The Right Way for Anniversary Releases

by **styxfanNH** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:02 am

Just picked up my copy of the 30th Anniversary Edition of Billy Joel's The Stranger at Best Buy. The Anniversary Edition comes with "The brilliantly remastered original album" (actually remastered in 2001, but what the heck) a 1977 concert previously unreleased, and a dvd of The BBC's Old rey Whistle Stop from 1978 including 2 songs that never aired. And because it was Best Buy, another 5 song cd of another 1977 show.

You know I already have the original pressing of the CD, and I even have the 2001 remaster. But I still plunked down my $30 to get it again to get the new stuff that was added. This is a lesson Styx should take note of. WIth the 35th Anniversary of the classis albums coming up, they certainly could get the die hards to repurchase the catalog if they added just the extras like Billy Joel has done.

by **stmonkeys** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:01 am

OOOOHHH!!!! i can't wait to get my hands on this! thanks for the info! how are all the extras? did you get a chance to watch the dvd? I <3 billy

by **Jodes** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:57 pm

Styx has nothing to do with that, its what their record company (Universal) wants to do with it. if they think that GI is worth a anniversary release etc, it will be done.

If not, they won't do squat. Thats one of hte main things I have against A&M they didn't really promote their bands like CBS or Epic did (ie Journey and REO,etc).

by **Toph** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:40 am

Jodes wrote:Styx has nothing to do with that, its what their record company (Universal) wants to do with it. if they think that GI is worth a anniversary release etc, it will be done.

If not, they won't do squat. Thats one of hte main things I have against A&M they didn't really promote their bands like CBS or Epic did (ie Journey and REO,etc).

A&M/Universal doesn't understand the power of the back catalog. That is why Grand Illusion/Paradise etc. still have sold only 3 MM albums and GH only sold 2MM while Journey Greatest Hits is 10x platinum, Escape is 9x platinum, and Frontiers is 6x platinum...

by **styxfanNH** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:47 am

stmonkeys wrote:OOOOHHH!!!! i can't wait to get my hands on this! thanks for the info! how are all the extras? did you get a chance to watch the dvd? I <3 billy

Watching the dvd right now. It's real nice. Good vintage era stuff.

by **stmonkeys** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 3:19 pm

hey!!! mine didn't come with a dvd!! i got the remastered cd, the carnegie hall cd, and hte best buy 5 song cd from the nassau coliseum (home!!!). no dvd. i think i was ripped off! LOL might need to go back to best buy tomorrow!

by **styxfanNH** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:41 am

stmonkeys wrote:hey!!! mine didn't come with a dvd!! i got the remastered cd, the carnegie hall cd, and hte best buy 5 song cd from the nassau coliseum (home!!!). no dvd. i think i was ripped off! LOL might need to go back to best buy tomorrow!

It was the long box that came with the dvd. Seeing it goes off sale today, you might want to buy it from them on line with store pick up before you return the one you have.

by **stmonkeys** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:07 am

thanks for the info. picked it up this morning, returned the other.

we'll watch the dvd tonight.

by **StyxCollector** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:56 am

Jodes wrote:Styx has nothing to do with that, its what their record company (Universal) wants to do with it. if they think that GI is worth a anniversary release etc, it will be done.

If not, they won't do squat. Thats one of hte main things I have against A&M they didn't really promote their bands like CBS or Epic did (ie Journey and REO,etc).

I've posted this quite often, but Jodes is right, although I do think Styx has some say in their back catalog even now. They did in the past. REmasters have been announced more than once, and Grand Illusion was briefly slated to get a Deluxe Edition but the "rumor mill" is that they nixed the bonus material which would pretty much kill the release. Plus, depending on how relations are, remember that any sale benefits both sides. Conspiracy theorists would lead you to believe Styx is holding out for the sake of spiting Dennis.

The reality - and I heard this from a reliable record company source a few years back - is that there were no plans since th market for Styx remasters would be very limited. The cost to benefit ratio isn't perceived to be there.

The remaster of The Stranger (newest one in the box or the new 2 CD set) isn't as good as previous releases, but the bonus material is well worth the price of admission.

by **Blue Falcon** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:26 am

StyxCollector wrote:

The reality - and I heard this from a reliable record company source a few years back - is that there were no plans since th market for Styx remasters would be very limited. The cost to benefit ratio isn't perceived to be there.

I certainly don't doubt that you were told that, but is it really true? Because I doubt there was much of a market for all of the Jethro Tull, Boston, and Judas Priest remasters that came out over the last few years. Heck, even someone at Bachman Turner Overdrive's record company thought there was a market for their remasters!

by **StyxCollector** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:58 am

Blue Falcon wrote:I certainly don't doubt that you were told that, but is it really true? Because I doubt there was much of a market for all of the Jethro Tull, Boston, and Judas Priest remasters that came out over the last few years. Heck, even someone at Bachman Turner Overdrive's record company thought there was a market for their remasters!

There's a difference. Universal has gone through its own turmoil over the past few years. The majors are not what they once were. Columbia/Legacy is known to historically do good releases (even if sonics are debatable), and have treated their catalog fairly well over the years.

Some recent remasters (such as the new Genesis ones) were done by the band and the label had to do nothing.

Combine that with the overall market for CDs which is down, and I doubt you'll see these. The reality is that they should have happened when they were first announced around the first GH album in 1995 and before 1998 to capture the reunion "fever". Before or after has large diminishing returns.

by **Jodes** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:54 pm

ARen't the Boston remasters though only available in Canada?

by **StyxCollector** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:55 pm

Jodes wrote:ARen't the Boston remasters though only available in Canada?

No. They were remastered by Sony and released. Some got out in Canada before Tom S. had 'em pulled. He remastered them again himself, and those masters are the ones out today.

MR

The Right Way for Anniversary Releases

The Right Way for Anniversary Releases

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