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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Unknown: Editors - The Front Wall


For years, records companies have spanked loyal fans by releasing deluxe or extended editions of releases. Most recently, this happened with Lady Gaga and Eminem. For all those honest fans who go out and buy the album the day/week it comes out, they are stuck in a quandry when bands "re-issues" the same album a few months later with a couple more bonus tracks. Now, you're either cursed to go out and buy the new version of the album for a couple more songs that are in all liklihood not as good as the other tracks since they were left off the original release...or you illegally go and download them. I understand the record company's tactic in trying to lure new fans to an aging release by giving them a bonus...but the problem with this...is that it only targets the fringe fans. You may get a minor boost from new buyers...and a couple of hardcore fans will re-purchase it. But in the end, you're disenfranchising the only people who are still buying music. This is your base. Don't piss off your base! We're the last people buying your music...don't force us into downloading. Isn't this what you're trying to avoid?

Here's an idea...let's call if a compromise. I will support your re-issues...but in return...offer the loyal fans a way to get the new songs without having to re-buy the whole album...maybe a bonus EP...or something along those lines. Sounds fair? I think so.

In the Editors defense, they added a whopping 5 songs...and the price is still reasonably cheap.

Here is Editors - The Front Wall:

1. Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home
2. You Are Fading
3. Colours
4. Release
5. Forest Fire
6. French Disko
7. Crawl Down The Wall
8. Disappear
9. The Diplomat
10. From The Outside
11. Dust In The Sunlight
12. Head in Bags
13. Time To Slow

Buy Editors - In This Light and On This Evening (Extended Edition 2CD)

3 comments:

  1. yeah, I agree.

    I think it's worse when they re-release a record 10 or 20 years later with a remastered disc and a entire new disc of unreleased stuff.

    What they should do is release the unreleased stuff on a separate disc also, so you don't have to shell out for the remastered version of a record you already have (and probably like already).

    Or (and) they should allow you to trade in your old disc with a suplement of £5 for the new edition.

    Anyway (on a slightly different issue), perhaps it's time the music industry was allowed to die. It would end the monopoly of record companies telling us who we can listen to, and would make sure that artists really were in it for the art instead of the fame.

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  2. Anonymous10:29 AM

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  3. Thanks so much for this post. Editors are one of my favorites, and it's excellent to get to hear some of these tracks that I've never heard before. Always enjoy your blog - keep up the great work!

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