It is pretty obvious he is talking about the 2002 re-release where they changed the drum and bass parts. He goes into good detail. There's no way any logical person would think he is saying the whole album came out in 2002. You're just a troll.
It's refreshing to see someone who's offended by what really counts -- non-existent liner notes/info. -- edited tracks in greatest hits collections -- needlessly re-recorded songs, etc. I've seen too many YT video rants about album covers that were supposedly "banned", that never really were. BTW, thanks for the info. about the editing down of 40 Licks. Didn't know about that. Almost bought it once.
I've always been offended by compilation albums that don't mention that some of the tracks are live recordings. Don't get me wrong I love a good live recording but not awkwardly jammed into a best of.
Also one of my pet peeves. 9 times out of 10 it’s one of my favorite songs too! There are some exceptions where the live version of the song is the hit everyone knows and loves (I’m looking at you KISS, Frampton, etc). For the most part though, it frustrates me. I wonder sometimes whether it’s a licensing thing, with different versions on different record labels?
Those ugly early MCA cd's you referred to such as Elton John, Tom Petty, The Who, Steely Dan, and Olivia Newton-John all actually came with very nice full artwork on the first MCA cd editions. The ugly ones you are referring to were the second printing done shortly after. The first ones often had catalog number 37xxx instead of the later pressings 31xxx to distinguish them. Find those first pressings and enjoy!
@@SPAZZOID100 or at least the promise of it being improved - remixed, remastered...makes me think of an old blender in the 70s, the mix-master. Funny, though, I could suddenly go for a milkshake.
I remember when the 2002 "remasters" of "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman" came out, my local indie record store actually put their own advisory sticker on the covers that read something like: "Beware of false metal! This release has re-recorded bass and drums and is NOT the original version of the album". Something like that.
Quality content. I don't know how much time you spend thinking of these dissertations and themes for your videos, but you are very good at pointing out things that are so true that I never realized or thought about. Major kudos for that. And I am offended by every Jim Nabors album. All the best.
90s issues were good, had nice booklets with an essay, bonus tracks. Then by the 2010s, they started reissuing them in sets of 2 albums (2 cds) with just a single page and track listings.
MCA did that with Steppenwolf too. A list of titles on the back and no liner notes. One of the things that turned me off cds and made me look for the original vinyl.
Yeah, they couldn't even be bothered to get the title of "Draft Resister" right on the Monster CD. MCA called it "Draft Register". Quite a bit different than John Kay's intent.
Along the lines of using edits, I hate when they put out a greatest hits comp for a group but they’ll use a live version of one of their biggest songs instead of the studio version that was a hit. It’s especially annoying when it’s a comp for a group I only have enough interest in to buy a best of, and then because of this kind of stunt I don’t even have all the songs I want! That Ozzy 2002 decimation...man. When I heard about the “remasters” coming out I was super excited because finally there would be a legit version of “You Looking At Me” available! I’d heard about that song for ages, and being that Randy Rhoads died so young and there wasn’t a whole lot with him on it that hadn’t already been out there, I really wanted to hear that. Back in 2002 the only way to procure some of these songs was via Napster or Limewire or the like, and to say that sound quality on files from those sites could be lacking would be too kind. So the day those Ozzy “remasters” came out I went to Best Buy and happily bought Blizzard and Diary. I put the CD into my car’s stereo and it starts to play. Immediately something sounds off. I jump forward to “Crazy Train” and it starts out and immediately that sounds off to me too. I look at the back of the CD...nothing looked amiss. No mention of anything other than it being a remaster. I look in the book, read the liner notes and...motherfucker. Bass and drums re-recorded. If I’m not mistaken it was Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin, both great musicians, that did the re-recorded parts. I just couldn’t believe they’d agree to re-record the parts of these seminal albums.
As we say in the UK you are 'spot on' in your analysis. I'm like you and like most music lovers, a bit pedantic and just want honesty on those covers. Example you gave - I'm a big fan of E.L.O. and Jeff Lynne but it needs to be clear on the cover what it is. Enjoyed this, first time I've seen you, subscribed!
Those MCAs are certainly skimpy on the artwork, but the discs often sound really great - non-compressed and flat master transfers. The gold embossed labels on the vinyl covers were to show new catalog numbers (when MCA bought out Decca and other labels) or to signify that it was a budget line release (Platinum Plus).
Enjoyed the video. You're right about information being left off the covers in order to mislead buyers. As for edited versions of songs, I sometimes prefer edited versions but in all fairness, they should be labeled as such. The "Lovedrive" thumbnail was a great touch.
Lovedrive is the greatest album cover of all time. I'm offended by Who Are You and Who By Numbers not having any type of inner sleeve w lyrics/info, how cheap can you get?
MCA was fucking horrible. Thank God Universal later on decided to properly remaster all the Who albums - well, all of THEIR Who albums - I'd forgotten the last two are wih Warners.
Lee Kerslake, who died in 2020, and who was the drummer/writer on Ozzy's 'Blizzard of Ozz', was finally given his well deserved 'Gold Record Award' for his contribution to the success of that album. Lee received his accolades right before his death. The Osbourne's did make right, right in time...
the story is Ozzy himself intervened because of a letter stating Kerskate was near death and it was one of his long standing wishes to get that Gold Disc. Sharon wouldn't have done it.
How about the record company re-recording all the early ZZ Top albums with electronic drums and bass to make them sound like “Legs”, and not mentioning it?
I was about to comment about this video being misleading… until you admitted in the video that you were using the thumbnail to troll people. I have to admire that!
Great video! Nice different angle. Those are things that REALLY annoy! Another thing that drove me crazy back was when they didn't put the dang title on the c.d. itself. Some of us would take the cd out of the case and carry them in a small binder that would hold 30 or 40 discs. After kicking around in the car for a year or two you could easily forget just who put out the orange c.d. with a cow on it!
I heard about a store once that started storing discs behind the counter and the case on the shelf. Someone removed the numbering system they were using and they had to try to pair up hundreds of unmarked cds with cases.
K-Tel was the world's worse for editing songs on their albums. When I was 12 years old my grandmother bought me a K-Tel album for Christmas because she didn't know what kind of music I was into. I immediately gravitated to a song called Hey You by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Use to sing along with it and knew the words by heart. When I turned 14 I started buying my own albums which included BTO'S Four Wheel Drive, the album that included Hey You. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that the K-Tel version had omitted one of the verses. Here I am singing loud and proud like the young stud I was only to be much plucked in front of my friends.
Wonderful clip, agree 1000%. The ELO thing is really offensive to me because when the group was honored by the Rock and Roll hall Of Fame I was excited because I enjoyed violinist Mik Kaminksi and cellist Hugh McDowell who, when I saw them live, were fascinating and mesmerizing to watch. And they both starred in the band on several of their finest albums but Jeff not only didn't invite them to the ceremony but DIDN'T even mention them in his self adoring acceptance speech. Richard Tandy and Bev Bevan, who were invited didn't speak either and Bev, who was going to show up-didn't. It pissed me off, and add to that what you were talking about and the fact that Jeff decided to "simulate" the strings on future releases and re-makes as he didn't want to pay the musicians. The whole key, in my estimation, to their success back in the day was due to those live strings playing and sounding like buzz saws in the mix. They don't mix them prominently in new works...hmmmm. Makes me mad.
LMFAO I wasn’t really that interested to hear rantings about album artwork (that was probably not even offensive) but the fact that you kind of trolled us all was next level stuff! Nice! You get a thumbs up 👍 DVDs, and for that matter, Laserdiscs, used to do that when they first came out. It was special (compared to simple VHS cassettes) buying them because not only did the actual disc(s) offer more features than could ever be done on a VHS tape but the packaging always came with so much stuff; booklets, artwork, posters, cards, etc. Now….pfft. You’ll be lucky to not get an insert that was just a blank white page on one side. Talk about giving up!!
Early cassettes were missing a lot of artwork too I remember getting Rolling Stones Let it Bleed and wanting all the artwork and it was blank white inside the J card
I'll try to keep this one shorter but I have a hard time doing that since I'm talking to my phone as if it's a person dictating for me. You gave a prime example of something I really don't like in a past video when you were talking about Led Zeppelin physical graffiti and how they left off the end of In My Time of Dying... Cough (and then those musical notes). I didn't realize this at the time when I saw that video but after listening back I realized they left off the beginning of Ten Years Gone also and some of the music on the original release from it. Now that I've noticed these two exemptions on the 2015 remaster, I'm wondering if there's others that I might be missing? Now this is a little off topic for what you were talking about but it's something I really don't like. And in your example of leaving off the back cover imagery and details on CDs, I recently saw an older video where you were talking about the cover from the band Target with the woman in the net. You had mentioned that it was something you remembered seeing as a kid. I remembered the same exact thing when you were showing that. I was looking at LP's trying to find a copy on discogs but I really didn't want to pay $20 for a used copy and the imagery I remembered the best was the back cover where that same woman is running. So I went ahead and got the CD since it reportedly had six additional live tracks added to it. And when I got it in, the front cover semi looked the same but the hype sticker was a fixed to the CD plastic case and the image that I remembered the most which was the back cover was nowhere to be found. They had a six or 10-page booklet type insert with a lot of detail and I figured it would be in there but nope. That just kind of bummed me out a little. And it was $20 for the CD but I got it because I had a $20 Amazon credit and I figured hey it's not costing me anything really. Plus it has six extra songs which by the way all tested to be lossy MPEG files. I guess somebody was cashing in after Jimi Jamison passed away. That is very irritating to me. And one last thing. As you were talking about how artist can sometimes come in and remaster or redo music without mentioning the changes, and you're expecting the newer pressing of the originals, I got one of those types of deals recently when I saw an Eddie Money greatest hits type release that was new and put out by the Cleopatra label. I didn't realize it until I got it, and even going back and looking at information again there was very little mention of it in most reviews or ads if any, this was Eddie Money redoing the old songs before he passed away. I think it was something like in 2015 or 2016. Now he did have a number of the original band members helping out. But of course not all of them were there and one's like Roni Spector wasn't there. I went ahead and kept that one and didn't send it back because it actually was done fairly well. At least it had that going for it. But I thought I was getting the original copies of some of his greats like Two Tickets to Paradise, Take Me Home Tonight, etc. And that was the furthest thing from the truth. I don't think anything like that was even mentioned on the album cover anywhere but I can't say that with 100% certainty without looking at it one more time. It was very deceptive I think the way that was done. And being deceived is something I strongly dislike! Had they even mentioned on the details when looking around and finally purchasing the album, if I'd even seen one ad telling me the truth, I would have still bought it most likely just to check it out. Well, maybe not but still I don't like having the vinyl pulled over my eyes! The key to me is that these things are not often mentioned unless somebody does a in-depth review and they definitely aren't mentioned oftentimes in the advertisements or by the label. You know they are purposely being deceptive and it really chaps my ass when they do this. Of course on the Target CD, Captured I just remembered was the title, it wasn't really any deception other than why they put mp3 audio on a CD. But why did they have to take out some of the imagery or the complete back album art that I really recalled and used to see in the record bins. Well the front cover was what you remembered the best It was the back cover that I remembered. It just doesn't make sense when things like this happen and especially when the deceptive stuff happens and they just flat out lie like in your Ozzy example! Brian in Fort Worth 🎶
I'm offended by compilation albums that list the tracks but don't tell you they've been re-recorded by singers/bands no one has heard of. If I wanted to hear shit covers, I'd go to a small town street dance.
Look for the small/fine print, either on front or back of the CD. There you'll see the info about the music. Something like: "Original recordings (*); all others *new recordings* by original artist." "All songs by The Lonely Hearts Band." "Songs listed are not original recordings."
Tip: Avoid buying reissue or 'greatest hits' albums from labels you never heard of or are known to be cheap/sleazy. It helps to know which labels (such as Rhino) take pride in their reisssues. Also, avoid major label or any other reissues that are obviously targeting people who are uninformed or willing to give up quality for a lower price. Bad/cheap cover design is often a warning sign.
I kinda of like cheap reissues. I've collected some pretty cool albums that way. You have to understand what you're buying is not "official" or authorized.
My dad has an original print of the scorpions lovedrive album art poster signed by members of the band during their live tour for that album (he used to manage a record store)
Good video. Someone told me recently that the idea with those McCartney reissues was that you were supposed to rip off the front cover, as the proper one was underneath. But I can't bring myself to rip a CD cover, not matter how crap it is.
Love the video. Totally not what I expected but a great take on commercial repackaging. I expected Blind Faith and was glad you tossed that out in the final few seconds. I would think the Dwarves and maybe Big Black would qualify in a different way…😂
Completely agree with your first example. Sharon hated the fact that Ozzy had to rely of those guys to write songs for him - and has tried over the last 40 years to re-write history and erase those talented musicians from the catalogue
Hey Robert, I just subscribed, I remember you when you worked at Vintage Vinyl. You were the nicest guy there. It's great to see you sharing your knowledge with the world.
The Collectors Choice series was basically a value series for the CD era, like the Capitol StarLine CD series (which had a mistake release of The Knack’s “Get The Knack”, where a single edit of “Good Girls Don’t” - for Top 40 airplay and public release worldwide- and a Canadian edited version of the album track “She’s So (Selfish)”, removing the cursing were used. Both corrected on the 2002 remastered CD release), and that’s exactly what the MCA Records Compact Disc Compact Price series was, a budget series for those who didn’t want anything but the music. I had several CD releases in that series, the best sounding one was definitely the Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers “Damn The Torpedos” title, and The Who’s “Magic Bus - The Who On Tour” was the poorest sounding one - half the cd in mono (very bad mono at that), and the other half in fake stereo (which was even worse than the very bad mono).
Honestly, I thought this was going to be some Tipper Gore kind of shit from the 90’s, but I was pleasantly surprised by the content which it was actually informative and very entertaining. Digging the library as well.
That was funny about the Scorpions cover. I didn't know about that ELO album, if I'd seen it I probably would have bought it. Thanks for that, won't get burned now. I'm offended by remastered albums from the 70s on vinyl that don't disclose that they're not using the original master tapes as source, but some digital copy.
Spot on! Here's another personal rant... I picked up the very 1st MCA CD issue of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "One More From the Road" only to find a notice inside the package that stated "In our effort to bring you the original double LP for the cost of a single CD, we have had to omit 2 selections due to the length of the original LP." Boy was I pissed about it!
A lot of mid-late 80s CD issues left things off to save money. The 1978 "Superman" movie soundtrack left two pieces off to fit on one CD, Dokken's "Beast From The East" live album left out a couple of tracks, I'm sure there were many others. A few edited releases had the good sense to call it "Highlights" or something. The single CD "Phantom Of The Opera" highlights album, for example.
This vid really made me think…what a concept! I have so many offensive (misleading) albums covers in mind. I’m going to have to give this a little time because I know I’m not nearly thinking of the worst right now. There’s something about your list that really makes me want to get this right so…we’ll, anyway, you’ve got a new subscriber. Edit: Just as an aside…I really want to know what cover ideas Spinal Tap had for ‘Smell The Glove’ prior to the chick on all fours thing…the mind reels!
Hey Robert, great video very entertaining I enjoyed it and you reminded me of something that has bugged me for 30 damn years I don't know why but being upset about it flash me back after watching your video. I'm sure you remember when Bad Company came out with the CD 10 from 6 which was 10 tracks from six albums. However, Burnin sky was listed as one of the albums that a track was supposed to be from but there are no tracks from the burning Sky album and when I bought it back in the 80s I believe my favorite song was burning sky and I thought for sure that would be on there like a dumbass I didn't bother to check before purchasing it and after listening to the whole album it dawned on me there was no track from that album even though the album listed it is having a song from that album. Anyways, if you ever do an updated version please include that in there because that is just as deceptive as your legitimate gripes were here actually maybe more because it didn't even include the song it's stated on the cover LOL.
Cool video. First off I have to say R.I.P Lee Kerslake. So I totally agree with you that what Sharon Osbourne did by having the bass and drum parts on the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a madman albums rerecorded, is very offensive. She only did it to avoid paying them songwriting and performance royalties. Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake were suing the Osbournes at that time. On a side note, the musicians that did the work are garbage and should be called out for it at every opportunity. They knew what they were doing. It was Robert Trujillo on bass who now plays for metallica, and Mike Bordin from faith no more on the drums. Its funny that you mention the Scorpions because the made the only album cover that has ever offended me. That would be the original German cover for the virgin killer album. They seem to be the original kings of the offensive covers. Cheers.
This is more to do with packaging but it still annoys me how the non-jewel case releases have the discs slipped in the side (replicating an LP) but they don't have any protective sleeve around the disc to stop the playing surface from scratching when you remove or put back the disc. I eventually bought a bunch of plastic CD sleeves just because it was that common.
The good thing about those McCartney's is that those were kind of an 'outer cover'. The full cover was featured on the next page... but yeah, I get where you are coming from!
I am a little miffed at the clickbait, but I totally agree with the choices of “offensive” albums. I have dealt with most of these examples too. I might also add that some CDs came with gimmicks like a CDRom video, or DVD on the reverse side that made the CD side unplayable by some CD players.
I have a few albums that go to an even further extreme: -- "The Best Of The Animals" - here you got Eric Burdon's voice superimposed over what sounds like poorly-constructed MIDI tracks. -- There was an album of '60s R&B "oldies" that was obviously created during the waning disco era. There was a version of Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin' " where ALL of the instruments were replaced with some disco session musicians, and it was a trainwreck supreme. I put it in a garage sale pile, but nobody took the bait, and I just donated it to some other sucker down the road. -- Even Frank Zappa, whom I consider to be one of the most prolific composers and performers of the 20th Century, and whose efforts led to the acceptance of digital media itself, stepped over the line with re-releases of "We're Only In It For The Money" and "Cruisin' With Ruben & The Jets" that sucked donkeys. According to Zappa, when he finally got the master tapes, the bass and drum tracks were gone, deteriorated to the point where there was only clear space instead of the magnetic media which once existed. How did he "fix" this? By having Scott Thunes and Chad Wackerman re-record those bass and drum parts. Problem was, they didn't do it very well; in fact, it sounded like they played through the album once. Zappa's response to the complaints? It was a "take it or leave it" approach. Okay, Frank -- I left it. (Fortunately, I still have my vinyl copies in pristine condition, so there.) -- Dishonorable mentions go to all of those '60s "20 greatest hits" compilations that cut some extreme corners. I remember one of these piecs of crap that featured "Walk Away Renee" that began with a fade-in after the second chorus, which meant you got the dinky flute solo and a chorus, and done. WTF? And the industry wonders why people don't buy albums anymore? That's okay -- the labels don't give a damn, as evidenced by their reliance on 360 deals that scoop money away from artists at every turn. And don't get me started on the weasels who steal co-production credits in some pretty nefarious ways! I can't tell you how happy I am NOT to be signed to ANY record deal anymore.
Absolutely! I remember hearing the "We're Only It For the Money" CD and thinking it would be authentic based on the cd cover now being as originally intended. I actually purchased it and was really put off by the drum machines, etc. Thankfully, it has been re-released since then with some kind of masters and, of course like you said, there's always the original vinyl. I remember growing up with one of those 60's comps. It was one of the first albums Iever heard. Edited "Leader of the Pack" and "Runaround Sue", but the long version of "Crimson and Clover". Strange.
This was entertaining to see you get excited about the issues you took with edits. I am the same way, except when I get excited about some things my friends tell me I'm yelling lol . I tell them I'm excited and passionate, and I use an elevated tone in my voice to emphasize the passion lol. I get stares and crickets. Good episode for the humor. Btw, I did expect you were going to show album covers with the bootay factor. Ha!
I once went out with a girl who was otherwise very well musically educated had managed to travel time and space but never heard the last three verses of Bat Out Of Hell starting at "Well I can see myself tearing up the road, faster than any other boy had gone before...." because she'd only ever heard radio edits and the song on compilations. Until that point the song is literally meaningless - it's a story without an ending!
I mostly agree with you about including single edits on compilations, especially when album covers don't inform you as much. However, when it comes to the Rolling Stones, I strongly prefer the single edit of You Can't Always Get What You Want. In fact, I bought a greatest hits package by the Stones (I forget which), and I was annoyed when they included the album version. The single version is a lot tighter; it gets rid of that "And I went down to the demonstration..." verse, which, in my opinion, lyrically speaking, doesn't fit with the rest of the song.
this video is great! not what I thought i was getting into and glad. I also hated the old CDs when the album art was barely used or had white pages! wtf! great points!
I held off picking up Ozzy's first two CDs for this very reason. Fortunately, they were re-released *again* but this time a sticker indicated they were by the original musicians and then, I researched to verify this was indeed true. Buying music shouldn't be this difficult. 😅
My first time seeing content on your site. Excellent commentary. I’m a 54 crabby music fan who got a real good laugh at almost all of your comments. I subscribed and look forward to more new as well as looking at older videos. Please do another top 5 offensive list. My main gripe is a two for one Royal screwing by what constitutes The Little River Band. I saw they were touring around my hometown at a cool bar and for $25 bucks I figured they were playing at a bar and the cost reasonable because they are up in age. When it started I knew something was wrong because I recognized no one and they seem to have gotten younger . Then they started talking and I thought gee they lost their Australian accents. Ok……. It happens I guess….??????? They start singing and I looked at a guy and noticed 2/3 of the crowd with a collected WTF moment. Not one original member. Long story but the 3 main members lost the right to use the name or tour with any reference to the fact they were the writers and performers. The poster for the show said 40th anniversary with all the hits you loved. And pictures of the guys on old album covers to fool people into thinking this was the real deal. And I noticed in a music store these douchebag went and re-recorded 1/2 of their big songs and when you hear them it’s just sad knowing people are handing over money to buy a cover band which is worse then what Jeff Lynne did. Wayne Nelson I believe is the guy that has a bond to the old group having joined in 1981 after they had most of the success. He sang lead on Night owls and played bass. But that’s all. Douchebags !!!!!!😂😆🤣 Please do another list with this on there. ☮️
2:55 - If you wanna hear some GOOD re recordings check out Gordon Lightfoot's 1975 retro "Gord's Gold". Sides 1 & 2 feature new Reprise versions of his earlier songs for United Artists... and I have to admit the new recordings are genuinely superior! Better production, better arrangements, better everything...
Great job! You actually pointed out truly offensive things which every music lover really hates. I've had the experience with rerecorded songs on cd without any mention whatsoever. I could've spit blood. Hypgnosis art has always been amazing, of course. Nothing to get offended over. :-)
I'm offended when they had to change the cover of Love drive and just put a logo of a scorpion with the words love drive. They should of kept the original.
As always great clip. I don't know if the edits are really offensive in the 'cover artwork' sense, but they are INCREDIBLY f*ked up. The worst edit in Stones camp is 'Rocks Off', but it's on one of the other late era comps. I'm just so impressed you didn't do one of those lame segments featuring 'Amorica' or "Appetite' etc etc, and then tell the back story for the 118th time
what offends me are those cds they made to be copy proof or impossible to rip just to find out they wont even play period on certain car or home system set ups essentially making it a fruitless purchase throwing away your money
one i know for sure is i believe to be the first pressing of the soundtrack to the original fast & the furious movie,....as far as other titles the experiment didnt last too long as the public outcry from cd buyers and store owners losing money over returned discs is so massive so quickly that the labels had to squash the experiment too sudden for many titles to get the anti pirating treatment
Jeff Lynne released a solo album at the same time as the re-recorded ELO compilation, it was mentioned in the media a lot at the time that they were new versions, which is why I picked it up. With the passage of time, this obviously causes issue as if it's nowhere to be seen on the artwork, then the buyer is in for a surprise, either good or bad! As much as I love Jeff, his new approach to production leaves a lot to be desired. It sounds very tinny - as does the production he's done on other releases for both his incarnation of ELO and other artists also.
I remember a Bee Gees album called “Main Course” ( the 2 hits “Jive Talkin’” and “Nights On Broadway” were on there) it depicted a nude woman bathing in a giant spoon, it was drawn but i always wondered if that caused controversy.
HaHa, love the "thumbnail talk". Perfect! This video randomly popped up in my feed, dig your outlook! Just sub'd and looking forward to diving into your content. Take care.
Those cropped art reissue CDs always bothered me when I would see them in stores. Never fell for them, though. There was a time in the 90's and early 2000's when it was in vogue for Rock acts to have these cartoon drawings as album covers. I'm not just talking about some of the bigger bands that you would expect to have bad artwork (Limp Bizkit, Korn, Etc.) but some actually decent bands that fell into that trend. Sponge has one with that style, just horrendous. I think it was called New Pop Sunday? Sponge's first two records were phenomenal and had great artwork, though. I miss the Cassette Art and lay-outs from back in the day. Especially once CDs became more popular. Tapes always had to crop or alter the larger art down and there was always something about that anesthetic, for the most part, that I really enjoyed.
When Scorpions-Lovedrive came out it was in red or purple cellophane. You couldn’t see the cover. The record store wouldn’t sell it to me. I was underage. They released it with an alternate cover Boo
When you held up Lovedrive I thought you were going to show us the Walmart versions with the altered art. That was a thing for a moment, protecting everyone from offensive imagery and the label caving. I've seen Lovedrive with just the Scorpions logo and a scorpion on top, or Love at First Sting with just the band in black and white, walking. Btw, I also hated getting tape club cassettes with the shrunken cover on a white background and the label on the side being basic print between pink stripes. That was Columbia House, when an artist on Sire/Warner Bros and not Epic/CBS labels. RCA was no better with the small picture and the licensing written on the cover.
also 1. Mike Watt "Ballhog or Tugboat" the cover seems to be of two men enjoying each other's company 2. Cerrone: "Love in C Minor". The version that was Not released in the U.S." 3. "Blind Faith" Also, the version that was Not released in the U.S.
Cheap rereleases, remixed and rehashed versions of old releases should offend every conscious consumer. Money grab by old artists and the record companies no doubt.
Well, I just got busted for knuckle dragging. You went off discussing album and song misrepresentation, when I thought you were going to address John D'allessandro's elephant in the room. Always great content from you. Thanks.
I was offended when I found that the Roxy Music collection "Atlantic Years" had just 2 pre-79 tracks on it. The songs were actually listed on the sleeve, but the front cover girl had me distracted from reading.
@@RobertFithen Exactly. And it's always newer releases like the recent deluxe editions of the Black Sabbath albums and Budgie. I just dont get why they wont do the plastic case glued to it
I'm with you about being bugged when they don't put run times next to the track listing so you can tell if it's an edit etc. Worse than that is when they don't list song titles anywhere on the exterior packaging. It seemed to be sort of a trend between 200-2010, but the first band i noticed it with was Bright Eyes. I was just getting into them and didn't have regular access to the internet etc... when I was trying to decide which CD to buy I couldn't tell if it was EP or LP length because i couldn't even tell how many songs were on the album.... The old CDs that wouldn't even use the back covers bug me too, like you mentioned. They all seemed to have a little warning label about how to properly clean CDs and nothing else but the front cover....
There was an infuriating trend for awhile to leave big gaps on CDs too. Put the disk in, player shows 52:00 run time. After 34 minutes and the last song ends, but the CD keeps going until 51:50 and then the sound of someone walking down a hall or some woman giggling, and THEN it's over. Made me make sure to never buy anything by that artist again, or if I did, buy it used so they never profit from me.
Enjoyable rant, I mean discussion. I think we have all been burned at one time or another with hits being rerecorded and that feeling you get when you discern that this does not sound like the original. Carry on.
Solid post, and I agree with all of those. The one I find particularly offensive is the pressings that don't indicate the use of alternate mixes... especially first pressings for newer releases. Peace and stay solid.
Similar to that ozzy one, I have a CD of Zappa's Cruising with Ruben and the Jets album with rerecorded bass and drums which doesn't mention that anywhere on the packaging. Since I had not heard the album beforehand it took many listens before I discovered that it was the rerecorded version, which explained why it sounded so oddly '80s esque for a doo wop throwback album from 1968. I can only imagine they did not advertise the fact that it was redone to be sneaky about it, but then why rerecord it at all?
Well I found whitesnakes Radio edited version of Here I go again sounding more poppy than original version with more keyboards being played all the way through.
im offended to hear someone say that Blizzard of Oz came out in 2002. Especially from someone who has this much music behind him. Credibility?
Congrats! Your comment is so ridiculous, I'm pinning it to the top of the comments.
It is pretty obvious he is talking about the 2002 re-release where they changed the drum and bass parts. He goes into good detail. There's no way any logical person would think he is saying the whole album came out in 2002. You're just a troll.
Maybe watch the video before you spew trash talk ...bandwagon mentality sucks
Busted!
It's pretty clear he's talking about the re-release with new tracks. He said so, as a matter of fact.
This guy used a click-baity title, then discussed things with real depth and criticism. That ain’t how click-bait is supposed to work, friend. Bravo.
I agree👍🏻
Yeah, I'm a new fan myself. No matter how many similar format channels (music) there are, I'll always take new creators that are good (To me).
Me too
It's refreshing to see someone who's offended by what really counts -- non-existent liner notes/info. -- edited tracks in greatest hits collections -- needlessly re-recorded songs, etc. I've seen too many YT video rants about album covers that were supposedly "banned", that never really were. BTW, thanks for the info. about the editing down of 40 Licks. Didn't know about that. Almost bought it once.
I knew about it, but only because I got the chance to listen to it in a used shop. It ticked me off, and I never bought it, thank goodness!
Yes, this. Well said!
"You should have seen the cover they wanted. And it wasn't a glove, believe me" -Spinal Taps Manager
"What's wrong with being sexy?"
It’s quite lurid, really.
Yes , the great Tony Hendra as Spinal Tap's Manager Ian Faith ....RIP
Sniff The Glove
It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.
Dude, I love your Scorpion's reverse-judo bluff lmao; that's such a true point. You're awesome man.
same here, love it 😀
I've always been offended by compilation albums that don't mention that some of the tracks are live recordings. Don't get me wrong I love a good live recording but not awkwardly jammed into a best of.
Also one of my pet peeves. 9 times out of 10 it’s one of my favorite songs too! There are some exceptions where the live version of the song is the hit everyone knows and loves (I’m looking at you KISS, Frampton, etc). For the most part though, it frustrates me. I wonder sometimes whether it’s a licensing thing, with different versions on different record labels?
You had me fooled, but yeah removing Daisley and Kerslake from those two albums was a despicable Sharon move.
I’m offended by the audio/video sync being off 😆.
Love your take on what’s offensive!
Those ugly early MCA cd's you referred to such as Elton John, Tom Petty, The Who, Steely Dan, and Olivia Newton-John all actually came with very nice full artwork on the first MCA cd editions. The ugly ones you are referring to were the second printing done shortly after. The first ones often had catalog number 37xxx instead of the later pressings 31xxx to distinguish them. Find those first pressings and enjoy!
Great video Robert! I'm offended when on some CDs or albums they don't put the year it was made on the back cover.
Becaujse you don't know which edition you're getting - crap original, or much-improved later pressing.
@@farrellmcnulty909 improved???
@@SPAZZOID100 or at least the promise of it being improved - remixed, remastered...makes me think of an old blender in the 70s, the mix-master. Funny, though, I could suddenly go for a milkshake.
I remember when the 2002 "remasters" of "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman" came out, my local indie record store actually put their own advisory sticker on the covers that read something like: "Beware of false metal! This release has re-recorded bass and drums and is NOT the original version of the album". Something like that.
Quality content. I don't know how much time you spend thinking of these dissertations and themes for your videos, but you are very good at pointing out things that are so true that I never realized or thought about. Major kudos for that. And I am offended by every Jim Nabors album. All the best.
Especially if Jim Neighbors was the guy with the bubble gum in the picture! 😂😂
How about those oversized cardboard CD sleeves and digipaks that do not fit regular CD storage racks ?
lol
This is a great video! MCA's CD's always ticked me off. Elton John is another artist that lost all his back covers in the first round of CD releases.
90s issues were good, had nice booklets with an essay, bonus tracks.
Then by the 2010s, they started reissuing them in sets of 2 albums (2 cds) with just a single page and track listings.
MCA did that with Steppenwolf too.
A list of titles on the back and no liner notes.
One of the things that turned me off cds and made me look for the original vinyl.
Yeah, they couldn't even be bothered to get the title of "Draft Resister" right on the Monster CD. MCA called it "Draft Register". Quite a bit different than John Kay's intent.
Along the lines of using edits, I hate when they put out a greatest hits comp for a group but they’ll use a live version of one of their biggest songs instead of the studio version that was a hit. It’s especially annoying when it’s a comp for a group I only have enough interest in to buy a best of, and then because of this kind of stunt I don’t even have all the songs I want!
That Ozzy 2002 decimation...man. When I heard about the “remasters” coming out I was super excited because finally there would be a legit version of “You Looking At Me” available! I’d heard about that song for ages, and being that Randy Rhoads died so young and there wasn’t a whole lot with him on it that hadn’t already been out there, I really wanted to hear that. Back in 2002 the only way to procure some of these songs was via Napster or Limewire or the like, and to say that sound quality on files from those sites could be lacking would be too kind. So the day those Ozzy “remasters” came out I went to Best Buy and happily bought Blizzard and Diary. I put the CD into my car’s stereo and it starts to play. Immediately something sounds off. I jump forward to “Crazy Train” and it starts out and immediately that sounds off to me too. I look at the back of the CD...nothing looked amiss. No mention of anything other than it being a remaster. I look in the book, read the liner notes and...motherfucker. Bass and drums re-recorded. If I’m not mistaken it was Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin, both great musicians, that did the re-recorded parts. I just couldn’t believe they’d agree to re-record the parts of these seminal albums.
Same with me, except I got "Blizzard of Oz" for a friend for his birthday. Double disappointment.
His "offended people that don't even exist" comnent was brilliant.
I've often thought the same thing. I could have a drink with this dude.
Good stuff. You gave me a chuckle. I was about to call you out on Scorpions but decided to watch it first. Funny. I subscribed.
Thanks! If only more people would watch the video first. lol
Almost nearly busted
As we say in the UK you are 'spot on' in your analysis. I'm like you and like most music lovers, a bit pedantic and just want honesty on those covers. Example you gave - I'm a big fan of E.L.O. and Jeff Lynne but it needs to be clear on the cover what it is.
Enjoyed this, first time I've seen you, subscribed!
Thanks! Big Jeff Lynne fan here too. That's why it was so disappointing to see him, especially, engaging in such tactics.
Those MCAs are certainly skimpy on the artwork, but the discs often sound really great - non-compressed and flat master transfers. The gold embossed labels on the vinyl covers were to show new catalog numbers (when MCA bought out Decca and other labels) or to signify that it was a budget line release (Platinum Plus).
Enjoyed the video. You're right about information being left off the covers in order to mislead buyers. As for edited versions of songs, I sometimes prefer edited versions but in all fairness, they should be labeled as such. The "Lovedrive" thumbnail was a great touch.
Lovedrive is the greatest album cover of all time. I'm offended by Who Are You and Who By Numbers not having any type of inner sleeve w lyrics/info, how cheap can you get?
MCA was fucking horrible. Thank God Universal later on decided to properly remaster all the Who albums - well, all of THEIR Who albums - I'd forgotten the last two are wih Warners.
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey released their solo stuff on Atlantic/ Atco for many years, I wish that label had picked up The Who as well.
Lee Kerslake, who died in 2020, and who was the drummer/writer on Ozzy's 'Blizzard of Ozz', was finally given his well deserved 'Gold Record Award' for his contribution to the success of that album. Lee received his accolades right before his death. The Osbourne's did make right, right in time...
Thanks for the info... excellent to hear!
Only after Ozzy donkey-punched Sharon into submission though...
the story is Ozzy himself intervened because of a letter stating Kerskate was near death and it was one of his long standing wishes to get that Gold Disc. Sharon wouldn't have done it.
Sharon is a witch for doing the 2002 remixes !!!!!!
I generally stay away from remixes altogether. I prefer original mix, warts and all.
How about the record company re-recording all the early ZZ Top albums with electronic drums and bass to make them sound like “Legs”, and not mentioning it?
I actually mention the ZZ Top debacle in my ZZ Top video.
I was about to comment about this video being misleading… until you admitted in the video that you were using the thumbnail to troll people. I have to admire that!
Great video! Nice different angle. Those are things that REALLY annoy!
Another thing that drove me crazy back was when they didn't put the dang title on the c.d. itself. Some of us would take the cd out of the case and carry them in a small binder that would hold 30 or 40 discs. After kicking around in the car for a year or two you could easily forget just who put out the orange c.d. with a cow on it!
I heard about a store once that started storing discs behind the counter and the case on the shelf. Someone removed the numbering system they were using and they had to try to pair up hundreds of unmarked cds with cases.
I was in high school in the mid 80s and a friend got a CD player before the rest of us. He wouldn't let anyone touch his CDs.
K-Tel was the world's worse for editing songs on their albums. When I was 12 years old my grandmother bought me a K-Tel album for Christmas because she didn't know what kind of music I was into. I immediately gravitated to a song called Hey You by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Use to sing along with it and knew the words by heart. When I turned 14 I started buying my own albums which included BTO'S Four Wheel Drive, the album that included Hey You. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that the K-Tel version had omitted one of the verses. Here I am singing loud and proud like the young stud I was only to be much plucked in front of my friends.
It wasn't really K tels fault. It was due to licensing by the artist to be used as a "taster" to motivate you to buy the full album.
K-Tel was a little different, you kinda knew you were getting cheapo cuts there!! That was their thing! It was basically a “sampler”!
@@Geezer-yf8hv Unfortunately for me, most grandmothers probably didn't know that.
@@tonystephens6858 yeah but those Lps were cool they gave you a taste of several artists.. a job well done by grandma
Wonderful clip, agree 1000%. The ELO thing is really offensive to me because when the group was honored by the Rock and Roll hall Of Fame I was excited because I enjoyed violinist Mik Kaminksi and cellist Hugh McDowell who, when I saw them live, were fascinating and mesmerizing to watch. And they both starred in the band on several of their finest albums but Jeff not only didn't invite them to the ceremony but DIDN'T even mention them in his self adoring acceptance speech. Richard Tandy and Bev Bevan, who were invited didn't speak either and Bev, who was going to show up-didn't. It pissed me off, and add to that what you were talking about and the fact that Jeff decided to "simulate" the strings on future releases and re-makes as he didn't want to pay the musicians. The whole key, in my estimation, to their success back in the day was due to those live strings playing and sounding like buzz saws in the mix. They don't mix them prominently in new works...hmmmm. Makes me mad.
Exactly, these computer-generated remakes don't have the feel of the originals at all. I've never heard that acceptance speech, but I can imagine.
LMFAO I wasn’t really that interested to hear rantings about album artwork (that was probably not even offensive) but the fact that you kind of trolled us all was next level stuff! Nice! You get a thumbs up 👍
DVDs, and for that matter, Laserdiscs, used to do that when they first came out. It was special (compared to simple VHS cassettes) buying them because not only did the actual disc(s) offer more features than could ever be done on a VHS tape but the packaging always came with so much stuff; booklets, artwork, posters, cards, etc. Now….pfft. You’ll be lucky to not get an insert that was just a blank white page on one side. Talk about giving up!!
Early cassettes were missing a lot of artwork too I remember getting Rolling Stones Let it Bleed and wanting all the artwork and it was blank white inside the J card
Oh yes, cassettes were a whole other issue.
And sometimes the track-listing was messed up to balance both sides out.
I'll try to keep this one shorter but I have a hard time doing that since I'm talking to my phone as if it's a person dictating for me.
You gave a prime example of something I really don't like in a past video when you were talking about Led Zeppelin physical graffiti and how they left off the end of In My Time of Dying... Cough (and then those musical notes). I didn't realize this at the time when I saw that video but after listening back I realized they left off the beginning of Ten Years Gone also and some of the music on the original release from it. Now that I've noticed these two exemptions on the 2015 remaster, I'm wondering if there's others that I might be missing? Now this is a little off topic for what you were talking about but it's something I really don't like.
And in your example of leaving off the back cover imagery and details on CDs, I recently saw an older video where you were talking about the cover from the band Target with the woman in the net. You had mentioned that it was something you remembered seeing as a kid. I remembered the same exact thing when you were showing that. I was looking at LP's trying to find a copy on discogs but I really didn't want to pay $20 for a used copy and the imagery I remembered the best was the back cover where that same woman is running. So I went ahead and got the CD since it reportedly had six additional live tracks added to it. And when I got it in, the front cover semi looked the same but the hype sticker was a fixed to the CD plastic case and the image that I remembered the most which was the back cover was nowhere to be found. They had a six or 10-page booklet type insert with a lot of detail and I figured it would be in there but nope. That just kind of bummed me out a little. And it was $20 for the CD but I got it because I had a $20 Amazon credit and I figured hey it's not costing me anything really. Plus it has six extra songs which by the way all tested to be lossy MPEG files. I guess somebody was cashing in after Jimi Jamison passed away. That is very irritating to me.
And one last thing. As you were talking about how artist can sometimes come in and remaster or redo music without mentioning the changes, and you're expecting the newer pressing of the originals, I got one of those types of deals recently when I saw an Eddie Money greatest hits type release that was new and put out by the Cleopatra label. I didn't realize it until I got it, and even going back and looking at information again there was very little mention of it in most reviews or ads if any, this was Eddie Money redoing the old songs before he passed away. I think it was something like in 2015 or 2016. Now he did have a number of the original band members helping out. But of course not all of them were there and one's like Roni Spector wasn't there. I went ahead and kept that one and didn't send it back because it actually was done fairly well. At least it had that going for it. But I thought I was getting the original copies of some of his greats like Two Tickets to Paradise, Take Me Home Tonight, etc. And that was the furthest thing from the truth. I don't think anything like that was even mentioned on the album cover anywhere but I can't say that with 100% certainty without looking at it one more time. It was very deceptive I think the way that was done. And being deceived is something I strongly dislike! Had they even mentioned on the details when looking around and finally purchasing the album, if I'd even seen one ad telling me the truth, I would have still bought it most likely just to check it out. Well, maybe not but still I don't like having the vinyl pulled over my eyes!
The key to me is that these things are not often mentioned unless somebody does a in-depth review and they definitely aren't mentioned oftentimes in the advertisements or by the label. You know they are purposely being deceptive and it really chaps my ass when they do this.
Of course on the Target CD, Captured I just remembered was the title, it wasn't really any deception other than why they put mp3 audio on a CD. But why did they have to take out some of the imagery or the complete back album art that I really recalled and used to see in the record bins. Well the front cover was what you remembered the best It was the back cover that I remembered. It just doesn't make sense when things like this happen and especially when the deceptive stuff happens and they just flat out lie like in your Ozzy example!
Brian in Fort Worth 🎶
I'm offended by compilation albums that list the tracks but don't tell you they've been re-recorded by singers/bands no one has heard of.
If I wanted to hear shit covers, I'd go to a small town street dance.
I remember ones with gold records on the front in the 70's. "Million Sellers" or something on Pickwick. All generic studio groups doing the songs.
Love your comment!! Couldnt agree more
Look for the small/fine print, either on front or back of the CD.
There you'll see the info about the music. Something like:
"Original recordings (*); all others *new recordings* by original artist."
"All songs by The Lonely Hearts Band."
"Songs listed are not original recordings."
That kind of honesty is fairly rare on album artwork.
@@peterklutinoty244 'small print', as in tiny .5 point font that's obscured by the CD case. 😁😁
Tip: Avoid buying reissue or 'greatest hits' albums from labels you never heard of or are known to be cheap/sleazy. It helps to know which labels (such as Rhino) take pride in their reisssues. Also, avoid major label or any other reissues that are obviously targeting people who are uninformed or willing to give up quality for a lower price. Bad/cheap cover design is often a warning sign.
Rhino is so good. The people who work there really love music and want to preserve it. Can't say the same for many other reissue labels.
I kinda of like cheap reissues. I've collected some pretty cool albums that way. You have to understand what you're buying is not "official" or authorized.
Was expecting gripes which were petty nonsense (first time viewing your channel) BUT I couldn’t agree more with your points ! Well said
Thanks for opening my eyes on E L O. A friend was playing the Mr. Blue Sky CD and I realized that something was off about the songs. Now I know.
My dad has an original print of the scorpions lovedrive album art poster signed by members of the band during their live tour for that album (he used to manage a record store)
Good video. Someone told me recently that the idea with those McCartney reissues was that you were supposed to rip off the front cover, as the proper one was underneath. But I can't bring myself to rip a CD cover, not matter how crap it is.
You need to start hanging out with Sea of Tranquility. It’d be cool to see you guys together. Brilliant vid!
Love the video. Totally not what I expected but a great take on commercial repackaging. I expected Blind Faith and was glad you tossed that out in the final few seconds. I would think the Dwarves and maybe Big Black would qualify in a different way…😂
Completely agree with your first example. Sharon hated the fact that Ozzy had to rely of those guys to write songs for him - and has tried over the last 40 years to re-write history and erase those talented musicians from the catalogue
At east the McCartney had the full size album cover on the next page. I always just pulled that white border one off & no problem!
Hey Robert, I just subscribed, I remember you when you worked at Vintage Vinyl. You were the nicest guy there. It's great to
see you sharing your knowledge with the world.
The Collectors Choice series was basically a value series for the CD era, like the Capitol StarLine CD series (which had a mistake release of The Knack’s “Get The Knack”, where a single edit of “Good Girls Don’t” - for Top 40 airplay and public release worldwide- and a Canadian edited version of the album track “She’s So (Selfish)”, removing the cursing were used. Both corrected on the 2002 remastered CD release), and that’s exactly what the MCA Records Compact Disc Compact Price series was, a budget series for those who didn’t want anything but the music. I had several CD releases in that series, the best sounding one was definitely the Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers “Damn The Torpedos” title, and The Who’s “Magic Bus - The Who On Tour” was the poorest sounding one - half the cd in mono (very bad mono at that), and the other half in fake stereo (which was even worse than the very bad mono).
Damn right! You’re absolutely right about all of these offensive consumer rip offs.
Honestly, I thought this was going to be some Tipper Gore kind of shit from the 90’s, but I was pleasantly surprised by the content which it was actually informative and very entertaining. Digging the library as well.
That was funny about the Scorpions cover. I didn't know about that ELO album, if I'd seen it I probably would have bought it. Thanks for that, won't get burned now.
I'm offended by remastered albums from the 70s on vinyl that don't disclose that they're not using the original master tapes as source, but some digital copy.
Spot on! Here's another personal rant... I picked up the very 1st MCA CD issue of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "One More From the Road" only to find a notice inside the package that stated "In our effort to bring you the original double LP for the cost of a single CD, we have had to omit 2 selections due to the length of the original LP." Boy was I pissed about it!
A lot of mid-late 80s CD issues left things off to save money. The 1978 "Superman" movie soundtrack left two pieces off to fit on one CD, Dokken's "Beast From The East" live album left out a couple of tracks, I'm sure there were many others. A few edited releases had the good sense to call it "Highlights" or something. The single CD "Phantom Of The Opera" highlights album, for example.
I'm glad to see that you didn't share the original cover of Virgin Killer by the Scorpions. That would have been even more difficult to explain.
Lol Jesus yeah that one is kind of rough
This vid really made me think…what a concept!
I have so many offensive (misleading) albums covers in mind. I’m going to have to give this a little time because I know I’m not nearly thinking of the worst right now.
There’s something about your list that really makes me want to get this right so…we’ll, anyway, you’ve got a new subscriber.
Edit: Just as an aside…I really want to know what cover ideas Spinal Tap had for ‘Smell The Glove’ prior to the chick on all fours thing…the mind reels!
The Paul McCarrtney ones actually had the full artwork inside. All you needed to do was fold the front part over and the full size was there.
Good respect for rhoads, kerslake, and daisley. One of the best bands ever. The original blizzard of oz band
Hey Robert, great video very entertaining I enjoyed it and you reminded me of something that has bugged me for 30 damn years I don't know why but being upset about it flash me back after watching your video. I'm sure you remember when Bad Company came out with the CD 10 from 6 which was 10 tracks from six albums. However, Burnin sky was listed as one of the albums that a track was supposed to be from but there are no tracks from the burning Sky album and when I bought it back in the 80s I believe my favorite song was burning sky and I thought for sure that would be on there like a dumbass I didn't bother to check before purchasing it and after listening to the whole album it dawned on me there was no track from that album even though the album listed it is having a song from that album. Anyways, if you ever do an updated version please include that in there because that is just as deceptive as your legitimate gripes were here actually maybe more because it didn't even include the song it's stated on the cover LOL.
LOL! "10 From 5" I never understood why they didn't include "Burnin' Sky"
I could never understand why the greatest hits CD didn't have the song Bad Company. Seriously? It's only their signature song...
Cool video. First off I have to say R.I.P Lee Kerslake. So I totally agree with you that what Sharon Osbourne did by having the bass and drum parts on the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a madman albums rerecorded, is very offensive. She only did it to avoid paying them songwriting and performance royalties. Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake were suing the Osbournes at that time. On a side note, the musicians that did the work are garbage and should be called out for it at every opportunity. They knew what they were doing. It was Robert Trujillo on bass who now plays for metallica, and Mike Bordin from faith no more on the drums.
Its funny that you mention the Scorpions because the made the only album cover that has ever offended me. That would be the original German cover for the virgin killer album. They seem to be the original kings of the offensive covers.
Cheers.
This is more to do with packaging but it still annoys me how the non-jewel case releases have the discs slipped in the side (replicating an LP) but they don't have any protective sleeve around the disc to stop the playing surface from scratching when you remove or put back the disc. I eventually bought a bunch of plastic CD sleeves just because it was that common.
Oh that strips my gears too! Talk about cheap. My Led Zep Mothership CD came like that, and I was like really??? 🤬😤
The good thing about those McCartney's is that those were kind of an 'outer cover'. The full cover was featured on the next page... but yeah, I get where you are coming from!
There are Ozzy CDs like that. I just fold the front page backward.
@@RobertFithen Exactly!
I am a little miffed at the clickbait, but I totally agree with the choices of “offensive” albums. I have dealt with most of these examples too. I might also add that some CDs came with gimmicks like a CDRom video, or DVD on the reverse side that made the CD side unplayable by some CD players.
I have a few albums that go to an even further extreme:
-- "The Best Of The Animals" - here you got Eric Burdon's voice superimposed over what sounds like poorly-constructed MIDI tracks.
-- There was an album of '60s R&B "oldies" that was obviously created during the waning disco era. There was a version of Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin' " where ALL of the instruments were replaced with some disco session musicians, and it was a trainwreck supreme. I put it in a garage sale pile, but nobody took the bait, and I just donated it to some other sucker down the road.
-- Even Frank Zappa, whom I consider to be one of the most prolific composers and performers of the 20th Century, and whose efforts led to the acceptance of digital media itself, stepped over the line with re-releases of "We're Only In It For The Money" and "Cruisin' With Ruben & The Jets" that sucked donkeys. According to Zappa, when he finally got the master tapes, the bass and drum tracks were gone, deteriorated to the point where there was only clear space instead of the magnetic media which once existed. How did he "fix" this? By having Scott Thunes and Chad Wackerman re-record those bass and drum parts.
Problem was, they didn't do it very well; in fact, it sounded like they played through the album once.
Zappa's response to the complaints? It was a "take it or leave it" approach. Okay, Frank -- I left it. (Fortunately, I still have my vinyl copies in pristine condition, so there.)
-- Dishonorable mentions go to all of those '60s "20 greatest hits" compilations that cut some extreme corners. I remember one of these piecs of crap that featured "Walk Away Renee" that began with a fade-in after the second chorus, which meant you got the dinky flute solo and a chorus, and done. WTF?
And the industry wonders why people don't buy albums anymore?
That's okay -- the labels don't give a damn, as evidenced by their reliance on 360 deals that scoop money away from artists at every turn.
And don't get me started on the weasels who steal co-production credits in some pretty nefarious ways! I can't tell you how happy I am NOT to be signed to ANY record deal anymore.
Absolutely! I remember hearing the "We're Only It For the Money" CD and thinking it would be authentic based on the cd cover now being as originally intended. I actually purchased it and was really put off by the drum machines, etc. Thankfully, it has been re-released since then with some kind of masters and, of course like you said, there's always the original vinyl.
I remember growing up with one of those 60's comps. It was one of the first albums Iever heard. Edited "Leader of the Pack" and "Runaround Sue", but the long version of "Crimson and Clover". Strange.
This was entertaining to see you get excited about the issues you took with edits. I am the same way, except when I get excited about some things my friends tell me I'm yelling lol . I tell them I'm excited and passionate, and I use an elevated tone in my voice to emphasize the passion lol. I get stares and crickets. Good episode for the humor. Btw, I did expect you were going to show album covers with the bootay factor. Ha!
Those Paul McCartney reissues (1993 I think it was) actually came with full artwork inside the booklet. Only the pages outside was smaller.
I once went out with a girl who was otherwise very well musically educated had managed to travel time and space but never heard the last three verses of Bat Out Of Hell starting at "Well I can see myself tearing up the road, faster than any other boy had gone before...." because she'd only ever heard radio edits and the song on compilations.
Until that point the song is literally meaningless - it's a story without an ending!
I mostly agree with you about including single edits on compilations, especially when album covers don't inform you as much. However, when it comes to the Rolling Stones, I strongly prefer the single edit of You Can't Always Get What You Want. In fact, I bought a greatest hits package by the Stones (I forget which), and I was annoyed when they included the album version. The single version is a lot tighter; it gets rid of that "And I went down to the demonstration..." verse, which, in my opinion, lyrically speaking, doesn't fit with the rest of the song.
this video is great! not what I thought i was getting into and glad. I also hated the old CDs when the album art was barely used or had white pages! wtf! great points!
I held off picking up Ozzy's first two CDs for this very reason. Fortunately, they were re-released *again* but this time a sticker indicated they were by the original musicians and then, I researched to verify this was indeed true. Buying music shouldn't be this difficult. 😅
Thank god I have Blizzard of Ozz on vinyl. Original pressing. Thanks for the heads up. I have that CD. Never listened to it. Still sealed.
Awesome! Fortunately I don't think the 2002 version was ever released on vinyl so at least there's that.
The worst album covers are all of Phil Collins’ albums. There is no clear warning about the horrors that lay within:
how true..!!
Ain't that the truth blood 😁
On the Flaming Youth LP, he only sings on one song.
Phil ******* Collins. Yuk!
My first time seeing content on your site. Excellent commentary. I’m a 54 crabby music fan who got a real good laugh at almost all of your comments. I subscribed and look forward to more new as well as looking at older videos. Please do another top 5 offensive list. My main gripe is a two for one Royal screwing by what constitutes The Little River Band. I saw they were touring around my hometown at a cool bar and for $25 bucks I figured they were playing at a bar and the cost reasonable because they are up in age. When it started I knew something was wrong because I recognized no one and they seem to have gotten younger . Then they started talking and I thought gee they lost their Australian accents. Ok……. It happens I guess….??????? They start singing and I looked at a guy and noticed 2/3 of the crowd with a collected WTF moment. Not one original member. Long story but the 3 main members lost the right to use the name or tour with any reference to the fact they were the writers and performers. The poster for the show said 40th anniversary with all the hits you loved. And pictures of the guys on old album covers to fool people into thinking this was the real deal. And I noticed in a music store these douchebag went and re-recorded 1/2 of their big songs and when you hear them it’s just sad knowing people are handing over money to buy a cover band which is worse then what Jeff Lynne did. Wayne Nelson I believe is the guy that has a bond to the old group having joined in 1981 after they had most of the success. He sang lead on Night owls and played bass. But that’s all. Douchebags !!!!!!😂😆🤣
Please do another list with this on there. ☮️
Thanks! I saw an entire classic rock festival with 5 bands. Not ONE original member,.,, in FIVE bands!
2:55 - If you wanna hear some GOOD re recordings check out Gordon Lightfoot's 1975 retro "Gord's Gold". Sides 1 & 2 feature new Reprise versions of his earlier songs for United Artists... and I have to admit the new recordings are genuinely superior! Better production, better arrangements, better everything...
Great job! You actually pointed out truly offensive things which every music lover really hates. I've had the experience with rerecorded songs on cd without any mention whatsoever. I could've spit blood. Hypgnosis art has always been amazing, of course. Nothing to get offended over. :-)
It seems like I can always tell when Hypgnosis has designed an album cover. They are quite a few levels up.
@@RobertFithen Yep, it's actually real 'cover-art'.
Hilarious thumb nail. Good move👍🏻
Thanks!
I'm offended when they had to change the cover of Love drive and just put a logo of a scorpion with the words love drive. They should of kept the original.
Yeah the dumb censored cover is the one I have. Outstanding album, but I want the original artwork.
*have. Should HAVE. I know should’ve sounds like “of”, but it’s not.
As always great clip. I don't know if the edits are really offensive in the 'cover artwork' sense, but they are INCREDIBLY f*ked up. The worst edit in Stones camp is 'Rocks Off', but it's on one of the other late era comps.
I'm just so impressed you didn't do one of those lame segments featuring 'Amorica' or "Appetite' etc etc, and then tell the back story for the 118th time
Good to know about the Blue Sky album. Really good offends here.🔥💥🚀🧨💣
what offends me are those cds they made to be copy proof or impossible to rip just to find out they wont even play period on certain car or home system set ups essentially making it a fruitless purchase throwing away your money
Absolutely! I think it was poor timing to do that because people were already switching over to streaming services back then.
What are a few titles of cd's that couldn't be ripped?
one i know for sure is i believe to be the first pressing of the soundtrack to the original fast & the furious movie,....as far as other titles the experiment didnt last too long as the public outcry from cd buyers and store owners losing money over returned discs is so massive so quickly that the labels had to squash the experiment too sudden for many titles to get the anti pirating treatment
Jeff Lynne released a solo album at the same time as the re-recorded ELO compilation, it was mentioned in the media a lot at the time that they were new versions, which is why I picked it up. With the passage of time, this obviously causes issue as if it's nowhere to be seen on the artwork, then the buyer is in for a surprise, either good or bad! As much as I love Jeff, his new approach to production leaves a lot to be desired. It sounds very tinny - as does the production he's done on other releases for both his incarnation of ELO and other artists also.
I remember a Bee Gees album called “Main Course” ( the 2 hits “Jive Talkin’” and “Nights On Broadway” were on there) it depicted a nude woman bathing in a giant spoon, it was drawn but i always wondered if that caused controversy.
Brilliant. Keep them coming! A much needed diversion right now! Best wishes from London, England
HaHa, love the "thumbnail talk". Perfect! This video randomly popped up in my feed, dig your outlook! Just sub'd and looking forward to diving into your content. Take care.
Those cropped art reissue CDs always bothered me when I would see them in stores. Never fell for them, though.
There was a time in the 90's and early 2000's when it was in vogue for Rock acts to have these cartoon drawings as album covers. I'm not just talking about some of the bigger bands that you would expect to have bad artwork (Limp Bizkit, Korn, Etc.) but some actually decent bands that fell into that trend. Sponge has one with that style, just horrendous. I think it was called New Pop Sunday? Sponge's first two records were phenomenal and had great artwork, though.
I miss the Cassette Art and lay-outs from back in the day. Especially once CDs became more popular. Tapes always had to crop or alter the larger art down and there was always something about that anesthetic, for the most part, that I really enjoyed.
When Scorpions-Lovedrive came out it was in red or purple cellophane. You couldn’t see the cover. The record store wouldn’t sell it to me. I was underage.
They released it with an alternate cover
Boo
When you held up Lovedrive I thought you were going to show us the Walmart versions with the altered art. That was a thing for a moment, protecting everyone from offensive imagery and the label caving. I've seen Lovedrive with just the Scorpions logo and a scorpion on top, or Love at First Sting with just the band in black and white, walking. Btw, I also hated getting tape club cassettes with the shrunken cover on a white background and the label on the side being basic print between pink stripes. That was Columbia House, when an artist on Sire/Warner Bros and not Epic/CBS labels. RCA was no better with the small picture and the licensing written on the cover.
Exactly! I hated the Columbia House cassettes. The back cover of Nirvana In Utero was altered specifically for Wal-Mart.
YES that’s exactly what I thought he was going to do, show the Scorps logo version of LoveDrive. 😆
Just walked in a store when you said "sweet emotion". Song playing in the store
also
1. Mike Watt "Ballhog or Tugboat" the cover seems to be of two men enjoying each other's company
2. Cerrone: "Love in C Minor". The version that was Not released in the U.S."
3. "Blind Faith" Also, the version that was Not released in the U.S.
Oh yeah...don't get me started. I may even have to pull them out and show them.
Man that blizzard of oz cd from 2002 CONFUSED THE HELL OUT OF ME IN MY TEENS
Cheap rereleases, remixed and rehashed versions of old releases should offend every conscious consumer. Money grab by old artists and the record companies no doubt.
Well, I just got busted for knuckle dragging. You went off discussing album and song misrepresentation, when I thought you were going to address John D'allessandro's elephant in the room.
Always great content from you. Thanks.
I was offended when I found that the Roxy Music collection "Atlantic Years" had just 2 pre-79 tracks on it. The songs were actually listed on the sleeve, but the front cover girl had me distracted from reading.
I hate having remastered cds that change from the jewel case to a sleeve. An example is Ozzy's Memoir Of Mad Man. I hate how it causes finger prints.
And you can always replace a damaged jewel case, but if a cd sleeve is torn or bent, then that's that.
@@RobertFithen Exactly. And it's always newer releases like the recent deluxe editions of the Black Sabbath albums and Budgie. I just dont get why they wont do the plastic case glued to it
The Scorpions album cover is great. I bet the guy is thinking: 'So that's where I left my bubblegum.'
From a different era, but then so am i! Great cover.
I totally agree with you on the Ozzy. I was pissed when dragon lady took Kerslake and Daisley off. Awesome collection bud, looks like mine.
Busted ! How about '72 Flash "Flash in the pan" LP cover ? Love that one.
It's actually titled "Flash...In The Can."
I'm with you about being bugged when they don't put run times next to the track listing so you can tell if it's an edit etc. Worse than that is when they don't list song titles anywhere on the exterior packaging. It seemed to be sort of a trend between 200-2010, but the first band i noticed it with was Bright Eyes. I was just getting into them and didn't have regular access to the internet etc... when I was trying to decide which CD to buy I couldn't tell if it was EP or LP length because i couldn't even tell how many songs were on the album.... The old CDs that wouldn't even use the back covers bug me too, like you mentioned. They all seemed to have a little warning label about how to properly clean CDs and nothing else but the front cover....
I think a band has to have a certain stature to not have a track listing on the back. Like they'd better be Led Zeppelin or Pimk Floyd.
There was an infuriating trend for awhile to leave big gaps on CDs too. Put the disk in, player shows 52:00 run time. After 34 minutes and the last song ends, but the CD keeps going until 51:50 and then the sound of someone walking down a hall or some woman giggling, and THEN it's over. Made me make sure to never buy anything by that artist again, or if I did, buy it used so they never profit from me.
30 thumbs down as of June 21, 2021. I wonder how many of those people actually WATCHED the video.
BUSTED!
Enjoyable rant, I mean discussion. I think we have all been burned at one time or another with hits being rerecorded and that feeling you get when you discern that this does not sound like the original. Carry on.
Solid post, and I agree with all of those. The one I find particularly offensive is the pressings that don't indicate the use of alternate mixes... especially first pressings for newer releases. Peace and stay solid.
Similar to that ozzy one, I have a CD of Zappa's Cruising with Ruben and the Jets album with rerecorded bass and drums which doesn't mention that anywhere on the packaging. Since I had not heard the album beforehand it took many listens before I discovered that it was the rerecorded version, which explained why it sounded so oddly '80s esque for a doo wop throwback album from 1968. I can only imagine they did not advertise the fact that it was redone to be sneaky about it, but then why rerecord it at all?
Zappa did that with "We're Only In It For The Money", too. Horrible.
I didn't know that about those 2 Zappa records until I found original LP's of them. The first time I heard them was the early 90's CD's.
I’m offended. That’s way too much bubble gum on that scorpions. 😉
Busted, pal !
Busted
The back cover of that album is better! ;)
@@karfan2290 Busted, haha. Sorry you need to watch the video. :)
@@ianwhite6034 But I watched the whole video! This was my comment regarding Tom Trauber comment.
OK you got me I was ready to rant and then I finished the video and started giggling my ass off, great video of my friend
Well I found whitesnakes Radio edited version of Here I go again sounding more poppy than original version with more keyboards being played all the way through.
"Greatest Hits" is like that, but at least my copy states that it is the "radio version".