John Avlon

One year ago, New Yorkers were still walking around in a haze: unmoored internally, rocked by shock, anger, disbelief, and despair. The days were surreal but they were not silent – music helped see us through. And one album, more than any other, seemed to be the soundtrack of that time – U2′s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.”

The album had been released in October 2000 but had fallen to 108th place on the Billboard chart by September 10th. Its earnest message about the search for what’s essential and an unfashionable emphasis on melody in a techno-inspired world left the biggest band on earth seeming vulnerable and, some whispered, irrelevant. Read More…