Collectibles #13: U218 Singles (2006)

U2 have released a greatest hits collection yet again. This time, it's dubbed U218 Singles, meaning the songs included in this set are songs that were released as singles, so they may not necessarily be their "best" or "greatest hits". Get the difference? Well, in order for it to be a hit, you have to release it as a single first right??

But anyway, since I'm a sucker of good packaging, I bought this set even though I have their second best of collection: 1990-2000. Yep, this is the Deluxe Limited Edition, and it contains a bonus DVD of their Vertigo tour in Milan.

The concert included here is probably a truncated one, as it contains only ten songs. But from the concert, it's not hard to see why U2's appeal has lasted more than two decades and is still going strong.

Frontman Bono is a well-loved showman who knows how to work his charm in his own way. He's not the world's best singer, and certainly not the most energetic, but somehow you still wanna watch him. The other band members are seasoned performers as well, and the quality of the songs, not their onstage antics, make them a formidable act till this day.

There are two obligatory new tracks included in this collection - The Saints Are Coming (a collabo with Green Day) and Window In The Skies. The former is a cover of Scottish punk rock band The Skids. It was rerecorded as a fund-raiser for the Hurricane Katrina victims last year.

Also included here, and the reason behind the premium price you have to pay for this set, is a 48-page booklet of colour photos of the band at various moments in history.