The Best of 1990-2000

by U2

Overview

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 Worst of all, anytime U2 flirted too closely with either dance or electronica has been replaced by mixes that attempt to give these tunes the sound of neo-classicist U2 a la All That You Can't Leave Behind.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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/12/2002
Label:	Interscope / Island
UPC:	0044006336121

Tracks

1. Even Better Than the Real Thing
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Beautiful Day
4. Electrical Storm
5. One
6. Miss Sarajevo
7. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
8. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
9. Gone
10. Until the End of the World
11. The Hands That Built America
12. Discoth¿¿que
13. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
14. Staring at the Sun
15. Numb
16. The First Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

U2   Primary Artist
Passengers   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Luciano Pavarotti   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Craig Armstrong   Guest Artist
William Orbit   Guest Artist,Keyboards
Rosie Nic Athlaioch   Strings
Daragh O'Toole   Conductor
Larry Mullen, Jr.   Drums,Percussion
Paul Barrett   Brass
Steve Osborne   Keyboards
Brian Eno   Piano,Harmonium,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Sound Effects
Bono   Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Howie B   Loops,Turntables
Marius de Vries   Keyboards
Adam Clayton   Guitar (Bass)
Daniel Lanois   Guitar,Percussion,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Pat Sullivan   Digital Editing
Iain Roberton   Programming,Mixing Engineer
Sheila Roche   Production Supervisor
Dallas Schoo   Guitar Technician
Aislinn Meehan   Production Assistant
Arnie Acosta   Digital Remastering
Candida Bottaci   Production Assistant
Willie Mannion   Assistant
Shannon Strong   Assistant
Edge   Composer
Sean Leonard   Assistant
Sally-Anne McKeown   Production Assistant
Rab McAllister   Studio Technician
Simon Pike   Composer
Craig Armstrong   String Arrangements
Christy Moore   Composer
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing
Larry Mullen, Jr.   Composer
Joe Chiccarelli   Mixing
Carl Glanville   Engineer
Ben Hillier   Programming
The Edge   Composer
Jake Davies   Programming,Mixing Engineer
Rico Conning   Programming
U2   Composer,Producer
Paul Barrett   Engineer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Steve Osborne   Producer
Steve Lillywhite   Mixing,Producer
John Lennon   Composer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Engineer
Chris Heaney   Assistant
Robbie Adams   Mixing,Engineer
Ruadhri Cushnan   Engineer
Richard Rainey   Engineer
Mike Hedges   Mixing,Producer
Femio Hernandez   Assistant
Matthieu Clouard   Engineer
Danton Supple   Engineer
William Orbit   Mixing,Producer
Anton Corbijn   Photography
Brian Eno   Composer,Producer,Programming
Ger McDonnell   Engineer
Stephen Harris   Engineer
Paul Walton   Assistant
Bono   Composer,Producer
Howie B   Engineer
Marius de Vries   Programming
Rob Kirwan   Assistant
Nellee Hooper   Producer
Jay Goin   Assistant
Adam Clayton   Composer
Tim Palmer   Mixing,Engineer
Daniel Lanois   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Cheryl Engels   Post Production
Sam O'Sullivan   Drum Technician