Dire Straits: The Complete Studio Albums 1978-1991 (8LP+Download)

[vgonis]

I believe that this LP collection has many flaws, but hardly the ones you mention. I mean, it is an audiophile release for vinyl lovers, and the fact that they offer remastered (which I don't know if it is good) on 180gr vinyl (simply vinyl and a couple other companies offered all but one of the records in 180gr, but limited run and quantities and pretty expensive) two of them as double vinyls (BiA with the CD times-and OES with better sound surely-still wonder how they managed to fit 60+ minutes in a single vinyl) and at a resonable price if ordered from Amazon.co.uk. is good enough for me.
I know that it is an overkill anyway, having heard all these albums a zillion times and having multiple copies from around the world.
But I can only complain for these things:
1.I would expect a full discography, including Alchemy, On the night and Live BBC.
2.I would expect an extra double LP with all the B-sides, and non-LP tracks, or the ones appearing as bonus at the various compilations.
3.I would love (but hardly expect at least not in vinyl) out-takes, live etc. The box is an expensive item as it is, that would only attract DS fan with a vinyl addiction. Extra unreleased tracks could and should be issued seperately on CDs. Vinyl would be great but it is more expensive and with a smaller consumer base, no matter how many they rediscover it. It probably wouldn't have been viable.  And then it is the matter of volume. You can fit in a CD, what you can fit in 2, some time 3 sides of vinyl.
4.I would love and expect to have a new book, with details,lyrics,  photos of every cover&back cover & inners+ label of LPs and 12'' maxis and 7'' singles issued around the globe (in the Dylan-bootleg series no8 fashion) , interviews and essays, accompanying this release.
5.I don't want no scarfs, pebbles, headpins and similar memorabilia. They can keep them and give us music.
6.An extra live in the box (from 1980, 1982-3-5) would be more than welcome but it should be a seperate release as well.

I can't think anymore right now, but I think that MK is not interested about the past so much in order to spend time working on it. After all he produces new music all the time and to look back would stoll him, wih dubious results for a wider audience. (Yes money has everything to do with this) After all the CDs,  in HDCD or similar audiophile formats have been issued in Japan in such boxes, only they are too expensive to import.
Listening to Pink Floyd's -The Wall immersion, I wondered how many times I am going to listen to the extra material and if it interests that many people to begin with.  I guess the same goes for Dire straits.   

[Suprlinda]

Hi, Vgonis.  You probably are correct.  But what I think is that this isn't really about how much they sell or to whom, but about establishing a vinyl copy of the DS material (since much was originally released in vinyl) to base any further distribution of that material in whatever format.  I'm not an expert and I don't know for sure, but I suspect that this whole box set is to establish a "different" set of albums so that Warner's copyrights are not violated.  This isn't really important to core fans, since many may already have the originals.  They probably won't be interested in acquiring new vinyl when they have the original, especially without any bonus material.  I think this is Universal's marketing plan to get control of Mark's catalog without having to go to Warner to get authorization for any further packaging.  And yes, Mark is not interested in looking back, he is all for charging forward.  But with North America now becoming available to Universal for distribution, which they had to jump through hoops to do before - imports from Universal Japan (i.e. Privateering), this is their chance to get legal distribution of Dire Strait's music on this continent.  I don't know whether Warner was involved at all in the Notting Hillbillies album, but I think they may have authorized release of Mark and Chet's Neck and Neck album.  I know Warner was involved in all of Mark's other albums, both solo and soundtrack, aside from Privateering, and certainly Mark and Emmy Lou's record and DVD.  I suspect that until Universal has established a "new" album for all of these (or perhaps they will only do a select number), Warner could prevent Universal from distributing those albums in NA in the future.  While that doesn't really effect us core fans (unless we don't have those albums because they are no longer being produced) not having world-wide distribution rights is probably a big draw-back in Universal's marketing plan on Mark's complete catalog .  Time will tell if my guesses are correct, but I suspect we will see additional material that came out in North America under Warner's label originally, and they will probably be re-masters so that a "new" recording won't infringe Warner's rights.   

[dustyvalentino]

Agree with you suprlinda, if there was new material then I would have to buy it. And I don't have a turntable.

[vgonis]

Suprlinda, I read your argument with real interest. I wonder what sort of contracts MK has signed with WB. I mean if by changing companies the rights upon his releases are revoked instantly, then Universal has every right to release whatever without obstacles. I have seen many cases like this. I have also seen cases that the rights expire after a certain amount of time or after a number of releases. I have also seen cases where the artist has to wait for many years or lose the control of his past recordings.
But:
1.We can only speculate. You might be right, who can see in the labyrinths of the record company contracts,  but it something that should concern us in the end stage of buying the product.
2.The record industry landscape has changed dramatically since 1978. There are only 3-4 majors although WB and Universal have always been rivals. But even with the older contract Universal has the whole world but North America. The record is pressed in Germany.
3.MK surely had trouble with WB, because if the contract was clear he would have been able to sign with another company more than a year ago and the trouble with sales from the site or imports wouldn't have reached our ears.
4.Vinyl is a very small portion of the music market, no matter how much it has boomed the last decade. If this is a trick to bypass obstacles, it would probably be tried with CDs , which is a much cheaper medium. Dylan's alledged case with Sony releasing a compilation to renew the rights comes in mind, but that had to do with the 50 years from the recording day rather than a change of labels. And the same stands for the Beatles remasters.
5.Amazon.co has raised 15 GBP the preorder price! This means that if it is a limited run, it sells well and they want to even up supply and demand (of course it is wrong since the first come first served with a resonable profit should be the case) The vinyl is said to be pressed in Germany but the label-company releasing it is probably a smaller company licencing it and not Universal. Or maybe Universal is the mother company. (See amazon.de and amazon.com. no clues, but very expensive if you compare it with the modest original Amazon.co.uk price)
6.Brothers in Arms 2LP with original CD times by Bob Ludwig was released not long ago in the US, and it is pretty price, at nearly 40$.
7.OES is still waiting for a decent 2LP Vinyl release. But if WB owns the original masters, then Universal is the only owner of the new vinyl remasters.
8.Why not include the Alchemy and On the Night records in the catalogue?
9.Neck and Neck was from CBS. 

Only time will tell. I guess we are just wasting good time and money on this issues. If the record companies had any interest for the customer, they wouldn't do all these things, just to squeeze the loyal fans.
See this if you have the time:

[Justme]

Dear vgonis, thanks for the link, I'll look into it later in the day.

I'm sorry, I'm going to put a link to that evil retailer once again, just because I couldn't find the box online anywhere else yet.

http://www.amazon.de/Dire-Straits-Vinyl-Box-LP/dp/B00F469JLQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381386703&sr=8-1&keywords=dire+straits+box

So that's 138,99 Euros now, it's scheduled for November, 13. That's steep.

[Fletch]

The copyright theory may be correct, remember this... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130107/13514721599/sony-issues-bob-dylan-copyright-collection-volume-solely-to-extend-copyright-dylans-work.shtml

However the above was a limited release not mass produced.

[sweetsurrender]

Whatever the speculations may be, I'd like to own the vinyl set.  Thing is I don't have a turntable. I should look into getting one. Any suggestions?

[vgonis]

Whatever the speculations may be, I'd like to own the vinyl set.  Thing is I don't have a turntable. I should look into getting one. Any suggestions?

There are a lot of good ones out there.

I have this one and if you want to spent some money for a heavy duty machine it is the one to choose. Add a heavy duty stylus and you would be able to buy and listen to used records.This is a direct drive one, so it is practically immortal when used in a home. I think that there are newer editions with a USB exit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200

For audiophiles, pro-ject has a full series from cheap-ish (300-400$) to really expensive (10000$). These ones are really state of the art with minimal problems compared with other belt-driven turntables.
http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?info=turntables&cat=turntables&lang=en

If you have a trusted second hand retailer, record players are out there and they tend to go for a fruction of their original price. But you have to know, in order to avoid the over used ones. 

Happy hunting! 

[JF]

I've said it before about "bootleg series" in another thread, and I have the same feeling about "50 years of DS", "complete catalog", "bonus tracks", "unreleased song", "b-sides" etc... : I'm afraid that the only chance to get such material will be after Mark's death.

I hope you won't see any cynism here, but I think we have to admit it (and probably we already know it): all this material (that many of us are waiting for) will not see the light as Mark is alive

[Knopflerfan]

No thanks....

[El Macho]

Whatever the speculations may be, I'd like to own the vinyl set.  Thing is I don't have a turntable. I should look into getting one. Any suggestions?

There are a lot of good ones out there.

I have this one and if you want to spent some money for a heavy duty machine it is the one to choose. Add a heavy duty stylus and you would be able to buy and listen to used records.This is a direct drive one, so it is practically immortal when used in a home. I think that there are newer editions with a USB exit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200

For audiophiles, pro-ject has a full series from cheap-ish (300-400$) to really expensive (10000$). These ones are really state of the art with minimal problems compared with other belt-driven turntables.
http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?info=turntables&cat=turntables&lang=en

If you have a trusted second hand retailer, record players are out there and they tend to go for a fruction of their original price. But you have to know, in order to avoid the over used ones. 

Happy hunting! 

I hope you're wrong, maybe I'll die before Mark ! lol I'm just kidding...
There's a conter-example (is it the same word as in french ?) : live at the bbc was released in 95 including an unreleased song :What's the matter baby ?

[H97]

There's a conter-example (is it the same word as in french ?) : live at the bbc was released in 95 including an unreleased song :What's the matter baby ?

Thing is that that was because DS had to release one more album, due to their contract...

[Banjo99uk]

There's a conter-example (is it the same word as in french ?) : live at the bbc was released in 95 including an unreleased song :What's the matter baby ?

Thing is that that was because DS had to release one more album, due to their contract...

I never knew that, I thought that release had nothing to do with the band and was a bbc release as they owned the rights.

[nababo]

There's a conter-example (is it the same word as in french ?) : live at the bbc was released in 95 including an unreleased song :What's the matter baby ?

Thing is that that was because DS had to release one more album, due to their contract...

I never knew that, I thought that release had nothing to do with the band and was a bbc release as they owned the rights.

Once I've read, don't know where, that MK was unaware of the release, and wasn't happy with the results, but the record company did it anyway in order to fulfill deliver obligations from the band.

[nababo]

I've said it before about "bootleg series" in another thread, and I have the same feeling about "50 years of DS", "complete catalog", "bonus tracks", "unreleased song", "b-sides" etc... : I'm afraid that the only chance to get such material will be after Mark's death.

I hope you won't see any cynism here, but I think we have to admit it (and probably we already know it): all this material (that many of us are waiting for) will not see the light as Mark is alive

I was the one who said about a "50 years aniversary realease". I hope MK is still alive by then! But, unfortunately, I tend to agree with you, if we ever see some buried treasure to satisfy our wishes, it will be afterwards.