U2 - The Best Of 1990 - 2000 & B-Sides (2002) (FLAC-EAC-CUE)

Music : Pop : Lossless U2 - The Best Of 1990 - 2000 & B-Sides (2002) (FLAC-EAC-CUE) U2 Biography From allmusic.com Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2 became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s. Equally known for their sweeping sound as for their grandiose statements about politics and religion, they were rock & roll crusaders during an era of synthesized pop and heavy metal. The Edge provided the group with a signature sound by creating sweeping sonic landscapes with his heavily processed, echoed guitars. Though the Edge's style wasn't conventional, the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr., played the songs as driving hard rock, giving the band a forceful, powerful edge that was designed for arena rock. And their lead singer, Bono, was a frontman who had a knack of grand gestures that played better in arenas than small clubs. It's no accident that footage of Bono parading with a white flag with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" blaring in the background became the defining moment of U2's early career -- there rarely was a band that believed so deeply in rock's potential for revolution as U2, and there rarely was a band that didn't care if they appeared foolish in the process. During the course of the early '80s, the group quickly built up a dedicated following through constant touring and a string of acclaimed records. By 1987, the band's following had grown large enough to propel them to the level of international superstars with the release of The Joshua Tree. Unlike many of their contemporaries, U2 was able to sustain their popularity in the '90s by reinventing themselves as a postmodern, self-consciously ironic dance-inflected pop/rock act, owing equally to the experimentalism of late-'70s Bowie and '90s electronic dance and techno. By performing such a successful reinvention, the band confirmed its status as one of the most popular bands in rock history, in addition to earning additional critical respect. With its textured guitars, U2's sound was undeniably indebted to post-punk, so it's slightly ironic that the band formed in 1976, before punk had reached their hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Larry Mullen, Jr. (born October 31, 1961; drums), posted a notice on a high-school bulletin board asking for fellow musicians to form a band. Bono (born Paul Hewson, May 10, 1960; vocals, guitar), the Edge (born David Evans, August 8, 1961; guitar, keyboards, vocals), Adam Clayton (born March 13, 1960; bass), and Dick Evans responded to the ad, and the group formed as a Beatles and Stones cover band called the Feedback, before changing their name to the Hype in 1977. Shortly afterward, Dick Evans left the band to form the Virgin Prunes. Following his departure, the group changed its name to U2. U2's first big break arrived in 1978, when they won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness; the band were in their final year of high school at the time. By the end of the year, the Stranglers' manager, Paul McGuinness, saw the band play and offered to manage them. Even with a powerful manager in their corner, the band had trouble making much headway -- they failed an audition with CBS Records at the end of the year. In the fall of 1979, U2 released their debut EP, U2 Three. The EP was available only in Ireland, and it topped the national charts. Shortly afterward, they began to play in England, but they failed to gain much attention. U2 had one other chart-topping single, "Another Day," in early 1980 before Island Records offered the group a contract. Later that year, the band's debut, Boy, was released. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the record's sweeping, atmospheric but edgy sound was unlike most of its post-punk contemporaries, and the band earned further attention for its public embrace of Christianity; only Clayton was not a practicing Christian. Through constant touring, including opening gigs for Talking Heads and wet T-shirt contests, U2 was able to take Boy into the American Top 70 in early 1981. October, also produced by Lillywhite, followed in the fall, and it became their British breakthrough, reaching number 11 on the charts. By early 1983, Boy's "I Will Follow" and October's "Gloria" had become staples on MTV, which, along with their touring, gave the group a formidable cult following in the U.S. Released in the spring of 1983, the Lillywhite-produced War was U2's breakthrough release, entering the U.K. charts at number one and elevating them into arenas in the United States, where the album peaked at number 12. War had a stronger political message than its predecessors, as evidenced by the U.K., college radio, and MTV hits "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day." During the supporting tour, the band filmed its concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater, releasing the show as an EP and video titled Under a Blood Red Sky. The EP entered in the U.K. charts at number two, becoming the most successful live recording in British history. U2 had become one of the most popular bands in the world, and their righteous political stance soon became replicated by many other bands, providing the impetus for the Band Aid and Live Aid projects in 1984 and 1985, respectively. For the follow-up to War, U2 entered the studios with co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who helped give the resulting album an experimental, atmospheric tone. Released in the fall of 1984, The Unforgettable Fire replicated the chart status of War, entering the U.K. charts at number one and reaching number 12 in the U.S. The album also generated the group's first Top 40 hit in America with the Martin Luther King, Jr., tribute "(Pride) In the Name of Love." U2 supported the album with a successful international tour, highlighted by a show-stealing performance at Live Aid. Following the tour, the band released the live EP Wide Awake in America in 1985. While U2 had become one of the most successful rock bands of the '80s, they didn't truly become superstars until the spring 1987 release of The Joshua Tree. Greeted with enthusiastic reviews, many of which proclaimed the album a masterpiece, The Joshua Tree became the band's first American number one hit and its third straight album to enter the U.K. charts at number one; in England, it set a record by going platinum within 28 hours. Generating the U.S. number one hits "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," The Joshua Tree and the group's supporting tour became the biggest success of 1987, earning the group the cover of respected publications like Time magazine. U2 decided to film a documentary about their American tour, recording new material along the way. The project became Rattle & Hum, a film that was supported by a double-album soundtrack that was divided between live tracks and new material. While the album Rattle & Hum was a hit, the record and film received the weakest reviews of U2's career, with many critics taking issue with the group's fascination with American roots music like blues, soul, country, and folk. Following the release of Rattle & Hum, the band took an extended hiatus. U2 reconvened in Berlin 1990 to record a new album with Eno and Lanois. While the sessions for the album were difficult, the resulting record, Achtung Baby, represented a successful reinvention of the band's trademark sound. Where they had been inspired by post-punk in the early career and American music during their mid-career, U2 delved into electronic and dance music with Achtung Baby. Inspired equally by late-'70s Bowie and the Madchester scene in the U.K., Achtung Baby was sonically more eclectic and adventurous than U2's earlier work, and it didn't alienate their core audience. The album debuted at number one throughout the world and spawned Top Ten hits with "Mysterious Ways" and "One." Early in 1992, the group launched an elaborate tour to support Achtung Baby. Dubbed Zoo TV, the tour was an innovative blend of multimedia electronics, featuring a stage filled with televisions, suspended cars, and cellular phone calls. Bono devised an alter ego called the Fly, which was a knowing send-up of rock stardom. Even under the ironic guise of the Fly and Zoo TV, it was evident that U2 was looser and more fun than ever before, even though they had not abandoned their trademark righteous political anger. Following the completion of the American Zoo TV tour in late 1992 and before the launch of the European leg of the tour, U2 entered the studio to complete an EP of new material that became the full-length Zooropa. Released in the summer of 1993 to coincide with the tour of the same name, Zooropa demonstrated a heavier techno and dance influence than Achtung Baby and it received strong reviews. Nevertheless, the album stalled at sales of two million and failed to generate a big hit single. During the Zooropa tour, the Fly metamorphosed into the demonic MacPhisto, which dominated the remainder of the tour. Upon the completion of the Zooropa tour in late 1993, the band took an extended break. During 1995, U2 re-emerged with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," a glam rock theme to Batman Forever that was produced by Nellee Hooper (Björk, Soul II Soul). Later that year, they recorded the collaborative album Original Soundtracks, Vol. 1 with Brian Eno, releasing the album under the name the Passengers late in 1995. It was greeted with a muted reception, both critically and commercially. Many hardcore U2 fans, including drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., were unhappy with the Passengers project, and U2 promised their next album, to be released in the fall of 1996, would be a rock & roll record. The album took longer to complete than usual, being pushed back to the spring of 1997. During its delay, a few tracks, including the forthcoming first single "Discotheque," were leaked, and it became clear that the new album was going to be heavily influenced by techno, dance, and electronic music. When it was finally released, Pop did indeed bear a heavier dance influence, but it was greeted with strong initial sales, and a few positive reviews. In late 1998, the group returned with Best of 1980-1990, the first in a series of hits collections issued in conjunction with a reported 50 million dollar agreement with Polygram. Three years after the mediocre response to Pop, U2 teamed up with Eno and Lanois once again to release All That You Can't Leave Behind in fall 2000. It topped charts around the world, reached number three in America, earned the band Grammy Awards for the singles "Beautiful Day" and "Walk On," and became their biggest-selling record in years. (The Elevation tour that followed also brought U2 a hefty paycheck.) Steve Lillywhite, producer of the early-'80s landmarks Boy, October, and War, returned to the helm for U2's next record, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Released in November 2004, it hit the top of the Billboard charts and quickly gained platinum status. The album also garnered eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, and Song of the Year (for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"). CD Pressing Information Label: Island Records Catalog#: CIDTZ U2 13, 063 435-0 Format: 2 x CD Country: Europe Released: 05 Nov 2002 Genre: Electronic, Rock Style: Pop Rock, House, Broken Beat, Ambient, Big Beat, Trance, Downtempo Credits Artwork By [Sleeve Design] - Four5One° Design Dublin Composed By - U2 Edited By [Digital] - Pat Sullivan (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Engineer - Carl Glanville (tracks: 1-04, 1-09, 1-11, 1-14, 1-15, 2-04) , Flood (tracks: 1-02, 1-05, 1-07, 1-10, 1-13, 1-15, 2-10, 2-11, 2-13) , Paul Barrett (tracks: 1-01, 2-08, 2-09) , Richard Rainey (tracks: 1-03, 1-04, 1-08, 2-03) , Robbie Adams (tracks: 1-01, 1-07, 1-13, 1-15, 1-16, 2-09, 2-10, 2-13) Engineer [Additional Engineering] - Robbie Adams (tracks: 1-05, 1-10, 2-11) Engineer [Assistant & Pro Tools Operator] - Matthieu Clouard (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14, 1-15) Engineer [Assistant] - Chris Heaney (tracks: 1-03, 1-04, 1-08, 1-11, 2-03, 2-04) , Rob Kirwan (tracks: 1-06, 1-07, 1-15, 2-06, 2-10, 2-13) , Shannon Strong (tracks: 1-02, 1-05, 1-10, 2-11) , Willie Mannion (tracks: 1-07, 1-15, 2-10, 2-13) Keyboards [Additional] - William Orbit (tracks: 1-04, 1-11, 2-04) Lyrics By - Bono Mastered By - Arnie Acosta (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Mixed By - Carl Glanville (tracks: 1-09, 1-14, 2-04) , Flood (tracks: 1-02, 1-05, 1-07, 1-10, 1-16) , Mike Hedges (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14, 1-15) Mixed By [Assistant] - Shannon Strong (tracks: 1-02, 1-05, 1-10) Other [Album Production Assistants] - Aislinn Meehan (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) , Candida Bottaci (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) , Sally-Anne McKeown (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Other [Album Production Manager] - Sheila Roche (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Other [Studio Manager] - Sam O'Sullivan (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Percussion [Additional] - Daniel Lanois (tracks: 1-02, 1-10, 2-11) Photography [Back Cover, Inside Photography] - Anton Corbijn Producer - Brian Eno (tracks: 1-01 to 1-03, 1-05 to 1-08, 1-10, 1-15, 1-16, 2-02, 2-03, 2-05, 2-09 to 2-11, 2-13) , Daniel Lanois (tracks: 1-01 to 1-03, 1-05, 1-08, 1-10, 2-03, 2-09, 2-11) , Edge, The (tracks: 1-07, 1-13, 1-15, 1-16, 2-02, 2-10, 2-13) , Flood (tracks: 1-07, 1-09, 1-12, 1-14 to 1-16, 2-02, 2-05, 2-07, 2-10, 2-12 to 2-14) , U2 (tracks: 1-06, 2-05, 2-08) , William Orbit (tracks: 1-04, 1-11, 2-04) Producer [Additional] - Mike Hedges (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14) Programmed By - Ben Hillier (tracks: 1-09, 1-14, 2-14) Recorded By - Howie B. (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14, 2-12, 2-14) , Mark "Spike" Stent (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14, 2-05, 2-12, 2-14) Recorded By [Assistant] - Rob Kirwan (tracks: 1-09, 1-12, 1-14, 2-12, 2-14) Synthesizer - Brian Eno (tracks: 1-03, 1-08, 1-15, 2-02, 2-10, 2-13) Technician [Audio Post Production] - Cheryl Engels (tracks: 1-01 to 2-14) Notes All tracks published By Universal Music Publishing BV except Blue Mountain Music Ltd. (UK), Mother Music (IRL), except track 6 in North America by Upala Music Inc./BMI. "Discothèque" contains sample from "Fane" performed by Freeform and written by Simon Pike, courtesy of Skam Records. The Best Of 1990 - 2000 & B-Sides album review from allmusic.com Review by Tom Erlewine The story goes like this: poised on the brink of disappearing in their own earnestness in the wake of the Rattle and Hum, U2 revitalized themselves with Achtung Baby, embracing irony and modern music in a garish celebration of pop culture that effectively distracted attention from the wounded, broken heart at its center. Basking in the acclaim of Achtung Baby, U2 continued to release Euro-experimental music -- equal parts Madchester, Krautrock, and good old-fashioned prog rock, partially courtesy of longtime collaborator Brian Eno -- until their ambition imploded on Pop, leading them to a celebrated return to roots, All That You Can't Leave Behind. Through it all, they turned out singles that equaled their '80s work (and in the case of "One" and "Beautiful Day," surpassed it), providing the basic ingredients for a great hits collection, but The Best of 1990-2000 is botched, nearly fatally so, by a desperate attempt to rewrite history. Original mixes are replaced by recent remixes, while album tracks (why does "The First Time" close the collection?) and two new songs elbow out actual hits. Naturally, this highlights what's missing, which is quite a bit: "The Fly," "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," "Zooropa," "Lemon," "Mofo," "Last Night on Earth," "Walk On," "Elevation," "Peace on Earth," to name a few. This wouldn't hurt as much if the new songs were good, but they're bland, particularly "Electrical Storm" (which, to add insult to injury, is presented not in the original mix, but in a William Orbit mix), an attempt to give the aesthetic of Behind a vague electronic gloss that doesn't work. Worst of all, anytime U2 flirted too closely with either dance or electronica has been replaced by mixes that attempt to give these tunes the sound of neo-classicist U2 à la All That You Can't Leave Behind. So, all the Pop material ("Gone," "Discotheque," "Staring at the Sun") is given new mixes, as is "Numb," none improvements and all undermining the actual career arc of U2 in the '90s. Then, these mixes, new songs, and hits are thrown out seemingly at random, with no regard for either chronology or musical momentum. Sure, there are great songs here -- not just "Mysterious Ways" and "Beautiful Day," but relatively rare items like the Passengers tune "Miss Sarajevo" (sounding more majestic than ever) and the Batman & Robin theme "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (a glam rock pastiche that was the best thing about the film and remains a highlight), plus the underappreciated "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (as lovely as anything they've ever cut). And that may be enough for some listeners, but it's hard not to wish that The Best of 1990-2000 actually lived up to its title and presented an overview of this excellent era in a logical, accurate manner. [Like the first U2 hits compilation, the first pressings of The Best of 1990-2000 are graced with a bonus disc containing B-sides from the same era. At least, that's what it claims to be, but just like its accompanying A-sides disc, it rewrites history, leaving behind actual B-sides -- most notably several covers, but also non-LP songs that never appeared on albums -- in favor of bad, bland remixes, some of them brand new. True, the remixes highlight U2's journeys in dance in the '90s, but the selection of mixes is utterly haphazard, blending new and historical mixes with no regard for context. Frankly, making this bonus disc largely remixes -- to the extent that non-LP songs like "Lady With the Spinning Head" are presented in a remix, not the original B-side version -- is distasteful when there are so many other genuine B-sides that should be here instead. It gives the whole project a sour aftertaste.] Track List U2 - The Best Of 1990 - 2000 (Disc 1 - The Best Of) (2002) 01. Even Better Than The Real Thing 03:41 02. Mysterious Ways 04:03 03. Beautiful Day 04:08 04. Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix) (New Song) 04:39 05. One 04:35 06. Miss Sarajevo 04:32 07. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) 04:59 08. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of 04:34 09. Gone (New Mix) 04:34 10. Until The End Of The World 04:40 11. The Hands That Build America (Theme From 'Gangs Of New York') (New Song) 04:58 12. Discotheque (New Mix) 04:42 13. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 04:45 14. Staring At The Sun (New Mix) 04:49 15. Numb (New Mix) 04:23 16. The First Time 03:50 17. The Fly 04:28 U2 - The Best Of 1990 - 2000 (Disc 2 - The B-Sides) (2002) 01. Lady With The Spinning Head (Extended Dance Mix) 06:08 02. Dirty Day (Junk Day Mix) 04:42 03. Summer Rain 04:08 04. Electrical Storm (New Song) 04:25 05. North And South Of The River 04:38 06. Your Blue Room 05:29 07. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (The Gun Mix) 04:47 08. Salomé (Zooromancer Remix) 05:52 09. Even Better Than The Real Thing (The Perfecto Mix) 06:39 10. Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix) 05:51 11. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Club Mix) 04:10 12. If God Will Send His Angels (Big Yam Mix) 05:42 13. Lemon (Jeep Mix) 05:30 14. Discothèque (Hexidecimal Mix) 05:44 ENJOY ..........................................................................

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monicapews91 (2008-12-22)

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