Author Topic: Achtung Baby search results on iTunes/2 digital albums  (Read 2449 times)

dagobah

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 324
  • exploring nature in Yellowstone/Grand Teton
Achtung Baby search results on iTunes/2 digital albums
« on: November 06, 2011, 12:05:09 AM »
Pretty soon, I will be buying the Super Deluxe Edition box set of Achtung Baby.  But in the meantime, I wanted to see what the iTunes Store (US) offered for the 20th Anniversary of Achtung Baby.  I typed achtung baby in the search box and the initial results screen showed some unusual results.  There were two digital albums that I don’t know anything about.  Here they are:

Album Title:  Plays U2 Absolutely Live
25 live tracks; released September 30, 2011; $10.99
on the album image, it says “Tribute Festival”

Album Title: Plays U2 Live 2006
10 live tracks; released October 21, 2011; $6.90

I couldn’t find anymore info (on the iTunes Store) about these two digital albums.  For the album titled Plays U2 Absolutely Live, there was one comment, but the comment didn’t have enough info for me to understand what’s up with this digital album.

I listened to some track samples.  It doesn't sound like Bono and the music doesn't sound like U2.  I guess this is some sort of tribute band.  Questions:
1. Why doesn't the iTunes screen explain what these two digital albums are?
2. Does U2 authorize iTunes to sell these two digital albums?
3. Does U2 get any money when either of these two digital albums are purchased?
4. I didn't buy these two digital albums, but I could easily see someone else buying them with the understanding that it's actually U2 playing the music.  Bono appears to be crowd surfing on one of the little album images.  And even though the other album image says "Tribute Festival", The Edge appears as the dominant image.  Having written all that, I could still see iTunes refusing to give refunds to people who felt these were misleading album titles.  iTunes might argue that people should have listened to the song samples before making their purchases.  What do you folks think?


Aaron

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2513
  • Discographer
    • http://www.u2wanderer.org
Re: Achtung Baby search results on iTunes/2 digital albums
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2011, 08:54:19 AM »
The name of the band is "Achtung Baby" and they are listed as having played both of these albums. 

It's a tribute band who have put up their material on itunes.  Like so many tribute albums and the like, it appears permission from U2 is not necessary to produce these.  There's so many of them that it's hard to keep track of.  I expect they have to pay some sort of a fee back to the band for the publishing rights to the songs, but otherwise, it seems like these are all over the place.  Dub compilations, Electronic compilations, Banjo Compilations, and so on...

Neither of these are U2.  Its' the fact that the band is calling itself "Achtung Baby" that really confuses the matter.

dagobah

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 324
  • exploring nature in Yellowstone/Grand Teton
Re: Achtung Baby search results on iTunes/2 digital albums
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2011, 06:03:20 PM »
Wow, that's interesting.  Thanks for the detailed response.  I sincerely appreciate it.