| The youthful faces that stare out from the cover of this latest collection of singles from Irish rockers U2 suggests that the focus of the album is, perhaps, their lauded yet under-represented early days. A quick glance through the tracklisting shows that not to be the case, however. There are examples of their rawer 80s sound - "Pride", "I Will Follow", "New Year's Day" - but where, older fans may well ask, are songs like "The Electric Co", "Gloria", "I Threw A Brick", "Fire" from Boy and October? Similarly, songs like "With Or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Where The Streets Have No Name" were on The Best Of 1980-1990, whilst "Beautiful Day", "One", "Mysterious Ways" and "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" were all on The Best Of 1990-2000. U218 does have the advantage of featuring more recent tracks, including their collaboration with Green Day, "The Saints Are Coming" and a new song, "Windows In The Skies". Whilst dedicated followers of the band may see this as a missed opportunity to offer fans some genuinely rare gems, it still remains a collection of mighty pop music masterpieces.--Danny McKenna |
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