http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047H7PZU/?tag=imwan-20

The current rumor is that this is six live tracks from the European leg of the tour, and it's VINYL ONLY.

Which tour?

The current leg of the U2 360 Tour, which just concluded. But really, it's all speculation at this point. The only evidence that this really exists is the amazon pre-order and the accompanying Interscope catalog number, etc.

Re:Vinyl only release.
Why release anything these days in vinyl? I just don't see the need for doing this. I guess this must be another example of U2's aggressive marketing strategy running amok without any direction whatsosver. Gee, what's next an 8-track version, cassette, or how about reel to reel? Come on U2. pull yourselves together why don't you?

More info: It's a Black Friday release, for indie record stores only (very cool), and yes, vinyl only, possibly limited to only 5000 copies. Track list:

1. Mercy (Live in Brussels)
2. I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Live in Dublin)*
3. Moment of Surrender (Live in Paris)

*This is likely the same version released earlier this year on Artificial Horizon



http://underanatomicsky.blogspot.com/20 ... l?spref=tw

Thanks for the track listing. Since there's nothing on it that I find remotely noteworthy, I'll pass on this one!

How 'bout you back down off the boys? They're just trying to help all the local, small record stores that carry the titles we scour these boards for.
Considering that they sell the vast majority of their music digitally and through big box stores, I'd say it's a pretty cool move on their part.

By the way, "Mercy" is one of the most-requested unreleased songs from the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb sessions. Classic, soaring, epic U2. Great pick to release, as it's been requested by U2 fans since bootleged studio versions leaked out. Should be a great EP.

Source: Variety Magazine

U2 to issue live EP

Three-song release part of Black Friday push

By CHRISTOPHER MORRIS

U2 will issue a limited edition three-track live EP, "Wide Awake in Europe," including a previously unreleased song, as an exclusive item for independent record stores on Nov. 26.
Top-selling Irish band's piece will be the key title for "Back to Black Friday," an indie retail event mounted by the organizers of the annual Record Store Day. Nearly 1,400 stores participated in RSD in April this year.

Promotion is designed to build traffic at indie outlets on the Friday following Thanksgiving, the day Christmas shoppers typically crowd mass merchants and mall chain stores.

Limited to 5,000 copies, U2's 12-inch vinyl release will include a version of the concert favorite "Mercy," recorded live in Brussels on Sept. 21. Set will also feature "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" (cut in Dublin in July 2009) and "Moment of Surrender" (captured in September in Paris).

Exclusive product - most of it on vinyl -- from Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix and Cee Lo Green, among others, is also earmarked for the Black Friday promotion. EMI Music previously announced a new vinyl boxed edition of George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" for the event.

Availability of unique product has spurred lineups at RSD stores in the past, since small allocations of the exclusive collector-oriented titles are quickly depleted. This year's draws included vinyl from Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, R.E.M., the Velvet Underground, the Sex Pistols and Sonic Youth.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com.

Read more: http://www.variety.com/article/VR111802 ... z13VY4m4zQ

Personally, I've never understood why recoding artists such as U2 keep some of their best tunes off a major album release? What's up with that? Not putting one of your best tunes on a upcoming release seems counterproductive at best and foolhardy at its worst, it makes no economic sense whatsoever. "But they're doing for the collectors out there", oh please. Fact is U2 have been doing this kind of "aggressive marketing" since the 80's. As a result, its become a cottage industry for them. Still it flies in the face of conventional wisdom to keep your best songs off of an upcoming release, its almost like your intentionally sabotaging your own efforts. If the songs are as good as they're purported to be why not save them for their next release? Very strange indeed.
But back to point why release anything on vinyl after all its digital world we live in?
"There just trying to keep all small independent record stores in business". - really, I didn't interpret it that way at all. It may have escaped your sight but the original post showed a Amazon.com link that at the time wasn't functioning. Last I heard Amazon.com was a pretty big selling outfit altogether and not some small, struggling, business. Now as to the alluded "beneficence" of U2, "WRONG". Its just another example of their rather shrude marketing strategy that I previously mentioned. U2 have long since given up trying to reach out or helping the little guy, don't buy into the obvious marketing ploy on their part. Oh they still talk the talk but they become SO big they can't walk the walk when it comes to these principled ideals!

Yes, Duzzle. Whatever you say. Thanks for sharing.

(P.S. That smoking gun Amazon link you pointed out is actually a dead one. It isn't listed on Amazon. It was just a generic link that searches for the name of the album on Amazon and pulls up the result, not a direct link to the product. If it WAS on Amazon at some point, it's because Amazon will put in placeholders for stuff so customers will be able to bookmark it and purchase when it's officially available. Toy Story 3 had a BluRay listing before it was even in the theaters, so the Bluray definitely wasn't avaiable at that point, but they knew the interest would be there. I respectfully suggest you fact (and spell) check your postings before you post 'em.)

And now back to discussing music and on-topic information relevant to this release.

They're 3 live tracks. Wouldn't really mesh well with a studio album.

If you're talking about how U2 always has many great b-sides, perhaps they didn't fit thematically into the albums. Perhaps they were recorded at a different time and didn't feel representative of what the album sessions were about. There's plenty of reasons. Plus U2 is fun to collect.

I think his chief complaint is the fact that "Mercy" has never been released otherwise, and the song has been very highly regarded as a leaked outtake for a long time. It has been around for awhile but never played live other than at soundchecks before this tour and no studio version has ever been officially released.