You raise an interesting idea. I have the original Shaft. When I saw the re-issue, I did not see it as having any ARTISTIC merit. Perhaps it has some audiophyle merit, but I think not. Mayhap only after if they released the whole thing re-issued. It reminds me of the opera devotees who complain of "bleeding chunks" re-issued without regard for the whole work. Yet I sense something perhaps more sinister or just more craven.
Some Of These Re-issues Make Me Cry
I listened to a whole lot of Soul music growing up.
Today, I received a catalog with reissued music in it, and I wonder if any Agoners have an opinion on the choices companies make when reissuing artists' work.
Someone decided to excerpt Isaac Hayes' "Shaft" album, and issue two 45 rpm discs which have "The Theme from Shaft", "Soulsville", and "Do Your Thing".
To me, the original "Shaft" album (two discs) was an outstanding set of tunes which all complemented one another. Rarely did I (or anyone I know) play this without listening to the album in its entirety-sides one to four. To this day, I don't pull it out unless I have the time to get into the whole work. I just don't see the artistic merit in pulling three tunes off the disc.
Secondly, it appears that another company has re-released four examples of Aretha Franklin's work.
"I Never Loved a Man" is mandatory- an outstanding choice. "Spirit in the Dark" is barely defensible. To my ears "Soul 69" was an unfocused mistake when it came out originally, and "Live at the Fillmore West", while popular, does not come close to her best work.
I don't understand why "Amazing Grace" and "Young Gifted and Black" have not been released . These are unsurpassed examples of why she is the Queen of Soul, and the accompanying artists include Hubert Laws, Eric Gale, Cornell Dupree, and Donny Hathaway, among others.
Do any of you have an opinion on this?
Today, I received a catalog with reissued music in it, and I wonder if any Agoners have an opinion on the choices companies make when reissuing artists' work.
Someone decided to excerpt Isaac Hayes' "Shaft" album, and issue two 45 rpm discs which have "The Theme from Shaft", "Soulsville", and "Do Your Thing".
To me, the original "Shaft" album (two discs) was an outstanding set of tunes which all complemented one another. Rarely did I (or anyone I know) play this without listening to the album in its entirety-sides one to four. To this day, I don't pull it out unless I have the time to get into the whole work. I just don't see the artistic merit in pulling three tunes off the disc.
Secondly, it appears that another company has re-released four examples of Aretha Franklin's work.
"I Never Loved a Man" is mandatory- an outstanding choice. "Spirit in the Dark" is barely defensible. To my ears "Soul 69" was an unfocused mistake when it came out originally, and "Live at the Fillmore West", while popular, does not come close to her best work.
I don't understand why "Amazing Grace" and "Young Gifted and Black" have not been released . These are unsurpassed examples of why she is the Queen of Soul, and the accompanying artists include Hubert Laws, Eric Gale, Cornell Dupree, and Donny Hathaway, among others.
Do any of you have an opinion on this?