Legendary Irish rock band, U2 will be promoting its multi-platinum album “All That You Can?t Leave Behind” when it takes the stage to back-to-back sellout shows at San Jose Arena at 7:30 p.m., tomorrow and Friday. However, it will also draw on songs from past albums in the band?s 23-year career.

From the band?s first LP “Boy,” lead singer, Bono; guitarist, The Edge; drummer, Larry Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton have constantly re-invented themselves. The result is a catalogue of albums that sound remarkably different from each other.

Boy (1980): The band?s first full album, Bono called “Boy” the only album the band has ever had the time to finish. The chiming guitars of the hit single “I Will Follow” brought a glimpse of what U2 would be capable of in the decades to come, but sounds dated today. The album, gave U2 its first exposure in the United States on the weight of “I will follow” and an extensive club tour.

Classic tunes: “I will follow”

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October (1981): “October” lacks the refinement of boy and is the band?s weakest album. The bands lyrics reflect the growing struggle with religion and rock star life. The emerging MTV network embraces “Gloria,” a minor hit on the radio. The network played a vital role in the bands growing fame. U2 was almost dropped from its label when the album failed to chart higher than 104th in the Billboard charts.

Classic tunes: “Gloria”

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War (1983): U2?s first classic album. Hard pounding percussion and angered vocals from Bono personified the themes of “War.” Bono writes about armed, national and personal conflicts. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Years Day” become instant classics. Radically different from the disposable acts of the early 80s, “War” is a commercial breakout.

Classic Tunes: “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “New Years Day,” “40”

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The Unforgettable Fire (1984): Named after an art exhibit by a group of Hiroshima survivors, “The Unforgettable Fire” is a radical departure from U2 previous records. Producer Brian Eno encourages the band to adopt a more ambient sound. Bono?s lyrics are descriptive and poetic. The Edge?s guitar in “Pride (in the name of live),” lay the ground work for future albums. Panned by the critics for Eno?s influence, “Fire” is a huge hit with fans. The band began selling out arenas.

Classic Tunes: “Pride (in the name of love),” “Bad,” “The Unforgettable Fire”

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The Joshua Tree (1987): Called a career ender by one critic. Others complained that the album was too melancholy, and too influenced by Eno. The “Joshua Tree” is now hailed as one of the greatest albums ever made. Conservative estimates by the band?s label say that the album had sold over 14 million copies by 1997. Lyrically, the album intertwines religious symbolism with images of the American desert. Bono?s songwriting often expresses religious confusion and guilt. “Running to Stand Still” deals with heroine abuse. “Bullet the Blue Sky” is an anthem protesting a U.S. air strike. Sonically, the album combines the Celtic pop sound of ” The Unforgettable Fire” with an American blues/folk sound.

Classic Tunes: “With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven?t Found What I?m Looking For,” “Bullet the Blue Sky,” “In God?s Country”

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Rattle and Hum (1989): The album, a mixture of live and studio tracks, is based in the feature film documentary of the same name. The movie was a flop. The album has gone on to sell nine million copies and in one the U2?s finest. “When Love Comes to Town,” a duet with B.B. King is the apex of the bands fascination with the blues. Bono?s songwriting has a visual wanderlust that is considered self indulgent by critics. “Silver and Gold,” a song about apartheid is one of the best live moments on the album. The live version of “Bullet the Blue Sky” is louder and powerful than the studio version. “Angel of Harlem” is a tribute to Billy Holiday.

Classic Tunes: “Desire,” “Angel of Harlem,” “All I Want Is You,” “When Love Comes To Town”

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Achtung Baby (1991): One of the two best albums of the 90s (the other being Nirvana?s “Nevermind”), “Achtung Baby is a complete transformation for Rolling Stone?s “band of the 80s.” Criticized for its seriousness, U2 reinvents itself techno sounds, vocal distortion, and cynical lyrics. “Achtung Baby” has influenced several of the biggest acts of the 90s, including Hole and Garbage. In his writing, Bono explores the themes of modern chaos, alienation and love betrayed. He even pokes fun at the band?s iconoclastic image. “Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief. All kill their inspiration and sing about the grief,” he sings in “The Fly.” The project, recorded partly in East Germany, was nearly scrapped.

Classic Tunes: “One,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Who?s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” “The Fly,” “Until the End of the World,” “Even Better Than the Real Thing”

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Zooropa (1993): Originally planned as an EP, “Zooropa” is U2?s biggest foray into electronic sounds. Thematically, “Zooropa” is similar to “Achtung Baby.” Bono?s lyrics seem influenced by world confusion in the early 90s, including the break up of the Soviet Union. The title track of the album is one of the most clever, combining U2?s “Achtung Baby” era themes with commercial one-liners. “Numb”, a hit on MTV, features The Edge hypnotically rapping against Bono?s background falsetto. “Lemon,” which hit number one on the dance charts, contrast melancholy lyrics with upbeat dance rhythms. The album went double-platinum in the U.S. in spite of having no radio friendly singles.

Classic Tunes: “Numb,” “Lemon,” “The Wanderer” (with Johnny Cash)

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Pop (1997): After positive reviews from critics, “Pop” set a record by reaching number one in 32 countries (broken recently by The Beatles “1”). “Pop” combines hardcore techno sound of “Mofo,” and “Do You Feel Loved,” which the sweet folk tunes “Staring at the Sun” and “If God Will Send His Angels.” Bono?s lyrics explore the theme of modern consumption, intertwining it with heavy religious symbolism. The album was never finished to the band?s satisfaction. They had to rush out on tour before refining most of the tracks. The bands 97/98 “Popmart” tour set a world record for attendence.

Classic Tunes: “Discotheque,” “If God Will Send His Angels,” “Staring at the Sun,”

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All That You Can?t Leave Behind (2000): Determined not to become a dinosaur band, and criticized for taking the techno too far with “Pop,” U2 created a whole new sound with “All That You Can?t Leave Behind.” Behind the smash radio hit “Beautiful Day” and glowing reviews from critics (the album was called the U2?s “third masterpiece” by Rolling Stone), the album sold over 428,000 copies its first week, making it the fastest selling U2 album of all time. The album is centered around The Edges guitar work, but retains the technology of the 90s era. Instead of overt techno, “All That You Can?t Leave Behind” uses synthesized drum beats, giving several tracks a glossy pop sound. However the album retains the deep, studio enhanced organic quality of U2s 80s work and their recent single “The Sweetest Thing.” This allows the album to hold up well to repeated listening.

Originally conceived as a positive album, it is filled with constant themes of personal disaster. “New York” is a recollection of an accident, and “Stuck in a Moment You Can?t Get Out Of” is a conversational piece about the suicide of a friend of the band.

Classic Tunes: “Beautiful Day,” “Walk On,” “Kite,” “Stuck In A Moment You Can?t Get Out Of,” “Elevation”

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