Subscriber dmway Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 10 hours ago, dmway said: OK, I've had some time to decompress, but more has to be said... I used to really look forward to the annual gift. I liked every single one ever released until "U2 Duals" (I know a lot of people here agree with that assessment - it was so roundly panned here that we actually got a response on-site about it). After "Duals", they came up with good gifts again, but now this is the third time in four years that they have released something mainly on vinyl, with only an mp3 option for those who have no interest whatsoever in vinyl. This is not good service. We all pay exactly the same dues - we ought to have the right to be equally satisfied with the gift (that we pay for). Now, don't get me wrong - if you like vinyl and are happy with the vinyl, that's great and I'm genuinely happy for you. However, the rest of us are entitled to be happy as well. What was released for the 2015 and 2017 gifts (the early-career Dublin show and the JT singles) were good ideas; however, only releasing them in vinyl with a consolation mp3 as the only other option is just wrong. It is cheaper today to create factory-pressed silver CDs than vinyl - that's a fact. The music medium infrastructure today for CDs is what the infrastructure was for vinyl back in the early 80s and before. If the site doesn't want to produce both, why doesn't the option exist for us to get a CD-quality download so that we can make our own CDs? Lossless and WAV files can be easily and without cost be converted to mp3s. Everyone wins this way. So, a few questions - why can't we choose the format of the music, if music is the gift in any given year? We really ought to be given the explicit choice. This would be very economical for the site as well. For example, the JT singles were made and posted to every paid-up U2.com member (well mostly, I know some are still waiting). Some people like vinyl; many don't - so why is everyone getting the same thing sent to them regardless? This is cost-ineffective in two ways - since vinyl cost more to produce than CDs, why would you send vinyl to those who would prefer CDs? Also, secondly, it costs more in postage to send vinyl than CDs - so, again, why would you pay the extra postage to send someone vinyl who would prefer CDs when it would be much cheaper to send these people CDs? The current practice defies basic common sense... Another point - who exactly chooses what the gift is each year anyway? It's quite clear that we have no input whatsoever. There were a couple of threads here which collected people's thoughts on what would make a nice gift for 2018 - some were facetious, others were overly ambitious, but most were made sincerely - and the sincere ones were very good ideas. However, as we have just seen yet again for 2018, our opinions here did not make any substantive impact at all. I don't think anyone proposed/would have proposed what has been offered. Now, there is something right about this gift - celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rattle and Hum was a good idea. However, this 2018 gift can't be the best possible idea to celebrate it. I may be wrong, but I sense that there is not an infinite appetite for remixes here. If I may be blunt, this appears to have been formulated to be relatively simple to create, not so much to be special to have. So, a few humble suggestions for the present and the future: If this gift is set in stone, could we please have downloads in suitable quality (lossless or WAV) so that we who prefer CDs can make our own CDs? (These higher-quality downloads can be converted to mp3s easily as well.) In the future, could we please be part of the process of what the gift ends up being (both in the content and, in the case of music, the format)? This is a completely reasonable request. It would even save money both in manufacturing and in posting. I feel we have been led down the garden path a bit this year - it was at least implied, if not explicitly said, that our wishes for this year's gift would be listened to. If this in fact happened, I don't know how we can't be greatly confused by what ended up being offered. Well, as I said already, I used to really look forward to these gifts; at first, the ideas were really good. However, in recent years, I don't think it is unfair to say they have been a bit underwhelming. Please let us have more input into these (pre-paid) gifts...please... 8 hours ago, Manohlive said: I'm upset with some stuff too. My complaint is how many people got screwed in the presale and gave up after signing up and paying for a subscription. I've been thinking about this. The only way I see us changing anything is to raise our voices collectively. Maybe there is a way each of us can write a letter about our concerns and have them all delivered at once? Each of us could present what we want and how we will respond as consumers if something doesn't give? It's just an idea that hasn't left my head so I'm presenting it here. We are Zootopia. I do not believe that does not matter. Perhaps it's time to make ourselves known as one group and not a bunch of individual ticket purchasers or whatever is applicable. I still believe our argument is with Live Nation. They own U2.com. It's sad but it is as it is. It would be cool if we could figure out a positive response to a bunch of negative things. Why would they have mods ask us what we want for the 2018 gift and give something that most would not like? Was that just pascification while they got the vinyls going again? I'm not saying it was but who knows at this point? Someone out of touch with the vibe of Zootopia is making decsions on some level. I'm fine with the gift. The second I saw vinyl and only three remixes, I knew there'd be discontent. Any idiot could have seen that one. It'll become another U2 collectible that gets passed onto my Godchildren. It will not be used. I don't much care as I enjoy other aspects of U2.com more. It's still seems a very silly idea. C'mon, guys... this is the best or the least you can do? They are obviously not getting the discontent of many in Zootopia. Let's make our voices heard. We'd need to figure out an effective way which does not break any rules or cause upheaval. 8 hours ago, joetracey1 said: Great idea if we could even have a poll on if you are happy with 2018 or not, I would have been happy with two cd of I and E Tour even the Paris concert on two cds would have been better than this, 7 hours ago, beppecuoco said: So won't be there the choice between vinyl and CD? If you don't have a deck? 4 hours ago, Mangel said: Well, about 5 minutes thought went into that subscriber gift didn't it. More effort has gone into trying to "sell the idea" of giving us 3 remixes that most of us already have and don't want again. For me, two of them were rubbish the first time around and although Desire was listenable, I already have it on other official releases. This is just hugely disappointing, much like those giant I&E lithographs that I've never even looked at. Dance remixes are a very acquired taste, and for me they are just a big no. Barring the very rare exception, they generally murder what was essentially a good song and make it unlistenable. If Rattle & Hum was going to be commemorated with a subscriber gift, why not use some of the real treasures that sit in the bands vault from that time that us fans would really love. A vinyl of tracks that were not used on the album or in the movie maybe? Audio, or even better, a DVD of a full show from the LoveTown Tour. As a (very) long time subscriber (you'll note I never post), I'm adding my two cents-worth, with the very small hope that if enough of us have moan about this, something might change before they go spending loads of our money on putting this thing into production. 3 hours ago, Tracks said: Should have been a choice between vinyl and cd, 3 years in a row vinyl, i would prefer cd dont have a record player and wont be getting one, disappointed again this year 2 hours ago, joetracey1 said: Can we open a poll of here to vote, maybe if one of The Moderators could do it? This is why I have been posting so often about these deficiencies, i.e., I was confident that many felt exactly the same way, but were just metaphorically/literally gritting their teeth but refraining from saying anything. I think our collective teeth are hurting too much and they need a break... Some of the problems of any membership of any group can be tricky to navigate, but the ones that exist here should be awfully easy to rectify. I know the mods care as much as we do (or they wouldn't be mods), but it seems that the higher-ups just don't care at all. I'm going to ask again because I think that we would all like to know - who exactly chooses the gift each year? It is crystal clear that our preferences are not part of the equation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber doctornickriviera Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 Well that hasn’t gone well has it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber johnnyboy1 Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 I think from reading most if not all the comments we're all pretty pissed off about this gift. Two rubbish remixes and another that we have on other releases!!! I like vinyl with the ability to download in MP3, but this is SIMPLY not worth a curse. Save your money u2 putting this together!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber dmway Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 (edited) 15 minutes ago, johnnyboy1 said: I think from reading most if not all the comments we're all pretty pissed off about this gift. Two rubbish remixes and another that we have on other releases!!! I like vinyl with the ability to download in MP3, but this is SIMPLY not worth a curse. Save your money u2 putting this together!!! We would be quite a bit happier if they would release better quality downloads - if they released lossless or at least WAV files as the download, those who want this as a CD in CD-quality audio could have it; those who want mp3s can very easily and without cost convert lossless/WAV files to mp3s - everyone wins this way. But, yes, the original offer is pretty poor. I wish we could know who comes up with these gifts and, further, be allowed to contribute to the process to choose what the annual gift is - we have literally paid for the right each and every year. Edited April 11, 2018 by dmway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber clapton is god Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 ii was hoping for full concert of a Lovetown gig and a dvd of a Lovetown gig. and agree with thee above, can we have an option to download these tracks in wav, lossless, flac format ...and mp3 formats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Canadanne Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 Seriously? Vinyl AGAIN??? This is the third subscription gift that's been vinyl records. I don't have or want a record player. One useless gift was bad enough, but it's getting silly now. :/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber johnnyboy1 Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 The band should maybe do a poll every year, give subscribers three options of what they'd like as a gift and then what format! It could be a one week or two poll done in January. I think most people would be happy with that process. A band like U2 who grew up in the age of vinyl (like me), want to encourage people back towards it. I can see tha appeal, but not everyone will, I think 3 years of vinyl in a row is not fair to everyone, we are all from different generations. It can't be the same format every year, I know you can still be given the option to download the tracks but it's not the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber MacCready Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 I was hoping it would be a Joshua Tree 30 blu-ray. Though a part of me knew that it would be Rattle & Hum related and hoped it would be either an expanded CD or even just the Excerpts EP. Their remixes go one of 2 ways. Ridiculous and extended (I'll Go Crazy... I'm looking at both of yours) or so subtle it's hard to tell what's been changed (Sleep Like a Baby). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber dmway Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 1 hour ago, clapton is god said: ii was hoping for full concert of a Lovetown gig and a dvd of a Lovetown gig. and agree with thee above, can we have an option to download these tracks in wav, lossless, flac format ...and mp3 formats. This is the way to satisfy everyone - that's why I keep pointing it out and will continue to do so... 57 minutes ago, Canadanne said: Seriously? Vinyl AGAIN??? This is the third subscription gift that's been vinyl records. I don't have or want a record player. One useless gift was bad enough, but it's getting silly now. :/ I concur. 25 minutes ago, johnnyboy1 said: The band should maybe do a poll every year, give subscribers three options of what they'd like as a gift and then what format! It could be a one week or two poll done in January. I think most people would be happy with that process. A band like U2 who grew up in the age of vinyl (like me), want to encourage people back towards it. I can see the appeal, but not everyone will, I think 3 years of vinyl in a row is not fair to everyone, we are all from different generations. It can't be the same format every year, I know you can still be given the option to download the tracks but it's not the same. Agreed. 23 minutes ago, Manohlive said: I don't think a poll is going to do it. I think we need to collectively write a letter and all sign it as paid subscribers, or each of us write a letter and get them all delivered collectively. I think we need to figure out to whom it would be delivered. I've seen where the mods are letting them know of the discontent. I really appreciate the mods. Them telling whomever we are not happy has precipitated no positive change. I think that we need, as Zootopians, to do it and make our voices known. I may have misquoted whomever initially posted about the poll. It's usually dmway. I can only be in here a little bit so I'm leaving it be. I'll try to change it later. I wasn't explicitly asking for a poll (but I'm not against that possibility either) - we were led to believe that our suggestions on-site would actually have some kind of impact on what would eventually be offered. That was clearly not true. The postings in a specific thread for a gift I thought was a great way to make our legitimate preferences known, but that has proven to be wrong. We should have some kind of input into the annual gift that our collective dues pay for. Some of the gifts in the past were truly wonderful - for example, I loved the "From The Ground Up" book and the "Medium Rare & Remastered" CDs. Those were GREAT gifts. The book on their early days in Dublin was really good too. It's only the last 3 to 4 years that I have had a problem with either what was offered and/or having a single format imposed on you whether you wanted it or not. Canvassing the U2.com paid community in some way would only alleviate any potential difficulties going forward. I really would like to know who chooses what's offered and how they come up with it. I also wish we would be consulted in advance, even in a generic way. I don't think that's too much to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber bacadorina Posted April 11, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted April 11, 2018 (edited) I really don’t like the gift, 3 lousy remixes and on top of that it’s a vinyl again, which is useless for me as I don’t have a turn table. Not happy at all with the 2018 gift, I think it’s the worse since Duals. I guess a CD with an I+E concert or Joshua Tree 30 concert would have been a better idea. Edited April 11, 2018 by bacadorina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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