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All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
Retail Price (not our price): $13.98
Release Date: 2000-10-31
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 1

Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...

Disc 1

Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com's Best of 2000
The foursome come roaring out of the blocks with their latest collection. The album's first single, "Beautiful Day," raced to the No. 1 slot on the U.K. singles charts and received a similar rapturous reception stateside. From its shimmering preamble to its sweeping, infectious chorus, it perfectly stakes out the middle ground between the anthemic U2 of the '80s and the more grounded group of the '90s. With Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno sharing production chores again after having taken a break with Pop, the U2 team enters the new millennium with their lineup--and mission--intact. --Steven Stolder

2) Amazon.com essential recording
If U2 hadn't used the title already, "A Sort of Homecoming" might have suited this, their 10th studio album. All That You Can't Leave Behind sounds, at various points, like any or all of U2's previous albums, as if the band is sending postcards back from a protracted ramble through previously conquered territories. The euphoric opening track, "Beautiful Day," reintroduces Edge's signature delay-laden guitar, which has been pretty much absent since The Unforgettable Fire. Elsewhere, the gospel stylings of Rattle and Hum resurface on "Stuck in a Moment," and the deranged, Prodigy-influenced dance textures that characterized 1997's Pop crop up on "Elevation." None of which suggest that this commendably restless bunch is running out of ideas. Having spent the '90s making three of the most bizarre and adventurous albums ever delivered by a stadium-rock band (the consecutive masterpieces Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop), it's as if they're now trying to figure out what is the one particular thing they've always done best. Based on the evidence presented here, their forte remains a facility for making the epic statement alongside Bono's increasing lyrical intimacy: "Walk On" and "Peace on Earth" are two of the best things he's ever written or sung. All That You Can't Leave Behind confirms that U2's laurels are still making them itch. --Andrew Mueller


Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) Absolutely   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Top three LP that U2 ever made.Packing your bag and let's go to airport and look at the world.

2) Wow. God-awful. It's AMAZING they can sell and win so easily.   [Rating: 1 out of 5]
I thought "Beautiful Day" was a good track, 'cause it's got some energy, but when you listen, his vocal is buried, because his range is GONE. Then, I thought "When I Look At The World" was gonna be OK, but his voice cracks, and he misses some notes. Last, on "Grace" he's flat. (They were the only mildly-promising songs!) Like other reviewers said--too much booze and cigarettes. But WHY and HOW does it SELL and WIN like it does? Unfathomable. Pet Shop Boys foreshadowed it YEARS ago on "How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously," after parodying "Where The Streets Have No Name:" "DO YOU THINK THEY'LL PUT YOU IN THE ROCK-N-ROLL HALL OF FAME?"!!!

3) A wonderful return to form   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Total comeback! That's what happens when you go back to doing what you do best, which does not involve techno, thank you very much. The surging "Beautiful Day" pleasantly recalls those '80s anthems like "Where the Streets Have No Names", and is just as good as any of them; "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of" does the same for ballads such as "With or Without You". The rocker "Elevation" has a very Brian Eno sound, and even though there are a few bad lyrics, I really like the melodic structure and the sound effects. And those techno beats on "Walk On" are an exquisite touch. Much better than most the techno from the '90s! Sadly, "Kite" recreates those old hits without much of their quality; and "In a Little While" has no substance whatsoever. "Wild Honey" is kind of boring too, a failed attempt to grasp American roots music. Sounds a bit like Rattle and Hum? That's why I don't like it. The lovely but slightly naïve ballad "Peace on Earth" is a far better song than any of those, thankfully. Bono sings it nicely. The ringing "When I Look at the World" is even better, thanks to the awesome effects The Edge puts on his guitars. And while "New York" threatens to get boring, it ends up really rocking like the best of U2. And "Grace" makes for a tasteful closer. Total, total comeback. Their best since The Joshua Tree, in fact.

4) U2's Return To Form   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
After a full decade of wild experimentation and uneven output, the Irish alt-rock legends kicked off the hundreds decade with this stripped-down and straight-forward rock masterpiece. U2 finally left behind their postmodern cynicism (mostly) to create the most sincere, melodic, and genuinely uplifting set of songs in their entire catalogue. This album of anthems (Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment, Elevation, Walk On), elegies (Kite, Peace On Earth), dark wanderings (When I Look At The World, New York) and soulful love songs (In A Little While, Grace, Wild Honey) is their most satisyingly cohesive effort yet. While ACHTUNG, BABY and THE JOSHUA TREE will probably always be considered their ultimate acheivements, ATYCLB is U2 in absolute top form, and remains one of the most essential rock albums of this decade. Five big stars.

5) Probably should have left it behind   [Rating: 2 out of 5]
After they were trashed for their more alt-electronica advances on their 90s material, it seemed that a return to an earthier if still shimmering sound was in order. The result is a mishmash of success--some quite good, others barely even listenable. Kicks off with the infectious and anthemic pop rocker, "Beautiful Day," a solid hit, but then follows that up with the cringe-worthy earnestness of the Hutchence-dedicated, soulful dregs on "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," a regrettable hit. The rest follows a similar rollercoaster process and before the end, you'd have wished it were a really solid EP instead of a borderline-embarrassing LP. Even most of the better moments on this album (like "Kite") still reek of faded glory. Beyond "Beautiful Day," the only song that truly earns its worth is the striking pop song, "Wild Honey"; the other good tracks only become so in comparison with the dreck elsewhere on the disc. We knew that U2 was trying to become significant again, but a watered-down stew of their good and bad tendencies is not the route to travel. That a forgettable single like "Walk On" could win a Grammy for Record of the Year says a little about Bono's songwriting and a lot about the Grammys. Best cuts: "Wild Honey," "Beautiful Day," "Kite," "Elevation," "When I Look At the World," "Grace"


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