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As one of the most popular bands of the '80s, U2 didn't quite fit into any particular category. They were a post-punk band that quickly found acceptance from a hard rock audience, a group that made fully formed albums but often made their best statements on individual songs, especially during the '80s. Consequently, they're a very hard band to anthologize. Since they were most effective on single songs, it seems that throwing all of them together on one disc would work. The problem is, each of the albums, from Boy to Rattle and Hum, has a distinctive flavor that doesn't necessarily blend when combined, especially in the nonchronological form of The Best of 1980-1990. There's little quibbling with the featured tracks on U2's first compilation -- a few important songs, such as "Gloria," "I Fall Down," "Seconds," and "Two Hearts Beat as One," may be missing, but everything else deserves to be here ("Pride," "New Year's Day," "With or Without You," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Bad," "Desire," etc.). Even though the song selection is strong, the album winds up as less than the sum of its parts -- each song is pretty great of its own accord (even the single mix of the B-side "Sweetest Thing," which is, in truth, not much different at all), but the overall effect is a little underwhelming. On one hand, it may be a good choice for casual fans or nostalgia mongers, since it does contain everything they need to hear, but anyone who has more than a passing interest in the band will be better suited with individual albums.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Daniel Lanois, Producer - Brian Eno, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1984 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Paul Thomas, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - KEVIN KILLEN, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Lillywhite, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Edge, Composer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1983 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
PAT MCCARTHY, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Wallace, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Lanois, Producer, Tambourine, Strings, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Eno, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Lillywhite, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bono, Vocals, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Flood, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Meegan, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Larry Mullen, Composer - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mary Kettle, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
PAT MCCARTHY, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Wallace, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Lanois, Producer, Tambourine, Strings, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Eno, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bono, Vocals, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Flood, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Meegan, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mary Kettle, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Paul Thomas, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Lillywhite, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Mullen, ComposerLyricist - The Edge, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Mullen, Jr., Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1983 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Daniel Lanois, Producer - Brian Eno, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Edge, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1984 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
PAT MCCARTHY, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Wallace, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Lanois, Producer, Tambourine, Strings, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Eno, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Lillywhite, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bono, Vocals, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Flood, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Meegan, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mary Kettle, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Paul Thomas, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Lillywhite, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1980 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Daniel Lanois, Producer - Brian Eno, Producer - Bono, Author, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1984 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
PAT MCCARTHY, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Lanois, Producer - Brian Eno, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, Producer, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephen Harris, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Joe O'Herlihy, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nicholas Milne, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Daragh O'Toole, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Una O'Kane, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Nicola Cleary, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Aengus O'Connor, Strings, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1998 Island Records Limited
Paul Barrett, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bono, Author, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Shelly Yakus, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rob Jacobs, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Bryan, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1988 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Clement, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - B.B. King, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bobbye Hall, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Bono, Author, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Shelly Yakus, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rob Jacobs, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Randy Wine, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - Dave Ferguson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Phyllis Duncan, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Fergusson, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Duncan, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Rebecca Russell, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1988 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Clement, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joey Miskulin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - The Memphis Horns, Horn Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Bono, Author, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Shelly Yakus, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rob Jacobs, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - Dave Ferguson, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Wine, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Van Dyke Parks, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Benmont Tench, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Bono, Author, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Jacobs, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - David Tickle, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Edge, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Mullen, Jr., Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1988 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Paul Thomas, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Lillywhite, Producer - Bono, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - U2, MainArtist - Adam Clayton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Mullen, ComposerLyricist - The Edge, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Mullen, Jr., Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1981 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Album review
As one of the most popular bands of the '80s, U2 didn't quite fit into any particular category. They were a post-punk band that quickly found acceptance from a hard rock audience, a group that made fully formed albums but often made their best statements on individual songs, especially during the '80s. Consequently, they're a very hard band to anthologize. Since they were most effective on single songs, it seems that throwing all of them together on one disc would work. The problem is, each of the albums, from Boy to Rattle and Hum, has a distinctive flavor that doesn't necessarily blend when combined, especially in the nonchronological form of The Best of 1980-1990. There's little quibbling with the featured tracks on U2's first compilation -- a few important songs, such as "Gloria," "I Fall Down," "Seconds," and "Two Hearts Beat as One," may be missing, but everything else deserves to be here ("Pride," "New Year's Day," "With or Without You," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Bad," "Desire," etc.). Even though the song selection is strong, the album winds up as less than the sum of its parts -- each song is pretty great of its own accord (even the single mix of the B-side "Sweetest Thing," which is, in truth, not much different at all), but the overall effect is a little underwhelming. On one hand, it may be a good choice for casual fans or nostalgia mongers, since it does contain everything they need to hear, but anyone who has more than a passing interest in the band will be better suited with individual albums.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:04:07
- Main artists: U2
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1998 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited This Compilation ℗ 1998 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
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