I'd like to comment on vgonis's notes on the varying editions of album releases (see #52 above). Sorry for the delay but I find it hard to locate particular threads after they've been moved.
To start at the end, I agree with vgonis's conclusion: nobody forces you to buy anything, let alone multiple editions of basically the same thing. You buy what you want and what you can afford. If you don't want it or cannot afford it, don't buy it. I accept that there are some who may want something so badly that they will buy it even though they cannot really afford it. That is unwise but it is their choice.
If you don't want to read about our experience with a Dylan De Luxe edition, just skip the following italicised paragraphs and move to the end of this post.
Moving to the various editions of Dylan's BOOTLEG SERIES Volume 8 (Tell Tale Signs), there was a certain logic behind this. The standard release was the double-CD, to match nearly all the previous Bootleg Series releases. The single-CD version was intended for the Christmas market - sons to buy for their dads etc etc.
I said "nearly all the previous Bootleg Series releases" and the exception was the first one, confusingly called BOOTLEG SERIES Volumes 1-3, which was a triple-CD set. This was similar to Volume 8 in that both were entitled "RARE & UNRELEASED" and both consisted of material drawn from across a period of time. BOOTLEG SERIES Volumes 1-3 (released in 1991) covered 1961-1991 (though this was a bit of a cheat in that it contained one song recorded in 1989 but overdubbed in 1991) and Bootleg Series Volume 8 covered 1989 - 2006. The triple-CD version of Volume 8 was intended to "match" Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 in scope and reach, to establish that latter-day Dylan was as productive as ever and, by including several versions of some songs, to demonstrate how he worked at his art.
The vinyl edition (the double CD spead over 4 LPs) was for audiophiles -a high-quality, low quantity, high-price market. This brings me on to the question of pricing.
About a year before BOOTLEG SERIES Volume 8 was released, the UK arm of Sony had produced a compilation of existing material, simply called "DYLAN", in three versions - a single CD, a double-CD and a triple-CD in a small box with a few extras. This had been rather looked down upon by the Sony executives in New York but it sold very well. Although many fans regarded it as superfluous, there was a strong marketing push behind it with an emphasis on new media. Its big impact was said to be that it introduced more younger people to Dylan. With this in mind and with the sales of some of their jazz box-sets also, Sony New York felt that could something similar with BOOTLEG SERIES Volume 8. They included a 3rd CD of "rare and unreleased" (12 tracks in all), placed the 3 CDs in a hard back book and included a second hardback book of images, all housed in thick card box. And they thought they could charge a fortune for it. The backlash was immediate. It was seen as exploitative. The criticism was very vocal. It didn't sell as well as expected and this is why, later on, you could buy it much more cheaply.
I doubt very much that Sony will try something similar with Dylan releases for quite a while. I may be wrong, as there are always new execs coming along who have not learned the lessons of the past.
In addition to this, I know that Dylan's management were unhappy with what happened, though they don't always control this sort of thing.
The moral of the story is this. If you feel you're being exploited by the way new releases are marketed, then simply don't buy them. If it happens, be vocal - complain to the record company, complain to PCM, complain on GF's website, vent your anger on MK News. Make your dissatisfaction known. Bombard them with your adverse comments. You are the customer. The best course of action is to withhold your custom.
