3 ms·

I agree that something like this would help bring back the authenticity to music, it would almost be like the equivalent of how DVDs have director commentary, o

I agree that something like this would help bring back the authenticity to music, it would almost be like the equivalent of how DVDs have director commentary, outtakes, etc.

WalterBright 2y ago
The movie business does things like "directors cut", "restored cut", etc. I'm sure it would be expensive to have more alternate cuts of the same scene. But when a studio does 20 takes of a song to get the perfect version, it would be cheap to release a bunch of them. Have you ever seen a TV commercial played to death, to the point where you hate the commercial, the product, and the company behind it? I bet that would be less of a problem if the same commercial had several different takes, and then mix them up when broadcasting them. (Yes, I know some are deliberately different, and yes, it helps.) Even a version now and then where they flub their lines, or trip over something, etc. Wouldn't it be more fun if Star Wars had two versions, one where Han shoots first, one where Greedo does, and you never knew which one you'd see when going to the theater? There are still a couple flubs in the released version, like when Luke yells "Carrie", there could be different reels released at the same time. The fans would then be impelled to keep going to the theater hoping to see all the different versions.
- mlyle 2y ago
  New masters and new takes absolutely show up. But only on the most successful songs, and mostly only after some time. And, of course, there's always the unplugged variants and the performance CDs.
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    Right, and they're done to juice the declining sales of the original. My idea was to release slightly different versions at the same time. Have two albums, identical cover, identical catalog number, same songlist, just the songs are different takes, maybe a different arrangement. The fans will be impelled to keep buying the album until they get both.
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
Some albums are published (also on streaming) with a commentary track, or a podcast series and making-of video series alongside it by the musician. Or n=1, I know Devin Townsend has taken to doing it. Ultimately they're all promotion for their albums and concerts, of course, but they're great for their "personal branding" as well.

I agree that something like this would help bring back the authenticity to music, it would almost be like the equivalent of how DVDs have director commentary, outtakes, etc.

WalterBright 2y ago

The movie business does things like "directors cut", "restored cut", etc. I'm sure it would be expensive to have more alternate cuts of the same scene. But when a studio does 20 takes of a song to get the perfect version, it would be cheap to release a bunch of them. Have you ever seen a TV commercial played to death, to the point where you hate the commercial, the product, and the company behind it? I bet that would be less of a problem if the same commercial had several different takes, and then mix them up when broadcasting them. (Yes, I know some are deliberately different, and yes, it helps.) Even a version now and then where they flub their lines, or trip over something, etc. Wouldn't it be more fun if Star Wars had two versions, one where Han shoots first, one where Greedo does, and you never knew which one you'd see when going to the theater? There are still a couple flubs in the released version, like when Luke yells "Carrie", there could be different reels released at the same time. The fans would then be impelled to keep going to the theater hoping to see all the different versions.

mlyle 2y ago
New masters and new takes absolutely show up. But only on the most successful songs, and mostly only after some time. And, of course, there's always the unplugged variants and the performance CDs.
- WalterBright 2y ago
  Right, and they're done to juice the declining sales of the original. My idea was to release slightly different versions at the same time. Have two albums, identical cover, identical catalog number, same songlist, just the songs are different takes, maybe a different arrangement. The fans will be impelled to keep buying the album until they get both.

Cthulhu_ 2y ago

Some albums are published (also on streaming) with a commentary track, or a podcast series and making-of video series alongside it by the musician. Or n=1, I know Devin Townsend has taken to doing it. Ultimately they're all promotion for their albums and concerts, of course, but they're great for their "personal branding" as well.