of course. We can quibble about some songs' absence, but the very best songs are all hear.

The reason I gave "Best of" three stars is that U2 is an album band. Most great bands are. Led Zeppelin is, Pink Floyd certainly is ("Echoes" is an embarrasment), the Rolling Stones are, the Who is, the Beatles are, and U2 is no exception. If anything U2's non hits are better than those of the other bands mentioned. In other words, if you like this compilation, you'll love the albums.

Take "The Joshua Tree," for instance. I have no doubt that Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and With or Without You are the three best tracks on the record (if not three of the greatest songs ever), but Running to Stand Still, In God's Country, One Tree Hill, and Exit happen to be excellent songs as well.

Take "Rattle and Hum." Sure, All I Want Is You made the cut here, but Hawkmoon 269 and Heartland are wonderful songs, and I like Van Dieman's Land a whole lot too. Never mind the nonsense about the movie being pretentious; it has some tremendous live footage, and the accompanying album has some fantastic new material like the songs mentioned above.

Finally, buying this compilation at this point might be stupid, because U2 has put together some great stuff since 1989. 1991's Achtung Baby is second only to The Joshua Tree, and All That You Can't Leave Behind is U2's return from an almost ten-year hiatus. Yes, all of you U2-of-the-nineties fans, you can keep Zooropa and Pop. They are not worthy of the band name U2.

The music on this CD is incredible. If you really want the guts of U2, though, buy their albums. It's money well spent.

More Reviews: