Beautiful Day [Japan CD]

• Artist: U2
• Release Date: January 09, 2001
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Single
• Genre: Rock

Review

The Beautiful Day single is the first from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind. Beautiful Day, Pt. 3 [Japan] is the best of the singles released for this song -- by far! It contains the title track, two previously unreleased B-sides, and two exclusive live songs: The B-sides are "Summer Rain" and "Always." "Summer Rain" sounds like a better-produced outtake from the Salome: Achtung Baby Sessions, which would qualify it for inclusion on a U2 single, you'd suppose. It is musically simplistic and the lyric does not elevate. "Always," however, is an awesome song, among the best non-LP tracks the band has ever released. Much has been made of the "return to the basics" quality of All That You Can't Leave Behind. But such analysis is a bit blind to the Eno and European influences in the album's music. "Always" applies the best Eno has to offer with a well-written song. It sounds very similar to "Your Blue Room" from Passengers. This is a very good single because of the strength of "Always." The live songs are "Discotheque" and "If You Wear That Velvet Dress." Both were recorded live in Mexico City at a show given to subscribers of the band's fanzine, Propaganda. Only "Discotheque" was on that release, however. This single, as a result, is good for both the fan not lucky enough to have Hasta la Vista Baby and the one who does but wants to add a track to the show. Both songs are, of course, amazing performances -- though "Discotheque" live never can compare to "If You Wear That Velvet Dress" live. If you are going to buy an expensive U2 single for its music and not the photos, buy the Japanese version of Beautiful Day. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Beautiful Day	U2, Bono	U2	(4:09)
Summer Rain	U2, The Edge, Bono	U2	(4:08)
Always	U2, Bono	U2	(3:48)
Discothèque [Live from Mexico City]	U2, The Edge, Bono	U2	(5:09)
If You Wear That Velvet Dress [Live from Mexico City]	U2, The Edge, Bono	U2	(2:42)

Credits

U2 (Main Performer), Arnie Acosta (Mastering), Bono (Vocals), Brian Eno (Keyboards), Brian Eno (Programming), Brian Eno (Producer), Howie B (Sound Supervision), Daniel Lanois (Vocals (Background)), Daniel Lanois (Producer), Steve Lillywhite (Producer), Steve Lillywhite (Mixing), Tim Palmer (Engineer), Anton Corbijn (Photography), Cheryl Engels (Post Production), Cheryl Engels (Audio Post-Production), Stephen Harris (Engineer), Joe O'Herlihy (Engineer), Richard Rainey (Engineer), Richard Rainey (Mixing), Chris Heaney (Assistant), Chris Potter (Mixing)