U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind" - is it Underated / overated / Mastepiece (Poll)

I somewhat liked U2 in the early 80s and fully got on board when they stole Live Aid (yes Queen fans, Live Aid was owned by U2 - well in my useless opinion LOL). Anyway, after some classics like Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, the next couple (Zooropa and POP) seemed a little lower tier to me. In late 2000 ATYCLB was released and I picked it up immediately, and throughout 2001 I enjoyed it, but after 9/11 and they played "Walk On" in the Tribute to Heroes" concert, "New York" (with modified lyrics) on Letterman, I began playing it even more. I was fortunate to see them play Madison Square Garden in October 2001 and being so soon after 9/11 it was one of the most amazing shows I've ever been to. I think they did the Superbowl a few months later.

I still play this album often and I've always felt this album was a bit underappreciated. The first four songs are all classics if you ask me:
"Beautiful Day", "Stuck in a Moment", "Elevation" (the amazing opening song on tour) and "Walk On".

How do you feel about this LP and what can we expect next year on its 20th anniversary? Let's discuss

 

I voted "One of their top 5 only".

Any album with four of my favourite U2 songs of all time (Beautiful Day, In A Little While, Wild Honey, and Stuck...) is more than worthy.

I cannot recall any of the other songs on the album mind you...

 

Second best U2 album after Achtung Baby.

 

Certainly one of my favorite U2 albums and one I revisit regularly.

"Grace finds beauty in everything"

 

Voted underrated, because I really like it. However, it’s not in my top 5 and it’s definitely not a masterpiece. ‘Elevation’ is one of U2’s most mediocre songs imho.

 

Not top 5-worthy (just cuz it's not as great as Joshua Tree, Unforgettable Fire, Achtung Baby, War, or Boy), but still an excellent album that I listen to all the time.

I'd love to see (hear, I mean) a 20th anniversary deluxe edition with outtakes, demos, b-sides, live stuff, or whatever else those talented fellas want to throw at us.

 

A solid album with many great tunes. But it feels like the point at which they stopped taking big chances (you can tell that the failure of Pop really stung) and played things a bit safer by consolidated their past successes. Still a very enjoyable record from start to finish. Their last for me.

 

Probably a top 5 U2 album for me (others being Achtung, Zooropa, Pop and Joshua Tree)

Hugely important album which signalled their second (or third) coming. It pretty much made Bono the most famous (and ubiquitous) man on the planet for a few years.

Kite, Walk On, In a Little While, Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stuck In a A Moment are all great songs in my opinion.

Elevation was good at the time but I think it has dated badly.

The second half of the album definitely lags slightly and offers up some pretentious, overwrought lyrics.

 

Boring. I think they ran out of good ideas after Achtung Baby.

 

Probably not in their top 10 best songs ever, but opening the show it really got the crowd fired up. I was one of the thousands singing "ooh-ooh" at MSG for what seemed 4-5 minutes before Bono joined in. This clip is from Boston which was pre 9/11.

 

I used to think a lot higher of it than I do now. It was also one of the first U2 records I was primed and ready for on release, and my first ever U2 shows were on the first Elevation leg. But I think I'm just burned out on the four singles, and they haven't held up as well for me as the band probably hoped they would (since they keep playing them on every tour). There's some wonderful stuff like "In A Little While" and the ever-beautiful "Kite," but also some stuff with a lot of potential that feels unfinished or under-developed like "New York" or "When I Look At The World."

Like most U2 albums, it's heavily front-loaded, but the back half doesn't contain the same level of gems as Joshua Tree or Achtung, so it's kind of second-tier for me, being this far removed from it. You can give it an extra half-star by subbing the Tomb Raider mix of "Elevation" and the single version of "Walk On" (with the live breakdown section) over the album versions. I don't know what it is with U2 not being able to totally nail down their singles in the studio before they go on tour, but at least I have those superior alternate versions for so many of their 1997-2005 singles.

 

It's Top 5 only if the band never had an 80s. Otherwise in the running with the Stones' latter work as an ongoing experiment of wealth seeking relevance.

 

It's definitely a quality album - particularly when you consider how far into their career they were at that point. Probably U2's last near-great album imo.

 

Voted overrated. It was such a disappointment after the amazing run from Achtung Baby through Pop.

 

Can't find a place to cast my vote in the poll. It's not top five, a masterpiece or boring. It's a solid, albeit safe, effort and return to the mean after the great experimentation that gave us Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop. Which in my opinion was their best period. It's the album they thought they had to make in order to placate the cry babies who couldn't handle Pop. From a marketing perspective they most likely were right.

 

Yeah, I'd rate it somewhere in the middle, which isn't an option here. I don't think it's "boring" but it's certainly "safe," which I think is why it's impact has perhaps dulled for me over time. Honestly I'd rank Bomb higher at this point...Bomb isn't a better album objectively, but I think it's a more interesting listen personally.

 

Has a few really good singles with loads of filler, not a masterpiece.

 

Not a top 5 for me but a good collection overall. I didn't like it much at first but thought that the songs really came to life on the tour.

 

To use DB as analogy, it is their "Let's Dance" album?

 

Fantastic album. Top 5 for me.

Kite, Peace on Earth, Walk On, In A Little While, all great.

 

I really liked Achtung, Zooropa and Passengers, I just don’t think Pop had fully formed songs and it was rushed.

 

Great album, just needed a change in running order.

Putting "Elevation" ahead of "Stuck In A Moment" just works better for me.

 

"Beautiful Day" was an incredible single and ranks with one of their bests. I agree with most that the peaked on J Tree/Achtung era. Although I have a soft spot for War/Under a blood red sky concert. That definitely is a top 10 show imho. Possibly top 5. Maybe no 1!

 

I voted "One of their top 5 only"
It's a strong record.

 

Not a masterpiece but it felt like the right album at the right time for the band. It rekindled my fandom (although it has once again wained). For me personally the lyrics and themes on the album had particular resonance to what was going on for me at that time in my life. It also helped me get through the sad and confused days after 9/11. That was an album I turn to a lot, along with Dylan’s love and theft.

It might be a top five from them for me, although it is too close to call. In the end I voted “underrated”. I think it really plays to the band’s strengths. The passion is there and it doesn’t feel forced, like so much of what they have released over the years feels to me.