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Retrospect Records strikes again.........


Mullethead

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Like I've said before, I don't agree with everything Sam is doing with Retrospect, but there is no denying that he has many legitimate bands on his roster and with all of the negativeness that comes form someone like Koogles, T-Bone, yourself and a few others it affects the bands just as much as it affects Sam.

 

About the bands on Retrospect's roster and their legitmacy:

 

Heartless is easily contacted. So if this reissue was not legit, we'd probably hear from them. In fact, I'm sure that many of you already know how to get ahold of them.

 

Alyze has been contacted by people from this board and they've confirmed their reissue and release of their EP is legit.

 

The Bad Angels disc has 2 bonus tracks added to this release. If someone were just booting it...why would they go through the trouble of adding those two songs??

 

Red China Blue has a website and can be contacted easily. Ask them if their release is legit. I've already check it out....and it is.....

 

And the list goes on. These people are not so difficult to find. And a majority of them are psyched to have their material put out there....again. Is Retrospect going to be required to provide proof of EVERY release it puts out before people will bellieve it?? Did people get this bent about Metal Mayhem...or Perris whent they did this??? Did they have to provide proof to anyone??? Seems Retrospect is being held to a higher standard.....

 

Maybe Sam will have to have some of these people provide personal posts...and/or emails to this website...or some public forum to verify what's going on at Retrospect. Maybe phone calls.....something.....because it is so rediculous to see the constant allegations without any proof whatsoever....

 

The bottom line is...that You all are allowed have your own opinions on these releases. But I personally think you are depriving yourself of some kickass music. But that's your decisions to make...............

 

Keep Rockin'

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Without getting too involved in this topic, what i see from standing on the outside is people are not against this stuff being re-issued, but if it is re-issued with consent of the bands then why isn't it made widely available to all music lovers?

 

Surely it is in the best interest of the band to sell 5 copies at $12 compared to 1 copy at $50.

 

Is there anywhere we can go to pick up these releases for $10-12 a pop, or do we have to battle it out on an ebay auction where these often go for unrealistic prices?

 

The fact that the only copies are auctioned on ebay doesn't really give the perception that these cds are re-issued to benefit either the band or the fans.

 

If these were made availalbe to the general public then I think folks would be far more accepting of the whole re-issue thing.

 

Just my 2c.....

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Without getting too involved in this topic, what i see from standing on the outside is people are not against this stuff being re-issued, but if it is re-issued with consent of the bands then why isn't it made widely available to all music lovers?

 

Surely it is in the best interest of the band to sell 5 copies at $12 compared to 1 copy at $50.

 

Is there anywhere we can go to pick up these releases for $10-12 a pop, or do we have to battle it out on an ebay auction where these often go for unrealistic prices?

 

The fact that  the only copies are auctioned on ebay doesn't really give the perception that these cds are re-issued to benefit either the band or the fans.

 

If these were made availalbe to the general public then I think folks would be far more accepting of the whole re-issue thing.

 

Just my 2c.....

 

You beat me to it. The Rertospective Records website itself says the following;

 

"..........no more trying to outbid someone else on EBAY for the rare and collectable hard rock titles you want in your collection."

 

$50 for the Friction release is way too pricey. Sure, it used to go for over $500 on Ebay. However, to give it a 'legitimate' release and slug the very listeners it's supposed to cater to $50 a pop smacks of mere profiteering. How can this price be justified, given that the cost to produce this disc would be the same as any other release in their catalog?

 

Get it out there at a decent price, and you'll get a lot more people buying it (and get yourself some good PR in the process).

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Without getting too involved in this topic, what i see from standing on the outside is people are not against this stuff being re-issued, but if it is re-issued with consent of the bands then why isn't it made widely available to all music lovers?

 

Surely it is in the best interest of the band to sell 5 copies at $12 compared to 1 copy at $50.

 

Is there anywhere we can go to pick up these releases for $10-12 a pop, or do we have to battle it out on an ebay auction where these often go for unrealistic prices?

 

The fact that  the only copies are auctioned on ebay doesn't really give the perception that these cds are re-issued to benefit either the band or the fans.

 

If these were made availalbe to the general public then I think folks would be far more accepting of the whole re-issue thing.

 

Just my 2c.....

 

You beat me to it. The Rertospective Records website itself says the following;

 

"..........no more trying to outbid someone else on EBAY for the rare and collectable hard rock titles you want in your collection."

 

$50 for the Friction release is way too pricey. Sure, it used to go for over $500 on Ebay. However, to give it a 'legitimate' release and slug the very listeners it's supposed to cater to $50 a pop smacks of mere profiteering. How can this price be justified, given that the cost to produce this disc would be the same as any other release in their catalog?

 

Get it out there at a decent price, and you'll get a lot more people buying it (and get yourself some good PR in the process).

 

I agree with you. I don't like the way he does this either. But, because he does do it this way certainly does NOT mean that it is not legitimate. And that's been my point to those who keep saying they're bootlegs.

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Without getting too involved in this topic, what i see from standing on the outside is people are not against this stuff being re-issued, but if it is re-issued with consent of the bands then why isn't it made widely available to all music lovers?

 

Surely it is in the best interest of the band to sell 5 copies at $12 compared to 1 copy at $50.

 

Is there anywhere we can go to pick up these releases for $10-12 a pop, or do we have to battle it out on an ebay auction where these often go for unrealistic prices?

 

The fact that  the only copies are auctioned on ebay doesn't really give the perception that these cds are re-issued to benefit either the band or the fans.

 

If these were made availalbe to the general public then I think folks would be far more accepting of the whole re-issue thing.

 

Just my 2c.....

 

Lindsay...I dunno...I DO think their are people who are against these things being reissued. I've heard everything from "My collection will devalue"....to people worrying that their eBay sales will take a hit....so, I do believe that there are some who are opposed to the reissues.

 

I do agree with you, that it would definitely be more economical for Retrospect to sell their items differently. But..then again, it depends on the type of contract they have with their respective bands. Just from a cashflow standpoint alone it would benefit Retrospect....but this is his baby and he'll handle it how he wants. Remember...ultimately, the success of his sales will determine whether or not he even stays in business. And as any owner of a company will attest...the idea is to make money...but you have to stay in business to do so!!! LOL Time will tell......

 

Maybe you can ask BrianJ of this message board. He has recently signed with Retrospect to have his material reissued. Maybe he can shed some light onto why..or how bands are 'ok' with how Retrospect is handling sales.

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Without getting too involved in this topic, what i see from standing on the outside is people are not against this stuff being re-issued, but if it is re-issued with consent of the bands then why isn't it made widely available to all music lovers?

 

Surely it is in the best interest of the band to sell 5 copies at $12 compared to 1 copy at $50.

 

Is there anywhere we can go to pick up these releases for $10-12 a pop, or do we have to battle it out on an ebay auction where these often go for unrealistic prices?

 

The fact that  the only copies are auctioned on ebay doesn't really give the perception that these cds are re-issued to benefit either the band or the fans.

 

If these were made availalbe to the general public then I think folks would be far more accepting of the whole re-issue thing.

 

Just my 2c.....

 

Lindsay...I dunno...I DO think their are people who are against these things being reissued. I've heard everything from "My collection will devalue"....to people worrying that their eBay sales will take a hit....so, I do believe that there are some who are opposed to the reissues.

 

I do agree with you, that it would definitely be more economical for Retrospect to sell their items differently. But..then again, it depends on the type of contract they have with their respective bands. Just from a cashflow standpoint alone it would benefit Retrospect....but this is his baby and he'll handle it how he wants. Remember...ultimately, the success of his sales will determine whether or not he even stays in business. And as any owner of a company will attest...the idea is to make money...but you have to stay in business to do so!!! LOL Time will tell......

 

Maybe you can ask BrianJ of this message board. He has recently signed with Retrospect to have his material reissued. Maybe he can shed some light onto why..or how bands are 'ok' with how Retrospect is handling sales.

 

 

Not to mention that a silver pressing would help :blink:

 

JL

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I did notice that each of the releases clearly shows the original release date as well as the reissue date (1990 / 2005 for example), so no one is being intentionally deceived.

 

I'm not a fan of reissues (unless they have NEVER been released on CD previously) so whether it's Sam that's packaging the product, or Jesus Christ himself, so it's of no concern to me.

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If you dont agree with what this label is doing, then simply do not support it. I dont know much about it, but after reading on here I did look into it.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to reissues. Some are good, and some are bad. Guess it just depends on your own tastes, and what you want as a fan and collector.

 

As far as asking costs go, as with any biz its up to the powers that be of that biz to decide what their product is worth. Then, its up to the buying public to decide if that is fair market value for the goods the biz offers. Ultimately the biz will do well, or fall hard.

 

Sam takes a lot of heat on these boards, and I am not here to support or cut him down. There are many many sellers out there who ask very high prices for whatever they are selling. There are lots of old thrash albums I need to replace an aging list of LPs. But, they are going for big bucks. Bucks Im not willing to pay, as where others are. My loss, their gain, but its still my choice to buy or not to buy.

 

Take a quick peek at Gemm and Musicstack. The places are flooded with high priced items, so its not just Sam doing this practice. I say let it die and let Retrospect do their thing and it not be rehashed over and over on these boards.

 

Besides, there are some damn cool people on here I would much rather chat about music than this other suff..

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If you dont agree with what this label is doing, then simply do not support it. I dont know much about it, but after reading on here I did look into it.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to reissues. Some are good, and some are bad. Guess it just depends on your own tastes, and what you want as a fan and collector.

 

As far as asking costs go, as with any biz its up to the powers that be of that biz to decide what their product is worth.  Then, its up to the buying public to decide if that is fair market value for the goods the biz offers. Ultimately the biz will do well, or fall hard.

 

Sam takes a lot of heat on these boards, and I am not here to support or cut him down. There are many many sellers out there who ask very high prices for whatever they are selling. There are lots of old thrash albums I need to replace an aging list of LPs. But, they are going for big bucks. Bucks Im not willing to pay, as where others are. My loss, their gain, but its still my choice to buy or not to buy.

 

Take a quick peek at Gemm and Musicstack. The places are flooded with high priced items, so its not just Sam doing this practice. I say let it die and let Retrospect do their thing and it not be rehashed over and over on these boards.

 

Besides, there are some damn cool people on here I would much rather chat about music than this other suff..

 

 

 

 

 

Re-issues are fine as long as they are silver pressed and the band is aware. If the band is aware then that's great. But why would I pay that much for a green tinted cd-r?

 

 

JL

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If you dont agree with what this label is doing, then simply do not support it.

 

Besides, there are some damn cool people on here I would much rather chat about music than this other suff..

 

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Mullethead,

 

Exactly my point. Their decision to print the CDs on green tint CD-R is what turned you off to the discs. Business decision they made, and obviously will hurt them. Do others feel the same? Some do, some dont care.

 

As far as band royalties and mechanical fees, they better be getting paid, or yet another decision that could come back to haunt retrospect. My guess is, the bands are getting paid, its just the packaging and pressing thats the issue to some. Different strokes for different folks.

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Mullethead,

 

Exactly my point. Their decision to print the CDs on green tint CD-R is what turned you off to the discs. Business decision they made, and obviously will hurt them. Do others feel the same? Some do, some dont care.

I've got hundreds of green tinted cd-r's, why would I want to pay $50.00 (or even $20.00) for one? But I gladly replace any htf cd-r I have with the real deal whenever I am lucky enough to come across one.

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Mullethead,

 

 

 

My guess is, the bands are getting paid, its just the packaging and pressing thats the issue to some.

 

 

 

I wouldn't bet the farm on that <_<

 

 

 

JL

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As i have stated before, most music-loving people just care about having the music on CD format and could care less about what color the disc is that they have it on. Hell i'll take a polka-dotted disc if it means i can have ZUMA II on CD and not a scratchy record or worn out cassette!!

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Sorry...I think alot of people DO CARE what they are buying, but maybe they have nowhere to vent about it. Not everyone has access to a webpage or a phone number to complain about things such as this, so you'd never hear from them. Besides, if they left a Negative for Sam, he just bans them from his auctions and spouts off anyway. He didn't make a "decision" to print them on CDR's for any other reason other than to cut to the cheapest cost and to maximize his pocket lining. Sure businessess want to cut costs as much as possible, but if the loss of customers is greater than the amount of cost you cut, you've gained nothing.

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Sorry...I think alot of people DO CARE what they are buying, but maybe they have nowhere to vent about it. Not everyone has access to a webpage or a phone number to complain about things such as this, so you'd never hear from them. Besides, if they left a Negative for Sam, he just bans them from his auctions and spouts off anyway. He didn't make a "decision" to print them on CDR's for any other reason other than to cut to the cheapest cost and to maximize his pocket lining. Sure businessess want to cut costs as much as possible, but if the loss of customers is greater than the amount of cost you cut, you've gained nothing.

 

I guess the proof will be in the pudding T-Bone. Sam has tons more mega rare releases slated for release and has contacted many bands to issue alot of unreleased material. The way i see it, Sam has had zero complaints on everything he has sold so far on his label, so as of right now, things are looking up and all of his customers are happy with their product. Not to mention, these bands are absolutely ecstatic that they have an outlet for their previously released [and re-issued] or previously unreleased music. They are simply amazed that there are still folks out here that still want to hear their music and that style of music.

They could care less, too, about what color the disc is -- the bands know that they aren't going to move a whole lot of units [lets face it, the 80s hard rock market is pretty small - these cd's aren't going to go gold or platinum -- hence why they are content to be on a small label] so whatever they do sell, they want to get maximum buckage. It all makes sense to me.

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I don't understand what all the fuss is, as far as I know all releases are legit, I know Sam is releasing some of my music, and Im just happy that it can be released. If Sam wants to sell on ebay or through his web site thats his choice. He is not forcing anyone to buy the material. Im sure all the prices will come down. He is only releasing 100 of each band for now, Im sure once he gets a hold on the label and how it should be run things will change. Remember starting a business is hard and there is a lot of trial and error involved. This is a new venture and he will learn what it takes to make it work, and the most important thing for it to work in satisfying the customer. It does cost a lot of money to pay for the amount of material being released, and he needs to have funds to keep it going. Now If it was me I wouldnt be releasing so much all at once, but that isnt my decison. I am sure if people just e-mail him and tell him what they like and dislike about the way things are being done, things will change. I have had no problems at all dealing with Sam on my release in fact he has been great about everything. I think the people on this board should be happy that they are gonna be able to hear some great music previously unavailable. Adn I do think once things get rolling the prices will decrease and the label will go from selling on ebay to distributing through online retailers such as NEH and AOR Heaven. Becasue after all if you have a label with all these great acts you do want to get them to the most people. And I believe that it is better to sell 100 cd's at 14.99 then 10 at 60. So hopefully everyone can all hear this great music at a great price.

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A great price would be when they're ALL listed for EVERYONE to buy from a website in the range of $10-20 each and not at Sam's bullshit prices, whether on eBay or his website.

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I don't understand what all the fuss is, as far as I know all releases are legit, I know Sam is releasing some of my music, and Im just happy that it can be released.  If Sam wants to sell on ebay or through his web site thats his choice.  He is not forcing anyone to buy the material.  Im sure all the prices will come down.  He is only releasing 100 of each band for now, Im sure once he gets a hold on the label and how it should be run things will change. Remember starting a business is hard and there is a lot of trial and error involved.  This is a new venture and he will learn what it takes to make it work, and the most important thing for it to work in satisfying the customer.  It does cost a lot of money to pay for the amount of material being released, and he needs to have funds to keep it going.  Now If it was me I wouldnt be releasing so much all at once, but that isnt my decison.  I am sure if people just e-mail him and tell him what they like and dislike about the way things are being done, things will change.  I have had no problems at all dealing with Sam on my release in fact he has been great about everything.  I think the people on this board should be happy that they are gonna be able to hear some great music previously unavailable.  Adn I do think once things get rolling the prices will decrease and the label will go from selling on ebay to distributing through online retailers such as NEH and AOR Heaven.  Becasue after all  if you have a label with all these great acts you do want to get them to the most people.  And I believe that it is better to sell 100 cd's at 14.99 then 10 at 60.  So hopefully everyone can all hear this great music at a great price.

 

I'm on you side Brian. And hasn't this issue been discussed enough now. Getting tired all the time I read someting new about this matter that has been said a hundred times before.

 

Best

Ali

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I just got this e-mail from a friend on the list. Check this shit out.........

 

 

 

 

Hello!! In response to the unauthorized bootleg released by Bobby Feiffer (original guitarist for XYZ) , RETROSPECT RECORDS and XYZ officially announce the new release by XYZ titled "Forbidden Demos - 1985-1990". This release features 18 previously unreleased tracks and rare demos from the greatest decade ever!! XYZ is EXCLUSIVELY represented by Retrospect Records and we are excited to finally get these songs out to the world , the way they were meant to be heard. Look for the new XYZ album Sept. 13 - ONLY available from Retrospect!! ROCK ON! Thanks for your support! Sam McCaslin CEO-President Retrospect Records

 

 

 

My question is, does Terry know about this?

 

JL

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