Customer Reviews

U2 Deluxe Edition Box Set

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nice package of the first 3 albums of U2. All three of them have a bonus disc with live performances or remixes of the songs on the orginal disc.
In comparison with the european edition, you get an extra box in which you can store these 3 albums, together with a mini-poster.
The 4th album - Under a blood red sky - of which a deluxe edition will come later this year, can also be stored in this box.

I bought this Deluxe Edition as soon as it became available and I was excited when it came in the post. Delivery was fine, everything was there, the box was in good shape, but I feel that the box itself could have been put together a lot better. Sometimes, when I am moving and organising my things, the little books containing the discs tend to slip right out, onto the floor and the box itself could be easily crushed. I wasn't too thrilled about that. I love packaging as much as I do the actual music inside, that's why I'm a collector. So that knocks some points off for me. The books, however, I did enjoy. Probably more than the music.

As for the actual music, I was a little bit disappointed with it. I already own all three albums and admittedly, I was lacking the bonus material, which helped me in deciding whether or not to buy this release, or just save my money for a more worthy release, like the Under a Blood Red Sky remaster. The upgrades to the music are nice, but not enough for me to rave over and the bonus material, most notably on the War end of things, was very disappointing to say the least. I've listened to the War Bonus disc maybe all of once or twice. Who really needs that many versions of New Year's Day? I think that the studio version got played enough, thanks.

My last complaint is the price. Yes, the price. For what was asked for this product, I do not feel it lived up to it's worth. The remastering is OK at best and the bonus material leaves a lot to be desired, though I will say I do frequently listen to the Boy and October bonus discs. The price is awfully steep for what's inside and the box looked to me like not much thought had gone into it at all. 6 Discs enclosed in hardback books with a poster would warrant a price like this, but like I tend to say ... quality over quantity, my friends. I feel it could have been much better than it was - especially for what it cost.

From the opening riff of I will Follow, I had chills ... Like U2, I'm in my 40s and this was the music of my teen years. I may have been a little late to the U2 party becoming a fan with the release of October. That said, I always felt that that the one knock on all 3 of their first albums was production, not the mix. Between money and technology some of the band was lost between their performances in the studio and what we got in the shop. That has finally been taken care of. Edge has done an outstanding job of bringing these albums finally and completly to life. I am reminded of the re mastering job that Jimmy Page did on the Zeppelin catalog.

The bonus tracks, as a whole, are both invigorating and illuminating. Many memories came back to me as I remember many of these songs from now long lost 12" singles. I hope I am not the only one who remembers the 12" single. My one complaint, albeit small, is the utterly poor choice of bonus tracks on War.

...and the poster is a nice touch

Like many fans of U2's early work, I fell off the bandwagon after the Joshua Tree but this box set gets you all the goodies (and then some) that were never released on vinyl or CD, or at least not officially... and I don't count the Apple/iPod MP3 crap that was released with the U2 iPod. I have all their original first pressing singles and it's great to finally have them on a very good sounding CD, as auditioned on my mega-buck all tube system.

There's a great first version of "Fire" called "Saturday Night" that, to me, is worth the price of admission alone. Never heard it before, never knew it existed. I think it's better than "Fire". Lyrics are completely different but the instrumentation is basically the same. Killer.

Oh, did I mention the packaging? First rate. Jeez, I sound like a shill for their record label. I could write more but I think I'll go back to listening. Best 65 bucks I've spent in awhile.

Boy and October never sound this good before. War on the other hand was remastered too "loud". But since I have the gold MFSL disc I'm not that upset.
The total package is very well done, and it's amazing to have those b-sides,remixes and demos in such great sound.
Bravo to the Edge/U2/record company for a great set for the fans.

You may be want this box set because you crave better sound quality and are intrigued by the plethora of "unreleased" tracks. Maybe you are a U2 collector enamored by the nice packaging. But more likely, you want to avoid the hefty price tags of the seperate remasters. If placed a check mark next to any of the above, just do yourself a favor and buy it now. The sound quality of each album is definitely better. While the first two albums are mostly mixed louder, War boasts more definition, probably due to the improvement of their recording, mixing, and master tape. Each album is supplemented very nicely by liner notes that provide interesting prefaces, rare pictures and footnotes for each song, including those found on the bonus discs. The rare and unreleased material is enlightening for casual fans, but may be redundant for collectors of rare singles, mixes (New Years Dub), and bootlegs (think Another Time, Another Place). The packaging for this box set is as-smooth-as-silk (really, no plastic) and justifies the purchase by itself. Though printed on quality paper, the included poster is the least impressive part of the package. Bottom line: for the price, this box set is even better than the real thing. Buy it.

If you are a really U2 fan, this is for you, if don't go to any regular music store and buy the regular album. What you can find here is awesome different versions and sounds never heard before plus unreleased songs impossible to find in the past... just to give you a hint, the single record LP U2 3 was on sale on ebay a couple of years ago fo 350 Euros and now you have these songs right here with better sound... just Awesome

The hardest part with a collection like this is that, if you're a long-time or ardent fan, you'll already own more than half these tracks. The unique packaging, new sleeve inserts and rare tracks help to make it more attractive. But it was the lure of buying this exclusive from Amazon for less than the cost of buying 2 individual deluxe CD's from my usual store that was the clincher.

I'm no audiophile but I have to say I think the remastered albums sound good and have an appealling clarity and depth to them.

In terms of the bonus discs my only gripe is with War and the lack of variety on it. I don't really want to listen to 4 consecutive remixes of New Year's Day and 3 of Two Hearts; one of each would have been enough.

The poster is an odd edition. Uncreased, it would have been worthy of framuing and putting on display. But after being folded and packed in the box, why would you bother?

In summary, this collection is only for the most dedicated fan or a good starting point if you don't own any U2 or are a late convert.

What can I say? This is one fine collection of the greatest band in the world! U2 has made a wise and awesome choice here to bring out the classic albums and rework them for today's new generation of music lovers. I am sorta the bridge between the early years of U2 and the Future of U2. I was too young to know about these 3 albums as I was growing up, and caught U2 fever in the JT/R&H era. The driving force for me to purchase this was an awesome b-side "A Celebration". I have been obsesed with this little ditty since I watched those old MTV A-Z video collections. This song struck me as no other U2 b-side. I don't know how this was left off any album and finally is back in glorious re-editing for my listening pleasure. So all in all this is an awesome set even if you own the CD's from way back or the LP's from even farther back. The sound is amazing and Edge out did himself on this. If you are a fan of U2 or just curious about this band, pick this Deluxe Edition up. The poster and the b-sides are worth it enough, then you include the albums and its just gravy on the potatoes, icing on the cake, and pickle relish on your hot dog. This is well worth the money and you save a few bucks than buying the 3 seperate remasters and no poster.

Buy buy buy!

I was a little worried after reading a couple minor complaints about the packaging, but now that I've received the item I'm quite pleased. The box set packaging is amazing! Based on another review, I thought the slip cases were just flimsy cardboard, but they're thick and heavy like hardcover book covers. The cover contains a small hardcover book with the discs placed nicely inside. Actually, my biggest worry was that the CD's would be hard to take out of the cardboard insert, but they're perfectly fitted (at least in my set).

I won't comment on the sound quality, because others have already mentioned the excellent remastering. I highly recommend this set for any fan of U2's earlier material. I will say, though, I feel sorry for people who stick to buying MP3's only. Not only do they miss out on great sound (maybe their ears can't tell the difference anyway) but they're also missing out on this wonderful set.