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Refugee
I think what we are maybe seeing here is U2 possibly losing their nerve.
I don't like this trend for "revisionism" in their work. It's like they are backtracking on the 90s.
All the main hits have been left as they are, but the more experimental tracks have been remixed - ie, experimented on again! - and in most cases simply to drag the song back to something more acceptable, more traditional U2, more mainstream.
Imagine someone who hasn't heard Pop before listening to the Best Of... then buying Pop on the basis of it. They are going to wonder what the hell happened!!
The fact is that 99% of remixes and rerecordings are rubbish. The fans hate them because they do not stay loyal to songs they have grown to love, and the dormant record purchaser does tend to steer clear.
That said, the Best Of isn't really a best of at all. They have not put the best songs on (it's nearly unanimous here that Lemon is better than Numb and Please is better than SATS)... merely put on some of their biggest hits and "tasters" for the other albums. That way, people buying the Best Of could be tempted into buying the other albums for these other U2 songs they've heard about.
I do agree that the B-Sides track selection does seem pretty daft. But the free DVD almost makes up for that shortcoming.
I don't like this trend for "revisionism" in their work. It's like they are backtracking on the 90s.
All the main hits have been left as they are, but the more experimental tracks have been remixed - ie, experimented on again! - and in most cases simply to drag the song back to something more acceptable, more traditional U2, more mainstream.
Imagine someone who hasn't heard Pop before listening to the Best Of... then buying Pop on the basis of it. They are going to wonder what the hell happened!!
The fact is that 99% of remixes and rerecordings are rubbish. The fans hate them because they do not stay loyal to songs they have grown to love, and the dormant record purchaser does tend to steer clear.
That said, the Best Of isn't really a best of at all. They have not put the best songs on (it's nearly unanimous here that Lemon is better than Numb and Please is better than SATS)... merely put on some of their biggest hits and "tasters" for the other albums. That way, people buying the Best Of could be tempted into buying the other albums for these other U2 songs they've heard about.
I do agree that the B-Sides track selection does seem pretty daft. But the free DVD almost makes up for that shortcoming.