In the first four months of 2003, the best music on the new releases rack has been anything but new. Realizing that they don’t have a whole lot of exciting new sounds to force-feed us, major labels are digging through their back catalogues and reissuing like crazy.
This ploy to get us to pay $20 for a CD we already have is nothing new, but for any music fan, it’s easy to get suckered in.
The five album catalogue of the best band of the 1980s, The Police, has been re-mastered and re-released. Though bonus tracks are notably absent, these records sound better than ever. Their reunion at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame ceremony is now little more than a distant footnote in rock lore, but revisiting the stellar music they made gives a potent reminder of how truly great this band was.
“But Taylor,” you say, “I already have ‘Every Breath You Take: The Singles.’ Isn’t that enough?” No, not quite. The bookends of their catalogue are two substantial records: their raw and feisty debut, “Outlandos D’Amour,” and the conclusion to their saga, “Synchronicity.”
“Outlandos” gave the band their first hit with “Roxanne,” but it is the meat around the classic single that makes this album so great. Thrashers like “Next To You” and “Truth Hits Everybody” still rock harder than any of today’s silly little punk kids, and gems like “Can’t Stand Losing You” establish the chunky reggae that would form the core of what The Police would become.
“Synchronicity” may be the best true pop record the Beatles never wrote. Yes, it features the song Sting sold to Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy, or whatever that clown’s name is now. But KOST staple “Every Breath You Take” functions more effectively, setting the stage for “King of Pain,” simply one of the most perfect songs ever recorded. Though, it must be warned, “Mother” is still a furiously lame waste of time that almost derails the whole record.
If Sting ever stops being a friggin’ jerk, we may get a chance to hear these guys redeem their last recording, 1986’s dreadful remake of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” Until then, these re-issues will wash that wretched taste out of your ears.
Fellow Hall of Famers AC/DC may have played the same song for 30 years, but that song really rocks. Their entire catalog will be reissued before summer, with the first wave already in stores. You probably don’t need them all, but “Back In Black” is a great place to start.
Believe it or not, there was a time when hip-hop was more powerful than comical. Sometime before Ice Cube began work on “Not the Friday After Next, But the Friday After That,” he was part of a very exciting era in rap music. His first four solo albums have been re-issued, and each is a fine snapshot that helped define the genre. “Death Certificate” still hits the hardest, but “The Predator” has the hits. Take your pick, you can’t lose.
Who’s next? Why, it’s The Who, whose “Who’s Next” has been given a loving and extended tribute. This latest release in MCA’s Deluxe Edition series has over 21 previously unreleased cuts added to the original rock masterpiece. If you think “Tommy” was just a tad pretentious, crank this series of anthems up and find out why The Who could get away with it.
MCA has done a fine job with this series, which packs more added goodies than a Criterion Collection DVD. While you can’t help but question whether the Gin Blossoms really needed the five star re-issue treatment, if the other titles released to date are any indication, we have a lot of great new old music to look forward to.
Finally, you can relive your most memorable acid trips with Pink Floyd’s epic “Dark Side of the Moon.” Now you won’t need drugs to feel the music all around you, as this Lazarium classic has been newly re-mixed in 5.1 surround sound. So, get out your glow sticks and “Wizard of Oz” DVD, and let the journey begin. If you don’t like “Dark Side of the Moon,” you’re probably a Communist.
Let’s face it; most of the music these tone-deaf label honchos are offering us really sucks. So turn off the radio and take some time to explore the landmark artists your favorite bands are stealing from.
Taylor Kingsbury, a junior journalism major, is a staff writer of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at happyendingrocks@hotmail.com.
