U2 released two singles of their ACHTUNG BABY song, "Even Better Than The Real Thing". The first was a standard single featuring the original track plus some B-sides of excellent quality. This, the second release, did not featuring the original, but included five remixes of said song. Here are some comments on each of the five tracks:

"Even Better Than The Real Thing (The Perfecto Mix)" -- This is such a great, silly and fun dance remix. The guitar from the original is moved around a bit; the song begins with what was the guitar solo of the original, while the riff that originally only appeared at the opening now makes multiple appearances throughout. Several dance beats have been added to the track, as well as a woman providing soaring backing vocals; this gives the whole track an almost Latin flavor. Recommended, in any case. Remix by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne.

"Even Better Than The Real Thing (Sexy Dub Mix)" -- Musically, very similar to the previous remix. The same beats are in evidence, as are the same added synthesizers and keyboards. The biggest difference is that all of the lyrics have been removed, apart from the chorus, which now solely consists of the backing vocals from the previous version; Bono is nowhere to be heard on this track. Remix by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne.

"Even Better Than The Real Thing (Apollo 440 Stealth Sonic Remix)" -- A very beat-oriented remix. In fact, many places in the song sound like the original with a slightly techno sounding beat laid down over it. In other places, distorted guitars are added as well as a faster bass line. Musically, a very interesting version. Remix by Apollo 440.

"Even Better Than The Real Thing (V16 Exit Wound Remix)" -- Even more rhythms than the previous mix. Bono's vocals have been given some electronic treatment, making him sound like a crooning robot from an 80's science-fiction movie. Overall, it sounds like listening to a vaguely altered version of the original on your headphones while standing in the middle of a techno club. Strangely enough, these sounds go together extremely well. Remix by Apollo 440.

"Even Better Than The Real Thing (A 440 vs. U2 Instrumental Remix)" -- Exactly what it says on the box, this is an instrumental version of a combination of the previous two remixes. Not great, not bad. Remix by Apollo 440.

Individually, there are some really good remixes here. Of course, it's not every day that I feel like popping a CD into my stereo and hearing the same song five times, no matter how different the remixes sound. Still, it's interesting to hear different interpretations of the same basic structure, and the collection here is quite good.

If you are a U2 fan, this is a great item to get while you still can, most stores don't have old singles. The remixes are all pretty good. The first 2, I think are by Paul Oakenfold, OK. The last 3 by Apollo 440 are just great, especially V16 Exit Wound Mix. The only other likely place to find these is a bootleg remix CD or U2's Melon for Propoganda only has 1 of them I think. Buy it now.