u2.com streaming unreleased or rare songs

[Aaron]

Just to be clear...

Did anyone actually manage to download this for free from U2.com because they had pre-ordered the album?  I can find the copies on Spotify, iTunes, Qobuz etc.  But wondering if a version of this was actually made available on U2.com as the email stated it would be?  I am only interested in specific information about U2.com. 

I contacted U2.com and they seemed to be surprised to hear about it and that to their knowledge there wasn't a download. 

[morgan1098]

Just to be clear...

Did anyone actually manage to download this for free from U2.com because they had pre-ordered the album?  I can find the copies on Spotify, iTunes, Qobuz etc.  But wondering if a version of this was actually made available on U2.com as the email stated it would be?  I am only interested in specific information about U2.com. 

I contacted U2.com and they seemed to be surprised to hear about it and that to their knowledge there wasn't a download.

I just forwarded you the email if you want to see it! Also here's a screen grab of the relevant section.

[Aaron]

yup.  I've seen the email.  I just haven't been able to find the file and I did pre-order, so I should be able to.  I pre-ordered both the Super Deluxe and Deluxe.  I spoke to the customer service team, and they were unaware that the email had been sent.  So they asked me to forward it to them.  They did not get back to me since that time.  So just wondering if anyone actually did find the file on the site?

[csmerria]

I pre-ordered and had to contact support; they sent me a link that worked today. Took me to a personalized download page, like the RHMT download page. The original email from u2.com just sent me to the generic Joshua Tree 2017 page. If you're still waiting to hear back, check your spam folder - the reply was just from "Customer Support" (orderhelp at livenationmerchandise.com).

[miryclay]

I assumed that it would be inside the user profile that requires a login on the u2.com shop site. Did you try and clean out your cache or maybe try another browser?

[U2Joshua]

I pre-ordered and had to contact support; they sent me a link that worked today. Took me to a personalized download page, like the RHMT download page. The original email from u2.com just sent me to the generic Joshua Tree 2017 page. If you're still waiting to hear back, check your spam folder - the reply was just from "Customer Support" (orderhelp at livenationmerchandise.com).

So, to ask Aaron's question, is it the same as the iTunes, Spotify and everywhere else version?

No special edit / fade-in or fade-out?

[csmerria]

I pre-ordered and had to contact support; they sent me a link that worked today. Took me to a personalized download page, like the RHMT download page. The original email from u2.com just sent me to the generic Joshua Tree 2017 page. If you're still waiting to hear back, check your spam folder - the reply was just from "Customer Support" (orderhelp at livenationmerchandise.com).

So, to ask Aaron's question, is it the same as the iTunes, Spotify and everywhere else version?

No special edit / fade-in or fade-out?

I assume it's the same as everywhere else. I don't have other sources, so can't do a more formal compare, but it seemed the same as the version on spotify. While it's not tagged, the filename starts with a 16, so pretty confident it's just the standard track 16.

I did compare the RHMT file from the pre-order to the flac I have from 7digital as well as the file from u2.com, and they are all the same. The u2.com download was 256k and the pre-order is 320, but no fade or edit variances.

[slaneman]

What's interesting is that the U2.com download version seems like a totally unique remaster. Not only does Bono's voice sound different, but the first instance of 'But I still haven't found' at 0.49 you can clearly hear Edge singing harmony. You don't hear Edge on the album version or the MFiT version. Nice.

[Aaron]

What's interesting is that the U2.com download version seems like a totally unique remaster. Not only does Bono's voice sound different, but the first instance of 'But I still haven't found' at 0.49 you can clearly hear Edge singing harmony. You don't hear Edge on the album version or the MFiT version. Nice.

Are you comparing these to Rattle and Hum? 

[Brad]

What's interesting is that the U2.com download version seems like a totally unique remaster. Not only does Bono's voice sound different, but the first instance of 'But I still haven't found' at 0.49 you can clearly hear Edge singing harmony. You don't hear Edge on the album version or the MFiT version. Nice.

Are you comparing these to Rattle and Hum?

That's what I assumed. You can hear Edge harmonizing on the FLAC version I have from Qobuz, but not on R&H.

[slaneman]

Yup. Comparing album version of R&H and the MFiT version of R&H album.
On neither can you hear Edge like you can on the Qobuz, which was the U2.com streaming version. I'm glad Brad hears that too.

So where did this version come from. Have they remastered the whole album?
It's not the version sent to iTunes, although that was supposed to be 'adjusted' to sound better. But on this MFiT version I can't hear Edge.

[miryclay]

Yup. Comparing album version of R&H and the MFiT version of R&H album.
On neither can you hear Edge like you can on the Qobuz, which was the U2.com streaming version. I'm glad Brad hears that too.

So where did this version come from. Have they remastered the whole album?
It's not the version sent to iTunes, although that was supposed to be 'adjusted' to sound better. But on this MFiT version I can't hear Edge.

tell us MFit means.....

[Brad]

Yup. Comparing album version of R&H and the MFiT version of R&H album.
On neither can you hear Edge like you can on the Qobuz, which was the U2.com streaming version. I'm glad Brad hears that too.

So where did this version come from. Have they remastered the whole album?
It's not the version sent to iTunes, although that was supposed to be 'adjusted' to sound better. But on this MFiT version I can't hear Edge.

tell us MFit means.....

Mastered for iTunes

[miryclay]

Thanks...

[morgan1098]

RE: ISHFWILF, this is the same performance but clearly a totally different mix. For one thing, Bono messes up and comes in way early on the "I believe in the Kingdom come..." verse. That part was edited out of the R&H version. This one is overall much less polished and more live. All kinds of new sounds here, including Edge's vocals as others have mentioned.