Recently, Apple Records announced that they would be combing their vaults and remastering the great albums that are located there.  Myself, I'm anxious for an updated Ass (Badfinger). This news was understandably met with nothing short of strong enthusiasm.  It doesn't surprise me. The enthusiasm surrounding this event indicates the measure of fans interested in these older titles and their updated reissues. So, why is it that there are precious few catalog updates available in the US?

I enjoyed an OC Fair beer tent (Sliders) sit-down with Bill Hunt of everyone's favorite video news website on Wednesday. One of our topics of discussion centered around the lack of catalog releases on CD, which has always been perplexing to me especially since the window of completely interested people have just about 15 years left before they're completely retired and have to watch their dollars.  When that happens, I highly doubt that many will be too interested in such music packages  (like this updating of Apple Records catalog), that is, assuming no über major renaissance occurs to draw in the younger crowd in sufficient purchasing numbers.

There is an awful lot of music sitting just out our reach. I've pined forever for a string of titles to be released in a physical CD reissue but many of these have not happened, nor are they likely to ever happen. But with the lifespan of released CDs in a death spiral, it wuold seem obviously intelligent to me to have the entire vaults digitized in lossless formats that could one day (soon) be gathered together to create elaborate "Box" sets that were as definitive as could possibly be. Just cheap server space to distribute them. And yet, we have no indication that this is what is happening now.

Oh, I've no doubt it will soon happen. It has to happen. But over the last few "lost years," lots of ground has been lost. In reality, MusicTAP should be burning up with release notices of remastered and expanded titles, all in digitized formats (a subject that we'll get into next week), but it's not. We're just now starting to see labels like Sanctuary release digital downloads of older, more obscure titles of the distant past...titles that I've forgotten about. I'm very glad to see this begin to occur. But it is still too little an effort by our keepers of the songs.

Looking deeper into the businees of catering to older, but serious music fans, it's obvious that other countries dig deep to create the titles, new and old, that all labels should be putting together and pushing out the door in Limited Editions and directed to the fans that will buy them.

Germany has assembled a Steeleye Span box (a connective pair as of this writing).  The UK put together a short run 16CD definitive Box for Sandy Denny.  And Japan (bless their hearts) remasters everything, releasing the great and the obscure, innovating as they go along (SHM-CD) for a better quality experience. Recently, Japan (Universal) has released several waves of SACD titles including some that were completed but never released (Who's Next, Aja, Nico and Velvet Underground). Other than a few niche labels, the US-affiliated labels have given up on SACD.

America's music fans (that's you) is left with importing these great packages, often at very high costs.  The packages are often limited edition (as they only appeal to the die-hard fans). They are reissued in novel new ways to appeal to everyone. Except in the US.

What this underscores is the deep interest that is displayed by music fans outside of the US and the willingness of the labels in those countries to fulfill those interests, which translates into money.   I'm not saying that those kinds of music fans do not exist in the US but certainly the care that labels provide are clearly distinquishable between the countries.

No, the serious music fans are here. I know. I talk to many of you on a daily basis. I get your emails everyday, sometimes 50 in a single day. You import these titles. You pay the top dollar for them. And not just US fans, but Canadian and Australian as well as the fans in Mexico and South America.

Here's my suggestion (once again). Labels...digitize those songs. All of them. Every last one you can get your hands on. In time, you'll be glad that you did this. After that job, hunt down all of the "extras" for every album that you can including any standout Live performances that support those albums. Digitize those too. Begin to assemble elaborate digital "box" sets so rich with material, a fan will never want because he has been fulfilled. Create massive - and rewarding - digital sets. There is enough that labels should be solid for several decades to come. For the lesser known titles and dependent on the strength of the cult followings, just release extended and remastered Digital Downloads of albums.

Oh yeah, you can still concentrate on the new stuff. After all, you have to attend to the health of your future business. Just quit ignoring an aging segment that will soon be unable to buy what you have to offer. See? It could be lucrative. A little ingenuity, a little enthusiasm and it could all be back to normal in time.

If that is unacceptable, then please - PLEASE - license it out freely so other visionaries can carry the torch and help this project along.

Fans...if this is an appealing thought to you, let me know. And while you're at it, tell me what you'd like to see in terms of Digital Boxsets and DD legacy titles.

Mike Duquette of The Second Disc has provided a review of the just-released new Squeeze album, Spot the Difference.

I want to alert TAP readers to the fact that I have finally put together a FaceBook fan page that you can access and join by clicking on the badge below.  What this offers is the exact same thing as my Twitter feeds provide and that is first buzz on upcoming releases and free offered downloads, many announcements  that beat our main post, sometimes by days.  We also provide a Google BUZZ page that expands on most of the Twitter/FB feeds. On Buzz, you can even hear the music stream if a stream is offered.  There are still things that I'm working on in the FB page, like calender notes as well as links to great sites like The Second Disc.  I invite you to join us at our FB page and bookmark it.  Visit it daily and you'll be rewarded with much news and info.  Of course, you'll still want to come to the main MusicTAP page for our noisy commentaries.  Remember, with our Twitter feeds, you can elect to receive the news bursts as text on your mobile phone keeping you effortlessly up to date with stuff.  Lots of choices.  Find one, or two, that fits.

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The new album from Kings of Leon is being slated for release on October 19. The album is being released by RCA Records and will be named Come Around Sundown.

Apple Records will release their very first compilation album...EVER, on October 25. It is going to be called Come And Get It: The Best of Apple Records, the title a nod to a Badfinger song. Some of the artists planned for this 21-track release are Badfinger, Mary Hopkins, Billy Preston, James Taylor, Doris Troy, and others. Click on the link that leads to more info and be rewarded with the complete track listing as well as the list of albums to be expected in this reissue campaign that will include bonus and unreleased tracks.

EMI Germany has released the latest Steeleye Span Box (47-tracks, 3CDs) on July 30 in Europe. The set is called Another Parcel of Steeleye Span and covers the Chrysalis period between 1976-1989. You can pick up the MP3s, which were released on August 2. These tracks have been digitally remastered (2010).

Theatre of Death is being released on September 28 by Bigger Picture Group. Theatre of Death is the Live concert footage featuring the 2009 tour of Alice Cooper (supporting his Along Came a Spider release). Theatre of Death will be released on DVD, BD (Blu-ray), and a special CD/DVD set.

Rhino Records now has Superfly on 180g vinyl LP currently penciled in for September 28. The Superfly soundtrack is from Curtis Mayfield.

Roadrunner Records and Loud and Proud Records will release Live in Chicago by Kenny Wayne Sheppard on CD, scheduling for September 28.

Warner Brothers Records has Armistice Live by MuteMath coming on a CD/DVD Special Edition and planned for September 21.

Ryko will release Blood/Candy by The Posies, their first in five years. It's slated for release on September 28. It features Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers), and Lisa Lobsinger (Broken Social Scene).

The new album by Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (OMD) is scheduled for release on September 28 by Bright Antenna Records. It is called History of Modern. It is their first album in 14 years.

Glow is the new album by Donavon Frankenreiter, released on his own label, Liquid Tambourine Records and scheduled for October 5.

Fuel Records has a Performance series title coming by Jazz artist Dizzy Gillespie, featuring Charlie Parker. The CD is expected on October 5.

Sanctuary Records will reissue Anoraknophobia (2001) by Marillion on August 24 as a DD. Sanctuary also plans to re-release Scenarios of Violence (1996) by Kreator as DD on the same release date. Scenarios of Violence is a compilation album.

Fuel Records will deliver The Roots of Rod Stewart on October 5 in CD form.

Hip-O Select have The Solo Albums 2 featuring Smokey Robinson coming on CD streeting on September 14, and on DD planned for November 2.

Universal Republic will release the S/T (Self-Titled) issue of The Band Perry on CD, scheduled for October 12.