U218: Is it Necessary?

U218, a collection of some of U2's greatest singles, was released last November. I was initially shocked that the band would do this, as they already have two Best Of albums - each one devoted to the decades of the 80s and 90s, respectively. In fact, those are the albums that really got me hooked onto some of their earlier stuff. I'm not just talking about "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby", either. These Best Of albums got me interested in the band and some of their more "obscure" albums, such as "October" and "Zooropa". Contained on these records are "Gloria", "Rejoice", and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" which, I believe, are some of their greatest songs. That's what was so great about those Best Of CDs. They were the first of their kind and offered more of a selection of songs. We don't exactly have that luxury with the release of U218, which only features music from some of their most famous albums. So, because most of U2's greatest songs are already on such records, I'm split on whether or not the release of U218 was necessary. However, there's the bonus that U218 combines both of these records to make a more definititive listing of such great songs. The icing on the cake is that U2 have included two new songs on this record.

The icing I speak of includes the song,"The Saints Are Coming", as performed as a collective effort with Green Day. Premiered originally during the reopening of the New Orleans Superdome, it's an outstanding take on the original by The Skids. As they performed at the game, the two bands created an awe-inspiring force that made America shut up and listen. They drew attention to the poor response the US made to help those in need of help after Hurricane Katrina. The other new song, "Window In The Skies", is a much brighter, more reflective song. There were two different music videos created for it. One pays homage to the other bands in the business while the second is a montage of pictures from their youth. It displays how they didn't just wake up to become some of the biggest rock and roll stars on earth.

Bono recently justified his band's decision to release this new album of old songs. He stated that his band wanted to release another compilation album before such collections become "uncool". He really does have a point. Today, songs are usually sold as single units on iTunes. It seems as though there isn't any interest to listen full, complete albums anymore. Even though I'm one of those teens with an iPod, I completely understand why U2 would release this collection. Bono also mentioned that they wanted to reach out to new, younger fans. That's always been U2's philosophy: to stay at the top of the charts and readily accessible. This release has certainly brought their names up in the media.

Finally, there is one last dispute over U218, as the songs "I Will Follow" and "Gloria" were not included on this record. Because these two songs are very much a part of U2's staple hits, I don't understand why they weren't included. I guess releasing an album entitled "U220" would be a little overwhelming. There really are quite a few songs on the album already, but the order they're in seems completely random. Songs go from recent to old, old to more recent, very recent to old... It just doesn't make much sense. But, in the scheme of things, I don't think it's right for me to question how they're handling things. Whether it's a dispute over the order of songs, songs that should've been included but weren't, or whether or not they should release an album at all is completely up to them. U2 know a thing or two about what works. After all, they celebrated their 30th anniversary as a band last September and are now thriving stronger than ever.