New Releases

[Freeopi]

Can someone please tell me why most of Paul McCartney's albums are out of print in the USA and it is near impossible to find any good copies of his cd's? Sir Paul, can you tell me why you havent remastered most or all your albums by now? I have the new reissue of Band on the Run and can't wait for the others to be released. I hope I'm still alive and young enough to enjoy them. Please, please me...
Freeopie

[jgkojak]

They take the releases off the shelf to build demand/anticipation for remasters.

My only concern is that they hurry up - it looks like they'll release MII and McCartney simultaneously - if so, that's a good thing. But it needs to be every 3 months, not once a year.

[chris]

They take the releases off the shelf to build demand/anticipation for remasters.

My only concern is that they hurry up - it looks like they'll release MII and McCartney simultaneously - if so, that's a good thing. But it needs to be every 3 months, not once a year.

what about all the unsold old copies? isn't it in their interest to sell off the old versions as soon as possible? although i suppose that requires an interest in buying his older music in the first place. i don't imagine there is a push from high schoolers to acquire his back catologue.

and i agree about the three month release plan.

[mr h atom]

a wee bit of speculation here: any of us of a certain age might remember these quaint little things they used to call record stores...those things pretty much don't exist.
we allowed places like wallyworld, and then that gweat 'n powahful internet to nearly completely obliterate the art of selling just about any thing.
first, we demanded that everyone carry everything dirt cheap, but the capitalist economic system is not really set up that way. if you had the buying power of a mega giant, you might get a break, undercut the pricing and probably even get a additional discount for carrying a wide variety...but once your competition is gone, you no longer need to price quite so low, and you don't need to put out the $$ to stock quite so much, whether it is new stuff or old.

in addition, most of those mom & pop stores that actually cared about the music got shoved out of the way...slowly...painfully. yet they made the big guys be more honest by simply carrying as much variety and delivering as much quality as they could.
the big guys'll shoot for quality if they have to, otherwise...they'll rely on the fact that the little guys are now gone and you have to go there.

second, why go even to a discount giant if you can just load up your computer, especially if someone has figured out how to do it for pretty much free...

so now, no one carries much stock at all, much less back stock...and if you're an artist who can't push the kind of numbers to make the registers roll like happy little trolls, you might as well forget it.

even the online stores are not as discounted as they once were...no real competiton forcing them to be that honest all the time.

we keep thinking that mccartney (and many others) are greedy for doing all this re-release stuff, but in fact, a re-release is the only way they can even get into many venues anymore.

nobody carries 'depth' any more, whether by a vast array of titles or a heavy number of overstock, to wait for potential demand...only the internet and a few hardy vets even try.

who can afford to sink that much into inventory just on mere speculation...none do.

[chris]

very nicely said, oh royal h. i remember these extinct record stores you spoke of. they were glorious. and going there was always a happening. and if they didn't carry what you wanted, they got it for you on request. those were the days.

and i would like to add...if one will forgive me going just a bit off topic for a moment...

it is most refreshing to see someone put thought...actual free thinking thought...into a reply. there are several of you here (on this very thread, even) who are a true pleasure to read because instead of one and two word answers (not that there is anything wrong with that) you think about an answer, and take the time to put those thoughts down on paper (or in this case a pc screen)...sometimes with humor, sometimes with joy, and even occasionlly with anger, when anger is called for. sometimes we agree. other times we do not. but it is usually done in a manner that mirrors how we (should) act in society. thanks guys, you are a major reason to be coming here to see what's up. even when nothing is. it's sort of like talking, real talking.

it's almost as if you guys were real people

and sincerely, thanks. i am being completely genuine. and i know you know who i'm talking to. for those who do not...i say this...

new releases are good.

now...back to your regularly scheduled topic.

[james1985]

In a funny way, it's the big chains that are suffering more than than the local indie record stores -- at least over here. HMV, the biggest music chain, announced a huge store-closing programme earlier this year. The casual music fan is now almost exclusively an itunes customer -- that's if they buy at all, you can stream pretty much anything on Spotify, Grooveshark, LastFM, etc.

Before I lived in London, I'd buy all my CDs on Amazon. It was just a complete no-brainer. You don't have to drive in to town, the price is probably cheaper and you still get your physical product to stick on the shelves. If you live in a big city, you can find the places where you can buy what you want at a good price; but also have a browse too and come away with something you weren't necessarily looking for.

But I'm as guilty as anyone of just sticking stuff on my computer. Last year, I decided I wanted to get into Bowie, so I just got his major albums from Rapidshare. I had everything I needed for free in minutes.

But I do always go see what record shops have of the solo Beatles, and there's usually something really surprising. Like Shaved Fish or something like that...