U2 Album: “Walk On, Pt. 1 [Import CD]”

Keep in mind that if you already own the "Stuck in a Moment" singles, you won't be getting anything new off of this single as it features the same B-sides... but it's still a great CD to have, especially if you're a U2 collector.

1. Walk On - A very uplifting song. It starts off with Bono talking over Edge's piano and Larry's drumming. Then in come Edge's signature chiming guitar notes. This is indeed the "pure U2 sound" - whatever that means. ;) The song is pretty much the same as the version on "All That You Can't Leave Behind", except it's about 20 seconds shorter.

2. Beautiful Day (Live from Farmclub.com): I'd imagine this was U2's first attempt at performing Beautiful Day live infront of an eager audience... and they passed with flying colours! Edge starts off the song giving you a taste of his signature chiming guitar notes. Bono sings the lyrics with ease and confidence... almost like he's completely aware that the song will be recorded for future listening. The live version isn't much different than the original recording, other than a few ad lib vocals at the end. All in all, this is a great version of Beautiful Day and it gives me that nice, warm, fuzzy feeling. ;)

3. New York (Live from Farmclub.com) - This is the highlight of the single. The intro beats are speckled with Edge's distinct chiming guitar, and Bono sings the lyrics like he's reading poetry. The song sounds very repetitive for the first 2 minutes, but then it cuts into some energetic guitar and vocals. I swear, Bono is singing like he did back in 1982 with his random "a-hoooo"'s. Even if you listen carefully to Edge's guitar, you'll notice how similar it sounds to his guitar on Under A Blood Red Sky. At certain points (especially during Edge's solo), I got chills down my spine. It totally brought U2 back to their early era style-wise. I never thought I'd hear this style of rawness again from U2. It's a pleasant surprise!

"Walk On" is one of the highlights of 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', and this is merely a shortened version of that song. That said, there is no excuse for cutting off a song that was only 4:55 to begin with. So if you REALLY like the song, get 'All That You Can't Leave Behind'.

The b-sides are live performances from the relatively small FarmClub venue (you can hear individual whistles and claps). "Beautiful Day" is nicely done and even more anthemic with its extended ending (e.g., Bono singing "Go with soul!"). "New York" has a more dramatic guitar sound at the end than on the studio version, and Bono sings the refrain a bit more straightforward. (A MOMENT OF BITCHING: They really should have put a live version of "Elevation" on here, which is quite different from the studio version - especially their Saturday Night Live performance in December 2000.)

"Walk On" is my favorite song off "All That You Can't Leave Behind," and I think it shows that despite having been a band for over 20 years, U2 is still capable of writing great songs. I think the song is neat in how it goes thru three different musical phases in the same song, and lyrically it's pretty good. Also included in the single is "Big Girls Are Best," a simple, but catchy song. Overall, it's a great single.

This CD single doesn't contain songs you can't get anywhere else, but it does contain 'versions' of songs you can't get anywhere else. The tracks are: Walk On, Beautiful Day, and New York. The last two tracks are from U2's live performace for Farmclub.com and are worth the price of this CD single. Bono's vocals are passionate and electrifying on Beautiful Day, while New York is much more enjoyable here than on the album.