I just ordered a copy of Love's "Forever Changes" after reading the overwhelming accolades of my fellow AKers. Amazon had 2 different CDs - one was the original CD pressing and one a remastered CD from a couple of years ago. The remastered CD had like 4 or 5 bonus tracks.

Is it just me, or are classic albums better left as just the album? It seems like a lot of the albums that were originally only on LP now have these extra tracks on CD. Just because there's more room on the disc doesn't mean it should all be utilized, IMO. I think there is (or at least should be) an overall cohesiveness that is often times circumvented by non-album "bonus tracks." What do you guys think?

Nate

It's a marketing gimmick to get you to buy the album again. This is under the assumption that you bought it the first time it came out. Better "bang for the buck".

Heck, I think your thoughts are even true about some current albums. I recently purchased a metal album that came with demo versions of some songs for their bonus tracks. Totally jarring to hear those. They ought to be relegated to either: second disks, boxsets, or rarities compilations for the completists. Or b-sides.

I agree with you, Nate, I usually program up just the tracks that made up the original album.

On "Forever Changes" two of the bonus tracks have been available on Rhino's "Love Story" for years, being the single of "Your Mind And We Belong Together" (a great song) and it's b-side, "Laughing Stock". The rest are demos or alternate takes...interesting the first time around and ignored thereafter.

I like the bonus tracks, usually it's the best(popular) songs done a bit differently or live!!

p.s. for example read the notes on Rumours(expanded edition) by Fleetwood Mac.

The band may have a dozen or more songs that they really liked but in the era of albums, the time constraints involved, a song or maybe two had to be left off of the album, in this case 'Silver Springs' and now with the CD being remastered & expanded, they have the opportunity to put it on the CD, the way they would of liked too back in 1977!!
Also when the the CD was first being released to the market, most of the time the artist were not involved at all and I think it's safe to say that they were not happy with the way the CD sounded, the most recent example being Tom Schultz and his involvement with the release of the remasters of the first two Boston albums which BTW do not have bonus tracks!!

Generally I like the remastered CDs and the bonus tracks, in that I think it gives more of an insight to the band at the time they were making the album and the different versions they may have been considering at the time and how they sounded at the time, if any of the bonus tracks are LIVE versions, especially if the group never released a LIVE album.

I also like the notes/essays that are usually on the remastered CD jackets, very nice historical insights.

I love extra tracks, but totally understand one's desire to hear the album in its original cohesive state.

I'll play the bonus tracks a few times only, and then relegate myself to turn off the CD when the bonus tracks kick in, unless there's a gem in there.

I like to know when the album should end as designed and decided on by the artist and labels.

And for the rare record release that's re-issued, with songs that the artist or producer wanted to be there in the first place, kinda like a director's cut of a movie, I'll choose the artist's view over the beacounter's view almost every time.

By the way, the film Sin City was released on DVD shortly after the theatrical release. Then, a few months later, a special edition version was released. A few months!!! Egad!!!

How frustrating!!!

Hey, This may be a bit off topic but, I popped a new CD in the putor drive the other night and was looking over the song list on my screen and noticed at the bottom, Track 13 was labelled "deleted tracks". Sure enough there was no music there. WTF, I felt cheated. Why put it on there and tease me. Heck thats what my wife does. The only thing I could figure was since it was a live album, something got changed at the last minute. Not a big name label either. Jay

Ahhh, bonus tracks. They are nice to have, but more often than not, they drive me crazy. At least, they can drive me crazy in two ways.

Here's why...


A. Sometimes there are bonus tracks hidden at the end of the supposed last track. I'm talking about those ones that start (for example) 7 minutes after the last track. You know the kind, the ones that don't show up as a separate track. Annoying.

B. The most annoying 'bonus' tracks though, are the ones that Blue Note and various other labels have done at times. I'm talking about the alterate version tracks. Ok, an alternate version is not a bad thing to include on a CD. But to include them right next to an original track is ridiculous! Alternate tracks are almost the same as the originals. This is more than frustrating if you just wanna plop down and listen to a whole album! Why not just stick the bonus material at the end of the original track list line up!

Here is an example if you didn't catch my drift:


Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame

1. Open Sesame
2. Open Sesame (alternate take)
3. But Beautiful
4. Gypsy Blue
5. Gyspy Blue (alternate take)
6. All Or Nothing
7. One Mint Julep
8. Hub's Nub

By the way, the film Sin City was released on DVD shortly after the theatrical release. Then, a few months later, a special edition version was released. A few months!!! Egad!!!Not a criticism, just a gentle reminder -- that's one of the things that the internet is good for. I knew about the upcoming special edition version, so I held off on the regular edition version. He had the special edition version in the works long before either came out on DVD.

BTW, it's not the greatest -- I find it terribly annoying that you can't watch the movie as a whole on the second disk. It's meant to be watched in installments (like a comic book).

For the most part for me bonus tracks can be a nice treat. For instance on Freddy Hubbard's "Red Clay" remastered CD, there's a bonus track at the end that never made its way onto the LP. I bought this LP as a teen in 1970. Still love it today. And "Cold Turkey" was hidden for many years.


Red Clay
Delphia
Suite Sioux
The Intrepid Fox
Cold Turkey*

*Previously unreleased

IMO alternate takes isn't a bad thing. But it can be annoying placed right after oringinal takes. NYV

I more often than not enjoy the bonus tracks. On Who's Next there are several which are great, including Naked Eye, Pure and Easy, Young Man's Blues etc.

More often than not they are a ploy to sell another copy of a CD.

Bonus tracks can be cool and sometimes suck too. I like the rare demos or unreleased songs. Alternative versions are sometimes alright. But some are absolutely horrid or way off track from a bands original sound. Now wonder they are UNRELEASED! They tend to throw off the vibe of a paticular album in the end where most bonus tracks are placed. Its a crap shoot sometimes. I prefer the album remastered just the way it was first released. Give me bonus tracks in a box set or put out a special CD or even include a 'special' CD with an original CD or two?

I like what I've heard.
Robin Trower's 24-bit remaster of Bridge of Sighs includes at least 4 extra LIVE songs and really fits with the rest of the songs. BTW, got it from yourmusic.com.

For the most part for me bonus tracks can be a nice treat. For instance on Freddy Hubbard's "Red Clay" remastered CD, there's a bonus track at the end that never made its way onto the LP. I bought this LP as a teen in 1970. Still love it today. And "Cold Turkey" was hidden for many years.


Red Clay
Delphia
Suite Sioux
The Intrepid Fox
Cold Turkey*

*Previously unreleased

IMO alternate takes isn't a bad thing. But it can be annoying placed right after oringinal takes. NYV


I agree, Bonus Tracks are not 'bad', just annoying if there are alternate takes slapped in right after the original version as I have suggested :thumbsdn:

Bonus tracks can be good and they can be bad. Bear Family has a distinct habit of including every known alternate take of a song on their sets. On the Jimmie Rodgers set for instance, there are three versions of "Travelin' Blues." One is the standard released version, another a much slowed down, bluesier take, and yet another take that sheds light on Jimmie as an artist. That kind of thing I appreciate.

On the Hank Williams, Jr release of the soundtrack to "Your Cheatin' Heart-The Hank Williams Life Story" there are numerous outtakes and alternate takes. Some of the outtakes are songs that never appeared in the movie and are pretty revealing on Hank, Jr. as an artist during that early time. However, many of the songs are stripped down, vocal/guitar performances that are the exact same as the standard versions, except the additional instrumentation is gone (they were overdubbed before release). I really don't glean anything at all from that and while I don't mind having it, it's really a waste.