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U2: 18 Singles

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Island Records
Released: 2006.11.21
Time:
 74:35
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.u2.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2007.12.10
Price in €: 13,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Beautiful Day (U2) - 4:05
[2] I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2) - 4:37
[3] Pride (In the Name of Love) (U2) - 3:49
[4] With or Without You (U2) - 4:56
[5] Vertigo (U2) - 3:10
[6] New Year's Day (U2) - 4:18
[7] Mysterious Ways (U2) - 4:02
[8] Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (U2) - 4:32
[9] Where the Streets Have No Name (U2) - 4:47
[10] Sweetest Thing (U2) - 3:01
[11] Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2) - 4:40
[12] One (U2) - 4:36
[13] Desire (U2) - 3:00
[14] Walk On (U2) - 4:29
[15] Elevation (U2) - 3:49
[16] Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own (U2) - 5:06
[17] The Saints Are Coming (Adamson, Jobson) - 3:22
[18] Window in the Skies (U2) - 4:07

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Bono - Vocals
The Edge - Guitar, Mixing
Adam Clayton - Bass Guitar
Larry Mullen, Jr. - Percussion, Drums

Terry Lawless - Wurlitzer

Brian Eno - Producer, Engineer
Nellee Hooper - Producer, Mixing
Jimmy Iovine - Producer
Daniel Lanois - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Steve Lillywhite - Producer, Mixing
Craig Thomas - Producer
Rick Rubin - Producer
Carl Glanville - Engineer, Mixing
Stephen Harris - Engineer, Mixing
Tim Palmer - Engineer, Mixing
Richard Rainey - Engineer
Robbie Adams - Engineer
Paul Barrett - Engineer
Greg Fidelman - Engineer
Kevin Killen - Engineer
Patrick McCarthy - Engineer
Dave Meegan - Engineer
Joe O'Herlihy - Engineer
Paul Thomas - Engineer
Flood - Engineer, Mixing
Simon Gogerly - Mixing
Greg Collins - Mixing
Rob Jacobs - Mixing
Simon Osborne - Mixing
Andrew Scheps - Mixing
Shelly Yakus - Mixing
Chris Lord-Alge - Mixing
Arnie Acosta - Mastering
Scott Sedillo - Digital Editing, Mastering Assistant
Chris Heaney - Assistant Engineer
Steve Matthews - Production Coordination
Steve Averill - Consultant
Candida Bottaci - Production Coordination
Anton Corbijn - Photography
David Corio - Cover Photo
Cheryl Engels - Audio Post-Production
Colm Henry - Photography
Dawn Kenny - String Arrangements
Matt Mahurin - Photography
Thomas May "Beno" - Technical Support
Rab McAllister - Studio Technician
Shaughn McGrath - Design
Paul McGuinness - Management
Andrew McPherson - Photography
Sam O'Sullivan - Studio Manager, Drum Technician
Sheila Rock - Photography
Dallas Schoo - Guitar Technician
Paul Slattery - Photography
Pennie Smith - Photography
 

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s

2006 CD Interscope 0008027

U2 18 Singles is the first single-disc collection - including 16 of their best-known songs. Also included are two brand-new tracks recorded with producer Rick Rubin at Abbey Road Studios in London: "The Saints Are Coming" (with Green Day) and "Window in the Skies."

Following the release of two decade-specific 'Best Of' compilations, U2 present a career-spanning singles collection. This anthology gives a superb overview of arguably the most popular Irish rock band of the last twenty years and includesearly tracks as well as the expected stadium rock classics,such as 'Vertigo' and 'Elevation'. The collection also features two previously unreleased tracks produced by Rick Rubin, including the single 'The Saints Are Coming' with Green Day.



Whittling down the back catalog of one of the most popular and respected bands of the last quarter-century to a single-disc collection is bound to inspire argument and dissent from the fans and faithful over what is included - and all that gets left behind - and U2's 26-year career is as celebrated and beloved as any band of their generation. U218 Singles doesn't try to please everyone, wisely sticking to the acknowledged high points (and there are many) between 1983's War and 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Nitpickers may quibble that the collection leans too heavily on the band's most popular albums and skips the (admirable if less anthemic) techno-pop tangents of Zooropa and Pop and the earnest energy of the Boy/October years, but the musical majesty accumulated here testifies to the undeniable power and emotion U2 can muster in a four-minute pop song. Two new Rick Rubin-produced tracks don't break new ground for the band, but both would fit snugly somewhere in the U2 canon - "Window in the Skies" is pure late-period arena rock with a typically towering falsetto chorus, while Green Day helps inject some October-era urgency into "The Saints Are Coming". The sum of these 18 tracks is a first-rate primer, perfect for that 10-year-old niece or nephew who thinks U2's big break was that iPod commercial.

Ben Heege - Amazon.com



If you thought that U2's last two greatest-hits discs had just a few too many minor songs on them, U218 Singles is the collection for you. Made in a land where Boy, October, Pop and Zooropa don't exist, this CD is U2's catalog stripped down to the stadium-shaking warhorses. With no attempt made to put them in chronological or any logical order ("Sunday Bloody Sunday" follows "Sweetest Thing"), the only reason anyone but the most casual U2 fan needs to check this out is the inclusion of two new tracks produced by Rick Rubin. The first, a cover of "The Saints Are Coming," by 1970s Scottish punk band the Skids, is an above-average "Walk On"-style anthem that -- despite the presence of Green Day -- has been thoroughly de-punked. The second, "Window in the Skies," sounds like a "City of Blinding Lights" remake with Bono's trademark vocal acrobatics. The astonishing success of The Beatles 1 proved there's a huge market for single-disc hits collections from monster bands, so Singles should almost certainly do well, even if it does feel a bit perfunctory.

ANDY GREENE (RS 1015 - December 14, 2006)
Rolling Stone



Die jugendlichen Gesichter, die auf dem Cover dieser neusten U2-Compilation so ernst dreinblicken, lassen zunächst vermuten, dass der Schwerpunkt des Albums auf dem Material aus den Anfangsjahren der irischen Band liegt. Ein kurzer Blick auf die Trackliste zeigt allerdings, dass dieser erste Eindruck trügt. Zwar finden sich mit „Pride“, „I Will Follow“ und „New Year’s Day“ Beispiele für den raueren Sound, den die Band in den Achtzigern pflegte, aber wo, mag sich der langjährige Fan fragen, sind Songs wie „The Electric Co.“, „Gloria“, „I Threw a Brick“ oder „Fire“ von den Alben Boy und October geblieben? Außerdem waren „With or Without You“, „I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For“ und „Where the Streets Have No Name“ schon auf The Best of 1980--1990 enthalten, „Beautiful Day“, „One“, „Mysterious Ways“ und „Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of“ auf The Best of 1990--2000. U218 hat den Vorteil, mehr neuere Tracks zu bieten, etwa die Kollaboration mit Green Day, „The Saints Are Coming“, und das bisher unveröffentlichte „Windows in the Skies“. Eingefleischte Fans werden vielleicht bedauern, dass hier eine Gelegenheit verpasst wurde, einmal echte Raritäten zu präsentieren, aber das Album bleibt dennoch eine eindrucksvolle Sammlung von Meisterwerken der Rockmusik.

Danny McKenna - Amazon.de



Das Größte, was man heutzutage sein kann, ist U2. Eine Art Pop-Weltmeister aller Klassen, weshalb es immer wieder den einen oder anderen Herausforderer gibt, der gerne am Sockel der Iren wackelt. Doch Bono und Co. sind ihre eigene Gewichtsklasse, alle anderen können höchstens klingen "wie". Es gibt die "deutschen U2", "Amerikas Antwort auf-", bestenfalls "die neuen U2". Vielleicht sind U2 eine aussterbende Art. Eine Band, die sich über mehr als zwanzig Jahre entwickeln konnte, sich ständig neu erfand (und erfindet), dabei aber ihre Trademarks und Standards setze: Eine The Edge-Gitarre erkennt man immer noch im Bruchteil einer Sekunde unter einer Millionen Kopisten. "U218 Singles" vereint nun 18 Meilensteine der Bandgeschichte, 16 Klassiker und die brandneuen Tracks "The Saints Are Coming" (mit Green Day) und "Windows In The Skies". Dies ist ein grandioses Album voller Schnappschüsse und Momentaufnahmen, voller wesentlicher U2-Songs, an denen die Band gemessen wird und von denen wohl auch bekennende Agnostiker den ein oder anderen herunterbeten können. Es ist viel Zeit vergangen, seit "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" und dem Foto, welches das Cover der Compilation ziert: Vier Milchgesichter aus Dublin, die auszogen, um die Welt zu verändern. Und ausnahmsweise versteckt sich hinter dieser pathetischen Phrase auch ein Fünkchen Wahrheit. Bono, der Weltverbesserer, wie ihn schlecht gelaunte Menschen gerne spöttisch nennen, wenn er mal wieder den G8-Gipfel besucht, um für eine bessere Welt einzutreten, war schon damals auf einer Mission: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" jagt einem auch 2007 noch Schauer über den Rücken und je schlechter und scheinbar gebrechlicher seine Stimme im Laufe der Jahre wurde, umso beseelter klang er. Vielleicht waren U2 in den Achtzigern eklektischer, "With Or Without You" oder "Where The Streets Have No Name" sind nicht nur Songs, es sind Messen. Aber es fällt schwer zu behaupten, sie seien wirklich besser gewesen. Weil auch die neueren Singles "Vertigo" und "Windows In The Skies" keinerlei Rückschlüsse auf das Alter der Band zulassen. Irgendwann werden sie abtreten, als ungeschlagener Weltmeister aller Klassen und nach ihnen wird niemand kommen. Irgendwie auch beruhigend.

pure.de



The youthful faces that stare out from the cover of this latest collection of singles from Irish rockers U2 suggests that the focus of the album is, perhaps, their lauded yet under-represented early days. A quick glance through the tracklisting shows that not to be the case, however. There are examples of their rawer 80s sound - "Pride", "I Will Follow", "New Year's Day" - but where, older fans may well ask, are songs like "The Electric Co", "Gloria", "I Threw A Brick", "Fire" from Boy and October? Similarly, songs like "With Or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Where The Streets Have No Name" were on The Best Of 1980-1990, whilst "Beautiful Day", "One", "Mysterious Ways" and "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" were all on The Best Of 1990-2000. U218 does have the advantage of featuring more recent tracks, including their collaboration with Green Day, "The Saints Are Coming" and a new song, "Windows In The Skies". Whilst dedicated followers of the band may see this as a missed opportunity to offer fans some genuinely rare gems, it still remains a collection of mighty pop music masterpieces.

Danny McKenna - Amazon.co.uk



U2's first two greatest-hits albums neatly divided themselves by decade, with the first covering the '80s and the second summing up the '90s. Their third hits comp, 2006's U218 Singles, is at once more ambitious and more concise, offering an overview of their first 26 years on a single disc comprised of 18 tracks -- and since two of those are new songs, that leaves just 16 songs to tell their whole story. That's not much space for a band with a career as lengthy and ambitious as U2, so it's inevitable that some painful cuts have been made. Nothing from October, Zooropa or Pop is here, and unless you're buying various import editions that have "I Will Follow" as a bonus track, there's nothing from Boy, either. There's only one cut each from The Unforgettable Fire and Rattle and Hum -- and bucking conventional wisdom, none of their three widely accepted masterpieces -- War, The Joshua Tree, or Achtung Baby -- provide the most songs here. No, out of all their albums the one that dominates U218 Singles is All That You Can't Leave Behind, their 2000 comeback from the depths of the misguided Pop, and one of two records that they've released since their last hits compilation, The Best of 1990-2000.

The other record they've released since then is How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which provides two songs here -- or, as many as there are from War and Achtung Baby. What this means is that this compilation skews very heavily toward latter-day U2 -- eight out of 18 tracks, a full 44 percent of the collection, are from 2000 on, which means that U218 Singles presents the classicist version of the band, featuring the anthems from U2 at their peak, plus the highlights from when U2 were trying their best to sound like U2 at their peak. They did it quite well, of course, from both a commercial and artistic standpoint, sometimes writing songs that stood proudly alongside "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (as in "Beautiful Day") and sometimes not ("Elevation"). When it's all mixed together, it paints a portrait of a band that's a little slicker and streamlined than it often was, and it's hard not to miss the big-hearted yet moody band that made "Bad," "Gloria," and "A Sort of Homecoming," not to mention the middle-aged Euro experimentalists responsible for "Numb" and "Stay! (Faraway, So Close)," two essential components of the band that has been forced aside by the arena rock pros on display here.

Then again, U2 always were the best arena rockers of their generation, and for those who love the spectacle and sound of the band in full flight, U218 Singles serves up that side of the band quite well, along with two new entries that find the band continuing the assured, even-handed sound of Atomic Bomb: a cover of the Skids' "The Saints Are Coming," recorded with Green Day and rewritten to vaguely address the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and "Window in the Skies," an anthemic pop number that relies too heavily on synth strings yet is saved by the band's sturdy songwriting and reliable performance. As such, it might not cover all the bases, but it covers enough of the major ones to be a good summary for fellow travelers who just know U2 from the radio, and it's also a good one-stop introduction to the basics for neophytes.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - All Music Guide



While U2 have already looked back once or twice in order to assemble best-of collections, this set marks the first time that the Irish rockers have done so with a wide lens - culling material from their entire career rather than distinctly divided eras. Rather than simply arranging the tracks in chronological order, the band chose to mimic the flow of one of their live shows, opening with the one-two emotional punch of "Beautiful Day" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and segueing into the thoughtful strains of "Pride (In the Name of Love)." The breadth of the band's playing is showcased beautifully here, with the focus falling alternately on the melodic inventiveness of the Edge (the driving force on songs like "New Year's Day") and the often overlooked potency of the lockstep rhythm section of Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton, who fuel "Desire" and "Vertigo" in high-octane fashion. To bring fans completely up to date, 18 Singles includes a pair of new songs: the elegiac "Window in the Skies" and "The Saints Are Coming," the '70s punk classic that U2 and Green Day retooled earlier this year for the benefit of charities on the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. It brings full circle this distillation of what continues to be an inspired, and inspiring, career.

David Sprague - Barnes & Noble



If you thought that U2's last two greatest-hits discs had just a few too many minor songs on them, U218 Singles is the collection for you.

Andy Greene - Rolling Stone
 

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