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"They'll Buy Anything!": Ripping Off The Cultists

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I bought Magical Power From Mars, by Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O., last night. Now, there's an argument to be made that the entire existence of AMT is one long act of consumer-abuse, since they put out a record every three days, but I just want to talk about this particular disc.

See, earlier this year they released three limited edition CD-EPs which contained one long track each, ranging from 15 to 20 minutes. Those discs cost about $10 US. The disc I bought last night contains those three tracks, plus one previously unreleased track, and cost me $14 US. Now, I didn't buy the three EPs, but a fair amount of people did, and some of them are pretty pissed.

Any other examples of bands giving it to the consumer this way? "Just lean forward on your elbows and relax..."

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I picked up said EPs myself earlier in the year -- for my part, there's this thing called an 'mp3'...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:26 (twenty-three years ago)

One wonders about the prolific Robert Pollard.

― David Gates of Delirium, Friday, 3 October 2003 14:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Deadheads and teddybear salt & pepper shakers to thread.

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Coil and Current 93 to thread.

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Death In June to thread--

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Genesis P. Orridge

Christian Death (I have no idea why anyone would want to hear them anyway.)

The Fall

― earlnash, Friday, 3 October 2003 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.rhinohandmade.com/covers243/7707.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think the mere existence of a vast discography is consumer abuse...shit, I've got about three dozen Miles Davis CDs, plus a half-dozen boxed sets. But issuing something in one format, then issuing it in another format the same year, with one measly bonus track to justify the purchase, is pretty damn egregious. I'm looking for other examples of that kind of thing.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Alex, that funhouse box was so limited i don't think there was ever a lack of demand for it.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 3 October 2003 17:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Alan Zweig to thread.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 3 October 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Morrissey/Smiths - how many singles and bsides can you repackage into different money making configurations and opportunities? I think the labels have yet to hit bottom with that one...

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Friday, 3 October 2003 18:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Alex, that funhouse box was so limited i don't think there was ever a lack of demand for it.

True, but it was an entirely silly artefact that fetched quite a high price (not least from one such as I), and it's a virtually unlistenable (in any normal capactity) space-consumer in one's home....a humbling reminder that I'm a slave to fetishistic collector mania

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 3 October 2003 18:59 (twenty-three years ago)

>a humbling reminder that I'm a slave to fetishistic collector mania

You bought one? Wow. Well, I may know a guy who has you beat...he not only bought the box, but the limited-edition vinyl-only Declaration Of War (a single-disc "best of the alternate takes" version of Funhouse). I just had him burn me a copy of that, and felt perfectly satisfied.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, 3 October 2003 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

three words:

Space

Men

Three

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Friday, 3 October 2003 19:29 (twenty-three years ago)

In defense of Bob Pollard, though a large chunk of his catalog is comprised of tossed-off lackluster songs, almost every single release tends to have at least one or two moments of brilliance, making the purchase worthwhile to the devoted.

P2P is a GBV's fan's best pal, though. Obviously.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 3 October 2003 19:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Isn't the whole raison d'etre of being a "cultist" to be taken by yr heroes?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 3 October 2003 20:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the Sun City Girls almost celebrate doing this, but hey, it keeps them doing what they do, I guess (I can attest that they are not rich people), although I was kinda disappointed in their latest 7" single.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 3 October 2003 20:19 (twenty-three years ago)

See also:

Bands that abuse their fanbase w/ collector scumishness

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 3 October 2003 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I think I may finally have gotten off the Fall caravan, having decided to pass on their 5-CD set of live sets from 2001 or so...

Mind you, if they put out a 5-CD set of live sets from 1981, I'm THERE.

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 3 October 2003 22:28 (twenty-three years ago)

The MC5! I think there might have been some rocking songs in there somewhere, but it's like trying to find a delicious truffle in a puddle of diarrhea.

― sucka (sucka), Saturday, 4 October 2003 00:35 (twenty-three years ago)

brian jonestwon massacre is re-entering this phase. new album out now, a double out next month? or i could have read it wrong.

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 4 October 2003 01:19 (twenty-three years ago)

rapeman - inkis butt crack 7"
the logic. it's limited. it'll go for stupid money in a couple of years. let's make up an imaginary cartoon theme and put a throw away instrumental on the b-side.
and yes I bought it for £45.

see also the shellac - futurist lp

― simon 803 (simon 803), Saturday, 4 October 2003 07:48 (twenty-three years ago)

i like the b-side of the 'inki' single. but then i didn't pay that much for it either..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 4 October 2003 07:58 (twenty-three years ago)

But I *need* five different versions of Perfect Prescription, all with different coloured covers and different coloured vinyl and different CD-only bonus tracks. I mean, really, I do.

― kate (kate), Saturday, 4 October 2003 11:37 (twenty-three years ago)

but you weren't too far gone to get that Earworm 7" with more demos and alternative takes.. (i bought it, but possibly for different reasons)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 4 October 2003 11:41 (twenty-three years ago)

ALL pop acts pretty much currently do this re-release the album plus one new single thing, it is k-rub.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 4 October 2003 11:42 (twenty-three years ago)

if I'd had any money when it came out, I'd have had it! Hah!

(This may or may not be true.)

(Though in a way, my *need* to be a completist is very much linked to my disposable cash. I have disposable cash again, so I may start being a completist. Or maybe I'll buy a house or something.)

― kate (kate), Saturday, 4 October 2003 12:01 (twenty-three years ago)

The MC5! I think there might have been some rocking songs in there somewhere, but it's like trying to find a delicious truffle in a puddle of diarrhea.

but the three albums they released in their lifetime aren't that diluted (though i could live without 'back in america')... and i love a lot of the official boots they've released since...

i'm in denial, aren't i?

― stevie (stevie), Saturday, 4 October 2003 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

About yer record collecting habit, or the MC5 sucking big hairy moosecock?

How could they inspire so many of my favourite bands when they were SO NOT GOOD? (there's been a thread about this recently, hasn't there?)

― kate (kate), Saturday, 4 October 2003 12:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Bjork's box set is the clearest example of this I have seen in a while. How much money? How many minutes of music? How much of it was new? (Then, you can go into the issue of how much of it was any good, if you still have to.)

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 4 October 2003 19:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"brian jonestwon massacre is re-entering this phase. new album out now, a double out next month? or i could have read it wrong."

Brian Jonestown Massacre are atoning for their sins by making most of their albums available for free download from their website. Also a few albums by some other people. Check it out, it's weird.

― dlp9001, Saturday, 4 October 2003 19:35 (twenty-three years ago)

re:Rhino Handmade. bought the television live disk at amoeba just now, nice packaging and nice sound quality, but nearly $30 - wtf?

― stevie (stevie), Saturday, 4 October 2003 23:55 (twenty-three years ago)

see also the shellac - futurist lp

um, you can't buy that, unless you know someone who is really really unscruplous (and doesn't want to be a friend no more).

― hstencil, Sunday, 5 October 2003 21:33 (twenty-three years ago)

you wouldn't want to buy it, anyway, it's crap.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:49 (twenty-three years ago)

um, it's not crap, it's probably the best thing they ever did. And I don't need to buy it, it was given to me.

― hstencil, Sunday, 5 October 2003 23:16 (twenty-three years ago)

The Wedding Present, when they did that single every month thing. Which was a neat idea, except then they compiled them all into 2 albums of A sides and B sides!

Glad I never bothered with the singles...

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 October 2003 00:12 (twenty-three years ago)

But you could have sold them on almost instantly for 'vast' profit!

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 6 October 2003 00:37 (twenty-three years ago)

people are becoming wiser these days with that sort of stuff though. most stuff eventually gets 'compiled' and people are happier to wait til that happens..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 6 October 2003 00:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Wedding Present/Cinerama are the perfect example of this. Who actually buys their singles/eps when they will be put on a compilation within a year or so? Hell if David Gedge appears on any radio show, you just know it is going to be issued in some official format. Actually it was the band doing stuff like this that made me go off them completely and now I just couldn't care less what he does. I have a feeling Clientele will be following this down this path.

― Brian G., Monday, 6 October 2003 01:23 (twenty-three years ago)

i have stopped buying singles of many many bands for this very reason.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 6 October 2003 01:24 (twenty-three years ago)

um, it's not crap, it's probably the best thing they ever did. And I don't need to buy it, it was given to me.

eh. no. and good for you.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Monday, 6 October 2003 01:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone who pays £200 or so for it is a fucking lunatic, but I hope the band would be gracious enough not to object to my downloaded copy.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 6 October 2003 08:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, the Wedding Present were especially guilty of this. The Stranglers have put more extraneous product on the market than is truly necessary, likewise the Smiths and the Buzzcocks (do we really need that many live albums, Pete?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 October 2003 10:46 (twenty-three years ago)


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