U2’s Songs of Surrender comes out on March 17. How many variations of one album do we really need?

I’m a lifelong U2 fan and I’ve collected plenty of their stuff over the years, but even I’m scratching my head at the bewildering number of variations in which Songs of Surrender will be released. If you’re a completist, this is going to get very, very expensive. More detail here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

2 thoughts on “U2’s Songs of Surrender comes out on March 17. How many variations of one album do we really need?

  • March 10, 2023 at 10:17 am
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    And the clear variant has 4 more songs than the others.

    Reply
  • March 10, 2023 at 10:18 am
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    Here’s an even better question – why do we need to issue music in 2023 on a format from the early days of recorded music? We’re not bringing back UHF dials on our televisions, or rotary dial telephones. The vinyl fetish is so weird. That would cut out at least half the versions!

    Reply

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