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Old 17-02-2019, 23:06
IntlDebris IntlDebris is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 304
Quote:
Originally Posted by darkanddivine View Post
Re-issues are such a big cash cow for the industry facing declining physcial music sales. So on that basis alone, you'd think more re-issues and box sets will be coming down the tracks.
Yes, indeed. The fact that R.E.M. are doing a Monster deluxe edition this year says it all: at one point, these releases were for 'classic' albums, but now they seem to just be every release by a sellable artist; the fact that the first album by The Bluetones has now had two separate 2CD reissues is maybe the most obvious example.

GATS seems like the obvious one: whilst the band have never softened on it much in terms of public opinion, it's the last '90s album to not receive a deluxe reissue (as mentioned), and also the last Richie album not to, so there's immediate appeal there. One can only hope Sony don't go ahead with it against the band's wishes. It's a weird record for me: I love the pop side of it (mostly the singles), but the darker tracks (the last three in particular) just feel like a weird diversion for the band to take and one I'm glad they haven't bothered with again.

Whether KYE and Lifeblood reissues happen remains to be seen. KYE makes some sense: although it's seen as commercial suicide, it still did well sales-wise and has a few songs which have survived to modern gigs; although I'm sure the band are probably fonder of Lifeblood than they sometimes admit, it's hard to put forward a case for a deluxe edition of the most critically and commercial maligned album in the band's career (especially as they're not doing a chronological release pattern like R.E.M. and other artists). I'm happy with my 4 Real version (the lack of TBTGOG, 4 Ever Delayed and God Save the Manics aside).

But if they do do it, I still think GT - EMG in 12" boxes, TIMTTMY - L in 8" books and everything after in the standard books would be the neatest way to do it. If we get a TIMT-style 3CD bookset for GATS it'll just fuck up every fan's shelf.
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