U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind

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• U2 ALL THAT YOU CAN T LEAVE BEHIND

Music reviews of All That You Can't Leave Behind

Music Review: Leave behind anything you want... except this!!!
Rating: 5 Stars

Presumed dead and burried after the semi-flops "Pop" and "Zooropa", which departed from their style and ventured into more experimental and adventurous areas of music, like ambient, electronic or techno, U2 have actually taken the time to look back and learn from their past mistakes. They asked themselves what made them such a great band and realized that it was the four of them playing, and not the gadgets around. For what made their ZooTV show so spectacular wasn't the special effects, but the intensity of the music. So this time around Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry went searching for that instead of new samples.

And the good news is, they found it!

Every song from "All That You Can't Leave Behind" is so strong, so powerful that every once in a while you will feel like it's jumped out of the CD-Player and hit you straight in the gut. And their strength resides in each member's contributions, which add up to much more than the sum of their parts. Edge's playing is complex and, thank God! loud again; Bono's voice takes you through each song as if was about you; Adam's basslines are strong, yet not intrussive, while Larry's drumming is definitely the heartbeat of the record - precise, simple, but never failing to surprise. Finally, the lyrics are so personal and filled with emotion and sincerity that are imposible to dislike.

The record starts with "Beautiful Day", and it couldn't have been otherwise. It's the perfect beginning to a flawless record and its main quality is that is a typical U2 song as much as it's not. Bono actually remembers how he almost rejected it when The Edge played the riff for the first time, for being "too U2". And yet it's new and incredibly fresh. The lyrics speak of moving on and getting over with a high dose of optimism, and the images it paints ("see the canyons broken by cloud/see the tuna fleets clearing the sea out") are simply unforgettable.

The follow-up "Elevation" is another gem, a two-chord in-your-face rock'n'roll song that gets you jumping in no time, and graced by an extremely catchy melody. It's funky and funny and makes the nonsense lyrics ("A mole digging in a hole/digging up my soul/now going down excavation") actually make sense.

"Walk On" is probably the best song on the record and possibly one of the best U2 song since "With Or Without You". It takes off with Bono reciting (or chanting?) "Love is not an easy thing, the only baggage that you can bring is all that you can't leave behind", explodes when Edges trademark guitar fills enter and it never lets down from there. It's one of the songs which took them the most time to finish, and it's definitely worth the effort. As The Edge puts it, "We *could* make a record in two weeks - it just wouldn't be a *great* record". It features a great guitar solo and ends with the four of them singing "All that you fashion, all that you make (...) all this you can't leave behind".

Then you're thrown staight into "Stuck In A Moment (And You Can't Get Out Of It)", which sounds like a gospel hymn covered by U2. The main attractions here are Larry's druming and Bono's voice crying out for the hope of a better future ("And if your way should falter along the stony pass/It's just a moment, this time will pass").

The mood changes by 180 degrees with "Peace On Earth", a mourning song dedicated to all those dead because of intolerance and hatred. It is reminiscent of older Bono lyrics ("Sunday Bloody Sunday" would be the perfect example) and it dwells a bit too much on the pathetic side, but the great melody and the straightforwardness of the lyrics make up for it.

"Kite" is a song filled with sadness, regret and bitterness, refering to broken relationships and loneliness. The arrangement is amazing, with Edge's guitar dominating everything and some samples thrown in the mix, if not for anything else, at least to show that U2 are not yet tired of playing around with technology. It ends with Bono asking himself "Did I waste it?", but he probably already knows the answer to that...

And if "Miami" wasn't enough, here comes "New York", probably the strangest and most personal song on the record. It talks about getting through a mid-life crisis, separation from the loved ones and totally losing control, while it's also an ode to the Big Apple and its restless lifestyle. The song is simple and direct, and Bono's vocal performance is amazing, like it's flying on top of everything else.

"In A Little While" follows, taking you from the East Coast straight into the South, listening to a blues band... well ok, U2 playing their variety of the blues. It's a less pretentious song, which sounds like they were only playing around with it. However, Edge's main riff is catchy, and towards the end Bono's and the strings create a great sound.

Although it sounds like it came off a Rolling Stones album, circa 1975, "Wild Honey" is U2 down to the very heart of it - just listen to The Edge's superb fill over the chorus. And it's such a great tune that you'll find yourself humming it for Weeks. The best moment here is when Bono's and Edge's voices come together - it's probably what Lennon and McCartney would have sounded like today.

Like on "Kite", Edge's playing on "When I Look At The World" is tender and squalling at the same time, creating a dense atmosphere and blending perfectly with Bono's singing. It's a song of wonderment, about seeing the world (and oneself) through somebody else's eyes.

And finally, "Grace" closes the album with a plea for tolerance and understanding in the world. It's a simple tune, actually a 12-bar blues, but brilliantly arranged.

And this is it. It's record that's both old and new, simple and complex. It's a record from which every track could be a single competing to top the charts. It's immediatly noticeable that Bono's singing and Edge's guitar are the "stars" of the record, but they are perfectly "managed" from behind the scenes by Larry and Adam. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the record's producers, tend to keep a low profile, but their work surfaces every now and then in the beautiful arrangements. And this music is too powerful to be descibed in words - you have to hear it.

U2 show to the world that they just won't age gracefully - instead they will get better as time goes by. If anyone doubted that they could surpass such masterpieces of pop music like "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby", they have been proved wrong this time. So, whatever you decide to leave behind you, don't let it be this record - it's too good.

Description of All That You Can't Leave Behind

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Classic Rock
• Pop
• Rock