U2.com 2017 subscriber "gift"

[George]

U2's gift this year is a 10" vinyl set of the four The Joshua Tree singles, each featuring the remastered version of the single on Side A and a live performance from the 2017 tour on Side B.  See http://www.u2.com/news/title/the-joshua-tree-singles-vinyl-collection-1987--2017.

So that's a total of four (4) new tracks.

This is a profound disappointment when related to previous gifts, especially the more recent ones U22, Edge's Picks, and even Another Time, Another Place.  There were so many opportunities to really shine like they did with U22 and Edge's Picks.  It's beyond me how they might think that this is on par with those.  At least they went back to something musical this year, but really, it could should have been so much better.

I wonder if they actually asked any fans what they'd like before hand...

[morgan1098]

The announcement was so delayed I had a feeling the gift would end up being tour-related!

I'm conflicted about this one. Those single sleeves are iconic and make for a cool collectible. Unfortunately I spent quite a lot of time tracking down good copies of the original 12" singles and I have all four framed and hanging in my office. Now what am I going to do with 10" versions?

I'm glad the b-sides will have new audio, I just hope they release the tracks as downloads through U2.com. I know vinyl is huge right now but I think they're probably overestimating its appeal as a fan club gift.

[George]

Yes, it'll certainly look nice, there's no doubt about that, but upon further thought, in keeping with the same theme of live 2017 versions, I think a better gift would have been a live version of the album, not just from one show but each track selected from different performances during the tour - like what they're doing now, but with the remaining seven songs.

Maybe (please, please, please) they will release these as downloads for members, just as they did with those extra tracks for U22/Edge's Picks?

[slaneman]

Maybe (please, please, please) they will release these as downloads for members, just as they did with those extra tracks for U22/Edge's Picks?

All tracks will be available to download at U2.com

" In the next few months, you'll be able to download all the tracks."

Actually, if one is a new subscriber and newish U2 collector, this would be a pretty cool set of unique singles. I'm not a collector and am not subscribing but I still think it's a nice looking set for 50 bucks. I paid more than that for my JT 12'' singles back in the day. And they were certainly not mint in wrapper.

Certainly I'd prefer another complete JT show from their vault. I'm still puzzled why they chose the one they did when Bono was still wearing a sling from his fall and most likely full of painkillers. And this show was already available in its entirety from WV.

But so it goes.

[George]

Maybe (please, please, please) they will release these as downloads for members, just as they did with those extra tracks for U22/Edge's Picks?

All tracks will be available to download at U2.com

" In the next few months, you'll be able to download all the tracks."

I meant the other seven album tracks - it'd be nice to get a downloadable version of each of those, too.

[slaneman]

Gotcha 

Who knows, they could easily offer dls for those other 7 at some later time. Or maybe even do a full show broadcast.

[miryclay]

Gotcha 

Who knows, they could easily offer dls for those other 7 at some later time. Or maybe even do a full show broadcast.

I own the complete 7, 12 and cassette versions of these plus One Tree Hill. Kinda repetitive but a high cost gift for them to produce. The new tracks should be interesting. Again RHMT gets the shaft....and not a miner's shaft.   

[God, Part II]

Please, oh please, I beg of you, world, can you let this vinyl resurgence nonsense pass on by already?

[Brad]

Please, oh please, I beg of you, world, can you let this vinyl resurgence nonsense pass on by already?

[miryclay]

Please, oh please, I beg of you, world, can you let this vinyl resurgence nonsense pass on by already?

It ain't going away, we are just going to have to live with multiple formats. Even the millennials are into the wax these days so sit tight.

[God, Part II]

It ain't going away, we are just going to have to live with multiple formats. Even the millennials are into the wax these days so sit tight.

Ah, but see, therein lies the rub. We're actually trending away from the concept of multiple formats. Degradable vinyl and compressed downloads/streaming audio are supplanting the improved durability and playback quality of CD at a rapidly increasing rate. Can I get this fan club gift on CD? Nope, so so much for the abundant choices multiple formats provides. CD keeps getting squeezed out. If it was to make way for a superior format, I would have no complaints (heck, I've gone from collecting VHS, to LaserDisc, to DVD, to Blu-ray, to now 4K UHD), but in music's case, it's to make way for an inexplicable slide into inferior ones. And I recognize that this gift will come with digital downloads of the songs. Only if they're lossless will it pass muster with me and, even then, something about music that only exists as a file on a hard drive doesn't sit well with me.

[Brad]

Yep. Doubt we'll ever see a lossless version of those live tracks.

I have learned to be happy with lossless downloads. In fact, I almost never play my CDs anymore, just my lossless rips through Roon.

[God, Part II]

Yep. Doubt we'll ever see a lossless version of those live tracks.

I have learned to be happy with lossless downloads. In fact, I almost never play my CDs anymore, just my lossless rips through Roon.

That's actually exactly what I do--open the CD, rip it losslessly, then the CD goes back into the case in mint condition, never to see the light of day again. But I want that CD as my root source, both for the tangible packaging, as well as to have access to the best audio quality available to the mass market. Vinyl gives us the tangible packaging, but not the quality playback experience we deserve. I desperately wish that the hipster movement would be willing to subordinate nostalgia below playback fidelity.

[Nikabrik]

I for one, am thrilled with the gift. The only thing that could make it better would be if they weren't using the same versions on the A-sides that we've always heard before. Using the new remixed versions from the upcoming sets would have been a bit more interesting.

Regarding the vinyl aspect, obviously we don't need to start an audiophile debate here, but the merits of vinyl go beyond bitrates. Properly mastered vinyl is truly lossless, in that the audio hasn't been converted from a smooth analog waveform to a stairstep binary digital code. Sure, you might not own a turntable, but most people don't own a CD player anymore either. At least this way you're getting a collectible piece that actually has audio (as opposed to the serigraphs) and if you don't like it, you can resell it for much more money.

[Brad]

...the audio hasn't been converted from a smooth analog waveform to a stairstep binary digital code...

This is a myth about digital audio.
http://productionadvice.co.uk/no-stair-steps-in-digital-audio/

Plus, I'll bet dollars to doughnuts these records are cut from a digital master.