14 replies to this topic

[Davie]

A minor difference to what was advertised, but I'm wondering why the discs are no longer balanced in terms of # of songs on the actual release?

Disc 1 now has Sidewinder, instead of ending on Shiny Happy People, which makes Disc 2 start (rather strangely, if you ask me) with Everybody Hurts... Not that it makes a huge difference, but I felt that at least the original tracklisting kept album tracks together.

I assume it is due to song lengths - both discs are around 1 hour 15 minutes now - but I would have thought this detail would have been considered when making the tracklist in the first place.

Anyway...as I said, minor MINOR quibble, just got me pondering though!

[Driver Nate]

Davie, on 15 November 2011 - 11:28 AM, said:

A minor difference to what was advertised, but I'm wondering why the discs are no longer balanced in terms of # of songs on the actual release?

Disc 1 now has Sidewinder, instead of ending on Shiny Happy People, which makes Disc 2 start (rather strangely, if you ask me) with Everybody Hurts... Not that it makes a huge difference, but I felt that at least the original tracklisting kept album tracks together.

I assume it is due to song lengths - both discs are around 1 hour 15 minutes now - but I would have thought this detail would have been considered when making the tracklist in the first place.

Anyway...as I said, minor MINOR quibble, just got me pondering though!

What album are you referring to?

[cjr67]

Davie, on 15 November 2011 - 11:28 AM, said:

A minor difference to what was advertised, but I'm wondering why the discs are no longer balanced in terms of # of songs on the actual release?

Disc 1 now has Sidewinder, instead of ending on Shiny Happy People, which makes Disc 2 start (rather strangely, if you ask me) with Everybody Hurts... Not that it makes a huge difference, but I felt that at least the original tracklisting kept album tracks together.

I assume it is due to song lengths - both discs are around 1 hour 15 minutes now - but I would have thought this detail would have been considered when making the tracklist in the first place.

Anyway...as I said, minor MINOR quibble, just got me pondering though!

Yeah, I thought that was a bit odd as well.

[philbomb73]

What's really strange is that I put disc 2 into my computer and The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite is listed as track 1.  The rest of the songs have been moved down one track spot and Hallelujah isn't listed at all.

Plus, not to be nitpicky, but the packaging in the fact that one of the discs is jammed in with the booklet is a little shoddy.  If this is truly their last release, you'd think the record company would have made something a bit more sturdy in its design.

[vplus]

That does sound a bit amateur hour.  Strange.

[gardeningatnight]

That's what I thought too. Ideally, Find The River or Drive would have been better as the final track on the first disc - and not just because both are wildly superior to Sidewinder. But with the selected tracks being what they are, it would have worked better to swap Sidewinder and Everybody Hurts around.

[wahlers]

I also found the package to be a huge disappointment.  I like the design work, like showing the single formats next to each song, But the paper quality along with shoving the booklet in the first pocket with CD1 are just crappy.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a book being in with the CD if the package is designed for it, but the way it warps the front cover if the book is in with the CD really seems like the book was shoved in as an afterthought.  I'm just keeping my booklet between the middle folded sections when I put it on the shelf.

Also, the fact that it is not getting any physical singles for the new songs and no vinyl release really seems like Warner Bros.'s way of telling R.E.M. 'don't let the door hit your ass on the way out'.  

[wahlers]

Speaking of the packaging, discogs is showing a European version of this in a jewel case.  Has anybody seen this?
If so, is there any way someone could post a higher quality scan of the back case insert than what's on discogs?
I'd love to print out a version for myself to stick in a case and move my discs and booklet over.

[fairytale]

wahlers, on 16 November 2011 - 07:18 AM, said:

  I'm just keeping my booklet between the middle folded sections when I put it on the shelf.

Me too. No way am I going to jam the booklet into the CD pocket again. I tried it once and then had a hard time to get the CD out again.

[Remixomatosys]

wahlers, on 16 November 2011 - 07:18 AM, said:

Also, the fact that it is not getting any physical singles for the new songs and no vinyl release really seems like Warner Bros.'s way of telling R.E.M. 'don't let the door hit your ass on the way out'.  

I read it as "prepare for more r.e.m. releases"

[Driver Nate]

Considering the shitty packaging for In Time, Around the Sun and Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage and the fact that there was no download code card for Collapse Into Now it's as though someone just doesn't give a shit. Not sure who that "someone" is though. Given R.E.M.'s love of vinyl and supposed disdain of mp3's, the lack of physical singles is very strange.

[patternshirt170]

Yeah but ATS was the worst at least with in Time/Acc and CIN you can put the booklets in the packaging... I also dislike this extra three songs added to a Best of to begin with I mean I'd still have got this if it been 37 songs and a 3 track single to say 'so long' I guess it sums up the cover, 1981 a 2 song 7" in 2011 a single MP3/aac audio file... oh well.....

btw it's not doing so great in the UK Album midweeks; #19 and the midweeks always seem to show a better number than the final Sunday position...

[Driver Nate]

patternshirt170, on 18 November 2011 - 02:27 PM, said:

Yeah but ATS was the worst at least with in Time/Acc and CIN you can put the booklets in the packaging... I also dislike this extra three songs added to a Best of to begin with I mean I'd still have got this if it been 37 songs and a 3 track single to say 'so long' I guess it sums up the cover, 1981 a 2 song 7" in 2011 a single MP3/aac audio file... oh well.....

Not sure I can make sense of all of that, particularly the second half but it's pretty much standard operating procedure to include some previously unreleased tracks on all greatest hits/best of compilations to insure that even the hardcore fans buy it. That doesn't mean I agree with it, especially since I already own all of these songs several times over at this point. At least with In Time and And I Feel Fine there was the option of buying the 2 disc collector's editions, both of which had plenty of stuff I didn't already own. Thing is, when you're releasing a compilation that's already two discs, it's probably not practical to create a special collector's edition for the bonus material. Plus, I just don't think there's a lot of thought put into some of this latter day releases from R.E.M. (I'm referring here to the Warner Brothers records, not the I.R.S. reissues).

[Dave Thomer]

Truth be told, I only bought the CD for the booklet. Otherwise I'd have just bought We All Go Back to Where We Belong as an MP3 single from Amazon. I figure this is more something to have in the catalog for the future - with In Time and And I Feel Fine, I can't really see much pent up demand for an R.E.M. greatest hits album.

[patternshirt170]

Driver Nate, on 18 November 2011 - 02:37 PM, said:

Not sure I can make sense of all of that, particularly the second half but it's pretty much standard operating procedure to include some previously unreleased tracks on all greatest hits/best of compilations to insure that even the hardcore fans buy it. That doesn't mean I agree with it, especially since I already own all of these songs several times over at this point. At least with In Time and And I Feel Fine there was the option of buying the 2 disc collector's editions, both of which had plenty of stuff I didn't already own. Thing is, when you're releasing a compilation that's already two discs, it's probably not practical to create a special collector's edition for the bonus material. Plus, I just don't think there's a lot of thought put into some of this latter day releases from R.E.M. (I'm referring here to the Warner Brothers records, not the I.R.S. reissues).

The second part refers to a midweek chart that Radio 1 puts out that gives midweek sales to date [Wednesday] for albums and singles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../update/singles

A lot of the time these midweek positions are higher than the eventual chart position, for example Snow Patrol were #1 but in the official chart they are #3..

In this case however Part Lies... ; UK entry at 19.

I guess one option was to inlcude a DVD of the videos ala R.E.M. Live and Olympia 3 disc sets.