It’s a ‘beautiful day’ for U2 - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby Gil

Beautiful Day is the first single release out of U2’s new album All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Sales figures have not yet reached record-breaking ‘N Sync proportions but the album is doing very well and is now one of the biggest sellers in the global charts. This means that All That You Can’t Leave Behind is no different from other albums that the Irish group has released these past two decades, well-received by the critics and absolutely adored by the fans.

Besides, All That You Can’t Leave Behind is definitely one of U2’s best. Bono’s singing is better than ever. This guy is aging beautifully. The Edge breezes through his riffs with passion. And there is a wild abandon in every track that says fun, commitment, and total dedication to the music. With all these, it is no wonder U2 came up with 14 great tracks for their first studio recording in more than three years.

Truth to tell, this album is one of those productions that segues from one great tune to another. The melodies are full of hooks and some of the cuts like the soulful Stuck in a Moment You, the sweetly engaging Wild Honey and the deceptively simple Grace sound even better than Beautiful Day. This only goes to say that even if Beautiful Day had not been able to make it to the charts or is unable to hold up against the close scrutiny of radio listeners, there are still many other songs in the album that will make excellent singles.

The most probable reason for this success is because U2 has returned to its rock and roll roots. Throughout its career, this group has dabbled in the blues and electronica and hinted at metal and punk. But admit it, there is really nothing quite like rock. Why do you think people are still listening to the Beatles more than 30 years after the group closed shop? They play rock and roll. And that is what U2 does in All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

Made up of tremendously gifted and confident musicians, vocalist Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Alan Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, U2 was founded in Dublin, Ireland’s Mount Temple High School in 1978. The group has not only become one of the greatest in pop music history, it is also the only one that has all of the founding members intact. And they all seem to be focused and determined on contributing only the great and the spectacular into the U2 legacy.

Big is the only way to describe albums like The Joshua Tree and Pop the tours and the concerts like The Joshua Tree tour recorded in the film Rattle and Hum and the world stopping performance in war-torn Sarajevo. But while always keeping an eye out for the extraordinary, U2 has also consistently crafted music that is timely, intense and enjoyably energetic. Do check out other previously released albums like Boy, October, War, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Unforgettable Fire, Achtung Baby and Zooropa.

Other cuts in All That You Can’t Leave Behind are Can’t Get Out Of, Elevation, Walk On, Kite, In a Little While, Peace on Earth, When I Look at the World and New York.

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First on the trophy-giving list for the year is the American Music Awards where winners are chosen by the public. This is the reason why instead of Best, the word Favorite is used to describe the awards. At the outset, artistic merit was of course often thrown to the winds but fans have become so adept at making their choices and the American Music Awards is now considered a harbinger of the more stringent Grammys.

Here are the winners:

Favorite Pop/Rock
Male — Kid Rock
Female — Faith Hill
Group — Backstreet Boys
New Artist — 3 Doors Down
Album — Human Clay by Creed

Favorite Soul/R&B
Male — Brian McKnight
Female — Toni Braxton
Group — Destiny’s Child
New Artist — Donelle Jones
Album — Heat by Toni Braxton

Favorite Country
Male — Tim McGraw
Female — Faith Hill
Group — Dixie Chicks
New Artist — Billy Gilman
Album — Breathe by Faith Hill
Rap/Hip — Dr. Dre
Alternative — Creed
Latin — Enrique Iglesias
Adult Contemporary — Celine Dion
Soundtrack — Mission: Impossible 2
Award of Merit — Janet Jackson
International Artist Award — Aerosmith
Internet Artist of the Year — ‘N Sync