While a name like
The Ultimate Tribute to U2 gives off an air of finality and officialese, nothing could be further from the truth with this earnest Cleopatra offering. Goth and industrial tributes from established bands like
Dead or Alive ("Even Better Than the Real Thing"),
the Mission UK ("All I Want Is You"), and
Heaven 17 ("With or Without You") provide interesting takes on some of the Irish quartet's best-known anthems. But it's the erratic inconsistency in quality that makes this disc fail to live up to its name. An inexplicable collaboration between
Front Line Assembly and '80s teen pop queen
Tiffany on "New Year's Day" is unquestionably one of the highlights, but retains a kitschy, novel value that makes the song nothing more than a nostalgic curiosity. Die-hard
U2 fans might find this compilation interesting, but fans with less than a passing interest should avoid this one at all costs. ~ Rob Theakston