The archive remasters series is becoming a joke.
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The delay over the remasters of 'Venus and Mars' and 'Speed of Sound' typifies how badly this series is being handled. I don't know who's to blame -- Paul, the suits at MPL or the record company -- but the whole thing is lazy, ill-conceived, careless and disparaging towards us loyal, hardcore fans. Let's start with the schedule and sequencing. Since Band On The Run in November 2010, we've had a grand total of 4 -- yes, FOUR -- albums re-released. Over the last two years, we've had 'WOA'. And that's it. What kind of scheduling is this? I don't really understand this. Is the idea to leave big gaps in the hope of whipping up media (ie. music magazines and websites) interest in the next 'big' McCartney archive release? If so, the game's pretty much over, because -- with the possible exception of 'Tug of War' -- all his seriously critically acclaimed biggies have come and gone. No magazine is going to run a major interview with Paul reminiscing about London Town, for example (as much as we'd love it). And it doesn't make any commercial sense. With Paul giving such short shrift to his solo career in his concerts, I can't imagine his post-Beatle catalogue is attracting many new fans, and the existing fanbase -- due to the laws of nature -- is shrinking all the time. By the time MPL gets around to re-releasing Off The Ground or Driving Rain, for example, will any of us be left around to care? Which brings me to sequencing. What on earth is the policy over this? It seems completely random, without any thought to Paul's recorded legacy. Why not start at the beginning, and work your way through -- perhaps giving new fans a chance to hear his career develop and change? Instead, we get this bizarre jumping around and cherry picking, giving the distinct impression that Paul couldn't care less about albums like Wildlife, or it would've been released already. Then there is the content. Oh dear. MPL or the record company seem to be making this up as they go along. "Do we include demos?" Er, no. "Should we put on alternate versions?" Oh no. "What about live versions from 1979?" Yes!! "Unreleased songs?" Erm, sort of. Some of them. Perhaps an unfinished version. Ram was a very disappointing case in point. A few tracks, seemingly picked at random, and dumped on the second disc as bonus audio. Was it really asking too much to have the finished mixes of 'Sunshine Sometime' or 'Hey Diddle'? Or the original full-length version of 'A Love for You'? If such things (and demos and alternate versions) are being held back for some kind of box set, heaven help us. I'll probably be collecting my pension by the time that comes out and won't be able to hear it properly in any case. Of course, there are the super deluxe versions with books and the like. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but personally I'd rather just have the music. And, again, the market for a super deluxe version of 'Speed of Sound' or 'Pipes of Peace' surely isn't going to be that huge. Why does any of this matter? We have the albums already, don't we? Well, yes, we have ancient versions which sound flat and thin compared with the remasters (that part of the series has been a resounding success), which don't come with any unreleased tracks and which -- for newcomers to the McCartney catalogue -- are quite expensive to get hold of now. When so may other artists of Paul's stature have had their work properly restored and re-released in a host of excellent packages (including John and George), it really makes the handling of Paul's solo music look pretty shoddy. Again, is it really asking a lot to have, say, 4 albums released each year, in two blocks of two, six months apart? It's still a bit too slow for my liking, but way better than this stop-start, snail's pace nonsense we're getting now. Come on MPL. The product is great -- the McCartney II and WOA releases were triumphs -- it just needs some proper care and attention. Hell, I'd be happy to do it myself if you are short-staffed. Let's have all of Paul's wonderful, diverse and richly rewarding music back out on the market, in the form it deserves, for us all to enjoy while we still can.
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Not only has the series stopped, but it's already retreading what's already out: are you aware that all of them have now been released as iPad apps, for $7.99 apiece (I forget the British price)? Some more photos, and a few videos, but no additional bonus tracks; in fact, not even the existing bonus tracks. I don't know what to think about "V&M" and "SOS." They've been scheduled since the very start, and I really don't know why they got pushed behind "WOA." I'm sure that this year it fell apart because of all the Beatles projects, and he seems to want to focus on "New" at the moment in his own catalogue. But perhaps they're also thinking that the songs from those two Wings albums have largely been covered already with the live album, so they felt no need to rush with those. The common thread with all of them is that at least he has played songs from them all sometime in the past several tours. "Wild Life"? Not since '72, right? "London Town" and "BTTE"? Not since '79. The odd one out is "RRS," since he has certainly played "My Love" a lot. BUT, a reissue of that, like "V&M" and "SOS," would highlight a lot of the other band members' songs, which means giving them space in the package too, and maybe he just doesn't want to do that, for whatever reason, not least of which is indifference from the public, sadly. "Tug Of War" and "Pipes Of Peace" have been rumored, but they're kind of a stretch too, although he plays "Here Today" all the time. The broader public just doesn't remember them that well, and even less so all the later albums, with the possible exception of "Flowers In The Dirt." As someone else has suggested, I'd love it if they just ditched the deluxe packaging and did simple 2CD sets of everything, with a DVD or even (gasp!) some kind of download of the video content. Paul's manager did say that these deluxe packages wouldn't go beyond 8 or 10 at the most. I just hope, like you, that we get SOMETHING, at least, out of the rest of his catalogue.
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I agree with the comments, unfortunately. These albums need to be remastered, if for no other reason as to get them back into circulation. We don't need the expensive books (as enjoyable as some of us find them), just give us 2 CD/1 DVD remasters at a reasonable price. Just go through the whole catalog in a couple of years, tidying up all of the loose ends on the disc 2 of each set. At a bare minimum, each release should have a 2 CD option, one for the remastered album, and 1 for all of the era officially released non-album tracks, including the different 80s mixes (please don't leave any off). From there, if we wants to add some of the long bootlegged tracks, all the better. I've often thought through the process that MPL may have bitten off more than it could chew with this process. The Beatles' remasters, as beloved and acclaimed as they are, didn't attempt to do anything this elaborate. I just wish there would be some annoucement about what is going on; this has been very frustrating.
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Paul botched up Cold Cuts & its been downhill since..
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JoeySmith:
Paul botched up Cold Cuts & its been downhill since..
He botches a lot of stuff, with the exception of recent albums. He botched Wingspan and all of the recent tour DVDs, with the exception of Good Evening New York City (unless the autotune really bothers you), and the music video DVD set.
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Maccafan82:
JoeySmith:
Paul botched up Cold Cuts & its been downhill since..
He botches a lot of stuff, with the exception of recent albums. He botched Wingspan and all of the recent tour DVDs, with the exception of Good Evening New York City (unless the autotune really bothers you), and the music video DVD set.
How do you mean he botched the music video DVD set? Because it was incomplete? Because they sneakily updated one or two of the videos ("I've Had Enough" comes to mind). Just curious what you mean, exactly.
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favoritething:
Maccafan82:
JoeySmith:
Paul botched up Cold Cuts & its been downhill since..
He botches a lot of stuff, with the exception of recent albums. He botched Wingspan and all of the recent tour DVDs, with the exception of Good Evening New York City (unless the autotune really bothers you), and the music video DVD set.
How do you mean he botched the music video DVD set? Because it was incomplete? Because they sneakily updated one or two of the videos ("I've Had Enough" comes to mind). Just curious what you mean, exactly.
Yes, not complete, mainly. Putting snippets of concert on disc 3 rather than the whole sets. Also, the infamous converting of 4x3 videos into letter box format, thereby leading to awkward crops and ruining the original format of the videos.
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I just saw that Amazon.com has listings for "import" versions of "Venus and Mars" and "Wings at the Speed of Sound" to be released on Sept. 24th.
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Iowa Hawkeye Beatlefan:
I agree with the comments, unfortunately. These albums need to be remastered, if for no other reason as to get them back into circulation. We don't need the expensive books (as enjoyable as some of us find them), just give us 2 CD/1 DVD remasters at a reasonable price. Just go through the whole catalog in a couple of years, tidying up all of the loose ends on the disc 2 of each set. At a bare minimum, each release should have a 2 CD option, one for the remastered album, and 1 for all of the era officially released non-album tracks, including the different 80s mixes (please don't leave any off). From there, if we wants to add some of the long bootlegged tracks, all the better. I've often thought through the process that MPL may have bitten off more than it could chew with this process. The Beatles' remasters, as beloved and acclaimed as they are, didn't attempt to do anything this elaborate. I just wish there would be some annoucement about what is going on; this has been very frustrating.
I basically agree with you, however I really really enjoy the books and other assorted materials provided. If this is too prohibitive to make, I would really enjoy seeing good video quality of some shows of the area and even pre show material of the time. I too would love to hear the bootleg tracks included. I have spent quite a bit on those not knowing exactly what I'm purchasing at tunes. Would also love to see some behind the scenes or video of Paul working in the studio. The one thing I really hope that I get to see is the concert that I didn't even know about. The one with the Magritte actors and acrobats and the big yellow curtain. I am hoping that there is some great video footage of that. I did see bits from the show in St. Petersburg, I believe and it was sooooo incredible. I was so hoping that would be longer. It was very very creative and to think that is lost to posterity and people like me, who didn't get to see it, would be really sad.
Just more of Paul's creative genius that is just missing to those who were not there... Does anyone know if there is going to be a DVD of Ocean's Kingdom? Another beautiful creation. I'm glad my camera managed to squeeze off a few zooooooooooomed photos. I was so far away and missed all of the beautiful Stella costumes as well as seeing the ballet up closer. Wish I had gotten a seat with a better view. -
I WANT MY VERSION OF GOTTA SING GOTTA DANCE ON DVD!!! And I want to finally own these albums on CD. I only had them on cassettes along ago worn out
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It's official! "Venus and Mars" and "Wings at the Speed of Sound" will be out Sept. 22nd/Sept. 23rd! "Venus and Mars":
"Wings at the Speed of Sound": And here's the tracklisting for each album (http://www.paulmccartney.com/news-blogs/wings-reissue-venus-and-mars-and-at-the-speed-of-sound):
"Venus and Mars" CD 1 ? Remastered Album 1. Venus and Mars 2. Rock Show 3. Love In Song 4. You Gave Me The Answer 5. Magneto and Titanium Man 6. Letting Go 7. Venus and Mars ? Reprise 8. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt 9. Medicine Jar 10. Call Me Back Again 11. Listen To What The Man Said 12. Treat Her Gently ? Lonely Old People 13. Crossroads CD 2 ? Bonus Audio 1. Junior?s Farm 2. Sally G 3. Walking In The Park With Eloise 4. Bridge On The River Suite 5. My Carnival 6. Going To New Orleans (My Carnival) 7. Hey Diddle [Ernie Winfrey Mix] 8. Let?s Love 9. Soily [from One Hand Clapping] 10. Baby Face [from One Hand Clapping] 11. Lunch Box/Odd Sox 12. 4th Of July 13. Rock Show [Old Version] 14. Letting Go [Single Edit] DVD ? Bonus Film 1. Recording My Carnival 2. Bon Voyageur 3. Wings At Elstree 4. Venus and Mars TV Ad "Wings at the Speed of Sound": CD 1 ? Remastered Album 1. Let 'Em In 2. The Note You Never Wrote 3. She?s My Baby 4. Beware My Love 5. Wino Junko 6. Silly Love Songs 7. Cook Of The House 8. Time To Hide 9. Must Do Something About It 10. San Ferry Anne 11. Warm And Beautiful CD 2 ? Bonus Audio 1. Silly Love Songs [Demo] 2. She?s My Baby [Demo] 3. Message To Joe 4. Beware My Love [John Bonham Version] 5. Must Do Something About It [Paul?s Version] 6. Let ?Em In [Demo] 7. Warm And Beautiful [Instrumental Demo] DVD ? Bonus Film 1. Silly Love Songs Music Video 2. Wings Over Wembley 3. Wings In Venice
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I hope the DVDs will be new material that hasn;t been circulated. My Carnival
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they are coming out! here are the track listings: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-to-reissue-more-wings-albums-with-unreleased-material-20140728 DVD: Bonus Film 1. Recording My Carnival
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I have to say, my original criticisms when starting this thread notwithstanding, I'm thrilled by these latest remasters. They are EXACTLY the kind of releases I was hoping for -- especially 'Venus and Mars'. The bonus disc on that looks spectacular, with all I would've wanted and more. 'SoS' isn't quite as exciting -- I would've liked demos of 'Mine for Me' and 'Note You Never Wrote', for example -- but I am quibbling, I suppose. The material on that bonus disc still looks very impressive, and more than I was expecting. Credit where credit is due -- Paul and MPL seem to have really come up trumps here. Let's just hope we don't have to wait 18 months for the next batch. How about 'Wild Life' and 'RRS' next spring, with 'London Town' and 'BTTE' in the autumn of 2015? More please, MPL!
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thenightfish:
they are coming out! here are the track listings: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-to-reissue-more-wings-albums-with-unreleased-material-20140728 DVD: Bonus Film 1. Recording My Carnival
Has to be said, the audio in the two trailers sounds ridiculously sweet and clear. Look forward to hearing both albums - and particularly the notoriously muddy-sounding Venus & Mars - with such clarity.
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Okay, I'm glad they are finally coming out but having said that, I have a gripe: having two simultaneously is expensive when buying deluxe sets. I know it worked for McCartney and McCartney II but it is still pretty costly for those of us living in the bottom 14% who still work hard every day. dammit, Paul. Now I have to choose and pray I don't have any monetary emergencies in the next few months. What will happen is I'll buy one and my boyfriend will buy one and we'll each make copies to give to the other costing Paul money in the long run.
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Mumbojunk:
I have to say, my original criticisms when starting this thread notwithstanding, I'm thrilled by these latest remasters. They are EXACTLY the kind of releases I was hoping for -- especially 'Venus and Mars'. The bonus disc on that looks spectacular, with all I would've wanted and more. 'SoS' isn't quite as exciting -- I would've liked demos of 'Mine for Me' and 'Note You Never Wrote', for example -- but I am quibbling, I suppose. The material on that bonus disc still looks very impressive, and more than I was expecting. Credit where credit is due -- Paul and MPL seem to have really come up trumps here. Let's just hope we don't have to wait 18 months for the next batch. How about 'Wild Life' and 'RRS' next spring, with 'London Town' and 'BTTE' in the autumn of 2015? More please, MPL!
Joke's on you!
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I'm soooooo excited to hear about these new releases!!! They look even better than I was hoping for!! I so love seeing what looks like some new photos of Linda's and all of the copies of original items from that time. It looks like a precious treasure to be opened and discovered, with much joy. Can't wait!!!!!!
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Sometimes when things like this happen, it makes me wonder if MPL really does pay attention to this board looks over shoulder nervously
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hey bulldog:
thenightfish:
they are coming out! here are the track listings: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-to-reissue-more-wings-albums-with-unreleased-material-20140728 DVD: Bonus Film 1. Recording My Carnival
Has to be said, the audio in the two trailers sounds ridiculously sweet and clear. Look forward to hearing both albums - and particularly the notoriously muddy-sounding Venus & Mars - with such clarity.
I was just thinking the same thing... those trailer's are excellent and the sound is incredible! After one listen I have to get both of them. Good job by whoever made those!! I'm really excited to see the video of Wings in Venice and all of the others, really....
