News

What’s the deal with this new U2 Achtung Baby reissue?

30th anniversary edition offers ‘digital box’

By Paul Sinclair

Comments

120

Although 2011 is probably best remembered as the year of Pink Floyd’s ‘Immersion’ box sets, there were two mega-boxes which were ahead of their time and helped define a new era of ‘super deluxe edition’ box sets.

One of these was The Smiths Complete – a gigantic box which contained eight CDs, 11 vinyl LPs and 25 seven-inch singles – and the other was the ‘über deluxe’ of U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby. The latter was a 20th anniversary edition and contained six CDs, four DVDs, a 2LP version of the album and five singles pressed on transparent vinyl in special oversized wallets. The packaging was very over the top for the U2 set, with magnetic ’tiles’ on the top, hidden drawers, enamel badges, ‘The Fly’ sunglasses, numbered lithograph, copies of the Propaganda magazine and more.

Smiths ‘Complete’ is a 44-disc box set. Photo above taken by Paul Sinclair in 2011 at Warner’s London offices (click image to enlarge)

These box sets were released within one month of each other and both retailed at over £200 (The Smiths set was £220 and U2 was £260). That’s a lot of money for a music box set today, and ten years ago it seemed crazy. Despite this, The Smiths box sold our very quickly (it was limited to 4000 units worldwide) and I never managed to get my hands on a copy (well I did briefly, under strict supervision in Warner’s offices!).

The U2 über deluxe took longer to go out of print. Prices have risen over the years and there were never any real bargains available.

The 2011 17-disc ‘über deluxe’ of U2’s Achtung Baby (click image to enlarge)

The reason for mentioning this is because U2 have just announced some 30th anniversary editions of the Achtung Baby album and the contrast to the activity ten years ago is stark. This time around there is a 2LP black vinyl edition of the album which comes with an eight-page booklet and a poster. Although there is a blue & red limited edition variant with a slipcase. THAT’S IT for physical editions.

Admittedly, it’s hard to see how they can top the editions a decade ago (there was also a 6CD+4DVD super deluxe for around the £85 mark), but an obvious thing to do might have been to offer some of this content again, perhaps in a more compact and cheaper CD-based package. What they’ve done instead is offer fans a “digital box” (coming on 3 December) that includes Uber Remixes, Unter Remixes and B-Sides with “22 tracks never before available digitally”.

The 2021 30th anniversary reissue of Achtung Baby on blue & red vinyl (click image to enlarge)

This digital box has four ‘components’: the 2018 remaster of the album (as is the new vinyl) and then 2021 remasters of CDs 3, 4 & 5 from both the 2011 super and uber deluxe editions. It’s not really true to say that 22 tracks haven’t been available ‘digitally’ before, since CD is a digital format, but I guess they mean download/streaming. The two discs of content ‘missing’ from both 2011 box sets that are missing from this 2011 digital box are Zooropa and Kindergarten — The Alternative Achtung Baby.

Incidentally, here’s something interesting to consider; when Achtung Baby was reissued in 2011 there was no vinyl version available separately. The 2LP edition was ONLY available in the uber deluxe or as part of a four-record set with some of the remixes. That only happened seven years later for the 2018 U2 vinyl reissues.

I wouldn’t rule out more physical boxes next year, with bigger vinyl sets and a CD box. If they can make an 11LP box out of All That You Can’t Leave Behind then the appetite will be there for Achtung Baby.

In the meantime, the new 2LP vinyl edition of the album is being released on 19 November 2021 (this Friday!) which is 30 years and one day since the original release date. Coloured vinyl is D2C only.

Tracklisting

Achtung Baby U2 / ‘Digital Box Set’

    • Achtung Baby
      1. Zoo Station
      2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
      3. One
      4. Until The End Of The World
      5. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
      6. So Cruel
      7. The Fly
      8. Mysterious Ways
      9. Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World
      10. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
      11. Acrobat
      12. Love Is Blindness
    • Uber Remixes
      1. Night and Day (Steel String Remix)
      2. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Perfecto Mix)
      3. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Extended Club Mix)
      4. Lemon (Perfecto Mix)
      5. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Triple Peaks Remix)
      6. Lady with the Spinning Head (Extended Dance remix)
      7. Real Thing (V16 Exit Wound Remix)
      8. Mysterious Ways (Ultimatum Mix)
      9. The Lounge Fly Mix
      10. Mysterious Ways (The Perfecto Remix)
      11. One (Apollo 440 Remix)
    • Unter Remixes
      1. Mysterious Ways (Tabla Motown Remix)
      2. Mysterious Ways (Apollo 440 Magic Hour Remix)
      3. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Mystery Train Dub)
      4. One (Apollo 440 Ambient Mix)
      5. Lemon (Momo’s Reprise)
      6. Salomé (Zooromancer Remix)
      7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Trance Mix)
      8. Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix)
      9. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Magic Hour Remix)
      10. Numb (The Soul Assassins Mix)
      11. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Apollo 440 Stealth Sonic Remix)
    • B-Sides And Other Stuff
      1. Lady With The Spinning Head (UV1)
      2. Blow Your House Down
      3. Salomé
      4. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Single Version)
      5. Satellite Of Love
      6. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Temple Bar Remix)
      7. Heaven And Hell
      8. Oh Berlin
      9. Near The Island (Instrumental)
      10. Down All The Days
      11. Paint It Black
      12. Fortunate Son
      13. Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk / Korova 1
      14. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
        15. Everybody Loves A Winner
        16. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Fish Out Of Water Remix)

SuperDeluxeEdition.com helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.

Related Content

120 Comments

120 thoughts on “What’s the deal with this new U2 Achtung Baby reissue?”

  1. Like Elvis Costello, abandoning them CD format because there’s a lack of profit and they figure ‘digital is digital’. Sorry but no sale U2. This was their last great album IMHO Md it does deserve better. Even Pretenders released their two deluxe (although it was a bit underwhelming without the video contents) versions of their first album. I guess U2 don’t want my money. No sale. Same with the Elvis Costello box. When I queried the EC Twitter page about “Armed Forces” and the possible CD reissue of that set ina smaller box, all I got was a snide remark back. I expected that from EC but the fact that they just disregard what fans want and give us what they think ‘we need’ is insulting. That’s too bad because, lately, I have been on a CD buying binge with some of the newer boxed sets that have come out. Mind you, I don’t mind vinyl it’s just not my first choice especially when they don’t offer a digital download with the vinyl (yes I know I could rip it too but it’s too much hassle) plus I have less room for vinyl big boxes. Guess Bono doesn’t want my money. Disappointing.

  2. Many years ago, I went on an absurd mission as I compiled both real and imagined items that could comprise the ultimate Achtung Baby box set. This happened after reading Bill Flanagan’s outstanding book U2 At the End of the World, a read which I wanted never to end. Some of the items on the list have subsequently been released. I’ve left them on this list nevertheless…if you, like me, have too much free time for these things, then please enjoy…

    NOTE: I always imagined this mad idea of mini-Trabants as film projectors, with the contents of the mini-Trabants being a bunch of Zoo TV concerts, videos, you name it. The headlights would project the video footage on your wall. I suppose only so many could be manufactured and made available as limited edition items for auction…perhaps for a charity of U2’s choosing.

    The Fantasy Achtung Baby/Zooropa Super Deluxe Twin Edition Box Set
    (By the way, the ^ symbol is just my way of saying that something doesn’t yet exist, nor are their plans to bring it into existence, but they COULD do it….)

    CONTENTS….

    •AUDIO

    Achtung Baby Remastered

    B-Sides (all of them)

    Remixes (all of them)

    Achtung Baby Song By Song Producer Mixes: 
    -Lanois Mixes
    -Eno Mixes
    -Lillywhite Mixes
    -Flood Mixes

    Achtung Baby
    Outtakes/Demos/Rehearsals/Soundtrack Versions/Alternate And Single Edits including…
    -the very first recording of One
    -Remastered Leaked Hansa Tapes (“stealing from the thieves, anyone?”) 
    -“Dogtown” Tapes 
    -Sick Puppy rehearsal w/the moment of One’s inception
    -Fat Boy Session
    -Sinatra (early Stay)
    -Down All The Days (early Numb)
    -The Wanderer (early version from Achtung Baby sessions)
    -Two Shots Happy One Shot Sad demo (written during the Outside Broadcast tour)
    -Until The End Of The World (different version from the soundtrack of the same name)
    -A Clockwork Orange outtakes
    -Wild Irish Rose 
    -Bottoms (early Zoo Station)
    -Achtung Baby Song By Song Demos (Kindergarten Mixes)

    -Achtung Baby Solicitation Kit Version Of One (Audio Only)

    -Achtung Baby Instrumental/Accapella Versions

    *************************
    Zooropa Remastered

    B-Sides (all of them)

    Remixes…(all of them, including the Perfecto remixes of Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car and Numb)

    Outtakes/Demos/Rehearsals

    -The Wanderer (Bono vocal)
    -Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me 
    -Wake Up Dead Man
    -If God Will Send His Angels
    -If You Wear That Velvet Dress
    -Lose Control
    -Nose Job
    -Untidy Life
    -Revolution Of The Heart
    -Sparky’s Left The Planet
    -Indian Jam
    -Squidgy
    -In Cold Blood
    -Stay (different version…released on the Faraway So Close Soundtrack)
    -The Wanderer (different version…released on the Faraway So Close Soundtrack)

    -Numb Karaoke Mix (Audio Only)

    -Zooropa Instrumentals/Acapellas

    BONUS TRACKS

    Conversation On A Barstool
    Songs Of Innocence (mentioned in NME circa 1992…probably, though not necessarily, the version released on The Joshua Tree box set)

    SONGSSTAGES 1990-1993

    ACHTUNG BABY
    Song By Song 
    Audiovisual Commentary 
    by Bono and The Edge

    ZOOROPA 
    Song by Song
    Audiovisual Commentary
    by Bono and The Edge

    Multi-Tracks: 
    Achtung Baby/Zooropa/B-Sides

    Rare Zoo
    Soundboard Safari/Zoo TV 1992-1993
    (a whistle stop tour of Zoo TV highlights and rare performances)

    DISC ONE
    1-Angel Of Harlem/Dancing Queen (w/Benny and Bjorn from ABBA)-Stockholm, Sweden 11 June 1992
    2-When Love Comes To Town/Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car-Naples, Italy 9 July 1993
    3-Van Diemen’s Land-Boston, Massachussetts 17 March 1992
    4-Redemption Song-Vancouver, Canada 3 November 1992
    5-Spanish Eyes-San Sebastian, Spain 14 May 1992
    6-Party Girl (sung by The Edge for Bono’s 33rd birthday)-Rotterdam, Holland 10 May 1993
    7-Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door-Mexico City, Mexico 24 November 1992
    8-I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (w/Daniel Lanois)-Montreal, Canada 27 August 1992
    9-Slow Dancing-Montreal, Quebec 23 March 1992
    10-So Cruel (Bono solo)-Foxboro, Massachussetts 22 August 1992
    11-Dirty Old Town-Toronto, Canada 5 September 1992
    12-Satellite Of Love w/Lou Reed (on stage)-New York, New York 12 August 1992
    13-Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Acoustic)-Tempe, Arizona 24 October 1992
    14-Dear Prudence-Tampa Bay, Florida 10 October 1992
    15-Babyface-London, England 11 August 1993
    16-Bad w/Jo Shankar (violin)/Fool To Cry (snippet)/The First Time (snippet)-
    London, England 12 August 1993
    17-Bullet the Blue Sky-London, England 12 August 1993
    18-Zooropa/Glasgow, Scotland 8 August 1993
    19-I Will Follow/Mexico City, Mexico 25 November 1992

    DISC TWO

    1-One/One Tree Hill (snippet)-Christchurch, New Zealand 1 December 1993
    2-Bad/Walk To The Water (snippet)/Norwegian Wood (snippet)/You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (snippet)-Kiel, Germany 13 June 1992
    3-Bullet The Blue Sky/America-Bologna, Italy 17 July 1993
    4-5 Until The End Of The World/Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Electric)-Rotterdam, Holland 15 June 1992
    6-Wild Rover-Foxboro, Massachussetts 22 August 1992
    7-We Will Rock You-Mexico City, Mexico 25 November 1992
    8-Redemption Song/Sarajevo (snippet)-Naples, Italy 9 July 1993
    9-So Cruel-Tinley Park, Illinois (Bono solo)-15 September 1992
    10-12/Running To Stand Still/
    Thanksgiving Prayer (vidiwall footage of William S. Burroughs reciting A Thanksgiving Prayer)/
    Where The Streets Have No Name-Kansas City, Missouri 18 October 1992
    13-Desire/Moon River (snippet)-Madrid, Spain 22 May 1993
    14-Ultraviolet (Light My Way)/My Way (snippet)-Nantes, France 26 May 1993
    15-Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car/God Save The Queen-Melbourne, Australia 13 November 1993
    16-Lemon-Auckland, New Zealand 4 December 1993
    17-With Or Without You-Auckland, New Zealand 4 December 1993
    18-Jordan Hewson’s Answering Machine Message To Macphisto-Dublin, Ireland 28 August 1993
    19-La Bamba-Mexico City, Mexico 21 November 1992

    DISC THREE

    1-Even Better Than the Real Thing-Pontiac, Michigan (performed w/Wayne from Wayne’s World on the MTV Music Awards 9 September 1992
    2-I Will Follow-Rome, Italy 7 July 1993
    3-One/She’s A Mystery Girl (snippet)-Melbourne, Australia 13 November 1993
    4-Stay (Faraway, So Close!)-London, England 12 August 1993
    5-Whiskey In The Jar-Madison, Wisconsin 13 September 1992
    6-Angel of Harlem/Mull of Kintyre (snippet) Glasgow, Scotland 7 August 1993
    7-Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World/Three Little Birds (snippet)-Rotterdam, Holland 11 May 1993
    8-I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For/Stand By Me-Turin, Italy 12 July 1993
    9-Until The End Of The World-Copenhagen, Denmark 27 July 1993
    10-New Year’s Day-Copenhagen, Denmark 27 July 1993
    11-Sunday Bloody Sunday (When Johnny Comes Marching Home)-Rotterdam, Holland 10 May 1993
    12-Numb-Cardiff, Wales 18 August 1993
    13-The Fly-Cork, Ireland 24 August 1993
    14-Zooropa-London, England 11 August 1993
    15-Desire-Rome, Italy 7 July 1993
    16-Hanging On The Telephone (snippet)/I Just Called To Say I Love You (snippet)/Getting to Know You (snippet)-Rome, Italy 7 July 1993
    17-Ultraviolet (Light My Way)/My Way (snippet) Budapest, Hungary 23 July 1993
    18-All I Want Is You (Bono solo)-Madison, Wisconsin 13 September, 1992
    19–Macphisto Crank Calls Alessandra Mussolini

    DISC FOUR

    1-One (w/Axl Rose)-Vienna, Austria 24 May 1992
    2-Love Is Blindness/September 1913/Aedh Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven/London 31 May 1992
    3-Are You Lonesome Tonight?/Rotterdam, Holland 10 May 1993
    4-So Cruel (Bono solo)-Pontiac, Michigan 9 September 1992
    5-Satellite Of Love w/Lou Reed (on stage)-Manchester, England 19 June 1992
    6- Van Diemen’s Land-Rome, Italy 6 July 1993
    7-Zoo Station-Rotterdam, Holland 9 May 1993
    8-Pride (In the Name of Love)-Marseille, France 14 July 1993
    9-Mysterious Ways/Love to Love You Baby (snippet)-Stuttgart, Germany 6 June 1993
    10-Dirty Day-Tokyo, Japan 10 December 1993
    11-Bullet the Blue Sky-Tokyo, Japan 10 December 1993
    12-Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around the World/There’s No Business Like Show Business (snippet)-Lausanne, Switzerland 28 June 1993
    13-Party Girl (sung by The Edge)-Werchter, Belgium 29 May 1993
    14-Desire/Moon River (snippet)-Lisbon, Portugal 15 May 1993
    15-With Or Without You/Shine Like Stars (snippet)/Marquee Moon (snippet)-London, England 31 May 1992
    16–Love Is Blindness/”40″-Mexico City, Mexico 25 November 1992
    17-Can’t Help Falling In Love-Auckland, New Zealand 4 December 1993
    18–Macphisto Crank Calls Helmut Kohl (“I’M BACK! I’M BAAACK!!!)-Berlin 15 June 1993
    19-Lost Highway/Glasgow, Scotland 8 August 1992

    -Zoo Radio Transmit – Hosted By BP Fallon

    -Dublin Worldwide Telecast 28 August 
    1993

    -Outside Broadcast Rehearsal Show/Hershey 8 August 1992

    -Jordan’s Answering Machine Message to Macphisto (originally broadcast at RDS Stadium, Dublin, 28 August 1993)

    -Bono/
    Requiescat/(via telephone) 
    RTE/World AIDS Day 
    1 December 1993

    -Bono Sings Bowie (and Van Morrison) w/Bowie…
    The Jean Genie/Gloria (Them)
    Cleveland, Ohio
    20 June 1990

    -Negativland Ambush Edge telephone interview for Mondo magazine

    Approximately 24 CDs In All

    *********************************************

    •VIDEO

    -From The Sky Down Documentary

    -The Videos Plus…
    It would also include Love Is Blindness from the Numb video single, One from the Achtung Baby Solicitation Kit, as well as new videos^, including a treatment for One a la the 360 Tour video, with U2 in a cramped Trabant outside the Olympic Stadium in Berlin^. This could be done with old footage for each AB/Zooropa LP track. Alternate videos of the grainy b/w footage taken in Tenerife for Even Better Than The Real Thing^, in Fez for Mysterious Ways^, in Berlin for Until The End Of The World^, Hansa and STS Studios for So Cruel^, in STS showing Johnny Cash singing The Wanderer^, and after reading about the making of the Numb video in Bill Flanagan’s book, I want to see all the unused Numb footage…plus videos for Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Zoo Station, Zooropa, Some Days Are Better Than Others, and Babyface.

    -The Videos/Director’s Commentaries
    Including The Fly (In Concert-Video Screen Text Only), 

    -The Videos, The Cameos, And A Whole Lot Of Interference

    -Triplecast footage

    -Old Mini Documentaries…

    1-Zoo TV/The Inside Story
    2-A Fistful Of Zoo TV
    3-Trabantland
    4-The Story Of One
    5-Missing Sarajevo

    -New Mini Documentaries…^

    1-Hansa’s Heroes/Bringing Up Baby In Berlin^
    2-Zoorophonic/The Making Of Zooropa^
    3-At The Mixing Desk w/Daniel Lanois and Bono…A Song By Song Commentary on Achtung Baby^
    4-At The Mixing Desk w/Brian Eno The Edge…A Song By Song Commentary on Zooropa^
    5-Tokyo^

    -The Original Complete Pay-Per-View Live In Sydney Broadcast (w/Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World and the Zoo Confessional reinstated, as well as the original camera angles)

    -Stop Sellafield Now!

    -U2 on Naked City 1993

    -MTV Rockumentary 

    -MTV’s Most Wanted “Zoo TV Special”

    -Wayne from Wayne’s World plays drums w/U2 via satellite-MTV Music Awards 9 September 1992

    -U2 on TV-AM 1992

    -The Edge Performs Numb/MTV Music Awards 1993

    -The Concert Video Mega Stash
    A show from every month of the 1992-1993 world tour.
    For example…

    -Disc One/Lakeland Florida 29 February 1992

    -Disc Two^/Boston, Massachussetts 17 March 1992

    -Disc Three^/Los Angeles, California 12 April 1992

    -Disc Four^/Barcelona, Spain 16 May 1992

    -Disc Five/Stockholm, Sweden 11 June 1992

    -Disc Six/Manchester 19 June 1992
    (Stop Sellafield Now! Benefit Concert)

    -Disc Seven/Washington D.C. 16 August 1992

    -Disc Eight/New York, New York 29 August 1992

    -Disc Nine/Pontiac, Michigan 9 September 1992

    -Disc Ten^/Kansas City, Missouri 18 October 1992

    -Disc Eleven^/El Paso, Texas 27 October 1992

    -Disc Twelve/Mexico City, Mexico 24 November 1992

    -Disc Thirteen^/Rotterdam, Holland 9 May 1993

    -Disc Fourteen/Ovideo, Italy 19 May 1993

    -Disc Fifteen^/Berlin, Germany 15 June 1993

    -Disc Sixteen/Basel, Switzerland 30 June 1993

    -Disc Seventeen/Verona, Italy 3 July 1993

    -Disc Eighteen^/London, England 20 August 1993

    -Disc Nineteen/Dublin, Ireland 27 August 1993

    -Disc Twenty/Adelaide, Australia 16 November 1993

    -Disc Twenty-One^/Auckland. New Zealand
    4 December 1993

    -Disc Twenty-Two/
    Tokyo 10 December 1993

    +BONUS VIDEO FEATURES

    -Zoo TV Special/December 1992

    -Top Of The Pops/One February 1992

    -BBC Radio Session Footage w/Mark Goodier 13 February 1992

    -Rockline session footage 
    w/”mystery caller” Bill, 
    from Arkansas…28 August 1992

    -Automatic Baby/One 20 January 1993

    -Thalia Theatre 31 January 1993
    A) Bono’s anti-Fascism rally speech
    B) Bono, Edge, and Jo Shankar performing One

    -Achtung Baby and Zooropa Promotional Trailers

    -From The Sky Down Theatrical Trailer

    -U2 And Axl Rose/One/Vienna 24 May 1992

    -U2 And Daniel Lanois/I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For/Montreal 
    27 August 1992

    -U2 And Lou Reed/Satellite Of Love/New York City 12 August 1992 

    -Larry Sings Whiskey In The Jar/Foxboro 20 August 1992

    -Bono And Larry Sing 

    -Aboard The Zoo Plane

    -Allen Ginsberg’s Cigarette Smoking Rag, set to the music of Numb

    -The Edge Inducts Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck Into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame 1992

    -Bono Inducts Bob Marley Into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame 1994

    -Bono Presents The Lifetime Achievement Award To Frank Sinatra At The 1994 Academy Awards

    -The Fly Speaks Reel*
    -The Mirrorball Man Speaks Reel*
    -Macphisto Speaks Reel*

    *NOTE: Willie Williams said in Propaganda many years ago that some great footage of Bono in character as The Fly and Macphisto were taken back in 1991-1993. It was just Bono making loads of funny quips. Some of it is seen in the Sydney documentaries, such as Bono saying “never trust a cowboy” and “if you want a cottage industry, take up knitting”. I can only imagine what Macphisto might have said…

    -Dopplegangers “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”/Interview

    -Bono’s Guided Tour Of Dublin^

    -Bono’s Guided Tour Of U2’s Berlin^
    (from behind the wheel of a Trabant)

    -Numb Karaoke Video

    -MTV’s Kurt Loder Interviews 
    U2/Zoo TV Tour 1992

    -Wild Irish Rose 1990 (From “Bringing It All Back Home”/Irish TV Broadcast)

    -Until The End Of The World/Freddie Mercury Tribute

    -Vidiwall Visuals

    The Fly
    One
    Satellite Of Love
    Where The Streets Have No Name
    With Or Without You
    Love Is Blindness

    -Hansa Studios Achtung Baby Session Clip

    -STS Achtung Baby Session Clip

    -STS Zooropa Session Clip

    -Zooropa ’93 Tour Rehearsal Clip

    -Multi-Camera Angles/Sydney 27 November 1993/Bono, Edge, Adam, Larry 

    -Zoo Station 
    -The Fly
    -Mysterious Ways
    -One
    -Until The End Of The World
    -New Year’s Day
    -Where the Streets Have No Name
    -Love Is Blindness

    -Zoo Era Gag Reel Baby!

    -U2 Backstage Pre-Show/Side of Stage Showtime

    *********************************************

    •MULTIMEDIA

    -AB/Z song by song multi-tracks

    -Zoo Samples (this would include mad blurbs from the Zoo TV newscaster, The Fly, the Mirrorball Man, U2, Sound EFX, BP Fallon, and others)

    -One “Buffaloes” Screensaver^

    -Even Better Than The Real Thing “Group Spin” Screensaver^

    -Zoo Montage Screensaver^

    -Numb Screensaver^

    -Lemon Screensaver^

    -Stay “Angels” Screensaver^

    -CD Rom Content 

    -Websites

    -Languages

    -Stereo Selections

    *********************************************

    •MERCHANDISE

    -Art Prints Wallet including Achtung Baby andZooropa imagery as well as accompanying singles sleeves

    -92 Page Hardcover Book

    -Zoo Currency/USA/ECU

    -“Z” pins from Zooropa Royal Guard Uniforms

    -Macphisto Horns

    -Fly Shades

    -Lemon pins from Zooropa Royal Guard Uniforms

    -Die-cast Mini-Trabant replica w/One-single artwork/imagery (1/43 scale)

    -Single And Album Promotional Postcards For Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and related singles

    -Coupon And/Or Rebate For One Zoo TV Tour Soundboard Recording Of Your Choosing

    -U 2 Sterling Rings

    -Zoo Non-Products

    -Print Media Files/Propaganda, NME, Q, Rolling Stone, Hot Press, as well as many other publications including the August 1993 Irish Times Supplement “Zoo Times”.

    -Zoo TV/Zooropa Tour Laminates

    -Zoo Condoms

    -Achtung Baby Roadmap

    -Press Photos Wallet

    ********************************************

    •EASTER EGGS

    -Bono’s Tour Bus Stand-Up Comedy/Drunk Lounge Singer Routine/Extended Clip (see Even Better Than The Real Thing Remix video and page 79 of U2 At The End Of The World)/June 1992

    -Elvira wishes Larry Mullen Mullen Jr Happy Birthday/Los Angeles 31 October 1992

    -The Mirrorball Man And Winona “The Flea” Ryder Take Manhattan/1992

    -Macphisto Crank Call Reel

    -MacPhisto Makeup Mirror Mumblings

    -Zoo Confessional International Mega Reel

    1. What an exhaustive post! I’d buy that for sure, but honestly, I’d rather have two complete shows on cd, and maybe two other complete shows on dvd. Maybe one disc of some rare things, but some of the cover songs can be boring. Dancing Queen was fun. I read the Bill Flanagan book, and was inspired to get some more pizza! Great book. Easter Eggs? I just want easy access to all the material. I don’t want to have to hop on one leg, hit the enter button while singing the old U2 song Trevor while pouring barbecue sauce on the HDMI input. As fun as Nirvana’s hidden track was back in 91, once a few bands did it, it was simply annoying. Don’t hide anything. If I am still sane enough to watch my dvds in ten years, I won’t have the mental awareness to find Easter Eggs. Since U2 absolutely hate releasing rare stuff, sadly, your release would never happen. They don’t seem to have the courage to release anything out of some strange fear they have. And they likely would not do my idea either.

      1. Yeah, I’m certainly not holding my breath for an exhaustive mega release like this. U2 are definitely milking their vaults slowly these days. I’d be curious to know what the thinking is, because I do consider them a very smart business enterprise with each move they make being given serious consideration every time. As for Easter eggs, I can see how it can be annoying for some. I have fond memories of stumbling upon hidden content. I get it though. As Bono might say, “cut the crap, show us your willy!”
        I still think the Trabant projector idea is something that would be nice.
        a small-scale Trabant loaded with U2 goodies,
        with the headlights as projectors…

  4. Man, why can’t they just release a proper CD deluxe edition and be done with it. I couldn’t care less about vinyl any more and digital releases of anything are just useless. *sigh*.

  5. Strange, I had commented here 1 hour ago, but now my comment has disappeared, no longer marked “awaiting moderation”, but gone. Still visible under “mySDE” though. What’s wrong? Thanks

      1. I am having the same „issue“ with a comment I made yesterday.

        To add something on the actual topic: my colored vinyl was shipped today by udiscover Germany.

  6. If you go to the American udiscover site and add the coloured actung baby to your cart, then add a box set with the ‘fallsale’ code you can get 60% off that box set!!

    1. Correct – applies to The Sound of Vinyl site as well (also a UMG site) and the sale ends tonight (11/21/21) at 11:59PM EST.
      Code is FALLSALE.
      You need to buy two items to get the discount and it applies to the second item.

  8. If you listen to Achtung Baby and then their last 4 albums, the decline in creativity remarkable. Just like Sign O The Times was Prince’s masterpiece, AB was U2’s. It deserves a top of the line box set. I did purchase the colored vinyl. $75, holy cow. This better be as limited as they say it is.

    1. Great Comment. Sign O The Times was Prince’s masterpiece by far. The parallels between it and Achtung Baby are not as apparent to the casual fan, but both show the artists not afraid to try new sounds without losing their sound. U2 went further than Prince did with stretching the sound, while Prince simply wrote some of the most groundbreaking songs of all time while retaining the “Prince” feel. Both had Box Sets with at least 6 discs, but both should have had more. At least U2’s had most of the studio material suitable for release. As awesome as Prince’s Box Set is, there are at least 20 missing tracks from the sessions, and around 10 of them are better than anything on the 2 vault discs, and I won’t bother naming them all, but the 1986 version of We Can Funk is among his greatest achievements: The “Data Bank” suite consisting of a sequence nobody else in pop music can match. Back to Back to Back brilliance. U2 sure come close though, as One, Zoo Station, Love Is Blindness in particular are stone cold classics. For a bit of time there, U2 and Prince were pretty much as Elton John and Stevie Wonder were from 1970-1976. Dare I say better? That’s another argument.

      1. Hello Jason, I have listened to We Can Funk & Data Bank and they are indeed stunning. Your knowledge is clearly hard earned, would you list the other tracks so I can benefit from it? Indeed two of the greatest box sets.

        My finest Prince moment was at a 21 nights gig. I had tickets for for the last night and bought the After Show as well (very easy to purchase which surprised me) with the logic that he would do something special on the last night. The O2 show was very good but had all its usual sound problems (worse venue in UK for me) the Indigo After show was one of the best things I have ever seen. Kicked off with Amy Winehouse singing “Love Is A Losing Game” followed with over 3hrs of brilliant funk. Six hours of music and over 60 songs ringing in my head as I walked to the carpark in daylight at 4.30am. Astonishing.

        1. Sure. Since this thread is already older now, I’ll post the full list I made when I made my own multiple cdr of the Sign Box. If memory serves, I put the origin of the track, or at least which version each track was. It will look huge here, so not sure if Paul approves it. Maybe I’ll just put the missing tracks then lol. It is very subjective as to what songs to put on the list, but basically I chose songs recorded after Parade was released up to 3/31/1987. If there was a way to send an email or personal message, I would do that lol

        1. I never said anyone was better than Stevie. That’s actually a violation of law, punishable far greater than the pillow tag police. But if you listen to Prince’s top 100 released songs, and then his top 100 unreleased songs with a mix of circulating bootlegs and the songs released after his passing, you will understand. Prince released a lot of clunkers on official albums, leaving brilliant tracks in the vault. He just released what he wanted to warts, Tony M, and all.

  9. Loving music has gotten more difficult in modern times due to the market turning into a Collectables arena. Needless Limited Editions, colored this and that, etc. It has nothing to do with what I love – music- and everything to do with wringing every penny out of consumers. In short – while I accept there has always been collectables to one extent or other, it’s in overdrive these days. People seem to accept it largely because they want to turn their love of music into an investment portfolio. It’s a sad development, and ultimately I see bad things for the future.

    So that said – I have to ask, if there is a market for a box, why aren’t more of them released? What is the harm is reissuing U2’s box set exactly as it was before, or in a different profile if it suits? Who would be hurt by doing it? Collectors? Investors? What about good old fashioned music lovers, and fans of the band?

    I own a lot of box sets. Some were not cheap, and others were very limited. But I wouldn’t at all mind if any of them were reissued. Put them out again if there’s a market. If it means a rarity I have plummets in price on the secondary market, then so be it. I’d rather people that want it can get it at a price they can afford. Streaming is not the same – Physical product is the best delivery mechanism for many.

    So if I could plead with labels, it would be not to shy away from meeting demand by simply reissuing sets that were previously limited and have sold out. Put the fans first. Put the music out so it can be enjoyed. Let people have some joy.

    1. Total agreement. And I’m in same place. I own lots of boxsets, but vast majority were purchased to get the MUSIC. Some are quite rare and worth quite a bit on secondary markets. I wouldn’t give a flip if they were rereleased and the value dropped. I didn’t buy it as an investment; I bought it to get some great music.

      I mean, how can you possibly squeeze 11 discs out a mediocre effort like All That You Can’t Leave Behind and then add a few doodads and charge people hundreds of dollars. It’s pure, unadulterated greed. Unfortunately, enough consumers with disposable income buy into it.

      I’m old enough to remember boxsets being designed for the music fan, enabling them to (for instance) get the entire Blue Oyster Cult or Kansas catalog for a reasonable cost. Now, it’s “let’s take as one album and give you 130 different versions of it and charge you an arm and a leg”.

      I’m glad I kind of got into the boxset thing ten years ago because the current market sucks.

    2. Hi Vaughan, the Uber box was apparently produced again and you can purchase it from Amazon.de but it costs 600 Euro. And the is no way that I would pay that. Even though I love this album and U2.
      Will stay with the standard SDE which I bought in 2011 for a reasonable price.

      2. It hasn’t been produced again, the ones you still see are the ones left 600 copies being produced for Japan, and less than 10,000 worldwide.

  10. i suppose in a way. the same thing coming out every ten years…(not just U2) , it will always be introducing itself to newer fans, “oh my dad had this”. is the classic phrase, and now YOU can own it too…i know this album like the back of my hand but never had it on vinyl, and it is such a classic.

  11. For a band that probably even records a kettle being boiled ( probably ) I can’t believe they don’t know or have what the fans want. We want live Zoo TV stuff! Like people have said, the Stockholm / Washington DC stuff were professionally recorded so why not put that out? Unless it’s tied up with MTV Licensing maybe. Definitely not the Sydney gig, AGAIN.

    What I don’t want in the future is yet another Joshua Tree issue ( 2 already is more than enough ) when they have had ample opportunity to do something special with “Pop”. I know they retrospectively were’nt happy with some songs but it’s a great album which deserves a reappraisal & we don’t have to have the Mexico City gig again, they recorded the Rotterdam gig & one of the CD singles of the time had stuff from Edmonton live so the whole thing must be sat in their archives.

    Come on U2!!! How about a special docu film, as interesting as the Achtung Baby one they did. That would be stunning.

    As for the new song, coming in on the coat tails of a kid’s film, are they really that desperate for a hit / popularity? The U2 I love(d) would’nt have even entertained such a move!!

  12. No CD no sell….

    But it’s fine to me cause i’ve already spent a ton of $$ for the uber box last Saturday finally after wanting it for 10 years.
    I bought in 2011 the super deluxe and deluxe boxes and the uber thing was the only missing.

    I’d have loved to own the Achtung Baby (2018 remaster) on CD which has never been released in that format but twice on vinyl already =( so this is a missed opportunity imo.

    However they are gonna release this digital boxset on 24 bits too which will be enough for me to be fair.

    Regarding more AB releases next year i disagree Paul, this is all for the AB 30th Anniversary, they’re not gonna even retour it again. Next year is the new album Songs of Ascend, that it’s gonna be their priority.

  13. i was stationed in berlin when this was released…i bought it from the military px…and noticed that the nude pic of adam clayton had a big black x over his genitalia…i then read/heard that the european versions did not have that…so i went out and got one and tossed the american one…two things…1. i enjoy nudity…2. i cant stand censorship, and to censor a penis on the inside of the booklet was so stupid and so american and puritanical…but not unexpected…dang i loved living in berlin

  14. I bought the über deluxe box set when it came out. I thought I would be a good investment. The price was around 200 Euros in 2011 and now I’m going to sell it on eBay. Maybe it’ll fetch a good price.
    The album is great but as others have stated their recent activities have somewhat diminished my interest in the band. And the sunglasses were ugly anyway.
    BTW has anyone heard their new song?
    What a travesty…

  15. Deciding if you want the coloured vinyl or not seems to be a bit academic now as it’s sold out everywhere but the U2 shop as far as I can tell. Perhaps quite limited after all?
    I tell a lie, the sold outs have gone and it’s back to preorder. Very odd.

  16. Back in the day I ordered the big Smiths box (and yes it’s a bugger to store ) and opted for the super deluxe U2 ( and then picked up the vinyl box later) and remember bulking at the £200+ prices – now they seem quite reasonable!

    This latest U2 set is SO poor – I thought they couldn’t get much worse than the last box set which was mega lazy – then the rubbish RSD picture disc of Fire – and now this – arguably their best album but £45 is a blatant rip off – the band seem totally uncaring and disinterested these days of their quality control

  17. I would of thought that if they didn’t include a full vinyl set then but now, why not re-release a stand-alone BR set?
    This is also the remix era for them. So meh on that stuff.

  18. 10 years since the Immersion boxes… TEN YEARS!?!?! and I still haven’t even opened them, nevermind listening/watching it all. *sigh* Is this just me or do any other readers have similar horror stories…

    1. Nope. Never buy anything unless I plan to listen to it. The idea of buying something just to have it sit on my shelf for ten years is absurd to me.

  19. The Uber-deluxe was one of my first forays into the “mega-boxset” territory, and still remains a standard by which all others are judged.

    So far, only the Joshua Tree vinyl box has persuaded me to add to that for U2.

    A vinyl release of The Unforgettable Fire special edition might do the same, but not this rather lame repackaging of everything I have in a much better set. Why mark the anniversary at all unless you have something genuinely new to offer.

  20. Very disappointed about this.
    A truly missed opportunity to do a new Box to include some of the zoo tv live performances on DVDs or BR and audio as well. Also use some nice working version from the track that are available on various bootlegs. The demo version of So Cruel/laughing in the face of love is great and I love it
    Very lazy approach from Bono and Co. it a shame to be honest.
    What I don’t understand is why the Uber Deluxe Box was available with stocks on Amazon priced for ca. 500 EUR and now almost cracking the 600 EUR Mark but out of stock. Where are these stocks coming from since end of last and beg. of this year? Coincidence or money making is a wonderful thing.
    It a real rip off to request such prices considering it used to cost 350 EUR at the time.
    So, I feel numb and too much is sometimes enough guys !!!!!
    Let’s hope for a wake up call for the 40th anniversary in 2031.

  21. Personally I‘m happy with a release of a color vinyl edition. But charging nearly €50 here in Germany at Bravado/Universal store is far too much for having the same songs with no additional material (well, I never get the idea to press it on two separate LPs either).
    They mentioned this is a limited numbered edition. Does anybody know how many copies this edition has?

    1. Well, we are at day 3 of them selling it and it is still available. It took REM 4 (?) hours to sell out their 1000 units of NAIHF (marble vinyl). So I think there are at least 10,000 units of Achtung Baby (colored).
      edit: just red 30,000 on a U2-forum. Sounds realistic.

  23. As many have said, I think it’s a lazy release. But not unexpected. In these days of limited ability to press vinyl they went for making some slipcases for their existing black vinyl and then a D2C pressing of the same. Of course a little thought and they could have pressed something special onto that coloured vinyl and wasted their slot at the plant.
    Remixes? Baby Achtung Baby on vinyl, the b-sides and extras from the box set, Zoo radio broadcast? a zoo tv show that’s not been released (please not Zoo TV from Sydney again) but like I say, not unexpected, ATYCLB box simply put the dvd on vinyl. Achtung Baby 20 they just added Sydney from the zooropa tour and zooropa cd rather than finding a new show like ZOOTV indoors in Stockholm or the Outside Broadcast tour in Washington that fans would love non bootleg copies of.
    I’m a sucker for colour vinyl but, lazy.

    ZooTV 2nd leg indoors Stockholm: https://youtu.be/qvF2lOhHjEM
    ZooTV Outside Broadcast Washington: https://youtu.be/UTShcdsKSzQ

    1. Im VERY curious and you would seem to have the answer – is the Zoo TV show from Giants Stadium in New Jersey available ? I worked the load in and load out and both perfomances and would love to have a copy if possible . I hope you can help me .

      1. Bobwd, register and have a search on U2start. There’s definitely a soundboard recording, but the video is an audience recording of the gig. That’s also where you’ll find other prophet gigs and soundboards from the tour. Great archive.

  24. This is not a new box set. It’s a reissue of 4 discs from the previous Achtung box. If U2 haven’t rendered themselves irrelevant with their last 4 albums, they are doing it with these kind of atrocious reissues. Yawn.

    1. I’ve used SOV for years & never had a problem. Recordstore, yes. I suppose you can only speak by experience.
      Now Amazon that’s a different story.

      1. Yes I’ve never had a problem with SOV – always well packaged and protected.
        Don’t get me started on Amazon. My McCartney Lyrics books arrived recently in a larger box with no additional packaging and protection inside and got mashed up in transit. There was a large hole in the side of the box and the (very sturdy) book slipcase had been smashed through and the books damaged . Sent it back and they refunded no questions, but what a criminal waste of a large book set and lots of paper off to be pulped – all due to Amazon skimping on poor packaging. I presume they can afford to invest in decent packaging or is Bezos doing this to save up for another spaceship. Will avoid Amazon from now on unless there are no other options.

  27. I love that they’re making available a digital box set because my passion since covid started has been building complete career-spanning playlists in qobuz (it was amazon hd where I made about 60 of these and still have that for now but rebuilding them on qobuz – same price and sounds better and no quality control issues – if an album says it’s in high-res, EVERY track is in high-res) — and it just happens that I started building a U2 one a few weeks ago which I’ve only gone up to Achtung Baby and is now 14 hours so the timing for this is perfect. (If anyone uses qobuz I would love to send you some of these – just finished an 85 hour Stones playlist and a 107 hour Coltrane playlist, these are as complete as possible given what’s available on the service and some are very intricate to build with slotting the box set tracks in just the right spots between the albums. I might even take request since I quite enjoy doing these.)

    And of course – any time I can buy a blu-ray version of something I love, I do. (Holding the music in your hands, as long as it sounds better than any other way and doesn’t get scratches and pops and clicks with usage over time.)

  28. Hi Paul, there was a vinyl release in 2011, black double vinyl for the original album and two coloured ones with über and unter remixes. They were packaged together in a sturdy box.

  29. I have the 10 disc 20th and it is great but also impossible to top for this album.Maybe a live show or two from the tour.
    That being said U2 have completely lost me by quarantining their live albums and now concert films to fan club only releases.The annual cost of fan club membership is a lot more than the market price of what a live CD or DVD would be.Complete rip off and pure greed.
    For a long time U2 were my favourite band ,or close to, but this marketing tactic combined with the mediocrity of their last 2 albums has put that in the past.

  30. “Digital box set”? Just because Bono sits down at a laptop and rips four CDs to pay sites does not make it a “digital box set.” Basically, they’re asking you to pay for what you could get for free (probably with more material) from a pirate site ever since the original box came out. I didn’t get the Uber Box, but I did get the one that had all the material on disc without the tat or vinyl (also tat), and THAT (aside, perhaps, from the inclusion of Zooropa, which I do understand from the “sister album” standpoint) was a work of art. I don’t understand how they could create a box that justified a double dip for Joshua Tree, which arguably had less material to work with, and get it so wrong for their biggest (if not best) album. When I first read this in my Apple News feed, I thought they had messed up the reporting and were trying to say that the box was just being made available for download (which is essentially all this is, except with less material). Spinning this as some tremendous offering (“22 tracks available digitally for the first time!”) is like a new level of marketing idiocy. Hell, even just doing a basic package leaving out the original album and including either the Kindergarten Versions or the tribute album that was a cover mount (which had some impressive artists on it) and some mixes that were left off the big box would have been a huge improvement. Maybe a liner note along the line of, “We shot out wad on the 20th anniversary, but we wanted something special for the 30th,” just to acknowledge that it was a step down from the original, but the press release that I read in my news feed didn’t even acknowledge the 20th anniversary box existed.

    And how have they done NOTHING for Rattle & Hum? At the very least, if they weren’t going to address it separately, they could have taken the same approach they did with the Achtung Baby box and included a remastered version of it a a “sister album” with Joshua Tree. And while it’s not their best, given how successful POP was, I can’t believe they didn’t do anything for that at all either. TWO anniversary releases for Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby each, but the rest of the catalog (aside from the “return to form” or “bid for adult contemporary”–depending on your view of ATYCLB) seems to have been forgotten.

    Though, on a practical level, I guess I shouldn’t complain about having one less thing to buy.

    1. Rattle And Hum is a classic treated like an also ran. It sold 2.5 million in the USA(Counted as 5 million as double albums got the extra certification). It’s a shame such a wonderful album is ignored by them. Pop is a masterpiece, but again, critical backlash, and a tour that had many bumps despite being an iconic show for the serious U2 fan.

    2. The trouble is it’s diminishing returns – now this heritage industry has been created, built on milestone anniversaries, how do they keep adding to it when the vaults are emptied. What will they do for the 40th anniversary? An extras disc with the band making a cup of tea and dunking biscuits between takes. But by then it’ll probably be the last gasp of the physical product generation which I guess is why this digital box pivot has happened strategically speaking – in order to assess demand for digital super deluxes – the next stage of evolution – because that’s how the next generations will be buying. I’m not a big U2 fan – I like Achtung Baby and don’t have it on Vinyl so am happy to buy this coloured vinyl set (IMHO the less said about Rattle and Hum the better, the nadir of their cod-American phase) – but this digital box malarkey is clearly the next grand strategy for U2 Plc.

    1. Depends on who you talk to. They are among the top 25 or so best selling artists of all time. Depending on the math, a top 1 or 2 live act of all time, even if you adjust for inflation. Perhaps 15 top 40 hits in the USA, multiple number one albums, including some that did not even have any radio hits. It’s not like they’re Echo & The Bunny People or whatever, sorry for the diss Bunnyfans…but U2 are an institution. Personally, I can’t stand Taylor Swift, but I wouldn’t call her overrated. She’s accomplished a lot. But U2 have done so for decades, and even in decline, they still put on a great show. So with all their accomplishments, hard to call them too overrated. I leave that term for Kiss, but even with them, a band with 9 Top 40 hits, and not a single #1 album, you have to acknowledge their success.

  32. What a genuinely pathetic 30th release. We know that video exists for full shows in Adelaide, Stockholm, New Jersey and Manchester. We also know of at least three hours of circulating demos from the ‘Salome’ unofficial release. Even if they wouldn’t touch those, surely they could have done a remastered Blu-Ray of the shot-on-film ZooTV special aand the premiered-on-YT remastered promos, and a more affordable multi disc set (LP and CD) of a full live show, and all the B-sides/polished up demos in a smaller, more affordable box? You could do a 5 disc 1 x CD + 1 x B-sides/extras CD, 2 live CD’s, and a BR for £50…. Instead, we get a coloured vinyl double LP or a bunch of downloads,.

  33. The “22 tracks not released digitally” claim is spoilt rather by the fact that all but about a dozen of the tracks were included in the Complete U2 set that was sold on iTunes back in 2004.

  34. Lame release as expected. They easily could have just re-released the last box in FLAC/MP3, and had a new box like Nirvana did, but include multiple shows from the era with a Blu Ray DVD option. Multiple shows from 1992-93 were pro shot. U2 have way too much pride to release anything that is raw or underproduced. Now if they have 29 4K Cameras, and a 4.5 million dollar budget, then you might get something. I only attended one Zoo TV show, but have now seen them 15 times, and the shows I have attended usually are far better than the live release for those tours. A shame, but I will love U2 forever. In my Top 5 for almost 40 years now.

    1. Mmm, they also have an alarming record at releasing raw too. An example you pointed out is all those 4k cameras they had on their last tour, of which they then record and release as a $50 a year fan club only release… on f’ing DVD only (or a higher res stream so I can watch on a laptop).

  35. I got the 6 CD & 4 DVD box from 10 years ago. The most I’d ever splashed out on ever at the time but it is an excellent well put together boxset. The only thing missing is live stuff from the indoor Zoo TV tour which they should’ve put on it so surely this time it should’ve gone on!! For a band that records everything it would’nt be hard work to put together a package for that. Come on lads, you’ve got the time!!!!

    This time I just bought a T-shirt!!

  36. I had the 6 cds 4 dvd boxset which contained two excellent albums AB and ZOO , the Kinder Achtung baby was interesting too as the dvd. Sold it on the second hand market a few years ago for half price as i did for the SO super deluxe edition (4 cds 3dvd) and the Pink Floyd Echoes 4 vinyles box. For me today essential box set are the King Crimson 12 ” format boxes, all of them , Station to Station ultimate fan experience box set , the Beatles Abey road , white and Let it be vinyle boxes, Springsteen 75/85 vinyle box , these will stay on my shelves. I would buy a budget box for Achtung Baby as Kid Amnesiac for Radiohead: i find this stuff very interesting ; I had both Kid A and Amnesiac in deluxe edition (book cd) and sold them on the second hand market . Sometimes i wonder what i want as i sell a lot of them on second hand market

  37. £45 for the coloured vinyl.
    £38 for standard.
    Interesting pricing. Add the price of shipping nearly £50.30th anniversary or not, can’t justify that price tag.I’ll pass.

  40. Not interested in the 2LP (3 songs on each side) as I have the original lp. They could have done a little bit better (see the 2011 anniversary). As prices are getting higher, I’ll be more choosy with these kind of releases. Will use this “saving” for the next Prince box next year.

  41. It’s a lot of money for black 2LP. I would happily pay that for a combined Achtung Zooropa, like Radiohead have done with KidA/Amnesiac. Those two albums go hand in hand in my book. It took me years to consider Zooropa as a proper U2 album as I had considered it as an extended EP. Lol.

      1. Nice! You could be on to a potential song remake with that idea: “Everybody Zoorop a chtung tonight, everybody have fun tonight”. And if we’re lucky, Wang Chung will release it orchestral style…

  43. Achtung Baby was when I stepped away from U2.

    I am feeling a profound level of disappointment with the offerings this year for the “holiday season.” Apart from the lack of CD/DVD or BD boxed sets for seminal albums hitting their 40th anniversary in 2021 (Architecture & Morality, Rage in Eden, Dare!), there has been focus on ’00s and ’90s 20th and 30th anniversaries for albums I never got into and are far too extravagant for me to purchase when I don’t know them. And pickings for CD purchasers have been even slimmer with the industry focus on the vinyl cash grab. Looks like I am going to be backfilling my digital collection with downloads this holiday season or upgrading my system or just saving my music spending money for 2022.

    1. I think OMD are concentrating on making a new album / doing concerts. That’s probably much more interesting for them. Plus there was the nice (reasonably priced) 12″ singles collection for A & M.
      Rage In Eden is “in the works” and will be similar format to Vienna apparently. Probably one for next year.
      But yeah, a shame about Dare not getting a 40th. I would’ve gone for that.

      1. Would have loved to have A&M in 5.1 or and Atmos mix and the 12″ singles/CD were missing Gravity Never Failed and Of All the things We Made (unfinished) which could have fit on the CD. The releases also had the edited version of Navigation. The CD was reasonably priced, and I’m glad I don’t collect vinyl.

        I know Rage in Eden is in process and they need more time to pull it all together and it was never identified as coming out this year or being a 40th Anniversary edition. Looking forward to it whenever it comes.

        The Human League are touring for Dare! but as far as I know nothing special is being released. Again would love a 5.1 or Atmos mix of this album. Granted the album has been remastered and reissued several times but if there was a time to to something special for it, surely the 40th anniversary would have been it. Going to have to wait another 10 years I guess.

  44. The vinyl looks very nice, but at a cost of £45, with no extra content, not sure I can justify the purchase, also how limited is it?. Would have been happy with a 4 CD set to match the digital box thingy, but as no one allegedly buys CDs no more, will stick with my 2 CD 20th anniversary version.

  45. Awesome album, can’t believe it’s 30 years.
    So why not a live recording from the Zoo tour? They made one for the fanclub that goes for ridiculous prices on Discogs.
    Or the Sydney Zoo show on blu ray?
    Or even both? I’d buy that!

    1. Needs the same treatment INXS did for their Wembley gig. Problem with ZooTV is it may have been shot on video (BetaSP)? However, if the main gig was on film then a 4K is very feasible.

    2. The fan club live cd was simply Zootv from
      Sydney (zoomarang tour) nothing you don’t already have a couple of times (I have it on vhs (original release) dvd / Laser Disc / fan club cd / and yet again on dvd in the 20th box. I would love a show from the opening leg of zootv indoors and the outside broadcast in the USA.

  46. My first visit to Berlin was when this was released, I still have my cassette, I never could have afforded the big boxes back in the day, so a smaller cd version of the best of those boxes would have been fab. I am preparing a big Oxfam drop off for my old CDs , and my Achtung Baby jewel case CD is in there, I’m keeping my digipack CD and the cd singles of the time. Due to a house move I have had to drastically slim down my collection, but I still enjoy a new CD box set, both for nostalgia and to burn into my Mac and Brennan. A nice little triple cd with a cheeky blu ray would have been a marvellous thing for Christmas. Paul, I wish I didn’t know about that big Smith’s box, I want one now lol.

  47. I sprung for the colored set and wouldn’t be surprised in the least little bit if those sneaky buggers do the double-dip and come out with something else. And I’ll probably buy it too.

    Oh Paul, I have that Smith box. I wish I’d gone for the vinyl box instead tbh. While the audio is fantastic, the packaging is just a nightmare. I’m sure you’re familiar with the box but unless you have a ton of dedicated space, storing it is just a frustrating experience. I figured that would be the biggest box set I’d ever own. And then I got the huge GnR Appetite for Destruction cabinet and I thought nothing could top that. Then I got the McCartney Flaming Pie archive big box…and it’s HUGE. And I thought nothing could top it.

    Then I got the George Harrison All Things Must Pass uber box…and, well…

    Let’s just say trying to work all this into my music room is like playing a life-sized game of Tetris. :D

        1. Thanks for all the nice comments everyone! @TheRJS any sets still in cellophane only means I was able to save the wrap and slide out the contents – they are all opened and listened to. @John mc cann – that Clash singles box is a steal at any price and sits nicely alongside Sound System – my second ever live show at age 12 was seeing The Clash in ’82 in Chicago. [Stones was the first in 1981 – I have a very cool Dad who made all that possible and got me into collecting music.]

      5. Great pic. i had a shelf on the bookcase that looked just like that. Now after a bit of a re-organise in the house they’ve been split over a few places. But I think I kinda preferred my block of “stuff”, it was almost artistic :) CD boxes make this sort of thing much more manageable.
        This could be a whole new thread…take a picture of your boxes and we can play spot the box set! I too recognise quite a lot in there which I have myself.

      7. I wonder what percentage of people bought all of the Def Leppard boxes? Every collector I know bought the first one or two and gave up… including me, even though my OCD hates seeing half a logo on the spines ;-)

        Great photo BTW!

    2. Yeah, I have those too and I’ve had to put them into my storage unit as they are just too big for my current place – but fun to own. The largest ones I have in the house are the Smiths Complete and The Rolling Stones Grrrr SDE. I would upload a picture of my the collection but there’s way too many box sets still in cellophane.

      … but this might be a good future article for Paul to show his collection and also invite us to submit photos of ours like it’s a therapy meeting.

      “My name is Andrew, and I’m a boxaholic”

  48. Further abandonment of the CD format! I have the 6CD/4DVD set from 10 years ago and it’s glorious. They could have repackaged the 6 CDs in a smaller box this time around. A-ha did that with the Hunting High and Low super deluxe… repackaged just the CDs without the DVD or book. Just like you said, Paul, the CD has become the Voldemort of the music industry.

  49. Could have easily made a release similar to last year’s ATYCLB reissue; 2018 remaster on CD1, highlights of a live show on CD2. Then as a box set, for £65 or so: expanded live show on CD3, b-sides CD4 and remix highlights on CD5 with a nice book of photos…

  51. When I got the email from U2.com a couple of days ago I was pretty exciting initially. That all quickly subsided after reading the details- the SDE from 2011 is something I still really enjoy and this offering does zero to improve that. I bought both anniversary editions of “The Joshua Tree” [the 20th in 2007 + the 30th in 2017] as it added/included more physical content with the bonus 6 remixes + live at Madison Square Garden show. Seems they could have found more to add to this 30th “Achtung Baby” set and it could have included some great additional CD content…like full Hansa Ton Studio 2/Berlin “Achtung Baby Working Tapes” which I own already on a four disc bootleg set. They could have also padded it with the excellent 2011 MOJO Magazine CD “AHK-toong Bay-bi Covered”. Who knows what else is available in the vaults- seems the band nor Island Records really cares.

  52. I wonder if they had to think really hard to come up with the USP of “22 tracks never before available digitally”? I have the original LP and 2xCD and would love the uber box, but I couldn’t afford it at the time. So being able to get the extras would be great, but on MP3? Pah! Surely it wouldn’t have cost much to stick it all on a blu-ray (or 2) with HiRes audio, or a funky USB stick maybe? Opportunity missed, as they say :(

      1. I don’t know, I just had a quick look on Amazon to be honest and it was just MP3. I don’t generally buy just downloads, only if I have to. I guess it won’t be on Bandcamp :)

  53. I’m a little bit disappointed, this is only marketing, there is no new music in our hands! Digital boxset? It’s a joke, no clue of demos already released in the 2011. It’s a strange strategy for U2

  54. I think there was room to throw in a live show from the zoo tv or zooropa tours. Even if that means releasing the sydney show for the first time on vinyl. They did a second boxset anniversary for Joshua Tree (with a few new remixes and a live show) so I think Achtung Baby deserves that treatment as well. Such a missed opportunity….

    1. We’ll they’ve released the Sydney show on VHS/dvd (twice) CD and Lazer Disc so only cassette and vinyl to go before they think about another show from that era :D

  57. I think there is nothing left studio-wise, since they put all of that in the 2011-boxes. They could have gone the Nevermind30-way and included several concerts (audio and video) from the superb ZooTV and Zooropa-Tours.

    I am just fine with getting the coloured vinyl, since I don’t own Achtung Baby on vinyl yet. Does anybody know the limit of this “limited edition”?

  58. Looks like a more expensive reheat of the 2018 remaster/reissue with a coloured vinyl option thrown in. I’d have thought a grey colour would’ve been more apt considering the links to Berlin and the recent fall of the Wall in1991. It’s Universal so logic doesn’t always come into it!

Leave a Reply