"Bonus" tracks on re-issued CDs
Posted by: Paper Plane on 31 July 2012
I find that the so-called "bonus" tracks that come with some re-issues to be very hit-or-miss. Alternative versions of songs already on the album usually don't really add much and "previously unreleased" can often mean they weren't released for the very good reason that they weren't much cop.
Yes, on occasions they can be good and sometimes a real gem comes to light but in general I'm not overly convinced.
Any thoughts?
steve
I think in general unless you are an obsessive completist it is rarely worth buying a remaster for the extras. That has been generally my experience anyway.
One I own absolutely breaks the rule: Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen. The remaster is very good but the second CD of acoustic versions is also worth the money in its own right.
Bruce
It is a mixed bag in my experience. But one album where I really enjoy the bonus disc is "Tusk". The out-take long version of "Sara" is especially enjoyable, showing the band in a raw and unproduced natural way that the main album misses a bit.
Overall I would agree, but there are those occasions where an alternate cut is superior ot the one released.
I guess it's kind of like playing golf - you only need one decent shot every few holes to convince yourself it's worth the effort! (Completely forgetting that it was the exception, not the rule!)
I also have a relatively recent re-release of an Elvis Costelo album where the bonus live tracks "Watching the Detectives" and "My Funny Valentine" are worthy listens.
I guess it's kind of like playing golf - you only need one decent shot every few holes to convince yourself it's worth the effort! (Completely forgetting that it was the exception, not the rule!)
LOL. That explains my last golf outing. I chipped in on the 18th for par. I seem to have forgotten holes 1-17 ( and the 6 lost balls).
As far as bonus tracks go there are some gems hidden in the dross usually, but a lot of the time it is simply marketing I think.
In general I agree. I have little interest in hearing several inferior versions of songs I already know well, versions originally deemed to be not good enough to be released.
There are exceptions of course, Who's Next being one where the extra stuff is well worth hearing and the live disk is a gem.
Overall, not a fan. I would just rather have the original album. If they want to add "bonus tracks" please put it on a second CD. It just feels like a cheap marketing ploy. I don't think we need to be convinced to buy the remaster. If you are a fan of the artist/album, you are already interesed in having (we hope) a better sounding recording.
That's true Pat - that was what they did with a recent re-release of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" CD - the first disc was the regular album, and the second was works in progress or demos - some of which I actually liked better due to the more raw or live type of sound they had. Also showed some of Buckingham's guitar work with less production interference on some demo version of "Never Goin' Back Again".
On the balance I can live without most bogus bonus tracks.
This is definitely true of Groundhogs Thank Christ for the bomb. Contains three live tracks from Radio 1's in concert program.
It is a mixed bag in my experience. But one album where I really enjoy the bonus disc is "Tusk". The out-take long version of "Sara" is especially enjoyable, showing the band in a raw and unproduced natural way that the main album misses a bit.
Roger on that Winky. I'm currently enjoying the 'Tusk' out-takes disc. 'Sara' is particularly great. As Dr Mark stated, the out-takes second disc of 'Rumours' is similarly enjoyable. The less polished but more spontaneous performances have a lot going for them. The alternative 'Go Your Own Way' is raw and fabulous - John McVie's understated bass playing shining through better, and beautifully underpinning the song.
The FM remasters are among some of the best, though the original mixes still sound better to me.
Most remasters sound just plain inferior on a good system.
'Tusk' is a weird album. There's some lovely stuff on there, interspersed with Lindsey Buckingham's self-indulgent 'strangeness'. Thanks for the reminder.
John.
The KInks Are The Village Green Preservation Society was reissued as a triple CD/LP set - mono and stereo with lots and lots of bonus track. TKATVGPS is undoubtedly one of the best records I've ever heard. However, the bonus tracks are so good they are worthy of classic album status in their own right. The bonus tracks on Arthur The Decline & Fall of The British Empire are also pretty good ... this is unfortunately rare and most bonus tracks seem to be filler, but occasionally there is a gem.
My digital juke box has lots of albums with all the bonus tracks when I copied these across to my Mac Mini to play on my main system I deleted most of the bonus tracks and only kept those on the original album. I don;t ever think to myself I wish I had included that bonus track. For the Kinks material mentioned above I made an exception, but separate the bonus tracks in to albums of their own.
Another worthy mention is the Velvet Underground Fully Loaded where the bonus tracks and alternative takes sound, for the most part, better than the original album. The same is true of Captain Beefheart's Strictly Personal where the un-phased tracks are a bonus. And the Pretty Things Emotions where the orchestration added to the original mix by the Fontana production team has been banished so you can hear the music as the group intended.