You know, instead if this insane mini-Best Of release now, I think a great boxed set in 2010 or so would have been fantastic. Let U2 release another new album (or - gasp - two!) this decade and tour the songs (if they so desire). Then, instead of a "Best Of" for the 00's, they could do a Boxed Set of 3 decades worth of songs. To entice buyers, they could have thrown in rare tidbits (studio songs that were never released, but that the fans would have loved), some rare videos ("Red Hill Mining" video, a Love Town video, some very early work, etc.) and maybe even one or two new songs. That would have been a great big "thank you" to the fans for 3 decades worth of support. And I think fans would have been happy to get this for all the goodies.
But no, we get corporate greed. The more I think about this mini-Best Of the more ticked I am about it.
I've supported just about all of U2's decisions. I got the need to change their style in the early 90's. I got their need to advertise differently. I got why they decided to release any "Best Of" work (despite saying they would never do so earlier in their careers). I accepted U2 iPods and the commercial. Times were changing and U2 went along with the change. I got it, appreciated it and even applauded it.
But this mini-Best Of is nothing but corporate greed. If U2 wanted to "stay in the news" this holiday season, why not release an EP? Put on the Green Day song, the new song and perhaps some live tracks (like "Vertigo"!). Donate all proceeds to charity (Elton John has donated the proceeds from his singles to charities for years). This way, U2 comes across as having their wallets where their mouths are, they stay in the news, and they give fans a little treat. It's a winning combo for everyone.
Instead, we get this unnecessary, superfluous mini-Best Of that will be out of date as soon as U2 have another studio release. It's ridiculous. I'm seriously thinking of not buying it. Finally U2 has done something that even ticks me off.