I put down my $100.00 deposit for the Allman Bros. Beacon box months ago, will it be worth it ? Well, I think so. Being the 40th Anniversary year, and 62 special guests,and they’re STILL replicating (not duplicating)…should be pretty special.

the comprehensive U2 box set.

Well in the case of Neil Young, he made a pretty big effort to have it be comprehensive in terms of quality and content, and has also gone out of his way to make it available in multiple formats and to make it available disc-by-disc for those who don’t want to buy the whole thing.

U2’s Joshua Tree re-release was also a model of a good box set. It had a never-before-seen video of one of the songs off the album, never-before heard tracks from the recording sessions, and a DVD of a concert that, while previously bootlegged, was also previously unavailable.

What I do hate though is when artists release a new album, and then a few months later a deluxe version comes out. So the big fans, having already bought the album in the regular format, have to buy it again if they want the added content. This is what happened with the latest Tom Petty album, and while I doubt the artists themselves are out to screw fans, the record companies are (and I wish artists themselves were more vigilant).

Then there’s Bob Dylan’s Tell Tale Signs, a special version of which was only available for a very steep price on his web site. For the extra money you got a third CD of stuff (worth paying something for) and a bunch of extra artwork/photos/packaging (stuff many fans would happily skip). Likewise Petty’s deluxe version had some sort of leatherbound packaging which many fans could care less about. They may have cared about the 4 bonus tracks (all of which should have existed when the original album came out), but it just seems like leather packaging is an excuse to raise the price further on a product that fans are buying for a different reason (i.e., the music).

I think it’s cool when artists get into the design of special packaging for their releases, but many fans are much more interested in the music and would rather save their money on fancy packaging.

Unfortunately, stuff like that described in the previous 2 examples means that the most hardcore and dedicated fans are the ones who have to pay. I know a lot of artists will say that no one has a right to their music at the price they want to pay (though Radiohead tried just that, to arguable results), it is unfortunate that the burden of the decline of CD sales is falling on the fans most willing to pay for the artists’ work, and not on those most willing to download for free.

As for the recording industry, the reason CD sales have gone down is that people are willing to download MP3s for free instead of buying a CD. They have 4 options: 1) go after downloaders, 2) go after enablers, 3) make those who are willing to pay shell out much more, or 4) find a business model that either allows for free music or somehow incentivizes everyone to pay. I know it’s tough, but 1-3 aren’t going to work, and 4 has to be the answer somehow.

GIve me aQueens of the Stone Age/Desert Sessions set! I’d pay out the wahzoo for that

anybody have any info on the miles davis box???

please make me a white stripes box with all the rarities…

Mike is right about albums being out less than a year getting re-release treatment being disgusting. There should be a 10 year minimum rule on a re-release.

The best re-release I’ve purchased so far is the re-release of the Manic Street Preachers’ “The Holy Bible” 10 year anniversary. You got a new mix of the album that made it sound almost completely different in a lot of cases and a very good DVD with a informative documentary on the record, music videos and live performances. The worst I own is the NIN Downward Spiral re-release that has a totally unnoticeable remastering (since there was really nothing wrong to need to touch-up) and some shitty unreleased songs.

Have something to make the fans want to shill out the money and you’ve got a good strategy. But the industry will put out a bunch of rip-offs and sour everybody on the idea like they always do, inevitably. The sky will always be blue, the grass will always be green, and the music industry will always find a way to ruin a good thing.

Mike,

That was a well thought-out, intelligent commentary containing logic and insight. This is your first time commenting on Rolling Stone’s sight, isn’t it. :^)

If a fan is “hardcore” enough to spend $200+ on one of these box-sets, wouldn’t they already own the band’s complete discography? Unless the set contains a ton of rare/live/new material, I don’t see the point of these things. Waste of money. The Pink Floyd “Oh by the Way” box set for $250 was the worst one I’ve seen – NO new material, just a freaking poster.

in the case of the recent re-released Radiohead catalogue, that is EMI trying to make money off the band when they are no longer on their label….at least the band will still get something out of it.

ths giuy is totally shit…..MJ was great guy…..this congressman looks like a molester to me

well i guess Mr king is ready for retirement, because this statement will almost assure him a room in the idiots rest home… his political life is at it’s end….. an he did’nt count the many fans!!! M.J had nor was he advised to look at the media coverage and the throngs of voters!!!!! that were giving their undying love to this alleged pervert, but who needs a great lifestyle as a congressman….. Right!

jZXMPY