New U2 Album On Sale at Amazon

Do the math: a million pre-orders @ $95 a pop x 9 weeks = a lot of interest accrued!

By Fred Mills

Okay, okay, so that's a deliberately misleading headling. Technicaly, it's a PRESALE. Got your attention, however, eh?

Frequenters of Amazon.com, or at least those who have bought music from the online mega-retailer, received a curious early Christmas present in their email inboxes this weekend: an opportunity to place a pre-order for no less than five versions of the forthcoming U2 album, No Line on the Horizon, which we previously brought you details on at BLURT.

It's due March 3, but that's not stopping Amazon from getting in some pre-emptive moves, sales-wise. And they're pitching it as a friggin' Christmas gift - or rather, a "certificate" you can print out and wrap up for the U2 fan in the house.

According to the email:

Dear Amazon.com Customer,

Because you've purchased music or products related to U2, you might like to know that U2 has officially announced that their new album, "No Line on the Horizon," will be released on March 3, 2009.

Amazon.com has all five versions available for pre-order today. Order one for yourself, or surprise your favorite U2 fan by tucking a printable certificate in his or her stocking.

Now THAT is ballsy.

So let's see just exactly what these five versions will be, according to Amazon, along with the regular price versus the advertised pre-order price.

Version One: $13.98 list price, Amazon price $9.99

This version is the standard album CD in a plastic jewel case w /24 page color booklet.

Version Two: $35.98 list price, no discount

This version features the album CD in a cardboard folded sleeve w/ a 36-page color booklet and fold-out poster, as well as a new film from Anton Corbijn featuring the music of U2, available as exclusive downloadable content.

Version Three: $49.98 list price, no discount

This version features the album CD in a special 60-page soft cover magazine-style book as well as a new film from Anton Corbijn featuring the music of U2, available as exclusive downloadable content.

Version Four:  $95.98 list price, no discount

This version is a deluxe limited-edition-collectors item: packaged in a special box, album CD in a cardboard folded sleeve w/ 36 page color booklet and fold out poster. Box also includes 60-page hard cover book plus an additional fold-out poster and a DVD of the new film from Anton Corbijn featuring the music of U2 in a slip case cover.

Version Five: $17.98 list price, no discount

This version is 2 vinyl discs in a folding sleeve with 16-page oversized booklet.

Like we said - ballsy. We've heard of "value-added" items (remember that quaint term from back when labels started putting enhanced content, bonus EPs and DVDs, etc. on new releases?), but some of this kinda, um.... takes the cake, hubristically speaking. Ladies and gentlemen, start your credit cards!

Let's not forget that bloated limited "U2 Deluxe Edition" box that came out earlier this year to accompany the expanded reissues of the band's first three albums. Here's the Amazon product description just to remind you:

This limited edition collectible U2 Deluxe Edition boxset is handsomely constructed in a sturdy hardbound shell, measuring 5 3/4" (width) x 2 3/4" (spine width) x 5 7/16" (tall) and comes with the newly remastered and expanded 2 CD deluxe editions of the bands first three albums BOY, OCTOBER and WAR, plus room for a fourth (not included). Re-mastered from the original audio tapes, each deluxe includes a disc of b-sides, live tracks and rarities, and the packaging on all three titles has been restored and expanded, with new liner notes for each record, previously unseen photos and full lyrics. This set also comes with a limited edition, exclusive 18'x24' full color replica poster from the bands [sic] beginnings, recreated just for this boxset.