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Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

#1
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I find myself in a position I never thought I'd be in. That is: to double-dip on CDs that I've purchased within just the past few months.

I'm not talking about upgrading discs because of improved resolutions or re-masterings.

I am talking about buying the newest CD of a favorite artist only to find out that that same CD at another retail outlet contains "exclusive" bonus tracks.

For example, I recently purchased the CD Rock of Ages by Amy Grant when I accidentally discovered it while browsing at my local Borders. Looking now in this week's Best Buy Target flyer, I find out that BB Target has three exclusive songs on its versions of the CD! Aaaargh!

Jim Brickman has just released a CD of Disney tunes. The version at Borders has two tracks which cannot be found on the copies being sold at any other store. This I actually found out about ahead of time via an email from Borders.

This is a little different, but I also purchased Diana Krall's CD, The Girl in the Other Room, several months ago upon its release...only to find out later at another store that a dual disc version had been released for virtually THE SAME PRICE! I decided to purchase the Dual version to get the 5.1 mixes.

I know there have been other artists which have made similar arrangements with Target (Krall among them, I believe) which has resulted in exclusive bonus tracks available only at Target stores.

I guess I could research these things better to know about them ahead of time. And, I know I could just sell the other title if I do double-dip...

But, I feel that I'm getting gypped if I find out I have a CD that is missing tracks that exist on another version of the same title. For me, the practice ends up causing a loss of good will between the artist and his/her/their fan base.

Anyone else having issues with this?

EDIT** Another glance at my Target flyer shows a Martina McBride CD with Four Exclusive Songs.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#2
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I absolutely hate the concept of exclusives, and this is one of the worst.

Probably the worst recent example would be Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. If you bought the album at Target, Best Buy, or Circuit City, you would get an exclusive download. Not a big deal, except that each store has a different song. The BB and CC ones can be bought on import singles, but the Target one is the Japan-only bonus track that costs $50 at Amazon.

I got the BB one and I'm pretty pissed...what's worst is that I bought the deluxe version which should theoretically include all the songs, but it doesn't.
DVD Challenge \'05

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#3
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Anthony: Has there been any discussion/interest/anger among music customers about this practice?

Admittedly, my focus has been on DVD product more closely the past coupla years than CDs...but this seems like one of those dumb ideas that is just going to end up pissing off fans of the artist. Maybe, though, I'm just a johnny-come-lately to the discussion?!

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#4
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Well, I can't say music customers in general, but I know quite a few McCartney fans were upset that they couldn't get all three songs at once. There was a downloading ring at one Beatles site; prove that you had one of the songs (by giving the code that you used to download the first song) and you would get the other two through email.
DVD Challenge \'05

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#5
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I'm not the upgrading type when it comes to music unless it's a remaster. I admit I was tempted to get the Killers: Hot Fuss Limited Edition for it's extra tracks but I passed. And I have no interest whatsoever in getting the new bonus track version of Mariah's latest. I regret buying the regular version. Her first two albums were solid but she's gone downhill since, with Mimi hitting rock bottom.
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#6
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Quote:
I'm not the upgrading type when it comes to music unless it's a remaster. I admit I was tempted to get the Killers: Hot Fuss Limited Edition for it's extra tracks but I passed.


But, John, doesn't it bug you at all that those tracks are on certain copies of the CD...but not the one you bought? That's my point. I feel gypped...and only because I supported the artist by buying their recording at one retail store...and not another (which he/she/they happened to strike some deal with).

It just seems like a really odd marketing practice.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#7
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In this week's Sunday flyers:

Circuit City is advertising DualDisc releases for Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook ($12.99 compared to $11.99 for the CD-only release) and Aerosmith: Rockin' the Joint Live at the Hard Rock Hotel ($12.99).

Best Buy also has the DualDisc release for Aerosmith advertised as well as a DualDisc release of Destiny Child's #1s (both DDs are $13.99 compared to $11.99 CD-only releases).

Target:

Destiny Child's #1 -- Dual Disc $12.98/CD-only $9.98
Bette Midler/Peggy Lee -- Dual Disc $12.98/CD-only $11.98
Aerosmith/Rockin' the Joint -- DualDisc $11.98/CD-only $9.98

Target is also advertising TWO Target-EXCLUSIVE songs on the Aerosmith CD and ONE EXCLUSIVE song on The Christmas Collection - Il Divo.

Does anyone know (not that I plan on buying it anyway) if the Aerosmith DualDisc would ALSO have the EXCLUSIVE tracks at Target? That seems like it takes it to another level of confusing.

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a mini-CD Weekly RoundUp or anything...I just took a close look at this week's flyers CD releases and don't like what I see.

I guess the bottom line is that the CD-consumer needs to be armed with as much knowledge as possible to make an intelligent purchase (as it is true with any purchase). I guess, though, I just think of CDs as impulse buys...and, until this practice began recently, it wasn't something I ever needed to worry about before. I guess the times they are a-changin'. I just don't always have to like it.

Must be gettin' old.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#8
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Quote:
Does anyone know (not that I plan on buying it anyway) if the Aerosmith DualDisc would ALSO have the EXCLUSIVE tracks at Target? That seems like it takes it to another level of confusing.


I just bought the Aerosmith - Rockin' the Joint DualDisc at Target today for $11.98. It does have the two bonus tracks (Livin' on the Edge and What it Takes) on it but they are only on the DVD side and not the CD side. That kind of ticks me off because now I can only listen to the bonus tracks in a DVD player. The CD only version tacks the bonus tracks on at the end of the disc but I'm not sure it they are part of the show or not.
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#9
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How stupid is that?

You can get the bonus tracks on CD if you buy the CD-only release. But if you buy the DualDisc release you don't get the tracks on the CD side? Wht possible sense could that make?!

Artists need to decide which songs to include on a recording...and stick to it...and make sure all copies of their recording have the tracks. Isn't there some kind of important artistic decision-making (part of the creative process) that decides which songs to include on an album and in-what-order??? If so, how can you justify screwing with it?

I know: it's a rather Pollyanna-ish idea to think that artists don't allow creative decisions to be based on $$$.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#10
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

I can't believe its been nearly a year since I posted in this thread.

And I really can't believe this seems to be an issue which doesn't bother many people.

This issue came up again this week over in Coupons & Bargains (in the Weekly RoundUp thread). When I saw Diana Krall has a new CD releasing 9-19, I knew I had to look and see if any of the major retailers was issuing an exclusive track...and lo & behold, Target has one!

There have been numerous discussions in various DVD threads here in the HTF about the craziness that has turned into retailer exclusives on new release DVDs. Customers who don't have access to certain stores in their geographic areas...or who just don't want to run around from store-to-store each week to get the particular exclusive which they like are out of luck and will end up missing content on a favorite movie or TV show. To the consumer that is an aggravating situation and I'm not sure why the studios allow it.

It's good business for the retailers who are limited in their loss-leader strategies when it comes to low-balling popular new release DVDs. They want to get customers into their store.

But I think it's a practice that should create ill will between the artist and fan. Imagine if the Beatles added an EXCLUSIVE bonus track to Sgt. Peppers available only to shoppers who purchased the album at Montgomery Wards! Or, the Beach Boys added an exclusive bonus track to Pet Sounds available only at Woolworths! Kinda strips away the "integrity" of the concept album, eh?

I don't know. Just seems like a big unnecessary hassle to me.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

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#11
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

It used to bother me but now I just find the "exclusive bonus content" on the NON-exclusive internet. I know that's "wrong" but so is selling out your fan base for an extra buck.

\"If you’re lucky, people like something you do early and something you do just before you drop dead. That’s as many pats on the back as you should expect.\" - Warren Zevon 1993, R.I.P.

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#12
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chet_F
It used to bother me but now I just find the "exclusive bonus content" on the NON-exclusive internet. I know that's "wrong" but so is selling out your fan base for an extra buck.

A case where two wrongs makes it right, eh, Chet?

Life would be easier if the entire practice just went away in the first place. I won't double dip again if I now find out I missed an "exclusive" track on a title. I won't give the artist/company the pleasure/$$$.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#13
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

It's frustrating. I bought the latest T-Bone Burnett record three times. Being a long-time (and long-suffering) fan, I pre-ordered it months before it was released, as soon as it was available for pre-order at Amazon. Then when it came out, there was a DualDisc also released that I hadn't seen so I wanted that also. Plus, if you ordered the CD between certain dates at Amazon you got three downloaded bonus tracks. So I was actually penalized for pre-ordering from Amazon; because my order was too early for the promotion I didn't get the bonus tracks. Which ended up not mattering because Itunes had four bonus tracks if you bought it on Itunes. So I bought the preordered CD, the DualDisc, and the album on Itunes. The scheme definitely worked on me.

The record is so brilliant and fantastic that I don't mind having three copies. Actually four copies because I made an audio CD-RW of the bonus tracks from Itunes, ripped it, then burned a CD-R of the album with the bonus tracks attached. Zany, huh? Two of the bonus tracks are easily as good as any of the songs on the record, and better than most. Definitely worth it.

Philip Hamm
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#14
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip Hamm
So I bought the preordered CD, the DualDisc, and the album on Itunes. The scheme definitely worked on me.

The record is so brilliant and fantastic that I don't mind having three copies. Actually four copies because I made an audio CD-RW of the bonus tracks from Itunes, ripped it, then burned a CD-R of the album with the bonus tracks attached. Zany, huh? Two of the bonus tracks are easily as good as any of the songs on the record, and better than most. Definitely worth it.

I don't doubt for one second that the extra cuts are worth it, Philip. But isn't is still aggravating-to-the-max that all those songs from T-Bone could've been on ALL those releases...leaving you with just one (or maybe two with the dual-disc release) purchase to make.

That's how I feel about Diana Krall. When I found out that some of her previous albums had bonus tracks, I went nuts and jumped through hoops to secure those tracks. I've also double-dipped because of the dual-disc releases....AND because of DVD-A releases, too!

Different formats are one thing, though. But exclusive bonus tracks are another altogether. Bad news.

I feel like I'm turning into Johnny one note on the subject though with very little new to add. I have absolutely no idea about how to have any real impact on the practice--especially since I have heard few others with similar thoughts on the subject.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#15
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

And they wonder why people download music...
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#16
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by kamyiu
And they wonder why people download music...


Even that has a similar problem (assuming we are talking about legal downloading)...there are "exclusive" (usually live/acoustic) songs on Napster AND iTunes that are not available on the competitors' site. I know that there are ways around the incompatability issues, but it's still a pain.
One of my favorite albums...

Keane:  "Hopes and Fears"
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#17
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

I don't mind the retailer-exclusive practice too much if the bonus content is limited to one retailer. It's when different retailers have different exclusives that I start getting angry. For example, Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang had different sets of live tracks on the Best Buy, Target, and Walmart versions. Personally, I only bought the one that had the best bonus songs, but I'm sure that there are collectors that bought three versions so they could have everything. That is gouging the fans, plain and simple, and I hate that.
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#18
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

OK, Mike....I thought I could stay out of this discussion since I no longer work for Target, but it looks like STARBUCKS is now getting into the game! On October 3rd, we are offering an exclusive Barenaked Ladies CD called "BNL Are Men" which only apparently has two of the tracks from the "mainstream" edition of the CD with same name but has TWELVE unreleased tracks that Starbucks has exclusive rights to through 02/07! At least you only "double-dip" on two tracks! More details as they become available....
One of my favorite albums...

Keane:  "Hopes and Fears"
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#19
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Hmmmm. I HATE the practice of exclusive tracks. I LOVE BNL. I have a Starbucks about to have its grand opening near me.

What's a fella to do?!

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#20
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Best Buy had an exclusive song on Aerosmith's Just Push Play album--and it turned out to be one of the best songs on the CD! I wasn't even looking out to buy that CD, but I just happened to be at Best Buy and saw that they had the exclusive, so I got it. So, I didn't have to double-dip, just by chance.
Yes, this bothers me, but I guess it's no worse than when they release a CD in another country a few weeks after a CD is release in the USA and they wind up getting 2 or 3 extra songs--it's maddening. It just depends on where you're at at the time, and if you do any research before buying a CD--and then deciding, in some cases, which extra song you want!
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#21
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DVDWatcher
Best Buy had an exclusive song on Aerosmith's Just Push Play album--and it turned out to be one of the best songs on the CD! I wasn't even looking out to buy that CD, but I just happened to be at Best Buy and saw that they had the exclusive, so I got it. So, I didn't have to double-dip, just by chance.

So you got lucky...but how pissed would you be if it had gone down the other way?!


Quote:
Originally Posted by DVDWatcher
Yes, this bothers me, but I guess it's no worse than when they release a CD in another country a few weeks after a CD is release in the USA and they wind up getting 2 or 3 extra songs--it's maddening. It just depends on where you're at at the time, and if you do any research before buying a CD--and then deciding, in some cases, which extra song you want!

This seems to be the delemma. It's bothersome and maddening and requires the consumer to do nuisance research...yet none of us can figure out a way to do anything about it. We could buy the CDs w/o the bonus tracks...but only end up screwing ourselves from the "bonus content". I suppose the only sane course of action would be to write letters to the record companies themselves asking them to stop the practice. But is it really "sane" to make noise in a forest if there is no one there to listen?

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#22
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricSchulz
Even that has a similar problem (assuming we are talking about legal downloading)...there are "exclusive" (usually live/acoustic) songs on Napster AND iTunes that are not available on the competitors' site. I know that there are ways around the incompatability issues, but it's still a pain.
Sorry, I meant illegal downloading.
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#23
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Of course, it's not just songs. I saw the other day that Best Buy had Bob Dylan's new CD with an exclusive, supposedly "collectible" booklet. Luckily, I didn't care much for the contents of the booklet.. I think it was just of 100 Dylan CD covers or something like that...
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#24
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

My god! I was in Target today and a HUGE chunk of today's new releases had SOMETHING unique about them at Target...except of course the new Scissor Sisters CD, "Ta-Dah!". I DID pick up the Tony Bennett "Duets" with FOUR exclusive tracks AND a DVD! Here's a rundown...

1. "I've Got The World On A String" with Diana Krall (Mike Frezon must be pulling his hair out by now!)
2. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Michael Buble
3. "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" with Judy Garland
4. "The Lady Is A Tramp" with Frank Sinatra

"Making Duets" DVD (20:52)

Here's the info on each track:

1. Recorded live Sept. 2000 (stereo, Tanglewood Music Festival)
2. Recorded June 2006
3. Recorded live July 1963 (mono, "The Judy Garland Show")
4. Recorded live Sept. 1988 (mono, Bally's Atlantic City)
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Keane:  "Hopes and Fears"
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#25
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

The Target version of the Bennett release was already on my to-do list this week, Eric!

Am I being bad by supporting these damn exclusives?!

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#26
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricSchulz
OK, Mike....I thought I could stay out of this discussion since I no longer work for Target, but it looks like STARBUCKS is now getting into the game! On October 3rd, we are offering an exclusive Barenaked Ladies CD called "BNL Are Men" which only apparently has two of the tracks from the "mainstream" edition of the CD with same name but has TWELVE unreleased tracks that Starbucks has exclusive rights to through 02/07! At least you only "double-dip" on two tracks! More details as they become available....


Here's the scoop on this title: the exclusive edition is only available in Canadian stores. It will be available October 3rd for $18.95CDN.
One of my favorite albums...

Keane:  "Hopes and Fears"
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#27
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

So, Eric?! You gonna be able to hook up a brother?!

BTW, It's Barenaked Ladies Are Me."

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#28
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Quote:
OK, Mike....I thought I could stay out of this discussion since I no longer work for Target, but it looks like STARBUCKS is now getting into the game! On October 3rd, we are offering an exclusive Barenaked Ladies CD called "BNL Are Men" which only apparently has two of the tracks from the "mainstream" edition of the CD with same name but has TWELVE unreleased tracks that Starbucks has exclusive rights to through 02/07! At least you only "double-dip" on two tracks! More details as they become available....

That actually sounds like a good deal for fans. You can basically buy two new albums from the band instead of one, right?
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#29
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

BTW, picked my copy of the Bennett CD/DVD at Target tonight and have been listening to it while doing some computer work.

I gotta tell ya, if I was an uninformed consumer and purchased just:

a.) the CD-only release without bonus tracks, or
b.) the CD-only release with bonus tracks, or
c.) the CD/DVD release without bonus tracks (I don't even know if that exists)

instead of:

c.) the CD/DVD release with the bonus tracks

...I'd be one ticked-off music fan. Those bonus tracks are incredible. Even Frank sounds terrific (maybe Tony causes everyone to ratchet it up a notch). i'm actually a much bigger fan of Frank than Tony, I just wasn't expecting much from Frank from a 1988 performance. The live Bennett/Krall track is also one not to be missed.

But each one of those tracks is an absolute gem and should be included on each and every one of these CDs that's printed. All fans who don't get them are really missing out on some fine music. Those are the tracks I find myself going back to over and over.

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Top Ten Ways to Find Good Deals on DVDs and Blu-ray...
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#30
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Re: Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?!

Mike,
I agree...this was a "blind buy" for me...unanimously excellent reviews, paired with many of my favorite "contemporary" artists and a nice song selection made it a "must buy", but the Target tracks made it even better. As you have probably seen by now, Target is a major sponsor of the TV special that's airing on Nov. 21st with MANY of the artists that recorded this CD. I would say it's pretty obvious why Target got the bonus tracks/DVD for this release, but it IS a shame that the "average" consumer is missing out on the extra songs.
One of my favorite albums...

Keane:  "Hopes and Fears"
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