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
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,
The Best of 1990-2000
. Anytime
flirted too closely with either
dance
or
electronica
has been replaced by mixes that attempt to give these tunes the sound of neo-classicist
a la
. So, all the
material (
"Gone,"
"Discotheque,"
"Staring at the Sun"
) is given new mixes, as is
"Numb."
There are great songs here -- not just
"Mysterious Ways"
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). ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine