Well, personally I don't understand the point of this at all. Surely there are plenty of compilations out there for the "casual fan" to get the hits and a few deep cuts? Not to mention, aside from us die hard physical media freaks (like myself), who is going to buy this? Most of the people I know my own age don't buy physical media at all anymore, and certainly the young people I know wouldn't even consider it (I work at a large university so I meet young people regularly........also my son and his friends are 16 and would never buy music physically). Of course, most of them don't "buy" music at all anyway.
I suppose they wouldn't be doing it if they didn't think they could at least recoup the investment, but it just seems kind of ridiculous to me. I actually only own one Tull album, Thick As A Brick, and despite being a minor fan of the band (I used to have cassette copies of the first few albums and the live album, along with those really early compilations people mentioned earlier in the thread) I have zero interest in this. I'd rather just get the albums, though I probably won't since I tend to prioritize new music over stuff I've already heard these days.
Anyway, more power to them I guess. Ever little bit will help Ian's retirement account I suppose
Have there been ANY recent classic rock comps that sold well? If so, why not this? If not, maybe this won’t.
I have no idea. Maybe there’ve been no other recent classic rock compilation albums.
"And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."
Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/
Looking at the current Billboard Top 200 albums, I see compilations by Queen, Elton John, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Journey, the Beatles, Tom Petty, CCR, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles. None of them near the top, but it looks like there's still a market of some sort. (I also see Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. In 2018. Bloody hell!)
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
.....actually they should re-master Original Masters and add Teacher, Lucifer's Flight & A New Day Yesterday as bonus tracks.
With I think one exception, these are all hits packages that have been available for more than 10 years, some of which function as the only album by a particular artist that the public has bought in years. They aren't new multi-disc albums released by bands that already have other compilations available. Their (minor) current success on the charts hardly validates a new triple-CD box set by band that already has best-ofs out there. It's still a terrible idea.
Terrible idea? Hardly. One may dislike his crass capitalism (and his eternal remastering of every Tull release for the last decade or two), but Ian Anderson is a shrewd businessman (and perhaps one of the richest rock stars). It costs relatively little to repackage published songs into a new compilation, just the cost of paper and plastic. The 3 CD set will go for about $21.99 in the States. The horde of Tull completionists will buy it (even though they already have the songs in every possible format), and non-completionists who perhaps have an old vinyl Aqualung or Thick as a Brick record moldering in a box in the basement may pick it up as well. Sell just 50,000 units worldwide and you're over $1 million with little expense.
"And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."
Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/
Actually, it does. I didn't look them all up, but the Queen, Zeppelin, and Elton John comps at least are multi-disc sets. The fact that all these classic rock acts can keep greatest hits albums in the charts for years and years while their regular albums are nowhere to be found--Fleetwood Mac being an exception!--is very much an argument in favor of releasing a project like this.
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
Have you compared it to the original CD release? I'm a big fan of MOFI's SACD Hybrids, but not familiar with their gold cd "original master" reissues, other than Rickie Lee Jones' Flying Cowboy, which is definitely an improvement over the regular CD issue.
Just wondering if I should try to find a reasonably priced copy of the MOFI, if it even exists
Thanks!
J
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
Last time I bothered to stop at the CD area at a Target, the section that used to be the top sellers was now occupied by compilations. It seems that the casual buyers, the people who see a "hits" collection as they're pushing their cart past, can be counted on to still buy these things.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Also, let's not forget that having a new release, even if only a compilation, will be an appealing thing at the merchandise table for non-hardcore folks who go to see Anderson this year.
I don't know for sure, so this is just supposition, but I suspect that's exactly what this is aimed at: merch table sales. Other than eleven dates in April, the rest of Anderson's tour takes place after this anthology is released...and, as sometimes happens, I'd not be surprised if he had copies for sale at the April shows, even though street date isn't 'til May 25. Knowing that he's playing generally good sized venues (especially outdoor ones), I've no doubt there will be people who've heard of (or heard a little) Tull, but have little or none of the releases, so this compilation will be a great take-home for them from the concert.
I don't know about Anderson/Tull, but many artists sell more at gigs than they do anywhere else, and since Anderson is playing well over 60 dates this year, that could translate to a hefty sales figure for a compilation that would have been, relatively speaking, inexpensive to produce.
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
The MOFI disc is *outstanding*. IMO, it's the best way to hear this album on CD. Not only does it sound better than the original truncated CD, but you also get all the tracks from both the US and UK variants. I don't know what it's selling for but I hope you get your hands on a copy.
IMO, it's a case-by-case basis. I don't have that one, so I can't really say. I do think that the gold CDs are the best-sounding versions of A Passion Play, Songs From the Wood and Aqualung, though Aqualung wasn't done by MOFI, IIRC. For Stand Up, I don't think that MOFI improves on the regular ('80s) Chrysalis CD reissue of the album to any significant degree. The MOFI Thick as a Brick is nothing special.
Living in the Past is spoken very highly of over on the Hoffman site.
Last edited by Facelift; 03-31-2018 at 06:09 PM.
Yes, I've heard that version of Living in the Past and it's fantastic. Should have bought it when I had the chance.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
The MFSL edition of Living In The Past can be found fairly easily, but it ain't cheap. I've never heard it, but it's always praised and I'd love to have it someday.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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Although I'm generally not a fan of Steve Wilson's remixes, I do have to say that his Aqualung is a worthy consideration for best Aqualung, if only because much of what is commonly considered Aqualung's worst features were best suited to be corrected by a remix. It's possible that somebody else could do an even better remix, but for now Wilson's is what we have.
^^^ Are you talking about the "4oth Anniversary Edition" 2cd? Looks like I may have to get that. I have the remaster from the late 90s and it is not very good.
I have a cdr burned copy that someone made for me from their vinyl copy of aqualung that to my ears is about as good as it could get for all its flaws.
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Of course there have been a ton of different vinyl editions of Aqualung over the years, with different "flaws" appearing here and there. US vinyl pressings were botched right from the beginning, with the opening riff of the title track left off. (There should be two riffs before the vocal, not just one.) Later pressings had all kinds of glitches and splices (as did early CD editions), including losing the final verse of "Wind-Up."
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
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