The Best of 1990–2000

Infobox Album
Name = The Best of 1990–2000
Type = greatest
Artist = U2


Released = 12 November 2002
Recorded = 1990–2002
Genre = Rock
Length = 72:46
Label = Island (UK)
Interscope (U.S.)
Producer =
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3hnsa9ugw23k link]
*Pitchfork Media (5.6/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/22835-the-best-of-1990-2000 link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/225227 link]
Last album = "7"
(2002)
This album = "The Best of 1990–2000"
(2002)
Next album = "Exclusive"
(2003)
Misc = Singles
Name = The Best of 1990–2000
Type = compilation album
single 1 = Electrical Storm
single 1 date = 2002
single 2 = The Hands That Built America
single 2 date = 2002

"The Best of 1990–2000" is the second greatest hits compilation by Irish rock band U2, released in November 2002. Among the 17 tracks are four remixed or re-recorded tracks and two entirely new songs. In December of the same year, a companion DVD (featuring music videos and live footage) was released.

A limited edition version containing a special B-sides disc and a bonus DVD was released on the same date as the single-disc version. At the time of release, the official word was that the two-disc album would be available the first week the album went on sale, then pulled from the stores. As with "The Best of 1980–1990", this threat did not materialize.

It includes two new songs. "Electrical Storm" was released as a single. "The Hands That Built America" appeared on the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" film (with a different, more traditional arrangement than the one here). For some reason, despite the title of the album, these two tracks fall outside the dates specified ("'Electrical Storm" did not exist in any form until 2002).

It is also the first full U2 release to include "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me", a 1995 single originally contributed to the "Batman Forever" soundtrack, and "Miss Sarajevo", another 1995 single originally released on "Original Soundtracks No. 1" and credited to "Passengers", a pseudonym used for the side project by U2, Brian Eno, and various guests.

The DVD edition is remarkably extensive and often includes multiple videos of each song, director's commentary, several songs completely unavailable on the CD editions, and three short documentary pieces.

Track listing

#"Even Better Than the Real Thing" – 3:39
#"Mysterious Ways" – 4:02
#"Beautiful Day" – 4:05
#"Electrical Storm" (William Orbit mix) – 4:37
#"One" – 4:35
#"Miss Sarajevo" (Radio edit) – 4:30
#"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" – 4:58
#"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" – 4:31
#"Gone" (new mix) – 4:32
#"Until the End of the World" – 4:38
#"The Hands That Built America" – 4:57
#"Discothèque" (new mix) – 4:40
#"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" – 4:44
#"Staring at the Sun" (new mix) – 4:48
#"Numb" (new mix) – 4:21
#"The First Time" – 3:44
#"The Fly" - 4:28

"Electrical Storm" was released as a single. Interestingly, the version included here is the William Orbit mix, and the standard version is only available on the single and the B-sides disc.

The versions of "Gone", "Discothèque", "Staring at the Sun", and "Numb" are remixes made especially for this compilation (mixed by Mike Hedges) and include some newly recorded bits. Curiously, the version of "Mysterious Ways" here has one line different from the original (but is otherwise identical), likely an artifact of the remastering. All songs are written by U2, except for "Miss Sarajevo" which was written with Brian Eno.

In the UK and Japan, "The Fly" 4:29 is available as a bonus track after "The First Time".

"Miss Sarajevo", featuring Luciano Pavarotti, was originally released by the band under the alias "Passengers", on the album "Original Soundtracks 1".

B-sides

#"Lady with the Spinning Head" (extended dance mix) – 6:06
#"Dirty Day" (Junk Day mix) – 4:40
#"Summer Rain" – 4:07
#"Electrical Storm" – 4:26
#"North and South of the River" – 4:36
#"Your Blue Room" – 5:26
#"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (The Gun mix) – 4:45
#"Salomé" (Zooromancer Remix edit) – 5:51
#"Even Better Than the Real Thing" (The Perfecto mix) – 6:38
#"Numb" (Gimme Some More Dignity edit) – 5:50
#"Mysterious Ways" (Solar Plexus Club mix) – 4:08
#"If God Will Send His Angels" (Big Yam mix) – 5:42
#"Lemon" (Jeep mix) – 5:29
#"Discothèque" (Hexidecimal sic edit) – 5:45

"North and South of the River" was written with Christy Moore. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" was written by Lennon/McCartney. "Your Blue Room" was written with Brian Eno.

Bonus DVD

#"The History Mix" – 7:40
#"Best Of" DVD Promo" – 2:27
#"Please" (live) – 5:00
#"Beautiful Day" (Èze version) – 4:04

"The History Mix" is a video montage anthologizing the band's nineties albums and tours. It includes snippets of interviews, promotional videos, and so forth.

The version of "Please" is live from Helsinki, Finland at Olympic Stadium on 9 August 1997 and was directed by Maurice Linnane.

Chart positions and sales

Video

Infobox album
Name = The Best of 1990–2000
Type = video
Artist = U2


Released = 2 December 2002
Recorded = 1991–2002
Genre = Rock
Length = 176:00
Label = Island, Interscope
Director = Kevin Godley, Stéphane Sednaoui, Jonas Åkerlund, Anton Corbijn, et al.
Producer = Ned O'Hanlon
Reviews =
Last album = ""
(2002)
This album = "The Best of 1990–2000"
(2002)
Next album = ""
(2003)

"The Best of 1990–2000" was also released as a video compilation, featuring music videos from the songs on the album. The DVD version of the video featured one to two videos for each song on the album, plus seven bonus videos (for songs not on the album), as well as directors' commentaries, and three mini-documentaries. The VHS version of the video featured simply one video for the 16 songs from the album.

Track listing

Music and words by U2, except where otherwise noted.

#"Even Better Than the Real Thing"
#*Kevin Godley video with commentary
#*Ritchie Smyth remix video
#"Mysterious Ways"
#*Stéphane Sednaoui video with commentary
#"Beautiful Day"
#*Jonas Åkerlund video with commentary
#"Electrical Storm"
#*Anton Corbijn video with commentary
#*"U2 Sur Mer" documentary
#"One"
#*Anton Corbijn video with commentary
#*Phil Joanou video with commentary
#*"A Story of One" documentary
#"Miss Sarajevo"
#*Maurice Linnane video and commentary
#*"Missing Sarajevo" documentary
#"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"
#*Wim Wenders video and commentary
#"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of"
#*Joseph Kahn video with commentary
#*Kevin Godley video with commentary
#"Gone"
#*David Mallet video (excerpt from "")
#"Until the End of the World"
#*Kevin Godley video (live from Zoo TV Tour)
#"The Hands That Built America"
#*Maurice Linnane studio version video
#"Discothèque"
#*Stéphane Sednaoui video with commentary
#"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"
#*Godley/Linanne video with commentary
#"Staring at the Sun"
#*Jake Scott video with commentary
#*Morleigh Steinberg video
#"Numb"
#*Kevin Godley video with commentary
#*Emergency Broadcast Network remix video
#"The Fly"
#*Smith/Klein remix video with commentary

Bonus videos

#"Please"
#*Anton Corbijn video with commentary
#"If God Will Send His Angels"
#*Phil Joanou video with commentary
#"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"
#*Phil Joanou video with commentary
#"Lemon"
#*Mark Neale video with commentary
#"Last Night on Earth"
#*Ritchie Smyth video with commentary
#"Mofo"
#*Maurice Linnane remix video
#"The Ground Beneath Her Feet"
#*Wim Wenders video with commentary

The lyrics to "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" were written by Salman Rushdie. The song features Daniel Lanois on pedal steel guitar.

All tracks have been remastered for these releases.

Personnel

*Bono – lead vocals
*The Edge – guitar, keyboards, vocals
*Adam Clayton – bass guitar
*Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums

ee also

*U2 discography

References

External links

* [http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/alb018.html "The Best of 1990–2000" (standard edition)] at U2 Wanderer, with comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more
* [http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/alb017.html "The Best of 1990–2000" (limited edition)] at U2 Wanderer
* [http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/vid009.html "The Best of 1990–2000" (video)] at U2 Wanderer

succession box
before = "Nirvana" by Nirvana
title = Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
years = November 11 - November 17 2002
after = "Riot Act" by Pearl Jam