David Bowie Reissues

Ok, weird question for everyone:

I have most of the EMI reissues of the Bowie catalog up to Scary Monsters. Sound quality is good, no problem.

However... I'm aware that the Ryko reissues that came first had unreleased cuts on almost every album. Since they're out of print, it's down to tracking them down used, but none seem to be stupid expensive. Is it worth grabbing them up for the unreleased stuff or is most of it dispensable?

I used to have the Young Americans Ryko release and dug the bonus stuff on that, but I don't know if that was the odd man out in the catalog.

I got the EMI reissues. I'm happy with those. I'm not the biggest Bowie fan but I do enjoy his older stuff. I have a bunch of Ryko discs of Elvis Costello. Again I'm not a huge Elvis costello fan but I enjoy his older stuff and the ones I have that have extra bonus tracks I couldn't tell you anything about those extra songs because I rarely listen to them.

I really comes down to how big of a fan are you? A lot of time those extra tracks are extra tracks for a reason and are usually throw aways and shouldn't be heard by anyone haha. There are the rare occasions that those extra tracks are really worth listening to. I only got those Elvis Costello ones cause I found them cheap otherwise I probably would have gotten the originals.

When it comes to Costello, I'm a total junkie, so I'd be screaming at you to pick up the now OOP Rhino reissues that have an entire second DISC of extra tracks to accompany them. Keep in mind, even his "bad" albums tended to be awesome in demo form, so that second disc can salvage an entire body of songwriting.

With the Bowie stuff, my main allergy would be to having the EMI reissues and needing to keep them for the sound quality but also have the Ryko catalog for the bonus cuts. That would just be one of those "collectorisms" that make me feel like a bit of a tool (especially on moving day) unless there was some really strikingly good stuff on those discs.   

IMO if you find them cheap, worth picking up. His bonus material is by no means essential, but usually there are hidden gems on those Ryko discs.

Runicen wrote:

When it comes to Costello, I'm a total junkie, so I'd be screaming at you to pick up the now OOP Rhino reissues that have an entire second DISC of extra tracks to accompany them.  Keep in mind, even his "bad" albums tended to be awesome in demo form, so that second disc can salvage an entire body of songwriting.

With the Bowie stuff, my main allergy would be to having the EMI reissues and needing to keep them for the sound quality but also have the Ryko catalog for the bonus cuts.  That would just be one of those "collectorisms" that make me feel like a bit of a tool (especially on moving day) unless there was some really strikingly good stuff on those discs.    

Wait.... Sorry I confused myself. I actually have a mix of Rhino and Ryko reissues of Elvis Costello so you won't have to yell at me too much. haha

I know what you mean tho, but I only get that way about my favorite bands. Helloween, Iron Maiden (maybe not so much a collector of everything but I do have doubles), King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, theres a few others.

The thing I like about the EMI Bowie reissues is the spines where it has the small version of the album artwork. I actually have 2 or 3 I'd like to replace for those. One is Diamond dogs. I have a 2 cd of that one its in a slip case. The other is......damn I can't think at the moment but it was like one of his worst albums. I have the original but the booklet has a cut in it. Doesn't really bother me cause I honestly don't listen to it but I'd like to get the one that matches the rest haha. I think theres one more but I forget, I'd have to look.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Wait.... Sorry I confused myself. I actually have a mix of Rhino and Ryko reissues of Elvis Costello so you won't have to yell at me too much. haha

I know what you mean tho, but I only get that way about my favorite bands. Helloween, Iron Maiden (maybe not so much a collector of everything but I do have doubles), King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, theres a few others.

The thing I like about the EMI Bowie reissues is the spines where it has the small version of the album artwork. I actually have 2 or 3 I'd like to replace for those. One is Diamond dogs. I have a 2 cd of that one its in a slip case. The other is......damn I can't think at the moment but it was like one of his worst albums. I have the original but the booklet has a cut in it. Doesn't really bother me cause I honestly don't listen to it but I'd like to get the one that matches the rest haha. I think theres one more but I forget, I'd have to look.

I'm going to venture to guess that the double of one of "his worst" would be Black Tie White Noise. I picked up the deluxe ed of that a year or so back as a completist thing and only because it was dirt cheap through an Amazon seller. Admittedly, I've never heard anything on it that filled me with hate, but it didn't endear itself to me either.

I find that some bands' albums only tell part of the story. Nothing pleased me more than the Edsel reissues of the Jesus & Mary Chain discography. I mean, talk about a SILLY amount of extra stuff. You got the album usualy with some bonuses tacked on to the end (not super crazy about stuff at the end of the album, but it can't always be helped) and then a second disc with damn near EVERY period rarity or b-side and a DVD with the visuals to go along with it. It's less about the album itself and more a period of time for the band. When you dig the band, that's glorious to dig into. Now, not every band is that interesting to check under the hood with. Costello has been a hot mess for most of his career, so his off-cuts tended to be pretty fascinating. I mean, I HATED Punch the Clock, but the demos on the two disc Rhino version redeemed a lot of songs that lost punch via the really sugary production. Even albums I loved, like Imperial Bedroom (personal favorite) were amazing to hear in punkier incarnations before he went full art-rock later in the album's production.

My main sticking point with Bowie and the Ryko stuff is knowing it's far from exhaustive (his latest "deluxe" reissues are pretty embarassing - so-so content at deluxe ed prices). If the stuff included is worth it, I'll hunt them down. If not, I don't really feel like letting the thin white duke take up most of a shelf.   

I must be a major fanboy because I liked (not loved) Black Tie/White Noise, the only album I saw as a complete dud was 'Tonight', talked about phoned in performance

The two disc EMI releases have most of if not all the bonus tracks from the Ryko reissues I believe.

Runicen wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Wait.... Sorry I confused myself. I actually have a mix of Rhino and Ryko reissues of Elvis Costello so you won't have to yell at me too much. haha

I know what you mean tho, but I only get that way about my favorite bands. Helloween, Iron Maiden (maybe not so much a collector of everything but I do have doubles), King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, theres a few others.

The thing I like about the EMI Bowie reissues is the spines where it has the small version of the album artwork. I actually have 2 or 3 I'd like to replace for those. One is Diamond dogs. I have a 2 cd of that one its in a slip case. The other is......damn I can't think at the moment but it was like one of his worst albums. I have the original but the booklet has a cut in it. Doesn't really bother me cause I honestly don't listen to it but I'd like to get the one that matches the rest haha. I think theres one more but I forget, I'd have to look.

I'm going to venture to guess that the double of one of "his worst" would be Black Tie White Noise.  I picked up the deluxe ed of that a year or so back as a completist thing and only because it was dirt cheap through an Amazon seller.  Admittedly, I've never heard anything on it that filled me with hate, but it didn't endear itself to me either.

I find that some bands' albums only tell part of the story.  Nothing pleased me more than the Edsel reissues of the Jesus & Mary Chain discography.  I mean, talk about a SILLY amount of extra stuff.  You got the album usualy with some bonuses tacked on to the end (not super crazy about stuff at the end of the album, but it can't always be helped) and then a second disc with damn near EVERY period rarity or b-side and a DVD with the visuals to go along with it.  It's less about the album itself and more a period of time for the band.  When you dig the band, that's glorious to dig into.  Now, not every band is that interesting to check under the hood with.  Costello has been a hot mess for most of his career, so his off-cuts tended to be pretty fascinating.  I mean, I HATED Punch the Clock, but the demos on the two disc Rhino version redeemed a lot of songs that lost punch via the really sugary production.  Even albums I loved, like Imperial Bedroom (personal favorite) were amazing to hear in punkier incarnations before he went full art-rock later in the album's production.

My main sticking point with Bowie and the Ryko stuff is knowing it's far from exhaustive (his latest "deluxe" reissues are pretty embarassing - so-so content at deluxe ed prices).  If the stuff included is worth it, I'll hunt them down.  If not, I don't really feel like letting the thin white duke take up most of a shelf.    

Nope, it's Never Let Me Down. I have the original one of that one not that double cd or reissue.

Well, it looks like the record industry is eliminating the need for me to track down the earliest stuff on Ryko. I'm just hoping that the new remaster job isn't a botched one.

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/david-bowie-five-years-1969-1973-new-cd-and-vinyl-box-sets/#more-114346

cool. I'll have to let my friend know. hes been waiting for a box set

Along with my hopes that they didn't totally bork the sound on these new remasters, there's the hope that it becomes a bit more reasonably priced (personally, at around $60, it'd be a "must buy" for me, but much above that and I'll probably pass).

Runicen wrote:

Well, it looks like the record industry is eliminating the need for me to track down the earliest stuff on Ryko.  I'm just hoping that the new remaster job isn't a botched one.

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/david-bowie-five-years-1969-1973-new-cd-and-vinyl-box-sets/#more-114346

I have been looking for a cheap way to get Bowie's early material, might just have to pick this up. Thanks for the link

No problem. If there's enough interest on the board, i can throw these out as I find them. As collector scum, I tend to follow a few blogs on new releases - particularly box sets - but I didn't want to put a hurt on anyone's wallet the way the hurt has been put on mine.

hahaha yea man put them up

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I got the EMI reissues. I'm happy with those. I'm not the biggest Bowie fan but I do enjoy his older stuff. I have a bunch of Ryko discs of Elvis Costello. Again I'm not a huge Elvis costello fan but I enjoy his older stuff and the ones I have that have extra bonus tracks I couldn't tell you anything about those extra songs because I rarely listen to them.

I really comes down to how big of a fan are you? A lot of time those extra tracks are extra tracks for a reason and are usually throw aways and shouldn't be heard by anyone haha. There are the rare occasions that those extra tracks are really worth listening to. I only got those Elvis Costello ones cause I found them cheap otherwise I probably would have gotten the originals.  

I have the EMI reissues as well, but I do have one RYKO reissue I believe of Man Who Sold the World, its got some rough cuts of Moonage Daydream hehe