The Complete U2: It’s All Here

The iTunes Music Store digital box set, The Complete U2 (iTMS link), went up for sale today, and its tracklist is absolutely sensational — while some of the “rare and unreleased” tracks are in fact familiar, some are never-before-heard outtakes and new songs (!) from the ATYCLB and HTDAAB sessions. The box set also includes three live shows (Mexico 1997 as Hasta La Vista Baby!, Dublin Dec. 31 1989, and Boston 1981), all of the tracks from the early singles which have only been widely available on vinyl — “Another Day,” “11 O’Clock Tick Tock,” etc., with their b-sides — and the best part is, only the “rare and unreleased” tracks and the live shows are labeled as Album Only — everything else is up for grabs a la carte. So if you don’t have $150, but you’re burning for a copy of “Mofo (House Flavour Mix)”, then you know where to go! (Full tracklist of the rare-tracks bundle after the jump.)


The Complete U2’s “Rare And Unreleased” bundle:

  1. Levitate (from ATYCLB sessions)
  2. Love You Like Mad (from ATYCLB sessions)
  3. Smile (HTDAAB sessions)
  4. Flower Child (ATYCLB sessions)
  5. Beautiful Ghost (Joshua Tree sessions)
  6. Jesus Christ (Sun Studio)
  7. Xanax and Wine (HTDAAB sessions)
  8. All Because Of You (Alternate)
  9. Native Son
  10. Yahweh (Alternate)
  11. Sometimes You Can’t … (Alternate)
  12. Numb (Radio Edit)
  13. Bass Trap (Extended)
  14. Night and Day (Twilight Remix)
  15. Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix)
  16. Salome (Zooromancer Remix)
  17. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
  18. Stateless (Soundtrack Version)
  19. Street Missions (1st Demo Version)
  20. Shadows And Tall Trees (1st Demo Version)
  21. The Fool (1st Demo Version)

I’m sure we can all find the odd missing track, but this sure seems to have turned out nicely, hasn’t it?

42 thoughts on “The Complete U2: It’s All Here

  1. Excellent Digital Boxset, however purchasers should be aware of some remarkable admissions as follows:

    1) 8 B-sides to U2 singles(Single name first, track(s) ommitted next.
    All are cover versions except “Stuck..”

    “One” – Satelite Of Love
    “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” – Paint It Black, Fortunate Son
    “Stay Far Away SO CLose” – I’ve Got you under my skin(albeit Bono solo)
    “Staring At The Sun” – “Pop Musik”
    “Stuck In A Moment..” – Stuck In A Moment(accoustic)
    “Elevation” – I Remember You
    “Vertigo” – Neon Lights

    2) Other U2 AppearancesAlbum first, track ommitted second)

    “Live For Ireland” – Maggies Farm
    “Red Hot & Blue” – Night and Day – original version.
    “Amercica: Tribute to heroes” – Peace On Earth/Walk On
    “Were a happy family” – Beat On The Brat

    The track from the Tribute to heroes CD is included as it is the only released live recording of a portion at least of “Peace On Earth”
    There are a few other tracks ommitted in addition but these are different versions of the same track like the soundtrack versions of “Until The End Of The World”, “The Wanderer”, “Stay”, plus other live tracks on various benefit compilations

    Hmmm, so hardly the definitive “Complete u2” , nearly but not quite !

    I would have preferred the above tracks to be included rather than the 15 versions of “Discotheque” the 12 versions of “Lemon” or the 6 versions of “Mofo” included.

  2. Excellent Digital Boxset, however purchasers should be aware of some remarkable admissions as follows:

    1) 8 B-sides to U2 singles(Single name first, track(s) ommitted next.
    All are cover versions except “Stuck..”

    “One” – Satelite Of Love
    “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” – Paint It Black, Fortunate Son
    “Stay Far Away SO CLose” – I’ve Got you under my skin(albeit Bono solo)
    “Staring At The Sun” – “Pop Musik”
    “Stuck In A Moment..” – Stuck In A Moment(accoustic)
    “Elevation” – I Remember You
    “Vertigo” – Neon Lights

    2) Other U2 AppearancesAlbum first, track ommitted second)

    “Live For Ireland” – Maggies Farm
    “Red Hot & Blue” – Night and Day – original version.
    “Amercica: Tribute to heroes” – Peace On Earth/Walk On
    “Were a happy family” – Beat On The Brat

    The track from the Tribute to heroes CD is included as it is the only released live recording of a portion at least of “Peace On Earth”
    There are a few other tracks ommitted in addition but these are different versions of the same track like the soundtrack versions of “Until The End Of The World”, “The Wanderer”, “Stay”, plus other live tracks on various benefit compilations

    Hmmm, so hardly the definitive “Complete u2” , nearly but not quite !

    I would have preferred the above tracks to be included rather than the 15 versions of “Discotheque” the 12 versions of “Lemon” or the 6 versions of “Mofo” included.

  3. Well, the missing cover songs make sense — it can be difficult to get the licensing for that sort of thing. It is a little weird that the acoustic “Stuck In A Moment…” isn’t in the set, but at least it’s available elsewhere on the iTMS — “Peace On Earth / Walk On” would’ve been nice as well, but since it’s for a charity release, I imagine they wanted to keep using it as a value-driver on that disc.

  4. Well, the missing cover songs make sense — it can be difficult to get the licensing for that sort of thing. It is a little weird that the acoustic “Stuck In A Moment…” isn’t in the set, but at least it’s available elsewhere on the iTMS — “Peace On Earth / Walk On” would’ve been nice as well, but since it’s for a charity release, I imagine they wanted to keep using it as a value-driver on that disc.

  5. Hey, I’d really like to buy all that unreleased and rare stuff. But I can’t without laying down $150 for all the albums I’ve already got.

    Seems like a weird decision on the band’s part. Who is this box set targeted to? People who don’t own a lick of U2’s work, but have a spare $150 lying around to buy everyhing they ever recorded? (Including six–count ’em–versions of “All I Want Is You,” nine recordings of “I Will Follow,” and 11 versions of “Lemon.”)

    Hey, I’m a junkie for anything the band releases. But $150 is an expensive fix. Especially considering a already have 90% of what’s there.

    Let’s hope they enable purchases on the other selections sometime soon–before I and a number of others end up going to BitTorrent and getting those extras for free.

  6. Hey, I’d really like to buy all that unreleased and rare stuff. But I can’t without laying down $150 for all the albums I’ve already got.

    Seems like a weird decision on the band’s part. Who is this box set targeted to? People who don’t own a lick of U2’s work, but have a spare $150 lying around to buy everyhing they ever recorded? (Including six–count ’em–versions of “All I Want Is You,” nine recordings of “I Will Follow,” and 11 versions of “Lemon.”)

    Hey, I’m a junkie for anything the band releases. But $150 is an expensive fix. Especially considering a already have 90% of what’s there.

    Let’s hope they enable purchases on the other selections sometime soon–before I and a number of others end up going to BitTorrent and getting those extras for free.

  7. It’s not like I can just download 400 songs on my hard drive, too. I didn’t see anywhere how many MB (GB?) it would take. They just note “it could take hours to download.” Gee, thanks.

  8. It’s not like I can just download 400 songs on my hard drive, too. I didn’t see anywhere how many MB (GB?) it would take. They just note “it could take hours to download.” Gee, thanks.

  9. A couple comments on the comments above:

    1) The acoustic version of “Stuck” does get downloaded with the Complete U2 though I can’t for the life of me find it listed under that heading. It shows up after being downloaded as a “compilation” with an album name of “Exclusive” with one other track (Beautiful Day live from Boston).

    2) The total download includes 451 songs and is about 2GB in size. On our broadband connection (1500/384) it took just over four hours (with one restart required).

    3) The catalog shows 446 songs but 451 is what you get (as of today. Tomorrow? Who knows? iTunes can be a bit flakey at times).

  10. A couple comments on the comments above:

    1) The acoustic version of “Stuck” does get downloaded with the Complete U2 though I can’t for the life of me find it listed under that heading. It shows up after being downloaded as a “compilation” with an album name of “Exclusive” with one other track (Beautiful Day live from Boston).

    2) The total download includes 451 songs and is about 2GB in size. On our broadband connection (1500/384) it took just over four hours (with one restart required).

    3) The catalog shows 446 songs but 451 is what you get (as of today. Tomorrow? Who knows? iTunes can be a bit flakey at times).

  11. Erf. I was wrong. Somebody added a few other tracks to their shopping cart in addition to the digital box set. :p

    447 is what you get and no acoustic version of Stuck…

  12. Erf. I was wrong. Somebody added a few other tracks to their shopping cart in addition to the digital box set. :p

    447 is what you get and no acoustic version of Stuck…

  13. It’s also missing some of the best of edits on the 2nd discs, and non-u2 releases, ie mdh, sdtk work, etc. Oddly it has the entire a-sides discs up on the best ofs, which is mostly repetitive, but not the b-sides ones. Some of the earlier vinyl mixes are missing as well. Overall it is better than I expected, most of the omissions make sense…

    You can also get the covers on the one and wgrywh singles ala carte in the normal itunes store.

  14. It’s also missing some of the best of edits on the 2nd discs, and non-u2 releases, ie mdh, sdtk work, etc. Oddly it has the entire a-sides discs up on the best ofs, which is mostly repetitive, but not the b-sides ones. Some of the earlier vinyl mixes are missing as well. Overall it is better than I expected, most of the omissions make sense…

    You can also get the covers on the one and wgrywh singles ala carte in the normal itunes store.

  15. Found three more cover versions excluded:

    “All I Want Is You” single: Unchained Melody & Everlasting Love.

    “Elevation” single: Don’t Take Your Guns To Town

    I understand licencing may have been a problem, paying royalties may also have been the problem !

    Regarding “Repetition” on the “Best Of” tracks, thats true, but around 6 Zooropa/Pop tracks were remixed specially for the Best of 90-00 so they are unique in that sense.

    Why do they call it the Complete U2 when it is clearly not. Licencing problems or not those 11 cover versions ommitted are essential to any “Complete” U2 package.They show the band experimenting,doing something different taking risks and having fun.

  16. Found three more cover versions excluded:

    “All I Want Is You” single: Unchained Melody & Everlasting Love.

    “Elevation” single: Don’t Take Your Guns To Town

    I understand licencing may have been a problem, paying royalties may also have been the problem !

    Regarding “Repetition” on the “Best Of” tracks, thats true, but around 6 Zooropa/Pop tracks were remixed specially for the Best of 90-00 so they are unique in that sense.

    Why do they call it the Complete U2 when it is clearly not. Licencing problems or not those 11 cover versions ommitted are essential to any “Complete” U2 package.They show the band experimenting,doing something different taking risks and having fun.

  17. What is interesting about “cover” songs NOT being included, is the fact that Bono’s cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love (Triple Peaks remix)” IS included in the downlaod.

    “Dancing Barefoot” from When Love Comes to Town is also missing.

  18. What is interesting about “cover” songs NOT being included, is the fact that Bono’s cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love (Triple Peaks remix)” IS included in the downlaod.

    “Dancing Barefoot” from When Love Comes to Town is also missing.

  19. Covers older then 25 years (could be 20, not sure) are free from royalties, so that explains why some (cover) tracks are on the set and some are not.

  20. Covers older then 25 years (could be 20, not sure) are free from royalties, so that explains why some (cover) tracks are on the set and some are not.

  21. It would be nice if they could hurry up and get the ITunes Store up and running in Australia!! We are missing out!

  22. It would be nice if they could hurry up and get the ITunes Store up and running in Australia!! We are missing out!

  23. The original writer/artist has no control over who covers their songs as long as the licensing fee(s) are paid. I bet there is a 2 GB limit on it, so they had to pick what to leave off.

    Apple is who calls it “Complete”, probably cuz it has the complete album collection. (but not if you get real picky over the 2 different versions Boy/Blood/Un Fire/Zooropa and 3 of J Tree)

    MTV2 has an hourly news story of the taping/release tonight. It’s on right now.

  24. The original writer/artist has no control over who covers their songs as long as the licensing fee(s) are paid. I bet there is a 2 GB limit on it, so they had to pick what to leave off.

    Apple is who calls it “Complete”, probably cuz it has the complete album collection. (but not if you get real picky over the 2 different versions Boy/Blood/Un Fire/Zooropa and 3 of J Tree)

    MTV2 has an hourly news story of the taping/release tonight. It’s on right now.

  25. 2GB limit on the box set, that is. I’d guess there are at least 3 dozen tracks left off not counting heaps of radio-only/video-only stuff.

  26. 2GB limit on the box set, that is. I’d guess there are at least 3 dozen tracks left off not counting heaps of radio-only/video-only stuff.

  27. Is the version of “I’m Not Your Baby” with Sinead O’Connor on there? Hmmmm . . . . That’s a good raritiy that not many people know of.

    . . .

    Am I the only one that thinks this whole thing is a rip off?

    I own every U2 album already, and every commercially available single. Now I have to pay all over again to get them in a poor-sounding digital format so that I can gain access to some previously unreleased rarities?

    How does this reward fans at all? The casual fan wouldn’t be interested in these things. So who has the money to pay for a second time (or third time, for those of us who have owned copies of JT or UF on vinyl and CD, or cassette and CD)?

    U2 should be releasing these things on a limited edition box set or something like that, properly mastered. A 4-CD boxset of Rarities and B-Sides should do just nicely, if all the remixes are dropped.

    Or, at least open things up so we can buy some of those rarities for 99 cents each like all the other tunes.

    From the audiofile point of view too — U2 has always cared about the sound of their albums, the mastering, and the overall end product. While I can appreciated wanting to get behind the whole digital music “revolution,” at the same time, they’re also supporting a compressed sound format that has its sonic drawbacks. I want to hear those unreleased tunes on DVD-audio, or SACD — or at least CD.

    I’m a bit mad about this.

    We should be writing their management to share our concerns.

  28. Is the version of “I’m Not Your Baby” with Sinead O’Connor on there? Hmmmm . . . . That’s a good raritiy that not many people know of.

    . . .

    Am I the only one that thinks this whole thing is a rip off?

    I own every U2 album already, and every commercially available single. Now I have to pay all over again to get them in a poor-sounding digital format so that I can gain access to some previously unreleased rarities?

    How does this reward fans at all? The casual fan wouldn’t be interested in these things. So who has the money to pay for a second time (or third time, for those of us who have owned copies of JT or UF on vinyl and CD, or cassette and CD)?

    U2 should be releasing these things on a limited edition box set or something like that, properly mastered. A 4-CD boxset of Rarities and B-Sides should do just nicely, if all the remixes are dropped.

    Or, at least open things up so we can buy some of those rarities for 99 cents each like all the other tunes.

    From the audiofile point of view too — U2 has always cared about the sound of their albums, the mastering, and the overall end product. While I can appreciated wanting to get behind the whole digital music “revolution,” at the same time, they’re also supporting a compressed sound format that has its sonic drawbacks. I want to hear those unreleased tunes on DVD-audio, or SACD — or at least CD.

    I’m a bit mad about this.

    We should be writing their management to share our concerns.

  29. I’m with you, jake, it’s hard to understand how a band whose guitar player wants to remaster and remix every note they’ve ever played would use this kind of format for something of this scope. I get a little peeved too with all the singles and the remixes and what versions are on what CDs, and what was only an import, yadda yadda,and the cost of it all, not to mention the vinyl to CD changeover. It’s not a matter of, are they worth it, it’s a matter of, I don’t have it. I think the band is all caught up in the fervor of using a new technology and marketing ploy, and I think they are afraid of looking like old farts if they don’t, or deem the technology substandard — when in the hell are people going to learn that new isn’t always better and that change isn’t necessarily progress?

    You know, I love these guys with a heart and a half, but they have put together such a wonderful family unit for themselves that in some ways, I’ve always felt like it was a cocoon that keeps certain realities from getting to them. And I think this is one of them. If this set was meant for newer fans who have not plunked down a fortune and spent half a lifetime trying to negotiate this remix on this single or that soundtrack album, then those fans are getting screwed on the quality. And if it is meant for those of us who have been around the U2 block more than once, they totally missed the mark. Bono must have gotten big bucks out of them for Data and it’s now payback time.

  30. I’m with you, jake, it’s hard to understand how a band whose guitar player wants to remaster and remix every note they’ve ever played would use this kind of format for something of this scope. I get a little peeved too with all the singles and the remixes and what versions are on what CDs, and what was only an import, yadda yadda,and the cost of it all, not to mention the vinyl to CD changeover. It’s not a matter of, are they worth it, it’s a matter of, I don’t have it. I think the band is all caught up in the fervor of using a new technology and marketing ploy, and I think they are afraid of looking like old farts if they don’t, or deem the technology substandard — when in the hell are people going to learn that new isn’t always better and that change isn’t necessarily progress?

    You know, I love these guys with a heart and a half, but they have put together such a wonderful family unit for themselves that in some ways, I’ve always felt like it was a cocoon that keeps certain realities from getting to them. And I think this is one of them. If this set was meant for newer fans who have not plunked down a fortune and spent half a lifetime trying to negotiate this remix on this single or that soundtrack album, then those fans are getting screwed on the quality. And if it is meant for those of us who have been around the U2 block more than once, they totally missed the mark. Bono must have gotten big bucks out of them for Data and it’s now payback time.

  31. Fans getting rewarded?! Artists sell stuff. If people wanna buy it, cool. If not, they’ll live. I’d love it if there were cd releases, maybe during the wait for the next album.

    U2 have put out most of the stuff in iTunes (and worse) before the box set, so the audiophile thing doesn’t make much sense. Since the stuff is more on the minor side, not a grand album statement or something of that ilk, an itunes release just to get it out there makes sense.

  32. Fans getting rewarded?! Artists sell stuff. If people wanna buy it, cool. If not, they’ll live. I’d love it if there were cd releases, maybe during the wait for the next album.

    U2 have put out most of the stuff in iTunes (and worse) before the box set, so the audiophile thing doesn’t make much sense. Since the stuff is more on the minor side, not a grand album statement or something of that ilk, an itunes release just to get it out there makes sense.

  33. Does anyone know where I can see a list of all the tracks included in The Complete U2? I don’t want to go to the trouble of installing iTunes just to see what is available. In fact, as far as I can see it is impossible to see any of the tracks available on iTunes without downloading the iTunes application. Is this not a bit short-sighted on Apple’s part?

  34. Does anyone know where I can see a list of all the tracks included in The Complete U2? I don’t want to go to the trouble of installing iTunes just to see what is available. In fact, as far as I can see it is impossible to see any of the tracks available on iTunes without downloading the iTunes application. Is this not a bit short-sighted on Apple’s part?

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