the q is silent wrote:
> Me wrote:
> >
http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002949316
> >
> > Universal Acquires First 11 Costello Albums
> >
> >
> > August 02, 2006, 12:00 PM ET
> >
> > Jill Menze, N.Y.
> > Universal Music Enterprises has acquired 11 albums from Elvis
> > Costello's early catalog, with plans to re-release the artist's
> > material via reissues, deluxe editions, compilations and box sets.
> >
> > The albums acquired begin with Costello's 1977 debut, "My Aim Is
True,"
> > and continue through "This Year's Model" (1978), "Armed Forces"
(1979),
> > "Get Happy!!" (1980), "Almost Blue" (1981), "Trust" (1981), "Imperial
> > Bedroom" (1982), "Punch the Clock" (1983), "Goodbye Cruel World"
> > (1986), "King of America" (1986) and "Blood and Chocolate" (1986).
> >
> > Although these albums have already been reissued in expanded form by
> > Rykodisc as well as Rhino, UME promises its new versions will be the
> > "definitive reissues."
>
> This is just beyond ridiculous. First of all, I can't imagine either
> the Ryko or the Rhino reissues sold all that many copies. What could
> possibly be the financial incentive to keep re-releasing this stuff in
> different formats? At some point, it's got to be a whole lot more
> trouble than it's worth. Second, the Rhino reissue series started not
> even four years ago! Surely any and all demand for any kind of expanded
> Costello albums has been sated for years to come. Third, it's hard to
> imagine that any re-release of these albums could be more "deifnitive"
> than Rhino's versions, which were mostly stellar. "Armed Forces,"
> "Almost Blue" and "King Of America" in particular had a plethora of
> great bonus material - what more could Universal offer that anyone
> would want at this point? Fourth, aren't Elvis Costello fans a
> notoriously snarky bunch who don't take too kindly to buying the same
> albums over and over again in slightly different formats?
>
> Can't say I blame Elvis for signing off on the deal, though. The guy
> never sold all that many albums in his career in the first place. Why
> not take a nice big paycheck if a bunch of stupid record companies are
> going to keep clamoring to buy your stuff?
>
> -Jyqm
Maybe they're going to release entire session tapes. We can hear the
band farting around between take 5 and 6. How interesting would that
be? <eye roll>
Or maybe, every take of a particular song. I wouldn't mind that if it
was packaged as a stand-alone thing. I think that the Rhino reissues
are great. Don't try to top them with "new, ultra-definitive,
superlative" versions of the same thing. Put out archive stuff on its
own and you'll have many happy fans and make some money too.
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