This is a cool and varied week of releases. Let's get right to it:
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (Deluxe Edition): One can only assume that Capitol Records is using the recent release of the dreadfully dull and pointless sequel to Mindcrime as a reason for this lavish 3-disc offering being released this year - 19 years after it hit the markets - rather than next year when it would be a milestone 20th anniversary. Whatever the case may be, this is a reissue not to be missed by fans of the album. What you get is a gorgeous new package - a big book in a slipcase, the remaster of a few years back (with bonus tracks intact), a DVD of the long out of print Video: Mindcrime, and the big deal here for fans: a live recording of the original Mindcrime that is not sourced from the notoriously thin, lifeless material used for the LiveCrime VHS/CD boxset. Nope, this is a previously unreleased concert from the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, Nov. 15, 1990, that promises to be pretty good. Honestly, it can't be much worse than LiveCrime. Mindcrime, one of the greatest concept albums of all time (maybe the greatest concept album of all time - yep, I said it) deserves better treatment than it got with LiveCrime.
Bruce Dickinson - Anthology (DVD): A simple title for a very impressive release - three DVDs packed full of previously nearly impossible to get Dickinson material. Sure, you know the dude from years of fronting the greatest metal band of all time, Iron Maiden, but have you made yourself familiar with his incredible solo career? Now's a great time! Just last year he released his entire back catalog with bonus discs for nearly all albums, plus another killer album - they're all worth your time, and they're all better than anything Iron Maiden did in the '90s, I'm afraid to say.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
All kinds of interesting this week, Tom.
You know, I kind of liked Livecrime but I suppose that is mostly on a performance level. I thought the band performed the songs well that night. I haven't listened to that disc in years. I did see it got remastered. I wonder if that helped. For instance, Surfing with the Alien sounds a lot better on the remastered disc than it did in its original pressing. I would be interested to hear the show as part of this deluxe package but don't think I will buy the album twice. Some of the magic of Mindcrime is missing on the sequel but I didn't hate it.
And then there is that Counting Crows release. I am supposed to get a review copy of it. I still hope that happens. The timing is very odd, I agree.
2 - Mark Saleski
great job tom.
also worth checking out this week is the new Guster cd. a review is being fermented.
3 - Aaron Fleming
That Queensryche reissue is very tempting. I'm not usually one to buy multiple copies of the same album, but with such bonus material it's just begging for it.
And that Dickinson set sounds immense!
4 - Tom Johnson
DJRadiohead: the remaster of LiveCrime sounds slightly better than the original, but there's not a whole lot they can do - the problem is with the source material.
I just read that the audio from this "new" concert is the same as that of some b-sides from singles from the era, and I remember those being fantastic sound quality, so this is definitely going to be a far superior live representation of Mindcrime, thankfully.
Mark: I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I'm completely unfamiliar with Guster, despite constantly seeing their name mentioned among those great bands one is always encouraged to check out.
5 - DJRadiohead
Tom, thanks to Sir Saleski, I was advanced a copy of the new Guster CD. I, like you, had heard good things about them but never checked them out. Hell, I even saw them live when they opened for BNL. I am responding very favorably to the music on this new album after one spin. I need to spin it a time or two more obviously but I really like it on the first run through.
I am one of those suckers who gets seduced by the bonus material. I think if I liked the album itself a just a little more I might be inclined to get hosed for this deluxe edition.
6 - DJRadiohead
...and then I realized I'm stupid. I thought this was a re-issue of O:MII. It's a re-issue of the original. THAT makes all the difference in the world. They might sucker me into buying this set. Maybe.
Oh, and my Counting Crows review copy showed up so I'll be discussing that later this week.
7 - Tom Johnson
You know, I was wondering about that, but I figured you could possibly be talking about the original Mindcrime and really were one of the few who didn't think it was that amazing. Now get go get yourself a copy! (I would prefer to forget that Mindcrime 2 even exists, personally.)
8 - DJRadiohead
I already have a copy of both... so it would be buying actually a 3rd copy of Mindcrime to say nothing of Livecrime.