By the end of the 1980s, U2 were probably the biggest band in the world - which meant that, in theory, there was nowhere to go but down. Amazingly, enough, however, they've managed to spend over another decade at the top of the tree, thanks to Bono and co's uncanny ability to re-invent themselves every time it looks as if the public might be getting sick of them at last. So here's the official history of those tumultuous ten years, from the futuristic thrills of Achtung Baby to the back-to-basics triumph of All That You Cant Leave Behind, taking in the middle ground of Zooropa and Pop along the way. All very predictable, you might think - but in fact the tracklisting contains several strange choices that may well disappoint casual buyers who just want all the hits. For example, key singles 'Please' and 'Elevation' are conspicuous by their absence, edged out to make room for such lesser-known efforts as 'The End Of The World' and 'The First Time'. There's also, predictably enough, two new songs ('Electrical Storm' and 'The Hands That Built America') which are fine in themselves but don't really deserve to be in such elevated company. Add in some dodgy sequencing, and you've got a compilation that feels alarmingly close to a botched job - which is not to say, of course, that it won't shift enough copies this Christmas to keep Mr Hewson's smirk intact for a while yet.

Your Comments

No comments have been posted for this article yet. Be the first!