So U2 and Apple (via iTunes) have teamed up to offer The Complete U2 – 446 songs for only $149.99. Ouch!

I love U2; have for years, and I guess I will for years to come. I have all their albums and their early EPs, but I do not have $149.99 to get The Complete U2. Why would I care to get the collection if I have most of the band’s music? Because there are a good number of unreleased songs that are not available anywhere else. I do not have any “un-purchased” music; I have paid for everything on my iPod, either through my CD collection or via iTunes downloads.

Scam? Not really sure, but Apple and U2 have to realize that their fans will pay for these unreleased songs despite having most of the rest. So instead of paying $.99 per song, Apple and U2 are asking us to pay around $3.75 per unreleased song. The catch is that you cannot just download these songs; you have to pay the whole $149.99.

In this case I would not mind paying $40-50 for these never before released songs, but $149.99? That is just too much for me to stomach. I am not going to blame Apple or U2 for trying to make a buck, but why stick it too the fans that matter the most? The fans that have been with the band for years are the same ones that will own all the previous music and will want to own these new unreleased songs?

Maybe someone will realize that this is a terrible mistake by making a the unreleased songs available in a cheaper bundle? Maybe just maybe, but I doubt it. Or maybe Santa will bring some iTunes gift cards …