NewsOut This Week / 15 April 2013
David Bowie / Aladdin Sane 40th Anniversary Edition
We look forward to hearing the new 2013 remaster by Ray Staff, but that is about the only thing going for this rather pointless – bonus-track free – reissue of David Bowie‘s 1973 album. Why EMI chose not to repeat the vinyl / DVD offering of last year’s Ziggy Stardust reissue is anybody’s guess. 
Dr Feelgood / All Through The City
Superb four-disc set (3CD+DVD) documenting the Wilko Johnson-era of Dr. Feelgood. This set is a repackage of the now out-of-print original issue from last year. Highly recommended, especially at this new cheap price.
Ian McCulloch / Holy Ghosts
A new two-CD set, from the Ian McCulloch, with disc one containing orchestral re-workings of classic Echo & The Bunnymen and solo tracks, originally recorded live at The Union Chapel, London in 2012 (mixed and produced by Youth) and new studio album Pro Patria Mori that showcases ten new songs .
Way To Blue: The Songs Of Nick Drake
A collection of performances from three different live concerts, curated by Nick Drake‘s original producer Joe Boyd. Two at Melbourne Recital Centre 15 & 16 November 2011 and another at The Barbican Centre, London in January 2010. The artists on the evenings in question, performing Drake’s songs, included Scritti Politti front-man Green Gartside, Robyn Hitchcock, Teddy Thompson, Kate St John and Danny Thompson.
- • UK Order: Way To Blue – The Songs Of Nick Drake
- • USA Order: Way To Blue – The Songs Of Nick Drake
Various Artists / Seriously ’90s
A 58-track, 3CD compilation of music from the 1990s, including chart hits (Natalie Imbruglia, The Lightning Seeds), indie-Britpop (Pulp, Radiohead, Suede, Supergrass) and dance-orientated material (Stereo MCs, Prodigy, Underworld). On the face of it, a solid compilation, until you realise there is nothing from Blur or Oasis included. Rather like those ‘best of the sixties’ compilations that omit The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
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The new ‘Aladdin Sane 40th’ CD cost me £8.99 and I didn’t bemoan a lack of extras at that price. It is a great sounding remaster in a mini vinyl replica package including the fan club insert.
If it had also been released in a similar package to the ‘Ziggy… 40th’ vinyl/DVD I would have got that too because with the ‘Ziggy’ pricing I got all 3 formats for £20 and the CD allowed me to put a lossless copy on my hard drive. A Bluray would have been nice but I doubt I have the ears or equipment to differentiate between that and the DVD.
Judging by other ‘deluxe’ releases, if those same 4 formats had been put into a box with a book and some useless ephemera it would probably have cost me nearer £100 and it is still only the music from other ‘deluxe’ releases I have bought that I go back to.
Why the heck would you prefer packaging that will never last as long or fit into a standard storage location, when there is no real advantage or extras included?
It does fit into a standard storage location (being the same dimensions as normal jewel case) and as far as lasting as long, it’s still in one piece a few weeks after release, UNLIKE many cheap double jewel case CDs which either are broken on arrival, or break very easily however carefully you try to access ‘CD2’. The attractive booklet, four bonus tracks and better-than-jewel-case-packaging (in our opinion) are why it’s worth getting.