U2, the masters of reinvention, have once again challenged their fans to follow as they change their musical direction. This time, however, many fans will have no trouble following the new sound -- or is it their old sound?

After the disappointing response of their 1997 release, Pop, many critics will say that perhaps U2 has retreated. For many people, All That You Can't Leave Behind will sound like a throw-back to their Joshua Tree era sound. And perhaps, in some ways, it is.  But this is much more than JT2, and a far cry from the abandonment of Pop.

According to the Edge, in a statement prior to the release of this album, this was supposed to be an album whose theme was simply "joy." However, a peek at the songs reveals that this album seems to be more about loss, and maybe making the best out of it, and in the end finding joy in any circumstances. As always for U2, there is more than can be seen only on the surface.

The album begins mournfully, with Bono painting a picture of being trapped by the ordinary -- traffic jams and other frustrations overwhelming -- when suddenly, drummer Larry Mullen kicks in, and the song becomes euphoric and uplifting. "Beautiful Day" is about realizing that even within the circumstances of life, when things are down and it seems that there's no hope in sight, you've got to hold on. Things will get better. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but sooner rather than later.

Following "Beautiful Day" is a song written after the death of Michael Hutchins of INXS. "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is similar to The Unforgettable Fire's "Bad". It is Bono's way of working through the grief of losing his close friend, and realizing that as hard as it is, "it's just a moment / this time will pass".

"Elevation" and "Wild Honey" are songs about the highs of life.  Being lifted up out of the depths, living full out.

Later in the album, "Peace On Earth" recalls the angst of War's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" or Pop's "Please" but with a softer edge.

"When I Look At The World" which follows "Peace" is written as an open letter to God. Unlike Pop's "Wake Up Dead Man" this time Bono is crying out for enlightenment, trying to see the world as God would.

Next, "New York", the latest ode to an American city, begins like a Tony Bennet love ballad, with Bono's voice softly caressing. The tempo and tension slowly build, until it erupts in a flash of guitar and drum. The effect is sudden and gratifying.

Finally, wrapping up the album is the ethereal sound of "Grace." In the song, Bono describes grace in anthropomorphist phrases, likening it to a woman who "when she walks on the street / you can hear the strings" and "carries the world on her hips." 

So, have the "masters of reinvention" really reinvented themselves again?  Yes and no.  Yes they are moving musically into areas that are new, but at the same time they are bringing back into the mix the sounds that took them to the top.

Irregardless, this is a soon to be classic that can't be left behind.

-- Bulldog