U2 Kicks Alanis to the Curb

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Wed, 4 Nov 1998 06:20:58 EST

This article from Jam Music:

U2 steals Morissette's thunder
By JOSHUA OSTROFF
Ottawa Sun
 And the winner is ... U2.
  
 Yesterday's mega-release schedule had local music stores doubling their
business as buyers rushed in to pick up new CDs by such high profile artists
as U2, Alanis Morissette, Beck, the Rolling Stones and Celine Dion.
  
 Aside from Compact Music in the Glebe, where Beck's Mutations was the top-
selling disc, most shops were moving more of U2's greatest hits CD The Best of
1980-1990.
  
 "The U2 is flying off the shelves," says CD Warehouse's Steve Bleeker. "We
expected it to be very strong but it surpassed our expectations."
  
 The consensus on U2's massive first day sales is that it is due to the
limited edition version, of which only 175,000 were pressed in Canada, that
contains a bonus CD of hard to get B-sides.
  
 But what about Little Miss Thing? "Compared to a normal week and a normal
major release, it' s doing pretty well," says Bleeker. "But ... it's paling in
comparison to the U2."
  
 He added Beck is doing surprisingly well, due mostly to the extremely
positive reviews.
  
 Compact Music's Ian Boyd is also pleasantly surprised by Beck's out-of-the-
gate sales.
  
 "I think it's good because he didn't sell 31 million albums like Alanis and
he doesn't have an 18 -year career like U2."
  
 Not that Morissette's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is a slouch. She is
selling No. 1 at the Rideau Center's HMV (which is holding a one-day sale) and
second or third at most other outlets.
  
 In fact, the only slow movers appear to be the Rolling Stones No Security and
Celine Dion's These Are Special Times (which shipped an astounding 700,000
copies in Canada).
  
 The sluggish sales are most probably due to the fact the Stones' are offering
a live album, which are notoriously small sellers, and Dion's album is a
Christmas collection and will most probably pick up closer to the holidays.

****************

>From myLaunch Online:

U2 Greatest-Hits Set Features Surprise
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--
(11/3/98, 6 p.m. PST) - Fans who rush out to buy U2's The Best Of 1980-1990
this week will also receive the special limited-edition The B-Sides bonus disc
(myLAUNCH, 9/10). But even fans that miss the bonus disc will receive a
surprise.
A minute after "All I Want Is You," which is the last song listed on the
compilation, the piano-laden title track from band's second album, 1981's
October, kicks in.


As previously reported, The Best Of 1980-1990 features an updated version of
"The Sweetest Thing." The original version, which was released in 1987, is
featured on The B-Sides.


Although there is no plan for a commercial release of the new version of "The
Sweetest Thing" in America, the track has been released as a two-part CD
single in the U.K. The first part of the single features "An Cat Dubh" and
"Twilight," recorded live from U2's famed Red Rocks concert, while part two
features "Stories For Boys" and "Out Of Control" live.


des

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