U2 Album: “Stay (Faraway, So Close) [UK Swing]”

I think this is probably the best EP U2 has put out to date. Unlike current EPs or CD singles, this CD has six songs, not two, therefore worth the money.

1) Stay a timeless U2 song; it is one of my favorites in the catalog of the band.

2) I've Got You Under My Skin, great duet Bono has with Blue Eyes.

3) Slow Dancing, this is a melancholy tempo song that the band hasn't really replicated as of recent, but wonderful.

4) Bullet the Blue Sky, is great live, amazing version.

5) Love is Blindness, again another one of my favorite tunes by U2. This live version is astonishing. It has such a powerful Edge, pun intended.

6) Lemon (Bad Yard Club), this remix isn't too bad. However if I had to pick, it is the weakest track on the CD. I am not saying that it is bad, but every other song isn't another artist's vision. Overall, the remix is fun and can get your feet moving a bit.

This EP is probably a rare one now, but I believe it is well worth searching for. If you are still able to get this CD, it wouldn't be a bad idea, U2 fan or not.

At first glance, the idea of bringing Bono & Frank Sinatra together for a duet seems like it can't miss. The end product, however, falls short of its potential. Don't get me wrong, I liked the duet just fine, but buy this EP for Slow Dancing and the live tracks.

I first heard about this collaboration when I read a U2 biography. The description of the two mega stars/egos collaborating and performing together was hillarious. (For instance, Bono describes briefly passing out in Frank's living room while drinking hard with Frank and his buddies. He awakens to find his pants wet and thinks he has peed his pants. After several tense moments described in excruciating detail, he is relieved when he discovers that he has spilled his drink in his lap). The book flamed my curiosity so I went out and bought the EP. When I heard the duet, I liked it, but when I heard Slow Dancing, I knew the investment was worth every penny. Simply stated, a great song performed by a great singer.

THE 2 LIVE TRACKS are Bullet The Blue Sky & Love Is Blindness. Which one is better? Love Is Blindness. Why? Because, when Bono sings like he is breathing his last breath, the crowd responds with equal passion. Bono sings this intense love song like he may never love again. To reiterate the constant theme of this EP: a great song sung by a great singer. Frankie would be proud. Don't get me wrong, this live version of Bullet The Blue Sky kicks butt (see my review of Zooropa 1993 At The RDS Stadium, Dublin). I just happen to think that Love is Blindness is one of U2's best.

Lemon Bad Yard Club Edit is also pretty cool. There is more synth in this version than on the original release and it stays intense throughout.

Overall *****music, *****single. BUY THIS CD. Even if it is $26.99, buy it.

Other great EPs by U2 to consider:

Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

If God Will Send His Angels

Please (Part 1) (stay AWAY from Part 2!!!)

Sunday Bloody Sunday.

This is an excellent single I picked up when it came out. However, my copy has the same cover, but different tracks. Mine only has one mix of "Lemon", but also includes a track called "Slow Dancing", a live "Love Is Blindness", and an awesome live "Bullet The Blue Sky". I've never seen another one, so I guess I should feel lucky. These four songs shown here are sweet though. The duet with Frank is classic, and the "Lemon" mixes are a big plus.

I could not in good faith suggest to anyone that they should purchase this CD. The title song is of course found on Zooropa, but one buys singles for the B-sides, not the title track. Unfortunately, the selection of B-sides on this particular single are either awful or irrelevant. The release of the cover of "I've got you under my skin" should be remembered as one of the great mistakes of recording industry history (and that's saying a lot for an industry that is almost known for its mistakes). The pairing of Bono and Sinatra simply does not work. A Bono cover? Fine. A late career Frank Sinatra cover? Fine. In fact, his voice is surprisingly strong. But pairing the two is painfully jarring. The vocal interaction brings a tick to the eye (imagine Commissioner Dryfuss and Inspector Clouseau). The juxtaposition of Bono's horse, nightclub delivery with Sinatra's Las Vegas bombast seems to suggest that one of them (or perhaps both) was mocking the other. Or, as I suspect, this was simply some producer thinking that Bono is good, Sinatra is good, won't they be even better together? Try pairing ice cream with calimari to see how this logic holds up. As for the rest of the tracks on the single, the live versions of previously released U2 songs are not so revelatory that they justify the purchase of this single, "Slow Dancing" is a b-side for a reason (i.e., its inferior to the other Zooropa album tracks) and the remix of Lemon does not stand up to the original. All in all, this is a single for collectors only.