Bonus Tracks. What do you think?

Well I necessary think they're worthless. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS but in GENERAL.

I highly prefer JUST THE ORIGINAL PLAYLIST.

Eg: Deep Purple's bonus tracks are junky BBC sessions of the same song.

TAAB has TAAB live version and I think it's worthless and boring. While the Interview is interesting but just to listen once.

Good bonus tracks would be B-Sides or Outtakes or even Live versions. But I generally prefer the Original Playlist without getting ruined with junkies or reapeted songs.

I think, generally, bonus tracks are a bad thing that ruin the Original Playlist intended by the Author(band, artist).

Discuss.

Not always interesting, can even destroy the flow of an album, but sometimes this is really a BONUS.

flow disturbance is a valid complaint but I think given the choice, it's been a good thing.. the Tull bonus cuts are almost always 1) very good, and 2) a valuable look into the whole material at the time..  or things like finally getting the 'Power and the Glory' title cut was great 

I don't use the word much as a rule ... I HATE bonus tracks as a rule however Tulls works magic because they seem to have taken songs that blended in very well and kept them very good quality ..  but  I stand by me prior comment ...  they ruin the flow in most cases and take away the nostalgic experience that was offered from the vinyl release. sure you can program edit stop it if you like but Aqualung or Leftoverture which ever CD this has happened with was meant to be heard in a certain way and that was the artists intention many years before CDs ever came out. 


Edited by Yorkie X - June 22 2008 at 22:52

How can they ruin the flow? Just stop the CD player at the end of the regular album and never listen to them. They are worthless, but also meaningless unless you have OCD. Or are extremely inattentive and get halfway through the bonus track before you realize you should have taken the CD out earlier.

I don't care, I almost never listen to them more than once.

I think there should always be a 15-20 second pause between the original album and the Bonus tracks.  Most bonus tracks are bogus but I have a few cd's that have a few killer bonus tracks.

CCVP wrote: its simple: DON'T  buy the album with bonus tracks, and thats it!

That solution makes no sense. When an album is rereleased (provided we're still talking about a one-disc version and not a deluxe package from Sony/Legacy or some such), the previous incarnation of that album ceases being printed. So people would have to scour Ebay or the Amazon Marketplace or even good old flea markets and used bins to find a copy without bonus tracks. Also, when they throw in bonus tracks, it's almost certain the album got a remaster, so you'd be hunting for a copy that has an older sound. This is only worth your time if the remastering was a hack job (Cruisin With the Jets, those rerecordings of Ozzy's first two albums, etc.). I do agree that it's a silly thing to whine about though.

It doesn't make a difference to me about the tracklist, if you want to hear or see the original tracklisting then don't bother picking up a re-issue and just enjoy it the way it is. Or just cross out the extra songs on the CD case  I always appreciate an added addition of unreleased material, demo versions of the songs (always cool to hear what the song originally sounded like) and live cuts. I think it adds more to the package. 

I usually like them, may it be bass and drums tracks as in Atheist's remasters or previously unreleased songs. I actually discovered a very good song listening Caravan's Land of Grey and Pink's bonus tracks: Aristocracy.

Problem?

febus wrote: Not always interesting, can even destroy the flow of an album

Solution!

Henry Plainview wrote: Just stop the CD player at the end of the regular album and never listen to them.