Bob Draper wrote:

>My own view is that Polygram and CBS/Sony have conspired to rip us off over
>the years.
>
>Their re-issuing of 20+ year old material, where the artists are often
>dead, at full price has been scandalous.

With this I will whole heatedly agree and add that what is even more
bothersome is that these labels have failed utterly to plumb the depths
of their magnificent catalogs and instead give us reissues of reissues.

>
>Remember folks that is costs only around 60 cents inclusive to produce each
>cd these days.

NO!  I hate this argument because it is completely narrow minded and false.
The cost of producing the physical cd has absolutely nothing to do with
the retail cost.  Where do you propose to pay for marketing, transport,
distribution, retail employees salaries, retail overhead, printing etc.
etc.  etc.  People have been making this ridiculous argument for years and
it is simply and utterly fallacious.

>Another moan is their policy of issuing material at full price then
>re-issuing at medium price a year later then re-issuing at budget later
>still.  This sucks.  How do they expect us to have any confidence? That's
>one reason why I am loathe to purchase anything at all at full price.

This is true, however, it is the same concept of Hardback and paperback in
a way.  You can bet that most major label stuff will be reissued sooner or
later.  The question is, are you willing to wait? Sometimes I am, sometimes
not.

>Now Naxos, Brilliant, MP3, recordable CD and bootlegs are going to force a
>price war and hopefully we will all benefit.

That would be a good thing, but as a long time member of the record
industry, as long as folk are willing to pay full price, it will be
charged.  I have customers every day who drop hundreds of bucks at a time
and never bat an eye.  Some of these people are too stupid to realize that
Naxos and other inexpensive recordings are just as good as their DDD Deccas
etc.  Don't hold your breath for the fare wars.

Kevin Sutton