It has recently been announced on U2.com that U2 will soon be releasing a third Best Of compilation. However, it will not follow the format of the previous two Best Ofs in covering a specific decade; it is intended to cover U2's entire career thus far and include sixteen of the band's most well-known and definitive singles. It will contain a total of eighteen tracks and will be called U218 Singles. No announcement has been made on which sixteen singles will be included, but the two bonus tracks will be from U2's recent recording session at Abbey Road, London with Rick Rubin. One is the studio version of the Skids' cover U2 recently performed with Green Day, The Saints Are Coming, while the other is a brand new U2 song titled Window In The Sky.

The release date of the compilation will be in the second half of November, but differs slightly between markets. It will be released on 17 November in some European markets, 20 November in many locations worldwide such as Australia, and 21 November in North America. As has become normal with U2's recent releases, multiple formats will be available. As well as a CD release, U218 Singles will also be released on vinyl, and a DVD under the same name featuring video clips will be available. Furthermore, a deluxe edition of the CD release will be available; it will come with a DVD containing 10 songs performed in Milan on the Vertigo Tour last year. (See the setlists for the Milan concerts: 20 July 2005 and 21 July 2005).

The cover of U218 Singles can be seen on U2SwissHome.com. Visit their News section to view it. (Text is in German, but the cover can be viewed in the news entry that is the most recent at the time this article was posted.)

Posted on October 14, 2006 by Axver