U2

With help from Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, U2 created an album that, in losing the post-punk guitar, gained instead a gentle, epic sound that is both warm and completely emotional. Despite some lyrical pretensions, this is a stunning, beautiful record. By adding this new, dreamy approach to the more direct, anthemic sound of War, U2 would come up with 1987's Joshua Tree. The bonus disc houses the Wide Awake in America EP, which has their transcendent concert reading of "Bad," as well as numerous B-sides, alternate takes and remixes.

This transitional, hit-or-miss set, U2's first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel
Lanois, followed 1983's breakthrough, War. When things click, it bridges that record's
fight-the-power arena rock with the texture fetishism of its follow-up, The Joshua Tree.
The transcendent "Bad" is the triumph, but the bonus disc adds fascinating experiments,
including the excellent Bowie-drag outtake "Disappearing Act" and some funky... More >