Universal Music, friend of the consumer, announced a deluxe edition of Colbie Caillat’s debut Coco today; eight additional tracks will be tacked on this new version of the album, which was originally released in July 2007. These “expanded” or “reloaded” or “deluxe” editon discs have been going on for awhile now, and it’s really time for the labels to stop it, or possibly for people everywhere to just stop buying new releases until they’re absolutely sure they’re getting the final, finished product.
Largely because I’m the sort of jackass who gets most of his music for free, it’s not terribly often that I head out to a retail store to buy a new release. But earlier this month, I bought Ne-Yo’s Year of the Gentleman from iTunes. However, now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have bothered. Not because the disc isn’t great–it’s probably the most enjoyable thing I’ve listened to this year–but because in six months or so, Ne-Yo will have a song on a soundtrack or in a commercial and I bet you that his label will tack it and a few other new songs on to a deluxe edition, so customers can experience the joy of paying for the music they bought last month all over again. If there isn’t a bigger “screw you, fan” move out there, I’m not sure what it is.
According to Soundscan, the Colbie Caillat disc has sold 1.78 million copies in the United States. A lot of those people probably feel like suckers, having heard “Bubbly” on the radio and decided to go ahead and cough up the extra cash for the entire album instead of just grabbing the single on iTunes. To thank all those customers for their devotion to an artist in a time when 1.78 million scans for an album by any artist is a pretty significant achievement, Universal says, “Hey, unless you pay up now, you’ll miss out on some covers, Colbie’s duet with Latin artist Juanes, and her song from the Olympics.” Shouldn’t the process work in reverse?
The truly ridiculous thing is that the digital era should have put a stop to this. How difficult would it be to release the extra music as an EP on its own? That way everyone wins (at least, everyone who needs an acoustic version of “Bubbly” in their lives.) That’s the way Coldplay is addressing the Jay-Z remix of “Lost”, and it really makes the most sense. Sure, there’s a premium for the new music, but it’s a hell of a lot better than asking people to buy the same twelve tracks they purchased once again for the sole purpose of adding a few additional novelties to their iTunes library. Music executives, I get that having some respect for those funding your houses in the Hamptons isn’t really the bi’sz M.O., but you could at least try to wean yourselves from the most ridiculously brazen offenses.
Colbie Caillat Expands Debut Album [Billboard]
Say what you want about Fergie and her music, but at least when her CD got the “deluxe edition” treatment, fans could choose to buy the full package or only the EP of “new” material — both in physical and digital form — for a very reasonable price. Fergie and her label got this right, and the fans got a good deal.
I’m betting that Ne-Yo song you’re talking about that’s going to be the single for the deluxe edition has also already been made.
Most likely it’ll just a left over B-side they felt was enough to be a single - or a single, they felt could be left off for a re-release. I feel like this applies to any and all deluxe editions.. and I don’t own a single deluxe edition. I’m content with owning the original and just downloading the extras..
And you haven’t noticed that the deluxe versions are bleeding into the digital format as well?
Both of these dead horses of new income have yet to be fully beaten.
Thing is, for all the griping, this only actually matters if the tracks being tacked on are as good or essential as what was on the album to begin with. I have to really like an artist to give a shit about a bunch of covers or remixes or so-so bonus tracks. And unless these songs are only available on iTunes in an “album only” bundle, what does it actually matter?
Also, the subtext when labels do this with an ‘emerging artist’ like Colbie Caillat is that it’s just easier to keep selling the one album with the big hit than take a chance on releasing a 2nd album that may or may not have a big hit too. They don’t know if she’s a one hit wonder yet, so they’re gonna milk Coco just a little more before they try and find out.
I don’t mind if the deluxe edition is ridiculously, gloriously gobby (see: Beyonce and her video B’Day experience)- it’s the idea that they hold things back just to slap on these rereleases that fucks my shit up.
“I agree” says the man who just pre-ordered his 4th Pavement deluxe reissue from Matador…
Extra anecdote: I didn’t get around to buying Beyonce’s B’Day until it’d been out for a year and a deluxe edition was out. But when I looked at it, I realized all the singles I really liked were already on the original, and just found a used copy of that. Hesitating to buy a CD with 12 good songs because there might be a 13th one later is insanity.
@Al Shipley: Still, isn’t part of the basic premise of an album that you’re at least into an artist beyond the singles? There wasn’t anything terribly successful for Caillat, for example, beyond “Bubbly”, but nearly two million people bought the thing anyway. The economy of the reissue proves that there’s quite a few people who desire to have “everything”, so why should those people be treated like suckers? As someone who’s purchased Pet Sounds a number of times, at least they give me the somewhat dubious excuse that they remastered the music, while these instant reissues don’t even show that decency. Odds are the bonus tracks will be album-only at iTunes, so is there any defensible reason for not putting the covers out as an EP? None that I can think of that isn’t directly designed to bilk the customer out of some extra cash.
While I’m not saying the extra tracks on any of these “deluxe editions” have any particular lasting value, what other industry shows utter and total contempt for its customer base?
@BeGee:
And don’t even get me started on the trials of being a completist Elvis Costello fan.
I’m most fortunate in that my favorite artists haven’t been on the reissue treadmill other than a couple of 10th anniversary reissues from Manic Street Preachers, but those both included a DVD and a whole bunch of extra tracks at least.
@BeGee: I dunno, it’s not like all the bonus material on those reissues was held back by Matador so they could rerelease Brighten The Corners almost 12 years later; most of that stuff was available if you bought the singles and were fanatic enough to tape the band when they were on the radio (which isn’t to say they’re not making money).
That said, I also agree with Dan’s argument but have been suckered into buying four of these goddamn things. Love ‘em too.
yeah, i think we’re talking more about rush-reissues here.i have no problem with 10-years-on retrospectives, which the pavement reissues fall into for me.
This is the worst! I’ve basically stopped buying any R&B albums when they first come out because I know they’ll be repackaged somewhere down the line. I like to think I’m affecting their first week numbers. I’ve also noticed stores do a deep discount on an original album right before the “reloaded” edition hits. I am wary.