Bonus track for Australian NLOTH CD: alternate version of NLOTH

[phommel]

[Speculation] Bonus track UK

Seems that UK gets a bonus track again.

Why only UK?

Does anyone know the reason behind the fact that the last albums of UK always have a bonus track exclusively in the UK (like fast cars for HTDAAB)?

 

[Danny Boy]

Source?

 

[super fly guy]

Because we are the center of the whole world! Seriously i dont have a clue,seems strange.

 

[quadcaster]

fast cars wasnt an exclusive bonus track for just the uk, it was also a bonus track in japan and we in australia got it as a bonus track on the deluxe edition......

and yeah, source?!

 

[BVS]

There is no source, right now it's just speculation.

Let me quote what I wrote in another thread:

The labels do this, not the bands. Look at almost any major artist and they will have UK and Japan bonus tracks. The labels do this because the CD costs are so much more in these countries that they feel if they get something exclusive it will be worth the cost for retailers to buy from their distributers. Sales of physical copies haven't dropped off as much in these countries as well, unlike the US and other parts of the country, so it's going to continue this way for awhile.

I'm suprised this is even an issue, it's been happening for years...

BTW, any special edition format will have the same bonus song, so don't fret.

 

[Registered Dude]

I read something around the time of HTDAAB about the rationale for bonus tracks. It had to do with pricing. ie Places where you typically pay a higher price for a cd get a bonus track as added incentive.

 

[phommel]

Source is U2TOUR.DE - U2 News, Berichte, Photos, U2 Forum, Setlists, U2 Kalender, U2 Vertigo Tour. It's on the official product description of Universal Music. (so not really speculation) Yes also Japan/Australia. But the question remains: what is the reason for this?

 

[God Part III]

If you mean Tripoli, it could just as well be that the album is 12 songs, not 11. Noone knows yet, why worry?

 

[phommel]

There is no source, right now it's just speculation.

Let me quote what I wrote in another thread:



I'm suprised this is even an issue, it's been happening for years...

BTW, any special edition format will have the same bonus song, so don't fret.

no I don't fret, and indeed the bonus track will be there on the special editions as well probably. But thank you for clarification, I just didn't know that this was the reason. Still, I think it's remarkable

 

[BVS]

Still, I think it's remarkable

Why?

 

[Danny Boy]

It usually has to do with pricing and exchange rates. For instance in Australia it would be cheaper to buy an import from Singapore than a domestic CD, so they add the bonus track to encourage people to buy the Australian version.

I assume it's a similar situation with the UK/European releases.

 

[phommel]

Why?

Well I thought that bands like U2 wanna make a cohesive album and they probably consider the amount and order of tracks very well. To add a bonus track interferes with this imo. Furthermore, I did not know the label makes this decision. That means also that U2 are not completely free to decide what tehy want.

 

[Rosebud]

Bonus tracks are not really part of the actual album. Are you under the impression that they are?

For example, Summer Rain was a bonus track to ATYCLB, but it was put on a seperate CD. It's not like they make different albums for different countries.

 

[Danny Boy]

Depends on how hard they press for it, I think.

My understanding is that Robert Smith really went to the mat with Geffen over the last Cure album so that the same version was released everywhere.

 

[PowerSurge]

Well I thought that bands like U2 wanna make a cohesive album and they probably consider the amount and order of tracks very well. To add a bonus track interferes with this imo. Furthermore, I did not know the label makes this decision. That means also that U2 are not completely free to decide what tehy want.

yeah, isn't that funny? A mega rock band like U2 can't call the shots. Ridiculous if you ask me. If they really want people to get more for their money then add a bonus poster or free downloadable wigdet ot something....don't screw with the final album.

The stupid bonus track thing has not made one bit of sense since its been started. I know its been happening for a long time...but it doesn't mean I have to like it....and as a matter of fact, personally I think it sucks.

 

[BVS]

Well I thought that bands like U2 wanna make a cohesive album and they probably consider the amount and order of tracks very well. To add a bonus track interferes with this imo. Furthermore, I did not know the label makes this decision. That means also that U2 are not completely free to decide what tehy want.

That's why it's usually a "b-side" that is tacked on...

The band(in U2's case) will decide the album order and then they'll decide what to tack on as the bonus song.

Fast Cars was a great track, and probably should have been on the album, but with the version the band went with it didn't really fit.

 

[LemonMelon]

Well I thought that bands like U2 wanna make a cohesive album and they probably consider the amount and order of tracks very well. To add a bonus track interferes with this imo. Furthermore, I did not know the label makes this decision. That means also that U2 are not completely free to decide what tehy want.

If it's placed at the end of the album, it's impossible for it to screw up the flow. If it were in the middle somewhere, you would have a point.

 

[Danny Boy]

Bonus tracks are not really part of the actual album. Are you under the impression that they are?

For example, Summer Rain was a bonus track to ATYCLB, but it was put on a seperate CD. It's not like they make different albums for different countries.

Sure they do. Most recently U218 Singles, which had IWF as a bonus track in the UK.

 

[PowerSurge]

Bonus tracks are not really part of the actual album. Are you under the impression that they are?

For example, Summer Rain was a bonus track to ATYCLB, but it was put on a seperate CD. It's not like they make different albums for different countries.

Um.....

yes they do:

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: U2: Amazon.co.uk: Music

 

[PowerSurge]

If it's placed at the end of the album, it's impossible for it to screw up the flow. If it were in the middle somewhere, you would have a point.

totally disagree.

How could you have an album with a perfect "album ending song" and then hear the "extra song"?

For example:

Wake Up Dead Man - Holy Joe

Yahweh - Fast Cars

Makes No sense to me.

 

[phommel]

Furthermore the argument that CDs cost so much more on those countries where they add bonus tracks is not valid at the moment.

For example: The British pound does 0,906 euro at the moment. At amazon UK, teh new album is listed for 8,98 Pound, which is less than 10 euros, while in almost every European country CDs are way more expensive (Netherlands between 15 and 20 euros for example). So actually it might be lucrative to import CDs from the UK, for a cheaper price, with an extra track!
So to prevent import from europe to UK/USA, they should add the bonus track in Europe....

 

[BVS]

I remember before the days of napster, a friend of mine was a diehard Pearl Jam fan, so he bought the Japan import, spent good money for it...

It supposebly had 2 bonus tracks: a cover of Beatles 'I Got a Feeling', and a new song called 'Master/Slave'.

Well the cover was a live song, and the Master/Slave song was just the instrumental found at the beginning of the U.S. version but extended.

So it ended up being a waste.

This is nothing new.

 

[phommel]

....
Fast Cars was a great track, and probably should have been on the album, but with the version the band went with it didn't really fit.

I agree on that. And Holy Joe was a great track too imo, what also should have been on the album...

 

[Irishteen]

Furthermore the argument that CDs cost so much more on those countries where they add bonus tracks is not valid at the moment.

For example: The British pound does 0,906 euro at the moment. At amazon UK, teh new album is listed for 8,98 Pound, which is less than 10 euros, while in almost every European country CDs are way more expensive (Netherlands between 15 and 20 euros for example). So actually it might be lucrative to import CDs from the UK, for a cheaper price, with an extra track!
So to prevent import from europe to UK/USA, they should add the bonus track in Europe....

And the US version is $9.99 which is £6.50. The US always gets albums so cheap, I'm for all the world except the US getting the bonus track personally

 

[popacrobat]

I really can't comprehend for the life of me why this is such a big deal.

 

[PookaMacP]

For example: The British pound does 0,906 euro at the moment. At amazon UK, teh new album is listed for 8,98 Pound, which is less than 10 euros, while in almost every European country CDs are way more expensive (Netherlands between 15 and 20 euros for example).

And that would be why I pre-ordered my copy of No Line on the Horizon from amazon.co.uk to be shipped over here. Better than paying through the nose - in HMV in Dublin today, for example, there is a 2 CDs for €15 offer yet when I was in HMV on Oxford street the week before Christmas, it was 2 for £10 (or around €11) - why the difference?

 

[LemonMelon]

totally disagree.

How could you have an album with a perfect "album ending song" and then hear the "extra song"?

For example:

Wake Up Dead Man - Holy Joe

Yahweh - Fast Cars

Makes No sense to me.

It's called the stop button.

 

[phommel]

It's called the stop button.

Then you could also add it in the middle and use the 'skip-button' ....

 

[BVS]

I really can't comprehend for the life of me why this is such a big deal.

Some people just like to bitch...

 

[MMP]

It's called the stop button.

Well, if you're gonna use this argument, then U2 can record with the Backstreet Boys and we'll just use the stop/skip button. No need to complain about will.i.am anymore, folks!