Exclusive Not-for-sale U2 Live CD Due

U22 double-disc of songs from the 360 Tour as voted on by the fans.

By Fred Mills

It's not exactly a bootleg, or even a so-called "official bootleg" - but it's probably the next best thing, collectability-wise. Due late this year is U22, a double-disc, 22-song live collection compiled from U2's 360 Tour, and it's not slated to be available in stores or even as a mail order or tour-merch release, but rather an exclusive offered strictly to subscribers to the band's U2.Com club. According to the organizers:

"[It is an] exclusive, live double-CD capturing the record-breaking experience that was U2360°. Between 2009 and 2011 the band played 110 amazing shows and this limited-edition 22-track live collection is the definitive soundtrack of that tour - as voted for by U2.com subscribers."

Indeed, club members have already been busy voting, and as the club reports, "'Bad,' ‘Magnificent,' 'Streets' and ‘Ultraviolet' are in the lead. ‘One Tree Hill,' ‘Zooropa' and ‘Out of Control' have a good chance of making the cut. But ‘Spanish Eyes,' ‘Your Blue Room' and ‘Return of the Stingray Guitar' are in danger of missing out."

So you, the discriminating U2 fan, can make your voice be heard. The hitch of course is that joining U2.Com costs an annual $50, and as we all know sometimes these so-called "exclusivity clubs" don't wind up delivering the goods quite as neatly as they are initially billed (less-than-premium website offerings for members, glitches in concert ticket pre-sales, etc.). But U2 seems to have smoothed out the rough edges since it launched the club a few years ago, and in truth, 50 bucks to get an album that will clearly go for much more than that eventually on eBay doesn't seem like a bad investment, at least not on the face of it.

You can get more details on how to subscribe and how to vote in the poll at U2.com.