whynotsmile

1. its been done all the time, but stop with the stripping down of American albums. A shitty b side to a shit band making its way on a japan release but left off the American album version? Fine, whatever. Taking off 4 CURE tracks on the American version? Total bullshit.

2.over priced crappy dvds with cds. ok, i shouldn't complain since you can always buy the "regular" version, but the dvds on the new cure album and new morrissey album were not only around 5 dollars more expensive, but also really lame. I bought the incubus SE for 11 bucks when it came out. Sure the dvd was fluffy, but who cares when its the same price as the regular version. Be smart. dont jack up a price just cause a "dvd" is on there.

3.FBI ANTI PIRACY WARNING LABEL. only have 2 albums with this on, but i know more is coming. check out the back of the cure's new album. the artowrk is horribly cut off by a large and unsightly fbi warning. its part of the material and you cant take it off. hey *******s, we KNOW its punishable by law to copy the cd. you think having that is really going to stop anybody. i dont care that its there, but it shouldn't be part of the packaging. it should be a sticker on the outside plastic, so we can take it off. its also on the pj harvey album. its not as big or bad as the cure one, but its still ugly and ruins the artwork.

Hollowgen

yeah, the new Beastie Boys, and PJ Harvey albums have the menacing FBI seal on the back as well. WATCH OUT EVERYONE, THE FBI IS WATCHING YOU PIRATE YOUR CDS

Tscott

I've been told this is done because of added fees and such, it's cheaper to get import or bootleg albums in japan than to pay for the offical release. So they put an extra track on it to entice people to buy that version instead.

Achtung

You are correct. They're not trying to screw us over, they're just trying to protect international markets.

MJKTool

I thought for sure one of those "no's" would be Ashley Simpson.

Ergyu

CARNIVORE

PLUTONIUM

ASSASSINATE.


You listening FBI? hehe

Hollowgen

it'd be a miracle if you haven't been arrested yet by John Ashcroft, personally.

fallow

The funny thing about point #1 is that the anti-piracy label improves the unbelievably horrid artwork for The Cure

danganet

Oh man is it UGLY!!!

Jason

Technically, they're not screwing us over, but are screwing them over then. If the import CD is cheaper, and the bonus track is crap (which most are), they're getting screwed in the long run.

Elpresidentepez

I have to correct you yo, it's Ashlee Simpson. Spelling it the normal way (and not the Simpson way) just doesn't do it any justice.

cultshock

Yeah, the import versions are widely available in Japan, usually sold right next to the slightly more expensive domestic versions. I'm sure that the avearge CD buyer in Japan doesn't give a toss about a bonus track and just buys whatever is cheaper. Its the die-hard fans of a particular band (inside and outside of Japan) that end up buying the Japanese release for the extras.

The public should start complaining though, because domestic CDs in Japan are much too expensive compared to the rest of the world. On the other hand, its legal to rent CDs in Japan, so a lot of people who are fed up with the high prices just rent and copy them.

MJKTool

Oh sorry

stevevt

Click the link or check out the spoiler below to see where USAToday, bastion of taste, ranks this album's cover art.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columni...op-candy_x.htm

fallow

Was this the same lady who made a list designed to avoid big canonical albums (specifically Sgt. Peppers) but ended up with Pet Sounds and Exile on Main St. in the top 10?

re: Cure artwork. It's far and away the worst thing this year, etc etc, but I love the crudely drawn guitar that resembles a pierced penis more than anything else. (Inside cover, held up by a child with a Yes shirt.)

Rival11

3.FBI ANTI PIRACY WARNING LABEL. only have 2 albums with this on, but i know more is coming. check out the back of the cure's new album. the artowrk is horribly cut off by a large and unsightly fbi warning. its part of the material and you cant take it off. hey *******s, we KNOW its punishable by law to copy the cd. you think having that is really going to stop anybody. i dont care that its there, but it shouldn't be part of the packaging. it should be a sticker on the outside plastic, so we can take it off. its also on the pj harvey album. its not as big or bad as the cure one, but its still ugly and ruins the artwork.

You gotta be F****** shittin me???

FatTony

I picked up the new Midtown album this week and it has one of these labels on it. The fact that most of you are probably going "Mid-who?" just goes to show how out-of-place it is on this album. The shit is even printed on the CD itself! Simply ridiculous.

I guess they're trying to get people to burn copies of the album by screwing up coverart to the point where people like myself might not even care about owning the real package anymore. They'd better watch themselves or it just might happen.

Matthew Chmiel

That's why I love the library. If I want to listen to a CD, put it in my iBook and rip it into iTunes!

You mean the band who preformed the opening theme to Real World/Road Rules: Battle of the Sexes? That band actually has a name?!?!

FatTony

Didn't realize they did that. Oops. Still, most people don't know them by name even!

Rypro 525

4. rereleasing an album again just to put one or two more songs on there. ive noticed that seether, shinedown, and black eyed peas all rereleased their albums in june just to put one or two songs on.

Tscott

Oh, I hate that. See also, bonus DVDs- The White Stripes and Johnny Cash are two I can think of offhand who had an album re-released with a bonus dvd months after the normal album was out.

Stuff like this only punishes the people who already supported the album. At the very least, release a seperate CD or DVD single at a lesser price that people who already bought the cd can purchase. My copy of the Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray, to use an older example, didn't have the cover of Mrs. Robinson as that was recorded after the first pressing, however I was able to buy a CD single with that song and a few other b-sides. That's the way to do it if they feel they MUST add a song or two after the fact.

boredsilly

Usher is doing this too later this summer. With like 5 more songs or something. So are the 2 million + people who own his new cd supposed to go out and rebuy it to hear the new tracks? And they wonder why people download. This really is tantamount to a smack in the face to fans.

Rypro 525

also, they don't release them as singles for people who already bought the album. ("lets get it started" from the nba finals for the bep's, simple man (skynerd cover) from shinedown, and a few songs from the punnisher soundtrack on seether's album

Mr. Kite!

Seriously. Let's see, one of the few remaining reasons people actually bother to buy CDs anymore is the packaging. I know! Let's destroy that so now the fans will have even less of a reason to buy instead of burning it. Brilliant!

iggystar

I went to Target the other day to check out the coverart fiasco everyone is up in arms about. I think it's insane to have that FBI warning over the coverart! I don't care if it's ugly or not, I don't want some stupid FBI warning sticker messing up what is supposed to be there!

The people who are going to pirate music are not likely to be getting the actual CD anyway. Why ruin it for someone who appreciates the packaging, be it a something that looks like it was drawn by a 5 year old. How dare they!