It’s been a while, but hopefully I won’t bore you with my insane ramblings, which I’ll possibly have to rename at the end of 2020!
Scary!!! The passage of time...
With that in mind, there seems to be a fad that is going around, even more so now than it did before!
Deluxe box-sets, archive reissues, super-duper expansive releases... The list is absolutely endless, and everyone is in on the act - says the guy with an expanded version of his own debut album available online for download with 32 songs, as opposed to the original 20! Value for money :-)
During these next few months, we’ll be seeing expansive reissues for titles by The Moody Blues (Days Of Future Passed), Jimi Hendrix (Electric Ladyland), Tom Petty (An American Treasure), and many more.
Among these, are a variety of releases from The Beatles as a group and outside of the group, and they are certainly not cheap!
First up, John Lennon’s estate is issuing a super-duper, crammed to the rafters version of the 1971 album Imagine - £156.77 on Amazon.
In November, The Beatles themselves are releasing a seven disc set of The White Album, originally from 1968, which retails for £124.99.
Finally, Paul McCartney is releasing deluxe editions of the Wings albums Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway On December 7th, for £129.99 and £169.99 each, or, if you go to his website and pay £319.99, then you’ll get both, alongside a never before released live CD and book set entitled Wings Over Europe, which features recordings from their 1972-73 tour.
Now, to me that seems like a whole lot of bad decisions were made timing wise!
When Paul argued with the other ex-Beatles over the release of his debut album in 1970, that was one solitary album battling against Ringo’s solitary Sentimental Journey, and The Beatles’ own Let It Be. Now however, it’s not basic albums, but expansive and expensive box sets! A completely different kettle of fish, and on the run up to Christmas. How do they expect the ordinary working men and women to afford all of that? They won’t!
Instead, they have created an unfortunate turn of events where people are forced to choose, with the casual listener no doubt opting for The White Album - cheapest, and the more obvious choice for those in the general listening public!
A shame really, as there is much on offer with both the Imagine set (the second choice of the casual listener in my opinion, as it’s considered a classic Lennon album), and on the Red Rose Speedway set. On the latter though, only those who earn decent wages or who are in the clique will purchase it, as it’s not a McCartney album where people rave about it... Even both Paul & Linda McCartney themselves have put down the album. One that Paul wants you to part with £169.99 for, when his classic Tug Of War deluxe set only cost me £74.99 on initial release! That’s almost £100 less for an album that Paul has said over the years is rubbish!
No matter...
I actually like Red Rose Speedway a lot, and consider there to be hidden gems therein.
All that was needed was for someone to say " how about having three months between each person’s release, so as to get the best possible sales, as opposed to making the consumer choose! Simple, and more manageable.
Anyway, I’m now stuck, as I’ll have birthday money to spend on one of them, but I’m not sure which to pick, and which ones to never own after their limited release.
John once sang of being a working class hero, but the common working man can’t afford these prices, especially with Christmas coming!
The least they could is make these sets available for more than a limited period, so that their fans have time to afford them!
Thank you for reading.
October 19th 2018 (47 years, 10 months, and 23 days old).
Extra links:
Imagine box-set (Ultimate with multiple discs) at £62.99
Imagine (Ultimate - 2 disc edition) at £15.99
The White Album (3 disc edition with Esher Demo's) at £19.99
George Harrison's The Apple Years set now at a staggering £486.25!
George Harrison's The Dark Horse Years at £127.10
Paul McCartney & Wings' Band On The Run Deluxe Set at £94.46
I concur, Martin.
ReplyDeleteFrom a personal point of view...though I like The White Album, it's not one I will rush out and buy in its reissued form. Of the reissues, I'm most interested in the Imagine box, due to the George content.
I have my own reservations about the activities of the Harrison estate regarding reissues, as well. Not everybody has the ability to play vinyl, for goodness' sake.
Thanks for the thought provoking essay.