Streaming is a big joke (2024 edition)

[Rudy]

It's a record label problem, as they usually delete the older versions of albums in favor of newer ones that are considered "in print." Streaming companies offer only what the labels allow them to use. I don't see how that's their fault.

The luxury we have is access to places like Discogs and brick and mortar stores where we can buy out of print recordings. Streaming companies are not presented as vast libraries of current and past releases. There's probably a fraction of a percent of us out here who even care about something like this, to be honest. Since I use it as a supplement to my library and not a primary music source, it doesn't affect me directly anyway. And to their credit, I do sometimes find older released versions of albums on Qobuz.

 

[Nemily]

In the case of "Say You Love Me," there is no notation on the song title on Amazon "Unlimited" of a remix, remaster or anything -- just the title. So it's pretty likely that the original LP version got overwritten in their systems somehow. It would probably take Mick Fleetwood making a phone call to get it straightened out, and even that might not work considering how many people have noticed and/or care about it.

I haven’t streamed Fleetwood Macs songs in a while. Usually when I listen to Fleetwood Mac it is only on vinyl since I have a pretty solid collection of theirs. I did find that you can still listen to the original “Say You Love me” on Apple. They call it the early version

As you said, Amazon offers the new mix only in both Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos. I think new mixes are becoming standard in part because streaming platforms are paying royalties and incentives for them. The only constant is change.

For me, the “early” version of ONJ Greatest Hits 1977 should be arriving in a day or two

 

[AM Matt]

When I bought Fleetwood Mac self-titled 1975 "White" in 2004 on remastered CD (with 4 bonus 45 remix singles), the song "Sugar Daddy" had a few dropouts on the reel to reel master tape. I don't have the box set from 2017 though.

 

[Rudy]

I think new mixes are becoming standard in part because streaming platforms are paying royalties and incentives for them.

The labels are doing this, as the same versions push out to all platforms and in most cases this also happens to in-print physical copies, including vinyl. The labels get to push a new product they believe buyers will want, as it generates more money for them. If it takes the magic word "remaster" or "remix" to sell it, they'll do it. I don't even think some of the artists are even aware of what is happening with their recordings.

There are a handful of instances where a George Lucas sort of thing happens when artists want to tinker with or remix/re-record parts of their music, only they don't appreciate that buyers prefer the versions they originally heard. The excellent work of Steve Wilson aside (which are clearly labeled and marketed as remixes), the only remixes that make sense are those correcting errors in the original like a noise in the background, or a flaw in the tape--something technical in other words. (And I honestly can't think of any examples of that off the top of my head.) Or back in the 70s through the mid 80s when remixing for dance club use was an art...but those were single releases, not albums, and again the buyer expects them to be remixes as they are sold that way.

My pet peeve for remixes is the entire Genesis catalog, remixed in 2007 and deemed the "official" versions from that point forward. The Peter Gabriel-era albums aren't too bad (they're livable), but the Phil Collins-era titles got all the life sucked out of them with the dynamics smashed to one loud level. I almost bought the recent release of ...And Then There Were Three on vinyl (I believe it's one of the Sounds of the Summer series) until I remembered that, since it's an Atlantic release, it is going to be the remix.

One peeve about Rumours is the repeated guitar solo on the fade-out of "Second Hand News" in most digital versions. Who ever thought that was a good idea?? It was fine just the way it was--millions bought the record and never had an issue with it. 🤷‍♂️