Speaking of bands releasing bewildering 18-track retrospectives this week, the flipside has U2 inexplicably unveiling U218, a single CD of hits from the group's 25-year career. Not only does the band already have two volumes of "greatest hits" in stores, but 18 songs hardly scratches the surface. There are some odd omissions here: why no songs from 1993's Zooropa ("Lemon," anyone?) or 1997's Pop (can't go wrong with "Staring at the Sun"). For U2 die-hards, this is an odd addition to the library. I guess, though, for the holiday-shopping casual fan, it will suffice.

Matt, check out the Deluxe version available on iTunes that contains some Atomic Bomb b-sides and live versions from the tour.