Well, maybe they're better now. In the past, they have sucked. I hope you never have the kind of experiences I and some others have had, which got so bad some of my friends in the Fleetwood Mac fandom set up a Facebook page to complain about them. A while later they changed their brand name (I have no idea if the events are related).
I shouldn't be surprised at the complete lack of demos. It drives me nuts that they don't want to officially release demos, since I thoroughly enjoy Fleetwood Mac demos. I like demos in general to see how the song sounds like in the rough.
I went ahead and ordered thru the EAGLES store but Soda is correct, Wonderful Union lacks in service. 3 or 4 years ago, I ordered the satin tour jacket for @ $200 or $225. I opened the box & it was a T-SHIRT!!!
Once I got a hold of their customer service, they were like "really?". They did not ask me to send a photo of the t-shirt or send it back, they just said ok, we will send the tour jacket. I think they know how incompetent they are.
As I was looking at what was offered, it seems they are trying to make up for it a bit with the "extras" on the $100 version. A tourbook is a really nice addition.
Agreed about the demos. It's really cool to see "works in progress" - that's the kind of thing we fans love... outtakes as well. I understand that some of the stuff on their reject pile is total crap, but even early versions with slightly different lyrics are cool to us, as well as early instrumental versions of songs. They played some of that stuff on HOTE so we know it's out there - not to mention some of the stuff that has circulated on torrent sites like the Take It Easy mixes, the early version of Nightingale, the unreleased song Get Up Kate... and that's just what's leaked. Don't tell us there's nothing. There may not be much, but there IS stuff out there.
Yes, if they were to release all of that, I would be hollering "PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY" as I ran to buy it, lol.
I agree, the readers of this board are definitely their target purchaser, buying everything in triplicate, eagerly searching for something new for their collection. But just about everyone is disappointed with the scant extras to this set. It would seem that the biggest selling album of the 20th century would deserve to have a 40th anniversary offering befitting it's significance.
In addition to the remastered disc, I would like to have had 2 DVDs; a full length concert video from one or numerous shows, and one with interviews and clips from the guys and others involved in the album about each song and the making of the record in general (back in the day and today's perspective).
...OK, I know that's a lot! But how much could cleaning up the sound on old recordings cost? I think there was plenty of room within a $100 price tag to do more for dedicated fans than was offered. I think by stepping up their cost a little bit , they would have ended up making up for it with increased sales. I would have paid a lot more than $100 for it.
"Be part of something good--
Leave something good behind."
The one excuse I guess they would have is that there is actually a lack of demo stuff to put out. Victim of love was one take, PMAIAR has a vocal bass and drum version out, TALA has the same thing. Hotel and NKIT would be the two which would probably have a good amount of demo stuff though the music for HC was all off the demo felder had except in a higher key. And the way they made the songs was much more personalized so i guess there wouldn't be any if any demos like the one with take it easy. I'd kill for more isolated tracks and it'd be awesome to see some alternate lyrics they had.
HC wasn't the biggest selling album. Greatest Hits was.
There is no way you would get a DVD of interviews. Glenn is dead, Felder would not be asked & Randy is doubtful. So all you would get would be (mostly) Henley pontificating. Much like the album really (runs & hides).
Several years ago it would have bothered me that this has come out with nothing that interests me. Now I'm not bothered at all. Good luck to those who buy it: I don't believe I will purchase any Eagles product ever again.
I guess I'm only half awake, Lol! Of course it was the greatest hits ( biggest seller)! But so far as the interviews, what I meant about back in the day was including old interviews and clips that we know exist from the time period which would include Glenn, Felder and Randy- such as interviews we see bits of on HOTE. I'm also thinking of later interviews in the 80's when they were asked about the album.
"Be part of something good--
Leave something good behind."