Entertainment For Lively Minds
Artists that could do with the re-issue treatment
Posted by Mint on 3 December 2009 - 3:47am.
Part 1;
The Go Betweens - A cursory glance at record shop racking, and Amazon, tells us that much of the bands early work is hard to find. So lets get this sorted out please.
Part 2;
Prefab Sprout - The job done on 'Steve McQueen' was exemplary, so lets see that same attention placed on 'Langley Park' and 'Jordan' please.
Part 3;
XTC - C'mon, the Dukes stuff was great. Lets see XTC getting the same treatment, and I mean all the albums, not just a select few.
For a lesson in releasing remastered back catalogue, then look no further than Domino's work on The Triffids catalogue....fantastic, if only Domino could pick up XTCs catalogue..hmmm.
Sure there must be others?
- More from Mint.
- Login or register to post comments
-
go betweens
full reissue /remaster of entire series a couple of years ago
grant mclennan solo albums on the other hand are much more scarce
Prince and The Smiths.
It's a *scandal* that The Smiths and Prince albums are still in 1987 Beatles Mode with nary a b side, 2nd disc, dvd or live track to speak of in 25 years.
Why there's not a decent Smiths DVD like the Roxy Music 'Thrill Of It All' one or the Jam 'Complete Jam' one is beyond me. The cheap 90s cash in DVD that's out currently is an insult to insults.
Smiths' reissues are "coming soon"...
... as I'm sure you know. Remastering was done by Johnny Marr at the beginning of this year, and they'll come with bonus CDs of demos and live tracks. He has said in interviews that there are no previously unheard songs, just alternative versions of existing ones, though apparently some early versions are quite radically different from the released ones. Even after this I still think there will be a gap for a definitive box set with the Troy Tate version of the debut album, all the radio sessions and all the B-sides in one place.
I've always assumed that it's Morrissey's hatred of promo videos that has stood in the way of a definitive DVD compilation, though he wasn't so shy about the solo DVD "Oy! Esteban!", but even that was US-only.
Agreed on Prince too, though from what he says about his vaults of unreleased music, I think that once that floodgate opens it'll never shut...
Alas, the Beatles' CDs are
Alas, the Beatles' CDs are still in 1987 mode.....without b-sides, mono and stereo differences, unreleased tracks etc. etc.
Elvis?
How about Elvis Costello. It must be weeks since he reissued something!
Costello
......and did a 36,000 word essay in the sleeve notes.
Aztec Camera
I'm still waiting for my Knife... Naked re-issue with all the dodgy 80s production removed.
The Vienna Art Orchestra
I'd like to see HatART re-release some of the old Vienna Art Orchestra albums - stuff like "The Minimalism of Erik Satie". Impossible to find at a reasonable price nowadays.
Isn't Andy Partridge doing a re-issue of the XTC catalogue
thru his Ape House label?
The XTC albums
are still owned by Virgin I believe, as part of the deal Partridge, Moulding and Gregory got The Dukes of Stratospheare and some other recordings. According to the Chalkhills fansite (usually fairly accurate) Virgin are working od deluxe expanded versions of a number of XTC albums, which were timetabled for 2009 release. Not much time left then! Maybe next year (along with the buffed up expanded version of Let It Be - the dvd by the little known HJH - long promised but never delivered.
Hows about...
Roxy Music - With nice artwork to show off the lovely ladies.
Husker Du - They really really need remastering.
Pixies - Without having to shell out £200 for the Minotaur box set.
Cheap Trick - Early albums are incredibly over looked in the UK.
3 more...
Shiva Burlesque
Got a couple of their tracks due to inclusion on compilations. Even the re-issues need re-issuing, you can't find them anywhere (well, for an acceptable price)
Nirvana (UK)
The first three albums are available, but the later stuff still hasn't become more widely available. Why not?
Epic45
Because if you want to buy their albums, you have to pay a ridiculous amount of money. And they would sound HOT in stereo surround sound.
Brooooooooce.......
Only Born to Run has had the treatment and that only available in the Born to Run Box Set.
Love to hear Greetings, E Street, Darkness, The River and Born in the USA remastered.
Must be in the offing soon, surely?
A few more
The The - we've had remastered but there is stuff in the wardrobe (pornograhy of despair, gun sluts etc)
David Sylvian - early solo could do with a workout.
That Petrol Emotion
The Cheap Trick/Prince suggestions above are a good call too.
I'd like to see more labels doing the same thing as Beggars Banquet. 4AD/Subpop/Mute/Rough Trade that means you amongst selected others.
Forgot...
The Cramps - Posthumous cash-ins welcomed here!
Sylvian's early solo work
was remastered a little while ago, and is a vast improvement on the original releases. Gone To Earth, for example, was reissued in its 2 disc glory. You can pick these up for a fiver each on Play from time to time.
Good call
on Husker Du and That Petrol Emotion. As for Go Betweens, I remember the early stuff re-issued, but must have been well over 10 years ago now, unless i've missed something, many of which are quite hard to come by.
Isn't it about time
that we had some nicely packaged 5.1 mixes of the HJH's splendidly varied and extensive back-catalogue?
So come on Apple & EMI, get your collective finger out, thinking caps on and get to it! You shouldn't need me to tell you that you're missing an opportunity to introduce these fabulous tunes to a whole new generation to whom, shamefully, the term "HJH" means absolutely nothing!
P.S. What about a limited edition of the popular board game Monoploy featuring all the place names mentioned in the songs, and little metallic counters in the shape of walruses, bulldogs, piggies, blackbirds and the like?
Fabopoly
These people will do just that... http://www.mymonopoly.com/find_more.php
Last year they did me a Monmouthopoly - just like the real thing but with my streets, pubs, landmarks etc
But, but ...
I also want all the houses to be painted with murals like the Apple boutique and all the hotels to have flat roofs on which to stage miniature farewell concerts :-(
Sorry, it's time for my medication.
agreed
Get some "proper" remasters. None of this "let's just make it all a bit louder and turn down the hiss" of the 2009 remasters. Let's get some remasters that don't have the horrible instrument / voice splits.
stereo split
If they 'fixed' the original stereo mix it wouldn't be a remaster - it'd be a new mix.
(Cue a repeat of the argument that the original albums were meant to be listened to in mono)
Not sure if you're being ironic or not...
Beatles Monopoly does exist...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Beatles-Collectors-Edition-Monopoly/dp/B0019...
Joe Jackson
Agree on Prefab Sprout and Prince (would love to see an official release of the "Small Club" bootleg which is fantastic).
Would also add Joe Jackson - always felt that especially his early albums only seem to be available on cheap CD versions (e,g Jumping Jive on some cheap label). There's some classics in his many varied offerings......
Pink Floyd
Almost forgot - whatever happened to the supposed 5.1 release of "Wish You Were Here" ? Also given that The Wall is now 30 years old (and boy does that age me !) isn't that ripe for a full blown remaster / 5.1 release ?
Dream Syndicate - Medicine Show
I know it split the band, but I loved it.
Hasn't been available for years.
Could do with...
...some Joni Mitchell remasters/re-issues. In fact, weren't they mooted a while back and then never appeared? Or am I just misremembering? My Bloody Valentine, too - where the hell are they?
I'd like to see Public Image Limited get the full treatment, instead of just 'Metal Box' coming out all the time. Pleased to see that the 'Plastic Box' box set is being reissued, though - I missed that first time round and maybe it has all the PiL one really needs.
The Mekons catalogue seems to be a bit all over the shop. Cooking Vinyl did a great 'best of' a few years back and I was hoping it would lead to some re-releases...but nothing.
And given all the various odd tracks and EPs knocking around, I'd love to see Domino go back to Will Oldham's 'Palace' era and issue something that sorts it all out and rounds everything up.