They've been going for over 20 years now so you could probably forgive Ireland's most famous band if they sounded a bit jaded by now. Vertigo though proves that when it comes to rocking hard, U2 do it better than any other band in the world.
From the opening "una, dos, tres" countdown in the intro to the quite thrilling chorus of "hello, hello (hola!)", this is that rare thing - an instant classic. It's The Edge who takes the song to superlative levels - there are at least three guitar riffs that are absolutely exhilarating. The band have been reunited with Steve Lillywhite, producer of their earlier albums, but this still feels like the most modern of U2 anthems.
It's already being used in an iPod advert, and it's possible that familarity could breed contempt. Yet I've listened to it countless times now and am still as knocked out by it as I was the first time. The best U2 single ever? It's a tall order given their back catalogue, but Vertigo may just claim it.
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