I was on amazon earlier today, one click away from ordering three of the New Order double-disc reissues for 12 quid each, and I suddenly pulled back and thought, "Am I fucking nuts?" I have almost everything on these discs already, on vinyl and on tape. I'm just too fucking lazy to look them out when I want to hear them, so I'm going to donate 36 quid to various undesirable parties (and I include the band in that description)for doing nothing but the favour of re-packaging music I've already bought (twice in the case of Technique, which I have on vinyl and cassette. And several of the 12" singles, which I also have on Substance). And I quickly logged off before I changed my mind.

Phew. Though that's not to say that I won't weaken and cave in at some point. Please tell several times over me what an idiot I would be to do that.

Are they just re-releases, or do they have any form of added value?

I thought the same but still ended up shelling out on Movement, Power, Corruption & Lies and Lowlife even though i have them in their original form. These record companies make fortunes out of bellends like me.

Well whatever the grubby reasons for reissuing, I enjoyed the chance to listen to them all again and I think that the albums and 12"s are the best way to listen to 'em.
http://www.thequietus.com/articles/new-order-back-catalogue-reissues

Those reviews just further weaken my resolve, dammit. Like your dissenter, my favourite remains Technique, and I could never much get into Brotherhood, BLT aside. And State of the Nation is the most awful piece of crap they ever recorded.

If I succumb, like I already have on a couple of Go-Betweens' re-issues, I'll confess. In the meantime, listen to the sound of me wrestling with myself.

By the way, does anyone know anywhere online you can buy these for cheaper than the 12 quid each they are on amazon?

The ZTT 808 State reissues are very good but I'll post about them elsewhere.

Hey (checks 808 State site), they were out yesterday.

I see none of the 808 State remixes of Azura, Baboa or Joyrider made it onto the Don Solaris remaster. Shame.

Matador has gotten me to buy the first three Pavement albums again, at a higher cost, and they'll do so for Brighten the Corners when they put out the reissue next month. But they've added a lot of extras, thankfully, so it's worth it.

I have the New Order box set, do I need this too?

I've seen on amazon that there have been numerous complaints from fans about the quality of the bonus discs. I was just about to send links to my family suggesting these as possible Yuletide gifts, but again I've held back.

I also read recently that the first four Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds albums were to be subject to similar re-issues this month, but there's no sign of them on amazon.

In belated response to Reed's question - I'd say it depends how much you like the boxed set, which was an arbitary selection at best. There's a lot of good stuff missing from it.

Those reissues with bonus discs are usually a con. That said (and if we're talking about Factory artists), I would recommend the recent reissue of Bummed by Happy Mondays. In terms of bonus tracks, it's got everything you would want: all the tracks from the Madchester Rave On EP and all the various remixes from the time. It highlights the fact that for one brief moment the Happy Mondays were a brilliant and groundbreaking band. Unfortunately the sleevenotes for the reissue are written by OTF's favourite journalist John Harris, but you can't have everything.

Who reads sleevenotes?

Incandenza wrote:

QUOTE:
Matador has gotten me to buy the first three Pavement albums again, at a higher cost, and they'll do so for Brighten the Corners when they put out the reissue next month. But they've added a lot of extras, thankfully, so it's worth it.

BTC comes with a vinyl live album if you pre-order in the States.

Fuck-all over here though. May have to try and order it.

Who am I kidding? I will order it.