Original Soundtracks 1

Original Soundtracks 1 (also known as Original Soundtracks) is a 1995 album recorded by U2 and Brian Eno, as a side project, under the pseudonym Passengers. It is a collection of songs written for mostly imaginary movies (the exclusions being songs for Heat, Ghost In The Shell, Miss Sarajevo, and Beyond the Clouds).

Because the album is highly experimental, bespeaking the increasing influence of Brian Eno on the band, Island Records was reluctant to release it as a U2 album, so the invented name was devised instead.

There is some argument amongst U2 fans as to whether this is considered a U2 album or not, but it is usually not included in the band’s discography, due to the pseudonym under which it was released.

Because of the nature of the music and the decision to release it under another name, the album is easily the least known and worst selling in the U2 catalog. Further, critical reaction from the press, the fans, and even the band members, has been mixed. Drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., is noted for his dislike of the album: “There’s a thin line between interesting music and self-indulgence. We crossed it on the Passengers record.”

About half of the album is instrumental, and the vocal tracks generally stray from the clear hooks and melodies that usually define U2’s work. Of these, the delicate “Miss Sarajevo”, featuring Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti on vocals, is considered the most memorable. Reflecting on the album in 2002, Mullen stated, “It hasn’t grown on me.