There have been many poor “remastered” CD’s issued by increasingly desperate record companies in recent years. The New Order “Deluxe Editions” of 2008 remain the pinnacle of record company ineptitude and stupidity.
But there has emerged a challenger to New Orders crown with
the release of the “Special Edition” of Electronics’ eponymously titled debut.
Why would you include a second CD with new edits of songs
that are completely unrelated to the original album and exclude the rare and
unreleased single edit of “Tighten Up”? Why add alternative versions of tracks
recorded eight years later and omit remixes of “Getting Away with It” which
have never been released on CD in the UK?
Why label “Feel Every Beat” as the “2013 Edit” when it is in fact the DNA
remix from 1991?
The release of this CD is a mercenary act that has been
conducted by people who are completely ignorant. If you were to be generous to EMI
records, you would describe this collection of music as ‘eclectic’. If you were
feeling evil you would say it is a complete mess not worthy of a single penny
of your hard earned cash.
If a CD is worth reissuing as a “Special Edition” surely it
is worth getting right? This lazy ‘scatter gun’ approach to track selection is
pathetic. I guess we should be grateful nothing on these two CDs has been taken
from a vinyl source (unlike the afore mentioned New Order releases) and the
uninspiring packaging does at least contain some new sleeve notes.
Personally I think it should be relabelled as the
“Especially Bad Edition” and I encourage everyone to steer clear of it.