Re: Bad news from MCA...

[Boris6@aol.com]

Not to defend MCA, but let's do a little thinking...

>I just got a letter from MCA... our friends over there...
         > a) are against "Tommy: Live At Leeds"
Other reasons being: The saturation Tommy, the Gold version, the old MCA, the
remastered MCA, the Broadway version, the LSO version, the movie version,
maybe soon Isle of Wight and the CD-ROM.  Personally, I say give them 3-4
years, and they'll release something.  If it isn't fully from Leeds, you
wouldn't know the difference anyway.  But if Pete hit a wrong note, you
would.
         >b) think they are doing a great job marketing The Who
Do the fans deserve marketing or content?  Look at the marketing for the
Beatles (much hoopla), then look at the products (much poopla).  The first
Beatles CD's released, after much delay, were mono.  The Anthologies, most of
this stuff has been on high quality boots for years, some rarities have been
glued together to make one "new" version to save room.  These rarities are
available only in big dollar box sets.    Led Zeppelin?  Not much there yet.
 The big dollar box sets with two "new" songs and the remaster upgrade.
  The Rolling Stones?  Not much at all.   The Who?  The Box set was about
average, but the single re-releases are far better than anything else out
there.  Drastic sound improvements with Tommy, four other albums expanded in
length with many rarities and decent sound quality upgrades.  All available
at $15 each for 75% improvement, I didn't have to spend $40 for 5%
improvement.
         >c) feel their web site is adequate
Look at any other corporate site and you'll see MCA is average.  Not everyone
is obsessed with "the 'net" and a corporate site is the last place I would
look for current info.
        >Apparently, they feel they've been "burnt" by "hard core fans" 
        >(not just Who fans) bad advice in the past 
Probably just a polite way of saying, "Get a life, you obsessed individual.
 Selena doesn't work here."
         >So, if YOU want to make a difference (and, yes, it is possible)
I'd like to see true evidence of that, other than a polite, "Oh, thanks for
your suggestion, we'll consider it."  Again, a few loud hard-core fans can't
assure $10 million in sales.
         >Maybe we were too insistent on getting a "souvenir" album from the
'82 tour...
I don't think any fan was looking for this, especially since this was the
time when a rare/live box set was first being discussed.  Swansea and
Charleton type stuff if I recall.

Just to show I am not defending MCA, I have bought: a Quad album that had
only one disc, a cassette version of the 30year box although the outside said
CD, a faulty Sell-Out remaster, a Quick One/Sell Out twofer where one side of
Sell-Out was so lightly pressed that the needle wouldn't even stay in the
groove.
Whew, Doug