I sort of agree with your point about DMB and assorted other bands that issue volumes of Live material (Phish, Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam). To me there is a time and place for that, but it should be done judiciously. Some labels and artists have done this properly, treated as lost artifacts from the past. When bands issues hundreds of discs with little musical or creative variety, well, then it is just a dick move.

True, it is only a rip off if you were to buy all six versions. But the point I hoped to make was about the nature of reissues and milking consumers.

It used to be that when there was a big reissue rollout that there was only ever ONE version. When Virgin bought the Stones back catalog and reissued them in 1994 (the version I mention) they issued the 70s LPs in the LP packaging and then they let those versions fall out of print and replaced them with proper jewel cases. Fine. You bought the music, not the extras.

About ten years ago there were a series of reissues on the Universal/Polygram/MCA label. Stuff like the Who, Motown discs and other LPs. These were double CD sets. Live at Leeds by the Who, which had been expanded in 1995 onto one CD was now two, with the entire recorded version of Tommy on the second disc. Plain and easy. The single disc was still in print but the second version offered just that little extra.
When the Elvis Costello catalog transferred from Rykodisc to Warner Brothers, WB released all the titles as double CD sets with the original LPs on the first disc, the extras on the second. These were superior in presentation, etc to the Ryko reissues. And then Hip O released them as only the individual discs, in a less that superior presentation.

A year or so ago I noticed that many of the “bonus material” that was one these second CDs were turning up in stores. It is the same company, Universal, that is now in charge of the Stones catalog and Exile.

What irked me is that as a fan, one who spent the entire fall of 2002 devouring Stones titles and bootleg LPs, is that when I first heard about the reissue which was the only version I wanted? The uber-edition. See the fan is a collector, obsessive and fanatic. Even though I know every second of the LP I want all the extra hoo hah that comes with the reissue. BY nature the fan will want what has the most ‘stuff’ with it.

Simply put the many different editions were just too much and while it may have seemed to have something for everyone the only way the average joe could get any insight into the LP was to get the uber-edition. And I don’t think that is right!

Now my column on being hypocritical on this topic should run next week!

Undercover has some moments on it, the title track is pretty great. Better than the next LP from the Stones. Granted I do like One Hit (To The Body) but that was at the height of their torn and frayed relationships. I believe Keef referred to Mick as Brenda and another unflattering cuss word in the press. Great times.

It’s not a ton different than Dave Matthews releasing countless live albums, or any band, really, doing the same. At least the Stones are GOOD, and there’s a market for the different versions.

On the other hand, they’re only ripping you off if you buy all six versions, right?