Customer Reviews

The Best of 1980-1990 / The B-Sides

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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

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.

This album is really two in one and is far better than the more recent best of 1990-2000. So, I want to take a short time to talk about the first disc (which I previously, more thoroughly reviewed for the 1 disc set).

Disc one is the greatest hits, and as a devout U2 fan I can't complain about the selection of songs provided. There are some songs left out, and this CD is more of a collection of singles rather than best of. However, covering U2's best in that 10 year span would require a 2 Disc set alone. People unfamiliar with U2's albums will recognize their popular hits from the Joshua Tree, "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found", their early years, "I Will Follow", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "New Years Day", and even greats like "Desire", "Bad" and "Pride". My biggest disappointment with the selection provided is the editing job done on "Where the Streets Have No Name". This is more because this is my favorite song of all time, but the intro is cut short because this is the single version. Believe it or not, the song is not quite the same as the album version.

Based on the collection provided, if you are a person who is only a fan of some of these songs, i.e. perhaps from a certain period, like the Joshua Tree Album or War, you would be better off buying those albums and enjoying them as they were meant. Especially, the Joshua Tree, which is U2's greatest album and seems like a collection of hits as it is.

Now, disc 2. This is a gift and magnet to U2 fans. I wouldn't even own the album based on the first disc alone. I already own all the U2 albums, so there is nothing really to gain. But disc 2 are U2's B-Sides from the singles of the 1980's, and there are some beauties there. Arguably, some are even better than the album cuts. Of specific greatness are the songs "Walk to the Water", "Silver and Gold", "Spanish Eyes", and the original "Sweetest Things". I also find the covers of "Dancing Barefoot" and "Unchained Melody" spectacular. I really wish U2 would go back to doing real B-Sides and not just remixes or demo quality songs.

For the casual listener, the single disk best of 1980-1990 will suffice to pop in the car for road trips and in the multi-disk changer of eighties hits.
After reading several reviews, I have to agree that this is a good but flawed collection. The glaring omission of "Gloria" from October and inclusion of 4 tracks from "Rattle and Hum" are the biggest issues. They could have included an additional track from Boy and October, perhaps "A Day Without Me" or "40?" Or, the live version of "40" or "11 O'clock Tick Tock" from "Under a Blood Red Sky." How about "Two Hearts Beat as One" from "War?"
Still, most of the big hits are here: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day, Pride (In the Name of Love), Bad, With Or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, (no Bullet the Blue Sky!), and Desire. I would have left off "When Love Comes to Town." "Sweetest Thing" is an unreleased single that appears on both the Best of disk and the B-sides disk. Redundant. I also agree with other reviewers that the song order lacks flow, and then the Rattle and Hum songs are all sequential. I would have liked chronological order better.

The B-sides disk pulls in two studio songs from the EP "Wide Awake in America." I like "The Three Sunrises" and "Spanish Eyes" but most of the rest are unremarkable except "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl."
As a starter set, it's not bad, but you can't go wrong by purchasing Boy, October, War, Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree. Joshua Tree is an absolute essential.

This is just a collection of U2's greatest hits from the 80's. It's great. I could listen to the whole thing through two times through without stopping it. It also includes a single mix of the 1986 b-side, "The Sweetest Thing", which became very popular and had a video made for it. There's also a secret track after "All I Want Is You". It's "October", the title track from U2's 1981 album, "October". In my opinion, there were some songs that should've been on here, "Gloria" and ""40"", their concert closer all throughout the eighties. While this album is great, it' greater if you get the limited edition double set, the second disc being an album of 14 U2 80's b-sides, including the two b-sides from "Wide Awake In America" and the original "The Sweetest Thing". Also the b-sides disc has 3 cover songs on it, "Dancing Barefoot", "Everlasting Love", and "Unchained Melody". This is a must have for casual and die hard U2 fans, but if you're a die hard U2 fan, you should probably buy the limited edition double set.

I am by no means a big U2 fan. This is the only U2 album I own, so I don't know what is or isn't included on this compilation, but the music is great. It begins strong with "Pride" and ends with what I consider one of the greatest masterpieces of music history, "All I Want is You" If you let the CD run for a minute after the last song ends, you will hear "October" a short-but strangely powerful song. I don't know anything about the band, but I do know good music, and this is some of the best music I've ever heard.

I'm a huge fan of U2 and feel the Double disc limited set is a must for a bigginer and those like me that have all their cd's.

U2's 'The Best of 1980-1990' may be straightforward, but that simply shows how important and successful they have been for harnessing passion. This compilation works because their singles are often their best material. The '[Limited Edition]' is worth the extra purchase because it has some essential material. (There are some weaker songs as well, but the B-sides will prevent the collection from becoming repetitious.) "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "New Year's Day," "I Will Follow," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "Desire" have all rewritten the history of pop/rock music. They resonate well even today. The other allegedly lesser songs are merely great. Singles were their strongest suit, but their albums are solid and consistent as well. (Although the nineties found some uneven albums, but that should be saved for another day.) Passion is rock's hallmark, and Bono's primal singing, The Edge's inventive guitar, Adam Clayton's throbbing baselines, and Larry Mullen's athletic and idiosyncratic drumming all have come together for some of the best big rock band songs since The Beatles.

'The B-sides' are mixed, but still essential. "Three Sunrises" and "Love Comes Tumbling," both from 'Wide Awake in America' are marvelous. Then there are remakes. Their own "Silver and Gold" is a good alternate companion from the live version on 'Rattle and Hum,' but "Sweetest Thing" doesn't do that much different from the first C.D. Then, their covers are mixed. Their rendition of "Everlasting Love" (originally done soulfully by Robert Knight) is magnificent. Complete with a spirited acoustic accompaniment by the Edge, this reviewer believes it to be one of their ten best songs ever. "Unchained Melody" has decent accompaniment, but one of Bono's poorest performances. Demonstrating anguish, his voice seems to falter. There is also the spirited "Spanish Eyes," which has a good forward thrust. Similarly, the upbeat "Hallelujah Here She Comes" seems like a gospel version of a Velvet Underground song. It is spunky. The rest is novelty or below U2's par performance. "Bass Trap" is a mesmerizing and tranquil instrumental, but the rest is interesting at best and languid at worst.

I already reviewed the one CD version of this hits collection.

However the one CD version is pretty much a cash in on the U2 fanbase with no new tracks on that album except a reworking of The Sweetest Thing which originally was a B-Side from the Joshua Tree era.

This 2 CD version has the same songs on Disc One with their biggest hits. I can't stand the fact that the record companies butcher the song lengths on hits CDs as is evidenced on New Years Day, Where The Streets Have No Name and Bad. I always prefer the full length parent versions.

The big treat to this collection is the bonus B-Sides CD. It contains 15 long lost gems from U2s 80s era with The Three Sunrises, Spanish Eyes(Amazing song), Love Comes Tumbling(My favorite B-Side) and the atmospheric Bass Trap. The one unique track on here is the last B-Side track Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl(Hilarious song title). It is mostly acoustic yet funky with relatively little of the signature guitar riffs that dominated much of U2s later recordings. The 1987 version of the Sweetest Thing is almost identical to the 1998 single mix on disc one except for the middle part of the 1998 version having a more orchestra and the 1987 version having a more electronic guitar sway. I enjoy both versions. In fact I often find myself listening to the B-Sides CD more than the hits CD probably because it shows a broader perspective of U2 phenomenal career.

If you want to get U2 best of 1980-1990 collection, I recommend this 2 CD version with the B-Sides over the one CD version with just the hits. You might end up paying more money but the songs in disc two are worth checking out. I hope the Best of 1991-2002 will have a B-Sides CD too. I,m glad they decided to rerelease this edition. This is what greatest hits should be like.

I only wished Madonnas dissapointing GHV2 would have had a 2 CD B-Sides edition too.