Remixed, remastered, new, improved, slick, and shiny: yay or nay?

[JayKeeley]

Well the flipside is, if the fans didn't buy it, the labels wouldn't make it. Chicken and egg, eh?

I don't like making money off music at all, in any way. Not bands, not labels. I have very conservatively underground thought patterns concerning stuff like this.

Sure, and of course this applies to actual underground bands.

 

[Erik]

Well the flipside is, if the fans didn't buy it, the labels wouldn't make it. Chicken and egg, eh?

Of course. The point I was trying to make is I don't think the labels should even think about exploiting that... Detached from reality again.

 

[Ayeka]

Very much. Because these guys need to make a profit to put food on their plates, expand the business, and have flashy cars s'the way of the world...

 

[ScottG]

What's so bad about the enhanced CDs? I thought they were bloody well fine...I do remember people kicking up a fuss about the re-releases in replica vinyl sleeves (which I still haven't seen )...I'm there thinking "Well, if you ain't going to buy them, why do you care?". I mean, really, why do you care?!

I don't really care. And I'm not particularly familiar with the latest Sanctuary issues (no one is forcing me to buy them) but here are my observations of the Maiden catalog for what it's worth...

Take the Raw Power issues. I have a copy of Powerslave where they couldn't even get the indexing between Back In The Village and the title track right. I grew up with vinyl, so when I look at the cover of The Number of The Beast I expect to see the blue tint to the background. I'm also not falling for buying No Prayer or Iron Maiden again for different artwork. Also, why was it necessary to rearrange the running order for the first three albums? Again, I expect Hallowed Be Thy Name to always start after Gangland in typical classic fashion.

Then there's the issue of the sound.. I've seen people complain specifically about Piece of Mind and Somewhere In Time.

What about the Castle double reissues? Again, just a case of another deal being made so that fans will be suckered into spending more money. I'd rather keep my First Ten Years CD set.

I also have issues with Eddie's Archive and all the best of releases they keep putting out. I'm interested in new music not crappy packaging.

I'm kind of known for being really critical of having unnecessary duplicate copies of things. You should see how I struggle to maintain my Hong Kong movie collection. Talk about different versions of the same thing... (not even counting the cut/dubbed US butcher jobs plaguing store shelves)

Anyway, like you said, who cares? I'm not on the Iron Maiden board anymore..

 

[JayKeeley]

I also have issues with Eddie's Archive and all the best of releases they keep putting out. I'm interested in new music not crappy packaging.

I agree with you for the most part, although I disagree with your issues with Eddies Archive.

Beast Over Hammersmith, The BBC archives (including rare shows from Reading, and THAT Donnington show from 88), and The Best of the B-Sides is a nice way of releasing all these things in one box.

Granted, I'm not interested in the pewter shot glass or big tin box, but the value in the music is outstanding, and since it was rare or previously unreleased, on the contrary, I would consider it to be 'new'.

 

[JayKeeley]

Of course. The point I was trying to make is I don't think the labels should even think about exploiting that... Detached from reality again.

You're absolutely right. It is exploitation when an existing CD is already available in regular format, and the new re-release offers nothing of real value other than a bonus track or casing. The consumers deserve a slap, but the labels deserve a bigger slap with some cold, wet, smelly whale blubber.

 

[ScottG]

Granted, I'm not interested in the pewter shot glass or big tin box, but the value in the music is outstanding, and since it was rare or previously unreleased, on the contrary, I would consider it to be 'new'.

Oh yeah, that's what I meant. I applaud the release of the live material. If I could get my hands on just the CD's without the kid's stuff, that would be ideal. It will be interesting to see how other people respond to these issues, as I'm used to being one of the only ones who thinks the way I do.

 

[Demonspell]

The Maiden and Opeth remasters have to be the most egregious examples of cashcow remastering I've seen...as for the value of the live material, many diehard fans were already familiar with it as bootlegs have been in circulation for years, but it's still a worthy purchase for the completist.