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The Rice Thresher
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Dalton Tomlin Few bands have as much staying power as U2, and it's no secret that they've reinvented their style every few years, from political (War) to emotional (The Joshua Tree) to electronic (Pop). U2's latest, All That You Can't Leave Behind, is something of an amalgam of all their styles. But it's also about getting down to the basics. In "Walk On," whose lyrics provide the album's title, Bono sings that love is "the only baggage you can bring," and the cover photo shows the band at an airport with only one or two carry-ons each. The general message is for people to dump all their metaphorical emotional baggage and just get along (not too far-fetched, considering U2's advocacy of world peace). Perhaps it's their way of agreeing with the Beatles that "All You Need Is Love." In addition to lyrics and messages, the band isn't hurting musically. The first half or so of the album is largely the familiar sound of U2's rock, with some blues ("In a Little While") and gospel ("Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of") influences for good measure. "Beautiful Day," the first single, is big and extravagant, a good choice for the opener. The album becomes more mellow and somber toward the end with contemplative tracks like "Peace on Earth" and "Grace." There's about seven seconds two-thirds of the way through "Elevation" that's amazingly well-mixed, even by U2's standards - it's just refreshing to see a band put that much effort into something that would otherwise be replaced by a few simple drum beats. The song proves they can still use clever production techniques without going overboard into techno-land, and it's also one of the catchiest and most likable tracks on the album. All That You Can't Leave Behind is one of U2's best in the sense that it's as easy on the ears as Achtung Baby. So it's not as political as War. So it doesn't have as much heart as The Joshua Tree. So what? Listen anyway, it's good for you. - Dalton Tomlin
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