Interestingly can we admit this isn't exactly a "free" album the way say Radiohead In Rainbows or Crosses EP Part One and Two were free albums. You have to have an iTunes account, and you have to give iTunes a credit card to have an iTunes account. In essence, its a less than veiled attempt to boost iTunes membership, and thankfully I hear it isn't working, and further Apple is feeling some regrets at the $100 MILLION that they paid U2 for this promotion ;)

In that regard, kudos to U2, its always nice to stick it to Apple! Of course, whether I like U2 or not ( I don't necessarily not like them but I'm not really a fan by any measure), it does suck for U2 records to be conflated as spam.

Forget it's "U2" and this show from 1980 has quite a few moments of post-punky glory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbfjoOxwA1I

In an alternate world, if the U2 tour plane had gone down in 1980, how cool would they be now?

Also y'all remember when de la soul gave away their entire discography for free this valentines day? THAT was a bold move yo!

I think this same kind of thread could be around the new Rolling Stones-album, if they ever will make another one. Then I am possibly the only one who likes it and all the others say those boring comments "they should stop in the seventies, they´re rich bastards etc.". Why people just can´t like the music they like?

Why Cant We Just Like It Without People Saying They Dont Nlike Nit!nwiwiiwooowoeoeoeoeoewoeowoeowoe

I like U2 from Boy and up to and including Achtung Baby. Boy, War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby are either masterpieces or minor masterpieces, IMO. There, I said it...

Its the internet, people can't be that realistic yo, the entire system is predicated on snark and trolling ;)

That's weird. You have an iPhone 4 or above I'm assuming, yes? No reason it shouldn't have appeared in your "Music" app.

But your disappointment is what I find truly perplexing ;)

Apparently to qualify for Grammy consideration there had to be physical copies in existence.

They printed up 300 test pressings. My friend got one and sold it online for $890.00.
I guess he has reason to like this wretched overwrought piece of superfluous garbage.

I loved them in the early 80s, when I could stomach severe earnestness.
Had they ceased after October or War or even UF, they would be regarded much more fondly as one of the better euphoric post punk bands of their time, earnest heart on sleeve action notwithstanding.

They have been so bad for so long.

I have War in a cassette. I didn´t recorded it myself, it just found it somewhere. I have listened it maybe two or three times, it´s ok. I really liked the songs of Achtung Baby when it came, but some reason never bought the album & never heard the whole album. Never really understood the great hype around the Joshua Tree, I didn´t really like the songs I heard from it then. I don´t think they´ve changed as much as people seem to think here.

I dunno, I still don't get the general level of hate for this one. I love the album. Still spinning it to death, joyous songs stuck in my head.