:: All That You Can’t Leave Behind

U2

This is reinventing, to significant extremes, by these stalwarts of world music, and it’s an extremely pleasing result for their true fans. The last two albums didn’t enhance their stature, in my eyes at least, so it’s rewarding to see this great band take their controls in reverse and relive some of their fabulous moments of the 1980s. This is their own brilliant pop-rock style, with its heart on its sleeve, and music that provides warmth and hope. Much human emotion is conveyed by Bono’s words. It is fitting that the opening track “Beautiful Day” sets the scene for a gloriously inspirational journey, with a great soaring chorus. The magic of The Edge’s guitar returns to full value, with brilliant playing on “New York” and “Elevation” in particular. Larry Mullen’s hip-hop drumbeats on “In A Little While” are also majestic. A couple of tracks bring back wonderful memories of the band’s “Unforgettable Fire” days. Originally on the “Million Dollar Hotel” soundtrack, the song “The Ground Beneath Her Feet” is included as a bonus track. It seems a pretty effortless piece of work and a fantastic return for this twenty-one year old band.