New U2 album SONGS OF INNOCENCE

[slaneman]

Best Buy near me didn't even have the new album. Barnes and Noble had the deluxe version only but they wanted $21.95. Ended up at Target (which was recently hacked and both my wife and I had to get new cards...). Target did not have the single CD, but they had a few of the deluxe version for $16.88.

Of course Target is 'safe' now. Of course you might use cash if you're paranoid about these things, which you should be.

[morgan1098]

A Billboard article a while back mentioned that when SOI hit stores, the U2 back catalog would also be available at retailers for a "reduced price." At my local indie, I found this to be the case--except for the "reduced price" part.

The U2 section was much bigger than usual, with brand new copies of all the single disc remasters as well as a few of the deluxe editions. However, the prices were anything but reduced. Single disc remasters were $10.99 or $11.99, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby deluxe were $29.99, and Unforgettable Fire deluxe was a whopping $34.99! These prices are higher than they were when the albums were first released!

EDIT: In fairness, though, my indie was selling SOI deluxe for $14.98, cheaper than Target, Best Buy or amazon...

[slaneman]

Here in the Washington DC area, there is no 'back catalog' of U2. You're lucky to see maybe 1 or 2 albums anywhere and certainly not reduced. Best Buy, Target, or B&N. Guess it depends where you live.

[morgan1098]

That's typically the way it is here in Colorado, too. The chain stores have no back catalog. But my local indie store did beef up their selection for this release.

The Billboard article made it sound like Universal was hoping to entice retailers to offer the back catalog at a reduced price, the same way iTunes did with the catalog albums (they were $5.99 on iTunes, I think, and a couple weeks ago literally EVERY U2 album was on the iTunes chart, including October!). But the way CD sales are, I'm guessing not many retailers jumped at the opportunity. 

[slaneman]

As far as the booklet, which was the only thing I was interested in seeing, there are 2 pieces of paper folded up about 8 times, 1 per sleeve. The first has Bono's blurb found in the .pdf for the iTunes and the production credits, also there before. The second is just lyrics. It has the same lyrics found in the iTunes and also the lyrics for the new songs, minus the acoustic sessions. The tracks are numbered like what appears on the paper sleeve. CD2 is numbered

1. Lucifer's Hands
2. The Crystal Ballroom
3. Acoustic Sessions (No lyrics for these, no lyrics for Invisible)
4. The Troubles (Alternate Version)
5. Sleep Like A Baby Tonight (Alternate Perspective Mix by Tchad Blake)

There's a complete line in the booklet for Sleep Like A Baby (Alternate version) that is missing from the recording which I find odd. Of course there's always a few words here and there that Bono changes on the recording, but the whole line seems to have been erased and a small time gap left there. Strange.

Anyone who has the vinyl please chime in if the 12" mix appears on the lyrics booklet.

[Aaron]

Best Buy near me didn't even have the new album. Barnes and Noble had the deluxe version only but they wanted $21.95. Ended up at Target (which was recently hacked and both my wife and I had to get new cards...). Target did not have the single CD, but they had a few of the deluxe version for $16.88.

Of course Target is 'safe' now. Of course you might use cash if you're paranoid about these things, which you should be.

wow.  I hate to say this.  But here in Canada the single disc was marked $10 at walmart and was cheaper at HMV.  The deluxe edition cost me $12.99 at HMV, and was marked $13 at Walmart.

Are our CD prices that much better up this side of the border?

[Aaron]

A Billboard article a while back mentioned that when SOI hit stores, the U2 back catalog would also be available at retailers for a "reduced price." At my local indie, I found this to be the case--except for the "reduced price" part.

The U2 section was much bigger than usual, with brand new copies of all the single disc remasters as well as a few of the deluxe editions. However, the prices were anything but reduced. Single disc remasters were $10.99 or $11.99, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby deluxe were $29.99, and Unforgettable Fire deluxe was a whopping $34.99! These prices are higher than they were when the albums were first released!

EDIT: In fairness, though, my indie was selling SOI deluxe for $14.98, cheaper than Target, Best Buy or amazon...

ummm.  and the Achtung Baby deluxe version was $10 at the HMV cash - the two disc version in a digisleeve....

[God, Part II]

EDIT: In fairness, though, my indie was selling SOI deluxe for $14.98, cheaper than...Best Buy...

Best Buy's advertised price (which is exactly what it rang up for me) is $14.99, so this isn't really accurate, unless you're being strict to that penny difference.

[morgan1098]

EDIT: In fairness, though, my indie was selling SOI deluxe for $14.98, cheaper than...Best Buy...

Best Buy's advertised price (which is exactly what it rang up for me) is $14.99, so this isn't really accurate, unless you're being strict to that penny difference.

Really? It must be a regional thing. The online flier lists $15.99, although I see if you go directly to the listing on their web site it's $14.99. Usually amazon matches BB's price, which they haven't done in this case.  Anyway, no offense to Best Buy intended. 

[Aaron]

Miracle of Joey Ramone video is now featured on iTunes.  If you go to the main page in iTunes you'll see a banner ad for it.  It doesn't appear to be available for sale yet.  But it's streaming through the iTunes store.

<a href="http://promotions.itunes.apple.com/streams/4137C0E6-B767-4865-8748-4F27B26E9C61_Sandcastle_MusicVideo.mp4">This may work too!</a>

[slaneman]

Nice video, I think U2 should play this as the final encore for the night on the upcoming tour. I want to see Edge doing scissor splits then smash his guitar at the end and Larry kick over his cymbals. 

[morgan1098]

I just finished editing the "acoustic sessions" and separating "Sleep Like a Baby" from "Invisible" in iTunes. Until this album came out, I didn't even know it was possible to do this. It's surprisingly easy. Now I have Disc 2 of SOI properly sequenced as an 11-track album.

Also, here's the 2nd sticker from the US deluxe:

[George]

Regarding pricing for the deluxe edition, mine from Amazon Canada was $11.69.  That's an incredible price for a new double-CD release.

[God, Part II]

I just finished editing the "acoustic sessions" and separating "Sleep Like a Baby" from "Invisible" in iTunes. Now I have Disc 2 of SOI properly sequenced as an 11-track album.

Ditto, but I did with the CD and a software program called Goldwave. Now I have "Invisible" as the album's first track in my library, and (due to my aforementioned thoughts on Lykke Li's unappealing contribution to the track) swapped the placement of the alternate version of "The Troubles" with the album version.

[morgan1098]

This shouldn't be surprising considering CD sales today and combined with the fact that they gave away the album for free, but current estimates suggest that the album will debut in the UK charts at #4 (lowest debut since War), and first-week sales in the US will be around 24,000.    Hopefully those numbers will be higher when the sales are officially tallied, though...