September 19, 2011

Extortion Baby

U2 has been rereleasing their studio albums in various remastered packages.

The first few got remastered and released in two-cd versions with the second disc containing b-sides and rarities. With Joshua Tree, possibly their finest album, they offered a two-cd version and a three-cd version. It looks like Rattle and Hum got skipped (possibly due to licensing issues with the studio), but the band has come back with a profit-making vengeance with Achtung Baby.



For this one, they're offering a single-disc version for $13.49.

There's a two-disc version with the second disc being b-sides and rarities for $24.80. Sadly, they haven't released the track listing for disc two yet. I wanna know what's there because a while back, I went with the Ultimate U2 mp3 Discography torrent a year or so ago.

There's what they're calling a Super Deluxe edition with 6 cds, 4 DVDs, a 92-page hardback book, and 16 art prints for $143.51.

And then there's the Uber Deluxe edition with "six CDs including the original Achtung Baby album, the follow-up album, Zooropa, b-sides and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Four DVDs including "From The Sky Down", Zoo TV, all the videos from Achtung Baby plus bonus material. Also includes five clear seven inch vinyl singles in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propaganda magazine, four badges, a sticker sheet, and a pair of Bono's trademark "The Fly" sunglasses. Band members sold separately." (from the Amazon description)

And there's a vinyl version with 4 LPs (two of which are apparently on translucent blue vinyl) for only $170.50.

I get that things like digital downloading, bit torrents, and lots more are cutting into the sales and profitability of cds, but this just seems a little excessive, boys.

What do you think, Bono?


3 comments:

coachsullivan said...

Agree with everything you say. Except for one thing. All it takes is for the consumer not to buy it. U2 putting it out there doesn't mean that I have to fork over the dough.

Does seem excessive, though.

olabimpe said...

U2... is ridiculous for this. But I don't mind it when smaller artists do the same thing (on a smaller scale, of course). I think with the bigger artists who have had fame, the cheeky ploys to get more money seem less legitimate, and more greedy/obnoxious.

PHSChemGuy said...

It's crap like this that pushes people toward illegal downloading.

Dylan released a super limited edition fourth cd that cost like a hundred bucks to get the full four-cd set.

I grabbed it for...um...free off of torrent.