Bonus Tracks + or - ?

[ACEtone]

Dear all, just wondering what your opinions are on the subject of bonus tracks on reissued material. This mostly applies to CD reissue but in some case vinyl too.

I can't remember the specifics but I'll just give you a couple of examples.

On a Heartbeat Culture collection almost all of the tracks are very much of a certain place and time and tacked on at the end is a track or two of syndrum era pop reggae. To me, certainly not Culture at their best to put it kindly and so they took away rather than added to the experience.

On the other hand, one standout example of it working in my favour (in terms of my tastes and favourite material) was (I think the Lonely Man collection by Freddie McKay - great stuff, all very consistent and then at the end is his rock steady version of Love is a Treasure - which is absolutely great and I don't think I would have found it otherwise. But it doesn't fit with the rest of the material in terms of time and style. Delighted to have it, but what is it doing there, strangely orphaned as an afterthought.

Any thoughts on this?

I always wonder about the motivation of the people compiling. Do they not know the difference? Or is it just a thoughtless - better fill up the CD so there will be perceived value. Or are they thinking - people will love this bonus stuff?

[roms77]

i dont like albums with bonus tracks , i only like it when its complete with unrealised tracks like Black roots "in session" + unrealised tracks, the Makasound label used to include some unrealised tracks of the same time in their albums.

But what i hate are : bonus tracks ina a different time (roots + digital) and an album with another one incomplete

[picaraza]

I like having bonus tracks on CDs. The experience of listening to a CD is not the same as an LP and I don't even compare the two. [LPs are beautiful things. There is something that is just "right" about five tracks to a side. ]

Sure there is a lot of dross tagged onto the end of great albums, but there are a few gems here and there. And, as often as not, I'm using the tracks on CDs to create my own mix tapes any way.

I think that the compilers add bonus tracks to increase sales. They can rely just on people buying their first Culture collection. They've got to pull in the fans who already have the songs on 45s, LPs, and previous CD releases, but who may be have never heard those extra tracks.

I look at the people who put together those collections with a bit of envy. I've always enjoyed putting together mix tapes for friends-- and I've always adding a couple of obscure tracks that I knew they'd never heard before. Even if they weren't top notch.

[picaraza]

Coming back.

For people who do not have the originals or are unfamiliar with the original order of the tracks, I'm not sure that bonus tracks feel out of place.

For example, my first listen to Joe Higgs' *Life of Contradiction* was a reissue that tagged songs on at the front and end of the LP. Also, they resequenced the tracks.

Now, I've read a number of criticisms of that release. But for me, not knowing any better, the disc sounds fantastic. I love the extra tracks. They don't feel out of place to me at all.

[Yardie]

Hi everybody.

When it's time for bonus tracks sometimes it's like walking on thin ice. How long it will take to find out some poor or unimportant track?

Fortunately sometimes there's some real good stuff too as unreleased tracks, alternate takes and so on.

In any case I try to approch the original material as if it was the only one in the Cd.
I start from there keeping in mind that what I'm listening is what made the original structure. The only core of the original release.

Later I "move" to the other tracks, which as stated before, deliver sometimes great vibes.

That's my opinion.
Irie Ites

[jahadambom]

For those of us who hunt down 12" Disco's and are up on discographies, we notice that these bonus tracks found on CD & vinyl re-releases are often the 12" (ext.) versions, b-sides, and also dub versions previously not available on LP format. Many of these extra tracks included are singles that we may never get a hold of, so In that respect I can appreciate it. Other times, it may seem that they are recklessly added to albums that they share no relation to other than they are by the same artist, this can be frustrating as it can be obvious that it does not belong to that particular album. But as true fans to these artists, we seem to still find some pleasure in hearing that person's voice no matter what.

[Reggae Rhythm Update]

I rarely listen to reggae CDs as a whole product. I'm more of a bedroom DJ and I'll pick and choose the songs I'm after. So for me, it matters less where the songs are on a CD, but more that I can get to them if I need them.

[stepper]

I don't mind bonus tracks on CDs... especially if they're tracks that I don't already have.

I do, however, hold the opinion that the bonus material (if added to the end of a CD) leaves me with a vibe not intended to be left with when the original album was compiled.
If that's a problem, I can just burn a CDR of the original running order for myself.

[ACEtone]

Thanks for all of the responses. I think I share the same feelings. Sometimes it really works, sometimes not. i was just curious how you all perceived this sometimes dodgy practice.
Personally I think whether successful or not depends very much on the compilers knowledge and taste.
Exemplary of course is Steve Barrow on all of the B&F reissues.
As someone said - not having heard certain tunes before you don't necessarily know the difference when material is added to a typically 8-10 track album.

But I really do think that it makes a lot of sense to keep it consistent and contemporary with the body of the music represented.

Any stinkers out there anyone wants to comment on? Like why oh why did they tack this stuff on to such a great album. Again just curious...

[Return of Jesco]

Just played a reissue version of Fleetwood Mac's "Mr Wonderful" which is piled high with false starts, studio chat, that sort of thing, was beginning to think I would just like to hear the original album as it was intended, but when they get into take 4 of "Stop Messing 'Round" and it goes nearly all the way through without a hitch then grinds to a halt near the end, Peter Green (I guess) shouts "What did you ****ing stop me for!!", now that was funny.
Ideally, give us the original album as it was and a bonus CD with all the other stuff.