Originals vs. re-releases

[Under a Stone]

Which one you think is better?

For me, I’ll say originals over most re-releases because they tend to suck. What bothers me about re-releases is that sometimes the original artwork is replaced or somewhat modified and the bonus material is hardly anything interesting.

Sorry if i'm just ranting.

 

[Under a Stone]

An excellent piece of cover art

and then for some reason Nuclear Blast re-releases it and does an odd thing to it

Man, that annoyes me.

 

[Ayeka]

Lots of bonus tracks and a good remastering job are nice on rereleases

 

[Demonspell]

The only reason to replace an original copy IMO. And I agree, changing the art sucks.

 

[J.]

I prefer the originals in every way. I hate changed art-work, re-mastering, and bonus tracks. I would prefer to own the album as the band preferred, not a greedy label.

That being said, I do own some re-releases (Velvet Creation for example), but that is only because the originals are very hard to find. Recently, I refused to by the crappy digi-back re-release of Hypocrisy's The Fourth Dimension, which inlcudes 4 bonus tracks, so I waited until I found an original. Like Erik, if I own a re-release, but find an original for a decent price, I will always buy the original and sell the re-release (this happened with Pazuzu's Awaken the Dragon).

Very rarely a re-release will surpass the original. I think the re-release of Golden Dawn's The Art of Dreaming was probably better (better artwork, packaging and sound), but I will never replace my original copy.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Definetally originals
re-releases totally destroy (most of the times) the original sound and atmosphere of the album
two recent re-releases of albums of two of my very favourite bands make me really hate re-releases: Psychotic Waltz - re-releases, and Solitude Aeturnus "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" re-release.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Originals.

Changing the artwork sucks, and usually the bonus tracks they put on are the bands first demo or something which is comepletely different sound quality and often a completely different style of music. Or they put on some shitty cover song you don't want to hear.

Plus knowing you have the original is a nice feeling

 

[Under a Stone]

The problem with originals is that their usually rare and pretty expensive.

 

[Papa Josh]

For the most part originals, but there have been a few instances where I most definitely prefer the re-release.

The latest Iron Maiden remasters, packaging included are superior.

Celtic Frost remasters, same as with Maiden.

 

[spaffe]

definately originals. i absolutely hate when labels throw in covers and bonus tracks at the end of the album, (storm of lights, naglfar - vittra) it completly ruins the atmophere with some silly misfit cover at the end. and of course, as a collector, is much more fun to have the originals.

 

[mousewings]

I prefer originals if I can find them. As said before, re-releases mess up the artwork and may not be as good as the real thing.

But then rereleases can have added tracks, interviews, etc. Also it's not always possible to find the original for a decent price, especially in this distant corner of the world.

@Caelum Adustum : I love your signature.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Originals!

 

[Demonspell]

The Maiden remasters are a good example of how not to fuck a rerelease up. Except for Powerslave...whoever is responsible for putting the intro of Powerslave at the end of the previous track needs to be bludgeoned to death.

 

[Ayeka]

For the most part originals, but there have been a few instances where I most definitely prefer the re-release.

The latest Iron Maiden remasters, packaging included are superior.

Celtic Frost remasters, same as with Maiden.

I think Venom could well be added to the list too. Doubling up the number of songs on the album was a definite wizard wheeze!

 

[NAD]

Prefer originals for the most part, but re-releases allow rare material to surface which I'm all for.

Changing the artwork is fucking stupid, and most of the time bonus tracks are weak.

 

[Under a Stone]

i absolutely hate when labels throw in covers and bonus tracks at the end of the album, (storm of lights, naglfar - vittra) it completly ruins the atmophere with some silly misfit cover at the end. much more fun to have the originals.

Agreed 100% but though i think one of the bouns tracks on the re-release of Emperor's In The Nightside Eclipse is much a worse example of spoiling the atmoshpere of the album.

 

[JayKeeley]

I would prefer to own the album as the band preferred...

Unless of course the band themselves hate the original sound due to budget contraints or whatever, and they go back in and fix things up.

whoever is responsible for putting the intro of Powerslave at the end of the previous track needs to be bludgeoned to death.

Fuck! I have the original, but still....fuck! How can something like that happen?

 

[J.]

Unless of course the band themselves hate the original sound due to budget contraints or whatever, and they go back in and fix things up.

Well any band would love the unlimited budget and studio time, but that's not reality. The original release is what the band was pleased with enough to release it to the public. If the band wanted two demo tracks from when they were a garage band tacked on at the end of the album, then fine, that's what the band wanted and I'll respect that (Nachtfalke added their demo to Land of Frost). But when a label intentonally adds a "lost" demo track, and fucks with the artwork, or adds liner notes, all magic is lost, and you're left with something that was made, not because the band wanted it, but because the label wants to profit from new fans or fanboys.

I prefer the purity.

 

[JayKeeley]

The original release is what the band was pleased with enough to release it to the public.

That's the bit I'm not getting. How do you know this to be true? Unless of course you're only referring to self-financed releases with no schedules or contractual obligations, in which case you have to specifiy that I guess.

 

[J.]

simple. If the band wasn't pleased with the results after mixing or whatever, they don't release the album. I've read about this happening numerous times.