Bonus Tracks. What do you think?

It depends a lot on the kind of bonus track. If it is a track that was recorded at the same time as the album but only ever appeared on the B-side of a single or the likes then I very much welcome the bonus track. Example given: The remastered release of "The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome" by Van der Graaf has the tracks "Door" and "Ship of Fools" on it, songs that only appear on the live album "Vital"; I think it is great that one can hear the studio versions here too.Tthe instrumental version of "The Wave", which is the third bonus track, was not really necessary though, but I can live with it.

Edited by BaldFriede - June 23 2008 at 07:51

Fill up the CD with bonus tracks! Live versions, demos, radio sessions, tracks previously only available on vinyl, interviews, CD-ROMs...

I love bonus tracks! Old rehearsals, b-sides, live cuts, different mixes, etc. They're great. However I think they should come on a separate disc as to not ruin the flow of the album. Elvis Costello and Rhino records did a great thing by including all related bonus tracks to a specific album on a second disc (they were also kind enough to include liner notes written by Costello explaining the album sessions and time period). 2 discs, great notes all for only 13.99! It was a great thing. Then Costello had to go an re-re-re-reissue his albums again in a completely different way only a couple years later.   

CCVP wrote: its simple: DON'T  buy the album with bonus tracks, and thats it! Besides, even if you have bought an album with bonus tracks, well, you are not obligated to listen to them, just like your are not obligated to listen the album itself: you bought the album because you wanted it and, if it has any BONUS, you asked for it because you bought the album with teh bonus! Seriously dude, wtf?!? just don't listen them.

Or, if you have a computer, upload the cd and burn a disc without the bonus tracks. or make a playlist on your ipod if you have one. or just skip the tracks.

febus wrote: Not always interesting, can even destroy the flow of an album, but sometimes this is really a BONUS. The best example is of course, Jethro Tull which has almost every recording definitely enhanced with those bonuses. Think of TOO OLD TOO ROCK, STORMWATCH, BROADSWORD, TIME WAS and of course, Pablo, we don't want to forget your favorite JT cd...the great WARCHILD

Yeah Jethro's not so good albums have good bonus material, thx god!

CCVP wrote: its simple: DON'T buy the album with bonus tracks, and thats it! Besides, even if you have bought an album with bonus tracks, well, you are not obligated to listen to them, just like your are not obligated to listen the album itself: you bought the album because you wanted it and, if it has any BONUS, you asked for it because you bought the album with teh bonus! Seriously dude, wtf?!? just don't listen them.

pff. Sorry dude I don't live in a place where I can choose bonus or not. So I'll buy any album I want, and not for the bonus but the ORIGINAL PLAYLIST! WTF is your prob! Aqualung with bonus or not...

It's like the 6th time it's said that. "Don't listen to them"

Well I'm gradually mix up here Cause I thought I was talking to well Prog Listeners... As much of them love the flaw of the album and like the album from START TO FINISH, without any junky stuff(in general). I want the album 40 min from start to finish not a 60 min and stopping it at 40, you'll think it's kinda lazy my attitude, but it's not, the Artist tended the album to be like THAT and not with some enhanced sh*t! Ok Warchild gets better(EXCEPTION!) And some others too.

Please stop bashing me up. And give some good back-up to make your reply worthy even though disagreeing.

Edited by cacho - June 23 2008 at 17:25

npjnpj wrote: Well, I'm in two minds about tthe bonus tracks, sometimes they're worthwhile, at other times they're unnecessary. As for some examples: Deep Purple in Rock has (in my mind) always been incomplete without Black Knight. So the inclusion of this track alone made in worthwhile. The bonus tracks on the Jethro Tull albums are'nt worthwhile for those owning the 20th Aniversary Box Set. (Possibly the cause of this set's unavailability is due to the fact that it would make the remasters more interesting?) I find all the bonus tracks on VdGG worthless because of the sound quality, I don't rate historical significance at all, in this case. Same for Uriah Heep, I guess. ELP re-issues: A mixed bag, some good, some useless. But one thing that is beside the point of this thread: I find re-issues generally quite interesting because in almost all cases I've come across, the sound quality has been significantly enhanced, so I tend to get them for this reason alone. The Genesis remasters are a case in point: No bonus tracks, but markedly enhanced audio quality, so worthwhile. Pink Floyd, Rush, and Led Zeppelin - Same thing. The Yes remasters are mainly good: The bonus tracks on Going for the One, Drama, Tormato are outstanding, whereas the studio runthroughs on albums like Tales are OK, but no more than that. But then again, as they're almost located after the original album tracks, the argument about harming the flow of an album isn't really valid. Where's the harm in them. If you don't like them, just stop the album after the original listing has run. So: I find bonus tracks themselves to be usually a hit-or-miss affair, slightly tending toward the latter, I'm afraid.

This is what I meant! THX for the examples!

npjnpj wrote: Well, I'm in two minds about tthe bonus tracks, sometimes they're worthwhile, at other times they're unnecessary.   As for some examples: Deep Purple in Rock has (in my mind) always been incomplete without Black Knight. So the inclusion of this track alone made in worthwhile.   The bonus tracks on the Jethro Tull albums are'nt worthwhile for those owning the 20th Aniversary Box Set. (Possibly the cause of this set's unavailability is due to the fact that it would make the remasters more interesting?)    I find all the bonus tracks on VdGG worthless because of the sound quality, I don't rate historical significance at all, in this case. Same for Uriah Heep, I guess.   ELP re-issues: A mixed bag, some good, some useless.   But one thing that is beside the point of this thread: I find re-issues generally quite interesting because in almost all cases I've come across, the sound quality has been significantly enhanced, so I tend to get them for this reason alone. The Genesis remasters are a case in point: No bonus tracks, but markedly enhanced audio quality, so worthwhile. Pink Floyd, Rush, and Led Zeppelin - Same thing.   The Yes remasters are mainly good: The bonus tracks on Going for the One, Drama, Tormato are outstanding, whereas the studio runthroughs on albums like Tales are OK, but no more than that.   But then again, as they're almost located after the original album tracks, the argument about harming the flow of an album isn't really valid. Where's the harm in them. If you don't like them, just stop the album after the original listing has run.   So: I find bonus tracks themselves to be usually a hit-or-miss affair, slightly tending toward the latter, I'm afraid.

the bonus tracks on "Pawn Hearts" and "The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome" don't have bad sound quality

Some do wreck an album's feel. As a rule, I can't be bothered to listen through another 20-40 minutes of bonus stuff after a 45 odd minute album. Particular issues are the silly single version inclusions which Camel and Yes are guilty of. Occasionally, a bonus track (see The Yes Album, for instance) is placed so close after the end of the original album that you can't turn it off in time.

However, there are some real goodies out there, and I usually don't mind them so long as the album feels like it's got a cohesive ending and they don't seem to be thrown in for the hell of it. Examples of great bonus material include, say, Thick As A Brick live (my opinion only. I like the twists on it), Duulirium (Amon Duul II) and Vevey (from Going For The One). Material recorded around the same time can be quite interesting (e.g. Stand Up, King Crimson's 'Groon') and usually doesn't damage the album. Spamloads of alternate mixes, especially when they don't vary substantially, don't help that much. Live things like Gog (and some of the Camel ones) do actually work for me, as long as they don't feel out of place with the album's mood.

Henry Plainview wrote: TGM: Orb wrote: Some do wreck an album's feel. People keep saying this. How is this even possible?

Demos, live tracks, alternate versions and stuff with a different vibe would spoil the feel of the original album. But then, if those extras are so bothersome, while not just hit the stop button before they come on?