U2: Best of 1990-2000

[Guest bob_barron]

From 411-

 

U2 will be releasing a new greatest hits album, titled U2: Best of 1990-2000 on November 5th. The album will also feature a special second disc titled The Best of the B-Sides. The second disc will feature previously unreleased tracks and remixes as well as a bonus DVD. Below is the full track list:

 

Here is the "U2: The Best of 1990-2000" track listing:

 

"Even Better Than the Real Thing"

"Mysterious Ways"

"Beautiful Day"

"Electrical Storm" (William Orbit Mix)

"One"

"Miss Sarajevo"

"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"

"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"

"Gone" (new mix)

"Until the End of the World"

"The Hands That Built America"

"Discotheque" (new mix)

"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"

"Staring at the Sun" (new mix)

"Numb" (new mix)

"The First Time"

 

Here is "The Best of the B-Sides" track listing:

 

"Lady With the Spinning Head" (Extended Dance Mix)

"Dirty Day" (Junk Day Mix)

"Electrical Storm"

"Summer Rain"

"North & South of the River"

"Your Blue Room"

"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (The Gun Mix)

"Salome" (Zooromancer Mix)

"Even Better Than the Real Thing" (Perfecto Mix)

"Numb" (Give Me Some More Dignity Mix)

"Mysterious Ways" (Solar Plexus Club Mix)

"If God Will Send His Angels" (Big Yam Mix)

"Lemon" (Jeep Mix)

"Discotheque" (Hexidecimal Mix)

 

Credit: Billboard.com

 

 

Sounds pretty good even though I wish The Fly, Walk On, New York, Acrobat and Velvet Dress had made the cut.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest Fort Detrick]

I'm not much of a U2 fan. The only song I really like by them is Sunday, Bloody Sunday.

[Guest starvenger]

They had more from their electronica-lite era than I thought they would. I agree with bob on the questionable omissions though. Still, it's an easy buy when I go back to Toronto.

[Guest bob_barron]

It's an easy buy when I'm living in Toronto.

 

They have more 'Pop' then I thought they would

[Guest mesepher]

I'm not a fan of Best Ofs... but I do have the early Best of from U2... a CDR.

 

Its a good collection of songs, and I really enjoy the B Sides disk.

[Guest ZGangsta]

Looks great to me, though "The Fly" should definitaly be there.

[Guest meanmaisch]

I would omit The First Time, Discotheque, and Numb and add Love Is Blindness, The Ground Beneath Her Feet and the Fly.

[Guest bob_barron]

I agree- Ground Beneath... rocks

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

If they want to release a best of 1990-2000, they should just re-release Achtung Baby as it has been mostly downhill from then on.

[Guest Anorak]

I was always quite fond of 'Wake up dead man' from 'Pop' but I knew that wouldn't be on there. Its not exactly an essential purchase for me (bit bewildered at the need for so many 'mixes') but I did always feel their 90's output to be a bit underated.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

When the original listing dropped last week, "The Fly" was on as the last track. I don't see how they could actually cut it--it was the first single of the "new" U2, and so, so important for that reason. I'm thinking it'll be a hidden track just like "October" was on the first Best-Of, but "The Fly" feels more like a necessity than a hidden treat.

 

I'm excited to hear the Pop remixes and remasters on the A-sides, since this isn't just some DJ coming in and screwing with it; this is the band filling out stuff they thought was unfinished on Pop, their most-rushed and sloppily-concluded album ever. Tracklisting boggles me, though--I imagine they'll do something good with "Staring at the Sun," but if there are three perfectly produced tracks on Pop, it's "Please," "Discotheque," and "Gone," and the latter two are getting re-tuned.

 

This looks like an A-sides only purchase for me, though--I'll take the redone pop tracks and the two new singles happily, but a B-sides disc with only 4 original b-sides doesn't interest me. U2 remixes, with the exception of the Temple Bar mix of "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," don't do jack for me.

[Guest bob_barron]

When the original listing dropped last week, "The Fly" was on as the last track. I don't see how they could actually cut it--it was the first single of the "new" U2, and so, so important for that reason. I'm thinking it'll be a hidden track just like "October" was on the first Best-Of, but "The Fly" feels more like a necessity than a hidden treat.

 

I'm excited to hear the Pop remixes and remasters on the A-sides, since this isn't just some DJ coming in and screwing with it; this is the band filling out stuff they thought was unfinished on Pop, their most-rushed and sloppily-concluded album ever. Tracklisting boggles me, though--I imagine they'll do something good with "Staring at the Sun," but if there are three perfectly produced tracks on Pop, it's "Please," "Discotheque," and "Gone," and the latter two are getting re-tuned.

 

This looks like an A-sides only purchase for me, though--I'll take the redone pop tracks and the two new singles happily, but a B-sides disc with only 4 original b-sides doesn't interest me. U2 remixes, with the exception of the Temple Bar mix of "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," don't do jack for me.

Yea- I love The Fly.

 

Wake Up Dead Man is a good one but I can see why that got left off.

 

I'm a sucker for U2 so I'll probably buy everything.

 

I'm suprised they didn't put Always and Summer Rental on the B-sides. I have Always dled but don't know what album it's from or anything

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

I bought the 1980-1990 best of as soon as it came out (despite having most of the songs already) but I think I'll be giving this one a miss.

[Guest goodhelmet]

where the fuck is slow dancing and the sweetest thing???? a rip off i say.

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

Sweetest Thing is on 1980-1990

[Guest bob_barron]

helmet-

Sweetest Thing was the new single for 80-90.

 

What album is slow dancing from?

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

"Always" was an earlier version of "Beautiful Day" that turned into a little song of its own. It's a b-side on one of the "Beautiful Day" singles.

 

"Slow Dancing" is a b-side on the "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" single, the same on that has "I've Got You Under My Skin" with Sinatra. Both of which I'd think would have made it onto the b-sides disc, but apparently not.

[Guest bob_barron]

Thanks-

 

I listened to Always and was like: Beautiful Day!

 

I love his duet with Sinatra- just a great song.

 

I don't they're gonna put b-sides of singles on a Best Of- that would be cool though

[Guest godthedog]

what the fuck is with all the remixes? if i buy a 'greatest hits' U2 cd, i expect to hear 'numb', not 'numb version 2.43.01.546'. reading the topic title i was expecting just a list of their singles & i was all ready to say "yeah, i don't like U2 anymore, but their body of work is still pretty amazing so this thing would be worth picking up," but i would never buy this shit. U2 keeps figuring out new ways for me to dislike them, it's incredible.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Eh... U2 has had some good songs in that period, but none that are really necessities.

 

By the way, I can't stand "Always" - am I the only one?

[Guest bob_barron]

I kinda like it, plus it's educational:

 

Always wear a safety belt

[Guest goodhelmet]

well fuck, i already own every u2 cd from the 80's so there is no need to pick up that compilation. i own zooropa and achtung baby from the 90's. everything else has been shit. pop was one of the worst albums of the 90's. i have slow dancing on cd. i downloaded most of the songs from the last album from the net. fuck this compilation.

[Guest bob_barron]

I actually think Pop is underrated.

 

If You Wear that Velvet Dress, Wake up Dead Man, Discoteque, God Will Send His Angels and Gone are good stuff.

[Guest goodhelmet]

sorry man, the shittiest album U2 EVER released and the sales and critical feedback support me. the album was tripe and clearly not what U2 fans wanted o hear. the songs you mentioned are horrendous.

[Guest bob_barron]

I'm the only one who likes Pop. I've learned to accept it.

[Guest bob_barron]

Velvet Dress is this awesome mysterious song that hooks me.

 

God Will Send His Angels is the first U2 song I ever loved so it has sentimental value.

 

Wake Up Dead Man has cool lyrics.

 

Discoteque and Gone are fun listens.

 

Yes...I am weird

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

I'd say Zooropa is pretty shitty, especially compared to the album before. Once Zooropa was released, I never saw U2 in the same light. Before it, every album was a 'must have', afterwards, I could take them or leave them.

[Guest bob_barron]

Zooropa was like never meant to be an actual full length album so maybe that's why.

 

I love Stay though. The new version with Craig Armstrong kicks ass

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

See, I love Zooropa, and Pop.

 

The sound of one of the world's biggest bands reinventing themself on every album and doing it well blows my mind.

 

Zooropa isn't conventional in the least in terms of U2...intended to be a somewhat experimental EP, the guitars are stripped down, and Edge is actually credited with production and keyboards, but not guitars.

 

Top to bottom, I love it.

 

"Zooropa" - awesome opening track. Dreamy. Classic U2 lyrics - "dream out loud." Very chill and rock all at the same time.

 

"Babyface" - silly song about porn, but man, the refrain hook rocks me.

 

"Numb" - Edge lead vocals! Not their best song, but there's something infinitely cool about this one. Also features Larry Mullen on backing vocals, which never really happens ever again--an album of little surprises and such...

 

...the best of which is "Lemon." Awesome. I could go on and on about every track on here, but this album affected me tremendously the first time I heard it. One of my favorite bands, doing music totally out of character of what I'd become accustomed to. Zooropa is a definite personal favorite, and probably my #3 U2 album, behind only Achtung and Joshua Tree.

 

As for Pop: good to excellent songs, bad album ordering, and some sloppy production. Still love it, though--it has an intrinsic, try-anything charm that I adore.