U2 – All That You Can't Leave Behind

Maybe a bit of missed opportunity here. Whereas the latest 2xLP of "How To Dismantle" smashes the single LP version i dont feel this 2xLP is as much an upgrade over the single disc version. I would have liked a gatefold for starters. The discs ive got are nice and flat and super silent but the sound hasnt really improved over the single LP when it eaaily could have. The soundstage doesnt expand much and the top end is lacking in natural timbre. A 45rpm cut would have been worthwhile doing too. Its ok overall but not quite the upgrade ive wanted for.

Recently, I have been gifted a copy of this for Christmas. I have yet to play it. But the first impression on this box set is that it's very well presented. I am looking forward to hearing the B sides & demos, too. I shall edit this post maybe some time in the future. It's a must-have for any fan of this album. Hence why I got a copy. 😀🌞✌️

This is a really classy looking boxset. The packaging is well put together and this 11 LP plus hardcover photo book is a heavy beast! The photo book is based on Anton Corbijn’s photography shoots for the album and the pages are thick. There is also a poster included in a sealed envelope. The new remaster sounds great and predominantly stays true to the original release but there are many new nuance sounds that are brought subtly forward in the mix that were perhaps lost and buried before. It does give the album a breath of fresh air like listening to it for the very first time all over again.

“Beautiful Day”. What a miraculous song! So many people had written off the band after “Pop” (which I absolutely love!) and no one was expecting another classic song from U2, then a 20 plus year old band. And “BOOM!” the song was an instant catchy hit that has a soaring chorus that is infectiously uplifting! I felt a little moved listening to the song again with the headphones up high listening to this new remaster overseen by The Edge. I do have an original EU copy of the album on single vinyl but I think it’s safe to say the 2LP version of this album sounds punchy and very dynamic but with warm bass tones. Nice wide soundstage too. I’ll have to do a comparison at some point but it’s hard to imagine the single OG copy sounding better.

The bonus LP of extra songs is quite good too! There are a couple tracks that are clearly working versions of “Beautiful Day” and “Elevation” but they are an interesting listen with completely different lyrics. Some of the unused unreleased tracks are very good and a couple could have replaced tracks like “Stuck In A Moment” that I’m not a huge fan of. The triple live LP of their 2001 Boston show is just incredible and pretty much the reason I was interested in this boxset. An excellent performance and very well recorded too.

The 5 bonus 12” 45RPM singles are individually packaged with minimalist album themed artwork. They sound huge and deep and fun to show off a high end stereo with but the mixes of “Elevation”, “New York”, “Beautiful Day” are so deconstructed they lose the magic of their original mix. I would have been more interested in extended mixes retaining the original feel of the songs. Only the “Trilogy Remix” disc that features “In A Little While”, “Walk On” and “When I Look At The World” have mixes that I personally find enjoyable as they let the full songs play out in a different sounding arrangement. But the real elephant in the room here is that these 5 discs really add very little value to this set and I think this could have been all condensed to a double LP at 33RPM, so there is alot of waste here that just unnecessarily jacks up the prices of these already expensive deluxe box sets. I would have much preferred an inclusion of the CD versions of the main, extra and live albums. Or just cut the fat of the unneeded 12” mixes here. The boxset is worth it for the remastered album, bonus and live album and the book and box are nice. I picked this up for $250 CDN plus tax which I felt was a good price but I do wish the remixes had been better. Happily, the quality of the pressing of all vinyl records is excellent with barely any surface noise or ticks. I think I only noticed a tiny bit of noise on the “Elevation” 12” single (ambient one) and the occasional tick or brief surface noise on one of the live LPs but it was hardly enough to be annoyed with.

***However! One big word of warning! Check your vinyl carefully under bright light to see if there is any patterns forming on the vinyl from possible off gassing from the non-scratch inner sleeves. I usually haven’t had an issue with non-scratch inner sleeves in modern vinyl but it appears that there may be an issue with these particular inner sleeves. I wet/vac cleaned all my records first and re-sleeved them. They all cleaned up perfectly and the hazy pattern was gone. But I fear if I wouldn’t have noticed this I would have probably not re-sleeved the records and over time may have been destroyed from the off gassing. So check your copy now and get rid of those sleeves!***

Just want to express my gratitude for all the positive reviews below. Very helpful. Bought this based on them and am not disappointed. Clean, clear and dynamic - the trifecta. Buy with confidence.

Finally, this album sounds the way it should! Huge, with a wide (and deep) soundstage that eluded all the other versions I've purchased over the years!

The worst CD package I have ever seen. Foldable 2- digisleeve where the CDs are pulled towards the inner center of the package. Everything is too tight, very hard to have room for your finger to try to pull the discs. Very embarassing since it's a so called Deluxe Edition, but the package thing is cheap.
Mine ripped a bit first time I attempted to handle the discs.

Hi there all,
I know this is an odd request and highly improbable, but is there anyone willing to sell "U2 Elevation - Live From Boston" vinyl from the boxset?
Thank you for reading. Love x

Great sound quality and an unexpectedly enjoyable box. Sounds better than it looks on paper. I suggest picking it up if you find it for a good price. The remixes even breathe life into a well worn set of songs.

my cd edition is made in the czech republic .

In this edition there is an incorrect configuration inside the sleeve - two LP1s, be careful.