Does anyone else feel a little cheated? We are expected to buy the CDs again (after having bought the remasters a few years back) and are treated to only a few bonustracks that mostly are..well, not so impressive. Instrumental remixes, really? At least have the decency and put everything from that era on the disc and give some value for the money! (For example: where is Hangman?)
This wasn´t for the fans! Don´t Brian and Roger have a say in what gets done with their legacy? Or do they no loger care?
mooghead · Member since
Not worthy of a response....
Your Fairy King · Member since
ct0409 wrote: Does anyone else feel a little cheated? We are expected to buy the CDs again (after having bought the remasters a few years back) and are treated to only a few bonustracks that mostly are..well, not so impressive. Instrumental remixes, really? At least have the decency and put everything from that era on the disc and give some value for the money! (For example: where is Hangman?)
This wasn´t for the fans! Don´t Brian and Roger have a say in what gets done with their legacy? Or do they no loger care?
I feel cheated for several reasons. I bought most of the original albums on vinyl, cassette, and the Hollywood Records remasters 20 years ago, which, if done properly, I wouldn't have to replace. Also, here in the US not only do we have to wait an additional three months, but we also have to pay $16 USD for the two CD set. Not choice here to buy a single disc. I agree this wasn't for the fans. QPL has exhibited much contempt for fans over the years, and this is further proof. Putting previously released live tracks as bonuses is a joke. These reissues are intended to snag new listeners....but from the sales of the first 5 on Amazon US, that isn't happening. We need BBC complete and we need the oft-named 70s bootlegs out in remastered form. One has only to look to the recent Pink Floyd immersion discs to realize how this should have been done.
Russian Headlong · Member since
its at least the 3rd time these albums have been remastered (EMI and Hollywood previously) and it does appear that mainly the bonus tracks on universal are a disappointment with so many tracks being live versions which are already on existing releases. Sure stuff like Feelings, Feelings are good but it does stink of a rip off. I have some of the Holywood releases like ADATR and The Works which have decent remixes or some awful ones in the case of bicycle race and rick rubins wwry. I think most fans would prefer an antholgy of alt versions and unreleased stuff, for example an album of the BBC 77 stuff would have been better but why buy the albums yet again? if you really want the bonus tracks just download em off i tunes. As for Deep Cuts these are a waste of time too like absolute greatest. To be honest, after NOTW Queen didnt produce an album which I enjoy from start to finish without skipping at least two or three songs.
Saint Jiub · Member since
I feel somewhat ripped off, and I will feel more ripped off when I buy the 2nd box of 5 albums, as the cost has gone up almost 15% ($10) versus the first box set. I am hoping the cost will drop below $75 before the Sept 13th release day. Oh well, Queen guessed the price of my soul.
rhyeking · Member since
I don't feel ripped off at all, mainly because I never feel particularly entitled. I bought the 1991 HR remasters back in the day because they came out just as I got into Queen. They sounded good and and aside from a few of the infamous HR glitches, I believe they sound pretty good. Sure, we could (and have) debate the merits of the various remasters, but I have no complaints about the quality of these.
That was 20 years ago and I felt I may as well update the remasters with the 2011 editions and get the bonus tracks. I'm not too interested in the live tracks from Wembley, Montreal and Milton Keynes, but whatever, I guess they're trying advertise the live albums. However, that's the seasoned fan in me talking. These releases seem to try to balance an appeal to both new and old fans, but naturally your mileage may vary on how successful they are.
My lack of feeling entitled allows me to pick and chose those releases I want to pay for. If the 2011 remasters didn't have bonus tracks, I might not have bought them. Were Queen buying my fandom? No. There was an incentive added and I choose to take advantage of it. I didn't buy the Singles Collections mainly because of the price tag and the track selection. Nor did I buy each remasters series as it came out.
Do I wish for more unreleased material? Heck yeah, but I don't feel betrayed when it remains unreleased.
john bodega · Member since
I don't really have to explain this, but it's not a rip-off. When you look at something - for argument's sake, these reissues - you do a quick mental calculation of how much you want it vs. whether or not you think it is priced decently. If you buy it, you've accepted the price of the thing, and it is your fault for buying it. Or, you think it's too expensive, and you don't buy it - therefore you keep your money and no one has ripped you off.
There really isn't any such thing as a rip-off. Take it or leave it, and if you're too cheap - just download the cunting thing ....
master marathon runner · Member since
Zebonka12 wrote: I don't really have to explain this, but it's not a rip-off. When you look at something - for argument's sake, these reissues - you do a quick mental calculation of how much you want it vs. whether or not you think it is priced decently. If you buy it, you've accepted the price of the thing, and it is your fault for buying it. Or, you think it's too expensive, and you don't buy it - therefore you keep your money and no one has ripped you off.
There really isn't any such thing as a rip-off. Take it or leave it, and if you're too cheap - just download the cunting thing .... ----------------- .......... Exactly.
. master marathon runner
pittrek · Member since
I bought the re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-releases ONLY for the bonus discs. I didn't even listen to the most of the main discs ( I listened only to Queen 2, Opera and Jazz) and I don't plan to listen to them in the near future. But I must say that the songs / albums which I DID listen to are way too loud for me, so I'm keeping my EMI + Japan remasters
ct0409 · Member since
It is not the price mainly that angers me (though 21 Euros is quite a lot), but the sheer lack of consideration when putting those new editions out: Why not give a more appropriate Bonus-Content. Who cares for an Instrumental Remix when songs like Hangman are not included? Live tracks are a nice edition, but putting on only 10 min instead of an hour is just cheating, considering they have 100 cds worth of quality recordings in the vault.
That leads to the real question: When will the real interesting stuff finally be released?
jondickens1 · Member since
What frustrates me is the fact this is supposed to be Queen's 40th Anniversary this year,and so far all we have to show for the 'celebrations' is an exibition called Stormtroopers in Stilettos and a re re re release of material that is already available.Its 7 months into the year now.Where are the 'Many surprises' we were promised????????????
rhyeking · Member since
They're probably aiming at the Christmas market if there are big-ticket items planned.
As to the issue of re-re-re-re-issues, I think the complaints how many there were get a bit overblown. Each was aimed at a different market and territory:
1991 Hollywood Records (US) Queen to The Miracle
1994 EMI Digital Master Series (UK) Queen to The Works
1998 Crown Jewels (Hollywood Records - US) Queen to The Game
2004 EMI-Japan Mini-LP replicas (Japan) Queen to Made In Heaven
2011 Universal & Hollywood Records (Worldwide) Queen to Made In Heaven
And that's not accounting for the one-offs like 30th Anniversary Edition of Opera and the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs CDs. Queen and Queen Productions are not directly responsible for all these. The record companies, working individually, commission the remasters for sale in their respective territories, as per their licensing with QPL. They agree to promote the band and do so according to those terms. The key to understanding why there were 5 sets in 20 years is that the territories do not often cross-pollinate their releases at the management level, or sometimes even at the distributor level, making it hard for one territory to import from another. And that can vary from store to store. And the record companies depend on that in order to make their release the primary sale item.
If anything, QPL and Queen themselves are doing the world a favour by standardizing the current releases and making them available worldwide through Universal. The company out of step now is Hollywood Records, ironically, because they are not currently carrying Deep Cuts 1 and the 2011 remaster of Greatest Hits 1. I can't explain the absence of DC1, but GH1 not getting a US release probably has to do with HR still issuing the red GH and GH-WWRY Edition, not to mention Absolute Greatest, Stone Cold Classics, Classic Queen and The A To Z Of Queen. If that's the case, I think HR has reached a point where it needs to seriously re-think the many Hits and Best Of collections it markets. Until now, I was fine with the choices, and still am in theory (give casual fans a few items to pick from, for sure), but if it actually precludes us from getting a release we want domestically, there's a problem.
Pingfah · Member since
I don't feel ripped off at all, because I haven't wasted my money on the things.
jeffuk49 · Member since
As a life long Queen fan I've learnt never expect suprises. However I have seen a few quotes that Roger and Brian are planning to play some live shows???? if it happens would be great but if not it wouldnt be a suprised as it seems to be the run of the mill over the last few years rumour after rumour, such and such is gonna play a few dates with his soul brother (RT and Taylor Hawkins), solo albums etc. Then we get PR raising his head again (kerchiiiing)
pittrek · Member since
rhyeking - the Japanese vinyl replicas were released in 2001. The 2004 edition has the same audio content, but it comes in standard CD cases
