Iron Maiden's high priced remasters

[DarkAngel]

Well the Iron Maiden back catalog has just been released in remastered form.

First they charge full price for 20yr old Cds, shameful practice! Then to add insult they offer no bonus tracks, just the original songs. The Cds are ECD with photos and video included, which I will never view, so it is a worthless feature to me.

Many fans are buying these for the 3rd time - LP,CD, remastered CD why charge full price with no additional material, as I said this is a shameful practice.

Maiden should take note of Judas Priest and most other bands who offer remasters with bonus tracks at reduced price.

 

[KR...]

how is this ripping off fans?



I thought the ECDs were releases years ago?

 

[royboy2k]

I definitely agree that they should not charge full price, but I must disagree on the bonus track issue. I would rather just have albums with only the original tracks, because often times the bonus tracks detract from the album as a whole IMO. Besides I can find most any unreleased material I want from the internet (though I realize not everyone has this luxury).

Note: I am not an Iron Maiden fan so maybe I have no idea what torment you're going through.

 

[DarkAngel]

KR
ECD = enhanced CD, this just means there is a track at the end of CD with some photos or video, so obviously you need to view this using computer.

<<<<<<
how is this ripping off fans?
>>>>>>

Maiden should take note of Judas Priest and most other bands who offer remasters with bonus tracks at reduced price.

Roy
Bonus tracks do not detract in any way from original song list, as they are always added to the end of CD. Why would you not want bonus tracks, sometimes they are better than the album tracks.

With no bonus tracks the early Cds are 1/2 blank because they just transferred the LP to CD, doesn't cost them anymore to add a couple more songs, they are just setting there unused in some record vault.

 

[DarkAngel]

For example back catalog retail prices:

$11.98 - Judas Priest, remastered with bonus tracks
$17.98 - Iron Maiden, remastered no bonus tracks
$19.98 - iron Maiden, remastered no bonus tracks, vinyl replica

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Two things:

one - there are two versions of each album, one of them is limited, I am not sure as to the difference.

KR - they either got re-released, or remastered yet again.

two - I prefer bonus tracks on a second album, such as Marillion or...dang, someone else did that, can't think of who, Pet Shop Boys? Anyway, that, to me, is doing it right. Especially if the album is perfect to begin with, and the material is not from the same era. (cf. Judas Priest, much of the bonus studio material is from before their first album.)

 

[KR...]

My Seventh Son of the Seventh Son CD has 7 extra tracks on the the same CD.

I am pretty happy with it.

 

[gloco]

I think the limited edition versions are the "vinyl replica" ones. I grabbed the Live after death show which is great....although the text is illegible

 

[DarkAngel]

KR
You were fortunate to get the 1998 release "expanded" version which was an English import I believe of Seventh Son, which has many extra tracks as you said.

The ones I an referring to above just came out 3/26/02, and contain original tracks only with ECD material at the end. Comes in standard jewel case or limited edition vinyl replica digipack.

 

[kelly]

I, personally, do not like enhanced cds nor bonus tracks. I prefer to have the original disc in its best possible presentation and have nothing else on it. If a bonus disc is thought to be good, include that--or sell a disc of rare/unreleased stuff seperately if it's worth it. I prefer albums in their original form--this prevents me from having disasterous remixes like those on the Queen albums come on right after I'd finished listening to something good to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

The Iron Maiden enhanced CDs were released in 1998. Most of the discs in the new catalog release are identical so your complaint is actually an old one. The reason for the rerelease is that they are back on the Sony/Columbia label. Some of the newer discs now have the enhanced features. These usually come in the way of a single high quality video and some other stuff that, yes, duh, you need a computer to view. It does not effect the playback of the original album in a standard cd player.

The vinyl replica CDs, also released by Sony/Columbia at the same time as the other "new" CDs are limited edition. The surcharge is related to their limited nature and that economy of scale cannot be applied to something limited in number. The majority of people prefer standard jewel cases so this additional release is more of as a favor to fans rather than a hinderance.

With all this said, your real complaint is that Iron Maiden charges too much for their back catalog. This is true of more bands than it is not true of. Since, in my opinion, Iron Maiden releases good albums with good tracks throughout rather than a good single here and there, I'm more inclined to say the value of an Iron Maiden disc is much higher than that of other bands, typically. If you disagree with that, the simple solution is not to buy it.

In any case, the title of this message is inappropriate and defamatory and by at least me, unappreciated.

 

[DarkAngel]

Kelly
I toned down the title so you won't be too upset

I think you are not correct about the 1998 releases, they had several bonus tracks in addition to original tracks, check it out here:
1998 Seventh Son

This is what KR has, and I would reluctantly pay full price for these
because of extra tracks.

As I said prevoiusly I think Judas Priest did it right and gave thier fans a fair deal, but I guess there are many out there willing to pay full price (again) to have the original tracks remastered

 

[kelly]

The previous releases of Seventh Son are:

1988 CD Capitol C2-90258
1988 LP EMI 1006 EMI/Capitol 90258
1988 CS Capitol C4-90258
1995 CD Castle 109
1998 CD EMI 96864

The Castle release (1995) is the one you have quoted above, though I'm sure it was available for purchase still in 1998. The Castle releases each include a bonus disc. This second disc contains all of the b-sides from that particular albums' singles. Through Seventh Son, all of these b-sides (as well as the singles) can be found in a box set entitled First Ten Years released by Capitol in virtually every country except the US (I have the Japanese version).

The 1998 EMI release is a remaster that also contains a multimedia section. I believe the multimedia section is the same as on the new Sony/Columbia label reissues but I'm not certain. The actual tracks are the same -- ie, the discs have NOT been remastered since 1998. The 1998 discs sound much better to me than the Castle releases. In fact, the original Capitol releases, IMHFO, sound better than the Castle releases. Incidentally, the second disc b-sides don't sound as good as the ones in First Ten Years nor on the original Capitol singles.

My point was only that the 2002 releases are reissues due to the label change, not actual remasters, and should be regarded as such. If you already had the EMI remasters, your reasons for buying the new ones might be collector mentality or that you like the vinyl replica packaging but your reasons are not likely to include an audible difference in quality. And frankly, you should be ashamed of yourself for not owning the albums prior to 2002.

 

[KR...]

I have all the albums on cassette, remember those? I was a Maiden fanatic during the 80's.

I still know all the lyrics to every song, even the ones I haven't heard in 12 years or so!

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... I have all the albums on cassette, remember those? I was a Maiden fanatic during the 80's. I still know all the lyrics to every song, even the ones I haven't heard in 12 years or so!

I have the Live after death concert on tape also, all 100 minutes in analog glory

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Oops, just bought the Live After Death album at full price $31...

Brave New world at $20 too

Oh well, it's the first time I'm buying these albums...