Japanese Bonus Tracks

[Power_Metal_Dom]

I'd like to bring a problem to public attention. I'm sure it's an affliction that has effected us all at some point in our lives. Gnawed away at the pits of our stomachs. Eagerly anticipating an album only to know that some lucky git has a slightly better copy. Lonely nights of asking "Why?!".

This distressing issue is called "Japanese Bonus Tracks".

Now then, I'm comfortable with other countries getting movies or albums at earlier release dates...but why give them extra tracks? What is it about Japan and it's fanbase that is so different from the UK's that it earns itself a few extra songs?

Maybe I'm missing out on something here but after an extensive internet search I have found no decisive answer.

And this seems to be a syndrone that power metal bands are particularly prone to...which maybe be part of the answer...Japan and her people like power metal more perhaps? Does that mean they deserve exclusive songs all for themselves?

Consider these following tracks and their authors:

Where Dragons Rule - DragonForce
Cry of the Brave - DragonForce
Lost Souls in Endless Time - DragonForce
Gates of Tomorrow - Power Quest
Find the way to the Top - Power Quest
When I'm Gone - Power Quest
The Longest Night - Power Quest
Reach Out - Edguy
Respect the Wilderness - Sonata Arctica
The Rest of The Sun Belongs to Me - Sonata Arctica
Wrecking the Sphere - Sonata Arctica

I could go on and on but I think you get my point.

Maybe a PQ member could cast some light on this perplexing pickle. I'm at loss and I pray that the up and coming PQ installment won't favour our friends to the East.

 

[cavegirl]

*looks shifty*.....i have most of those songs lol

tbh thanks to sneaky-ness and the internet, its very easy to get japanese bonus tracks, especially from places like bittorrent where people just bundle rare tracks for a particular band for download...its when u start getting into lesser world known bands that its a bit harder to get what you want...i know this raises a whole piracy issue, but sometimes theres just no other way, if i could easily get hold of a legit version i would no probs..

 

[Tonberry]

I'll tell you the secret of the bonus track.

Japanese versions usually have bonus tracks due to CD prices in Japan being very high. The import version, from Europe or US, is actually cheaper than buying the Japanese version in a shop. So Japanese record labels want to prepare bonus tracks to make difference with the import version, so that people in Japan buy Japanese CDs. Mmkay? It's an incentive to stop importing cheaper cds.

 

[Tonberry]

*looks shifty*.....i have most of those songs lol

tbh thanks to sneaky-ness and the internet, its very easy to get japanese bonus tracks, especially from places like bittorrent where people just bundle rare tracks for a particular band for download...its when u start getting into lesser world known bands that its a bit harder to get what you want...i know this raises a whole piracy issue, but sometimes theres just no other way, if i could easily get hold of a legit version i would no probs..

You could just import the Japanese Versian

 

[SiliconMessiah]

I've heard that story before, that Japanese CDs cost more... But how much does it cost to import a Japanese CD? I didn't think it actually cost much more than buying it over here... For Magic Never Dies at least i thought it wasn't too expensive, but having never done it i may be lying...

 

[Tonberry]

I imported MND from http://www.hmv.co.jp/index.asp?lang=en For ¥2600 + ¥2000 P&P.

 

[cavegirl]

i hate HMV, they're c***'s

 

[SiliconMessiah]

£20? Doesn't sound too bad tbf when you think it's coming all the way from Japan, postage could easily cost about £5 from there, so that leaves the CD costing £15 which is the same as over here!

 

[Tonberry]

Yeah, but I wanted someone I could trust with something *that* important .


Read: trust = sue if things went tits up.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Hmm I think i'm starting to understand.

It's still outrageous though.

The West is missing out just because the Japanese market happens to be very expensive for CDs?

Currently you can get ¥221 to the pound. Seems to me that things abroad should be cheaper not the other way around :s

Am I getting my economics mixed up?

 

[Tonberry]

No, thats about right; by them demanding extra tracks we get shafted.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Grrr...and we're back to square one.

I didn't shed out 20 of my Queen's notes for MND. I bought them all on eBay for about £8 each inc p+p.

 

[Tonberry]

I didn't shed out 20 of my Queen's notes for MND. I bought them all on eBay for about £8 each inc p+p.

Nice one. So that means less album sales for PQ, since your buying offa eBay, right?

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

How do you mean? You mean I'm not giving PQ my money? Well, not really but since the people who had the copies will have got them from PQ anyway it doesn't matter right?

 

[Tonberry]

If they were second hand then thats 2 sales when only one goes to PQ... Although if it was sealed new... I guess thats the same as getting it from a shop.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Are you trying to discredit my PQ loyalities sir?

I assure you two of the three CDs, two tshirts and a FC membership have gone directly into PQ's pockets!

 

[Tonberry]

If you're in the FC all is forgiven. <3

 

[Symphony]

We always try and balance this out by having dvd/multimedia stuff for Europe that they don't get in Japan but Tonberry hit the nail on the head there

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Don't do it for this next album Steve...please...I beg of you! Think of the children...won't somebody please think of the children!!!

 

[dragonwarrior]

Don't do it for this next album Steve...please...I beg of you! Think of the children...won't somebody please think of the children!!!

The Children of the dream!