We last spoke to U2 at the end of 2001, when Walk On became the fourth and final track to be lifted from their All That You Can't Leave Behind
album. But we weren't expecting a new U2 album in 2000, we were expecting their second Greatest Hits package.
The group had formed in Ireland in the late 70s, and pulled the top work from their first ten years on the Best Of 1980-89
album, released in time for Christmas 1998. At the time, we were led to expect the follow-up, covering the rest of their career, a year later. That slipped to 2000, and then vanished into the ether when the group went into the studio to record an album.
Perhaps the group didn't want to be judged solely by their 90s twist. Originally a stadium rock band, the group moved slowly towards the cutting edge of dance music. The beats of Achtung Baby!
's "The Fly" and "Even Better Than The Real Thing" foreshadowed Zooropa
's standout tracks "Lemon" and "Numb". 1997's Pop
saw the group go pop, with the group releasing the utterly bizarre "Discotheque." Without the counterbalance of the new rock album, the singles collection would perhaps not represent the reality of U2 over the decade.
Which brings us to the new single. This is a very autumnal record, beginning with swirling guitar chords and the unusual sound of a glockenspiel. The lyric is all about swimming, and the rain washing away the pain and evil, and not cracking. In many ways, this is utterly typical U2 - the same basic template, spiritual and slightly out of this world lyrics, yet transcending the material to become far more than the sum of its parts. Perhaps it's indicative of the rebirth of the group they've claimed in promotional interviews lately.
This is a Zeitgeist Record because... it's autumn, and foggy, and damp, and this is exactly that sort of record.
Key moment: the key change at 3:45.
Predominent colours: white, bright green, royal blue
The album Best Of 1990-2002
is out November 4.