The Best of 1980-1990 / The B-Sides [Special Edition, Import]

U2 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 3, 1998)
• Original Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Special Edition, Import
• Label: Island Records
• ASIN: B00000DFVF
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (268 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,390 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Imports > Alternative Rock
  • #42 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Post-Punk
  • #62 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > General AAS

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Pride (In The Name Of Love)

2. New Year's Day

3. With Or Without You

4. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

5. Sunday Bloody Sunday

6. Bad

7. Where The Streets Have No Name

8. I Will Follow

9. The Unforgettable Fire

10. Sweetest Thing

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Three Sunrises

2. Spanish Eyes

3. Sweetest Thing

4. Love Comes Tumbling

5. Bass Trap

6. Dancing Barefoot

7. Everlasting Love

8. Unchained Melody

9. Walk To The Water

10. Luminous (Hold On To Love)

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

U2 The Best Of 1980-1990 (Original 1998 US issue limited edition 29-track 2-CD album set featuring a decade of classic hits and B-sides. Picture sleeve with deletion punch hole - still sealed in original stickered shrinkwrap)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very special stuff, September 1, 2000

By 

Sal Nudo (Champaign, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of 1980-1990 / The B-Sides (Audio CD)

Though some of these greatest hits have been played a zillion times on the radio, there's nothing wrong with hearing such grandoise monsters as "Pride," "New Year's Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" on one disc. Surprisingly, it's the hits from one of the greatest albums in rock history, The Joshua Tree, that come off as the most boring on this CD. More interesting are less played, ethereal numbers like "Bad," "Unforgettable Fire" and the lively "I Will Follow." There's certainly a fire that was present in early U2, passion and meaning within the songs, coupled with an arena-ready feel that fans and journalists have come to love and respect.

U2 flaunts a surprisingly soulful side of itself on such greats as "When Love Comes to Town," "Desire" and "Angel of Harlem," heard toward the end of disc one where the band kind of lets its hair down. "All I Want is You" is a tender U2 beauty on which the band clicks on all levels; it's almost spiritual-sounding. Bono's sincere voice sounds like gold amid the Edge's sparkling, chiming guitar work. A gorgeous string section lovingly closes the song out. Let disc one continue to play after the last song to hear "October" (from October), an extremely beautiful piano instrumental. Quiet and peaceful, "October" is as good and memorable as the songs that proceeded it, despite its hidden, non-hit status.

The included 1980s b-sides are as great as U2 have ever sounded -- get this compilation because of them. All these closeted gems make a convincing case that U2 may have been at the top of its game back then, despite future classics in the 1990s. "The Three Sunrises" is a jangly and tuneful song that perfectly captures a different side to U2. "Spanish Eyes" has a rougher sound and a hugely ecstatic shout of "Love!" from Bono. The original mix of "Sweetest Thing" also benefits from a rougher-edged recording. Four very solid and inspired cover songs enhance disc two, one of which is a tremendously rocking version of Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot," which ends with searing guitar licks and Larry Mullen Jr.'s timely, thumping drums. "Love Comes Tumbling" and the instrumental "Bass Trap" have mesmerizing and mysterious qualities that are timelessly fresh. Some of the b-sides such as "Walk to the Water" and "Luminous Times" have a deep and mystical sense of serenity and longing. "Silver and Gold" reveals an amazing ability by Bono to create a tune all by himself. The guy could probably make a pretty amazing solo album if he so chose. Still, U2 are a definite entity whose sum is stronger than its parts, despite the massive talent that each member possesses. If the past is any indication, the next ten years with these guys should be just as awesome as it's always been. When U2 are great (which is nearly all the time), the band stands as one of the best ever. In terms of songs, longevity, great ideas and integrity, these guys simply reign supreme.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNBELIEVABLE, November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best of 1980-1990 / The B-Sides (Audio CD)

Hands down one of the greatest compilations by one of the greatest bands in the history of music. If you do not purchase the B-Sides "limited" edition you are depriving yourself of fantastic music. It is a testament to the band's incredible talent that tracks such as "Sweetest Thing", "Spanish Eyes", "Party Girl", "Hallelujah Here She Comes", etc. were scrapped from their albums. In all, there are 30 songs on both CDs. 29 are fabulous. A MUST BUY

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible and indispensable., November 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best of 1980-1990 / The B-Sides (Audio CD)

U2's first real "Best Of" CD (at least officially), the Limited Edition package can rightly claim to be one of the most important U2 albums ever. THE BEST OF 1980-1990 is a trip back through the politicking, hope, rage, despair, joy, and wonder inherent to any decade so full of world-changing events and timeless truths; it ranges from "Sunday Bloody Sunday", U2's best-known political commentary, to "The Sweetest Thing", a playful love song - to love.

But what makes the Limited Edition so incredibly valuable is the B-SIDES 1980-1990 CD. This is the side of any band rarely seen by the public. This is the side of U2 hidden away from the radio DJs and the overplayed hits - the works of love that make a band what it is. Songs like "Love Comes Tumbling" and "Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl" hint at the cynical, hard-hitting edge (no pun intended) of U2's future in ACHTUNG BABY or ZOOROPA, while "Walk to the Water" and "A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" reveal more of the incredible depth of U2's artistry.

If any CD package is a must, it is this one; THE BEST OF 1980-1990 [Limited Edition] is music, life, the world, and humanity rolled into one incredibly well-sculpted package that leaves U2's place in the annals of music history solidly marked for all time.