remastered, re-packaged, deluxe, super legacy edition

[Wild Frank]

Following on from the Pink Floyd thread what's people's thoughts on the growing market of re-mastered, re-packaged, deluxe and now 'immersion' editions of artists back catalogue. Increasingly expensive coffee table artefacts which seem to be the norm these days.

 

When I saw the details of the Floyd re-releases my first thought was 'I wish Tom Waits (my musical hero) would do something like this'. When I thought some more I quickly realised that's the last thing I would want. It just seems too clinical and the result of board meetings rather than something organic and, in the most cases, genuinely revealing or rewarding. I suppose a lot of it relates to whether an artist is active and, in Tom's case, still putting out vital material.

 

The Neil Young Archives releases are a strange beast which falls in both camps. Some great live performances being released but at the same time a feeling that I am being willingly fleeced of my hard earned cash. I must have brought 'Everybody knows this is nowhere' five times now (admittedly the recently released ...or OPS02 if you will...vinyl edition is superb).

 

Anyway, what's your thoughts on this....and are we all waiting for the six-disc, multi-format, interactive, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to appear!

[remphish1]

Some are great some are a waste.I am a HUGE Rem fan but I have not yet found the value of the remasters as I have heard most of the other songs on the second disc.

 

The Cure have released some amazing remasters with a great second disc filled with many unavailabe tracks. It pains me still to buy them as I already have the lp and cd...how many times do I need to buy the same album remastered or not. I think these artist should release as a seperate package the outtakes etc but that is usually not the case.

[Wild Frank]

Some are great some are a waste.I am a HUGE Rem fan but I have not yet found the value of the remasters as I have heard most of the other songs on the second disc.

 

The Cure have released some amazing remasters with a great second disc filled with many unavailabe tracks. It pains me still to buy them as I already have the lp and cd...how many times do I need to buy the same album remastered or not. I think these artist should release as a seperate package the outtakes etc but that is usually not the case.

Yeah I suppose it a case by case thing. I admitedly just remembered the three expensive 'Genesis' Box sets that are sitting in my front room. Maybe they are cynical re-packagin exersizes..but I love 'em. Floyd were good but Genesis ruled back in the seventies!!

[PopTodd]

Depends upon how good the remastered sound is, and how good the quality of the bonus material.

The Meat Puppets remasters are an example of a label/band doing a really good job with something like this. There is a ton of new material added to each release -- most of it (not all of it, but enough) of a very high quality. And the sound: how can you NOT improve upon the sound of those 1980's SST releases?! A very welcome addition to my collection.

 

But also, the way the bonus material is presented has bearing on the value of the collection. I mean, if there is both a mono and a stereo mix of an album, that may or may not appeal to me. But, if you're gonna do something like that, at least put the different mixes on different CDs.

Or, as in the case with Camper Van Beethoven's first album reissue, they tacked the extra material/bonus tracks on RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ORIGINAL ALBUM! They separated the original album Side 1 from Side 2. In most cases this would be a disaster to any fans of the original album. In this case, however, it happened to actually work.

 

Also like 2-fers (2 albums on 1 CD) when it comes to remastered reissues. I was most-likely going to get both records anyway, so this is a nice presentation. Especially if the remastering sounds good.

Good examples of these:

Brinsley Schwarz

Harry Nilsson

 

And, in a beautiful call:

Toots & The Maytals - Funky Kingston/In the Dark

In this case the US version of FK combined some, but not all, tracks off of each of those records for American release. It is really nice to have the entire collection of both complete albums. Especially since, they are both freaking brilliant!

[jff]

And the sound: how can you NOT improve upon the sound of those 1980's SST releases?!

 

BLASPHEMER! Apologize to Spot at once.

 

All this repackage, bonus tracks, etc. thing can be good or bad. The thing I don't like about it is when they release a version with extras, like the Rykodisk Bowie stuff, and then that stuff becomes unavailable only to be replaced by far inferior versions.

 

Anyone remember the cassette version of The Cure's Standing on a Beach with loads of tunes that never made it to the cd version? I guess you have to buy a box set to get what used to be on a cassette.

[PopTodd]

BLASPHEMER! Apologize to Spot at once.

 

All this repackage, bonus tracks, etc. thing can be good or bad. The thing I don't like about it is when they release a version with extras, like the Rykodisk Bowie stuff, and then that stuff becomes unavailable only to be replaced by far inferior versions.

 

Anyone remember the cassette version of The Cure's Standing on a Beach with loads of tunes that never made it to the cd version? I guess you have to buy a box set to get what used to be on a cassette.

I would. But I don't think that he wouldn't hear me, because I'm pretty sure that he has some heavy-duty high-end hearing loss. At least, that is what his mixes would imply.

[Synthesizer Patel]

I've always thought the Bee Gees Remasters of the first 4 albums by Rhino have been the best example of how to do it. Mono & Stereo albums on one disc, and bonus/b-sides/alt takes etc... on the second disc. I think it's more the fact that the mono and stereo mixes are often very different, and the second disc bonus tracks are great that makes this good, though. Normally artists outtakes can just be dull, so it doesn't matter how much bonus material there is.

 

I've just forked out for the japanese remasters of Astral Weeks, Moondance and His Band And The Street Choir by Van Morrison and that's an example of how not to do it. Only release them in Japan, even though they do sound absolutely amazing - which is the worst bit, cos they sound that good that you just have to put your hand in your pocket and buy them or else feel really grumpy whenever you look at your inferior 1980s versions.

[jff]

I would. But I don't think that he wouldn't hear me, because I'm pretty sure that he has some heavy-duty high-end hearing loss. At least, that is what his mixes would imply.

 

 

I think I recall Spot saying that he didn't really know what the hell he was doing when he recorded that stuff. He just happened to own some equipment, so he was recruited to engineer a bunch of those albums.

[PopTodd]

I've always thought the Bee Gees Remasters of the first 4 albums by Rhino have been the best example of how to do it. Mono & Stereo albums on one disc, and bonus/b-sides/alt takes etc... on the second disc. I think it's more the fact that the mono and stereo mixes are often very different, and the second disc bonus tracks are great that makes this good, though. Normally artists outtakes can just be dull, so it doesn't matter how much bonus material there is.

 

I've just forked out for the japanese remasters of Astral Weeks, Moondance and His Band And The Street Choir by Van Morrison and that's an example of how not to do it. Only release them in Japan, even though they do sound absolutely amazing - which is the worst bit, cos they sound that good that you just have to put your hand in your pocket and buy them or else feel really grumpy whenever you look at your inferior 1980s versions.

That's my favorite VM record, but I've been waiting to find it remastered over here before I pick up the CD.

[Synthesizer Patel]

That's my favorite VM record, but I've been waiting to find it remastered over here before I pick up the CD.

 

i think you'll have to wait for van morrison to die. he just seems to veto any remasters - he cancelled the reissues set of his albums from Tupelo Honey onwards (so even then he was not including the first 3 albums) half way through them being released - and there is no sign whatsoever that they'll come out. he doesn't have an official website (i don't think) and his record company closes down any that spring up, and it's only recently that i've seen any of his songs making it onto youtube for more than a few days before they get taken down. so, based on all that, i really can't see them getting remastered outside of japan until he croaks it.

[PopTodd]

i think you'll have to wait for van morrison to die. he just seems to veto any remasters - he cancelled the reissues set of his albums from Tupelo Honey onwards (so even then he was not including the first 3 albums) half way through them being released - and there is no sign whatsoever that they'll come out. he doesn't have an official website (i don't think) and his record company closes down any that spring up, and it's only recently that i've seen any of his songs making it onto youtube for more than a few days before they get taken down. so, based on all that, i really can't see them getting remastered outside of japan until he croaks it.

Maybe he'll try to squeeze into that Last Waltz jumpsuit again, and that'll do it?

[Synthesizer Patel]

that is such a great bit in that film. his leg kicks are brilliant, and he just stumbles off the stage before the song ends - that's the way to do it, kids!

[Analogman]

that is such a great bit in that film. his leg kicks are brilliant, and he just stumbles off the stage before the song ends - that's the way to do it, kids!

 

Wolfgang's Vault now has video up - including some of Van Morrison. I am surprised he did not stop it.

 

I think we will see more and more of stuff getting re-packaged and sold as time goes on. It's a way for the big record companies to make some money I suppose, and push people's back catalogs.

Plus - they will get in on the vinyl craze until it dies off again.

 

 

I still think the best re-mastered/re-packaged cds I have are The Golden Road boxset (GD), The Byrds re-masters, and maybe the Hendrix re-masters.

[calvino]

The Grateful Dead's Golden Road and Beyond Description box sets are great. Pavement reissues are great, though I did not have many of the originals so I can't compare them to the originals.

[Moss]

It's getting so you don't want to buy a record when it first comes out because you know a few months later the deluxe copy with the extras comes out. I just wish they would offer the basic and the deluxe version at the same time.

[Wild Frank]

It's getting so you don't want to buy a record when it first comes out because you know a few months later the deluxe copy with the extras comes out. I just wish they would offer the basic and the deluxe version at the same time.

This is so true. Both the National and Arcade Fire have pulled this stunt in recent months. Wilco have also done similar. It's a bit naughty really.

[Analogman]

Queen 40 Limited Edition Collector's Box Set

 

Albums included in the box:

Queen

Queen II

Sheer Heart Attack

A Night At the Opera

A Day At the Races

 

Queen's 40th anniversary is now upon us, and the band plans to pull out all the stops to celebrate this historic occasion. This yearlong event will be marked by a series of releases, re-releases, special limited-edition items and events around the world. As the centerpiece in the 40th anniversary celebration, Queen's studio catalog is being reissued in a series of deluxe editions. Every note is being tweaked, every piece of artwork is being cleaned, freshened up and resourced, wherever necessary, with the legendary Bob Ludwig doing the remastering, working from the original source material.

 

The rest are coming out in June.

[Vacant Horizon]

This is so true. Both the National and Arcade Fire have pulled this stunt in recent months. Wilco have also done similar. It's a bit naughty really.

 

at least wilco has the extra stuff for download on the website for those who bought the album. interesting they haven't done this for the last one given that they did it from YHF on.

[Analogman]

I've always thought the Bee Gees Remasters of the first 4 albums by Rhino have been the best example of how to do it. Mono & Stereo albums on one disc, and bonus/b-sides/alt takes etc... on the second disc. I think it's more the fact that the mono and stereo mixes are often very different, and the second disc bonus tracks are great that makes this good, though. Normally artists outtakes can just be dull, so it doesn't matter how much bonus material there is.

 

I've just forked out for the japanese remasters of Astral Weeks, Moondance and His Band And The Street Choir by Van Morrison and that's an example of how not to do it. Only release them in Japan, even though they do sound absolutely amazing - which is the worst bit, cos they sound that good that you just have to put your hand in your pocket and buy them or else feel really grumpy whenever you look at your inferior 1980s versions.

 

That's why I don't have the 2004 cd remasters of My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows, Unicorn, Beard of Stars, and Prophets Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages. They were Universal UK. I really wish the Bolan estate would make a deal with Rhino.

[PopTodd]

Ryko did a really nice job with the David Bowie remasters, too.

The sound was great, the packaging was excellent. And, there were real quality extra tracks with each release -- that directly related to the sessions for the album with which they were included.

 

Plus, they offered them both on CD and on vinyl. (With the bonus tracks coming on a separate Side 3 of the vinyl release.)

 

Nice.

[Wild Frank]

Ryko did a really nice job with the David Bowie remasters, too.

The sound was great, the packaging was excellent. And, there were real quality extra tracks with each release -- that directly related to the sessions for the album with which they were included.

 

Plus, they offered them both on CD and on vinyl. (With the bonus tracks coming on a separate Side 3 of the vinyl release.)

 

Nice.

The Bowie Vinyls sound good. I ask this question periodically but what is Bowie up to? Is he retired in terms of new musical output? I was listening to a couple of him mid-nineties albums the other day (outside/earthling) and forgot how enjoyable they were.

[Analogman]

I think like the Elvis Costello cds, David Bowie's catalog has been re-released two or three times since the Ryko releases.

[Synthesizer Patel]

That's why I don't have the 2004 cd remasters of My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows, Unicorn, Beard of Stars, and Prophets Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages. They were Universal UK. I really wish the Bolan estate would make a deal with Rhino.

 

I don't find it so bad when they are American only imports as there always enough people selling them to get them fairly cheap. It's just that the Japanese editions are always hard to come by as very few people seem to ship them outside of Japan.

 

Here's a little heads up about The Left Banke - Sundazed are reissuing both of their albums (Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina & The Left Banke Too) near the end of June. For anyone that likes baroque pop these will be like gold dust if they turn out to be limited runs which I'd think they will be, as Sundazed tend to do that sort of thing. So pre-order soon if anyone wants them . . .

 

Here's a taster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ag4EV9iyS0

[Analogman]

The recent Black Sabbath re-releases were UK only also, I think.

 

Sundazed is great.

 

It seems a lot of record companies (or what is left of them) are re-issue labels now.

[cgoodwin22]

Pavement really did a great job on their deluxe edition discs...i mean...an avg. of 50-60 songs per deluxe!