Disco de U2: “The Best Of 1980-1990 (Limited)”

U2's first real "Best Of" CD (at least officially), the Limited Edition package can rightly claim to be one of the most important U2 albums ever. THE BEST OF 1980-1990 is a trip back through the politicking, hope, rage, despair, joy, and wonder inherent to any decade so full of world-changing events and timeless truths; it ranges from "Sunday Bloody Sunday", U2's best-known political commentary, to "The Sweetest Thing", a playful love song - to love.

But what makes the Limited Edition so incredibly valuable is the B-SIDES 1980-1990 CD. This is the side of any band rarely seen by the public. This is the side of U2 hidden away from the radio DJs and the overplayed hits - the works of love that make a band what it is. Songs like "Love Comes Tumbling" and "Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl" hint at the cynical, hard-hitting edge (no pun intended) of U2's future in ACHTUNG BABY or ZOOROPA, while "Walk to the Water" and "A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" reveal more of the incredible depth of U2's artistry.

If any CD package is a must, it is this one; THE BEST OF 1980-1990 [Limited Edition] is music, life, the world, and humanity rolled into one incredibly well-sculpted package that leaves U2's place in the annals of music history solidly marked for all time.

This album is really two in one and is far better than the more recent best of 1990-2000. So, I want to take a short time to talk about the first disc (which I previously, more thoroughly reviewed for the 1 disc set).

Disc one is the greatest hits, and as a devout U2 fan I can't complain about the selection of songs provided. There are some songs left out, and this CD is more of a collection of singles rather than best of. However, covering U2's best in that 10 year span would require a 2 Disc set alone. People unfamiliar with U2's albums will recognize their popular hits from the Joshua Tree, "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found", their early years, "I Will Follow", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "New Years Day", and even greats like "Desire", "Bad" and "Pride". My biggest disappointment with the selection provided is the editing job done on "Where the Streets Have No Name". This is more because this is my favorite song of all time, but the intro is cut short because this is the single version. Believe it or not, the song is not quite the same as the album version.

Based on the collection provided, if you are a person who is only a fan of some of these songs, i.e. perhaps from a certain period, like the Joshua Tree Album or War, you would be better off buying those albums and enjoying them as they were meant. Especially, the Joshua Tree, which is U2's greatest album and seems like a collection of hits as it is.

Now, disc 2. This is a gift and magnet to U2 fans. I wouldn't even own the album based on the first disc alone. I already own all the U2 albums, so there is nothing really to gain. But disc 2 are U2's B-Sides from the singles of the 1980's, and there are some beauties there. Arguably, some are even better than the album cuts. Of specific greatness are the songs "Walk to the Water", "Silver and Gold", "Spanish Eyes", and the original "Sweetest Things". I also find the covers of "Dancing Barefoot" and "Unchained Melody" spectacular. I really wish U2 would go back to doing real B-Sides and not just remixes or demo quality songs.

This is just a collection of U2's greatest hits from the 80's. It's great. I could listen to the whole thing through two times through without stopping it. It also includes a single mix of the 1986 b-side, "The Sweetest Thing", which became very popular and had a video made for it. There's also a secret track after "All I Want Is You". It's "October", the title track from U2's 1981 album, "October". In my opinion, there were some songs that should've been on here, "Gloria" and ""40"", their concert closer all throughout the eighties. While this album is great, it' greater if you get the limited edition double set, the second disc being an album of 14 U2 80's b-sides, including the two b-sides from "Wide Awake In America" and the original "The Sweetest Thing". Also the b-sides disc has 3 cover songs on it, "Dancing Barefoot", "Everlasting Love", and "Unchained Melody". This is a must have for casual and die hard U2 fans, but if you're a die hard U2 fan, you should probably buy the limited edition double set.

I'm a huge fan of U2 and feel the Double disc limited set is a must for a bigginer and those like me that have all their cd's.

I already reviewed the one CD version of this hits collection.

However the one CD version is pretty much a cash in on the U2 fanbase with no new tracks on that album except a reworking of The Sweetest Thing which originally was a B-Side from the Joshua Tree era.

This 2 CD version has the same songs on Disc One with their biggest hits. I can't stand the fact that the record companies butcher the song lengths on hits CDs as is evidenced on New Years Day, Where The Streets Have No Name and Bad. I always prefer the full length parent versions.

The big treat to this collection is the bonus B-Sides CD. It contains 15 long lost gems from U2s 80s era with The Three Sunrises, Spanish Eyes(Amazing song), Love Comes Tumbling(My favorite B-Side) and the atmospheric Bass Trap. The one unique track on here is the last B-Side track Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl(Hilarious song title). It is mostly acoustic yet funky with relatively little of the signature guitar riffs that dominated much of U2s later recordings. The 1987 version of the Sweetest Thing is almost identical to the 1998 single mix on disc one except for the middle part of the 1998 version having a more orchestra and the 1987 version having a more electronic guitar sway. I enjoy both versions. In fact I often find myself listening to the B-Sides CD more than the hits CD probably because it shows a broader perspective of U2 phenomenal career.

If you want to get U2 best of 1980-1990 collection, I recommend this 2 CD version with the B-Sides over the one CD version with just the hits. You might end up paying more money but the songs in disc two are worth checking out. I hope the Best of 1991-2002 will have a B-Sides CD too. I,m glad they decided to rerelease this edition. This is what greatest hits should be like.

I only wished Madonnas dissapointing GHV2 would have had a 2 CD B-Sides edition too.