U2

BEST OF U2-1980-90

A solid, although uneven, collection...

Review Score:

(8/10)
Although one could argue that this isn't a "Best Of" as much as it is a "Most Well Known" collection of U2's eighties work, as a fan, I couldn't help but pick it up if only for the remastered tracks and remade version of "Sweetest Thing", originally the b-side to "Where the Streets Have No Name" (if you can still find the version of this compilation with the b-side disc, it's definitely worth the inflated price). Most of their earlier work is neglected...Boy has one track present, October has none (sacrilege!), and War has two. I can understand the lack of their lesser known singles like "Fire" and "A Celebration," but the absence of "11 O'Clock Tick Tock," "Gloria," and "Two Hearts Beat As One" is downright blasphemous.

"The Unforgettable Fire" is well-represented, with not only the definitive U2 anthem "Pride" ringing in the album, but the title track and the live favorite "Bad," which is the only track on the collection that was not released as a single. The three obvious picks off "The Joshua Tree" are here as well, but are somewhat more skippable in this setting.

The track list is rather good, if you excuse that the four Rattle and Hum selections (and as much as I adore "Angel of Harlem" and "When Love Comes To Town," they're a bit unnecessary here) that were just thrown on the end of the disc. The entire section from "Bad" to "Sweetest Thing" works surprisingly well.

It's not a bad place to start if you're new to the band, although you may as well just pick up "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby," which are far more rewarding experiences. There is only one new track (the live versions of "Bad" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" that the Edge once said would make it didn't), so it's a little light, and the edited versions of "New Year's Day" and "Bad" are just plain annoying, but the track order makes it very listenable regardless.

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