Free Power, Corruption & Lies and Closer with The Times next week

Looks like you can get PCL and Closer free with The Times next week. Wonder if they'll be the remasters (although frankly I wouldn't mind having the old master instead as a backup copy) - here's the email with the details:-

The Doors - free album this Sunday In 1967 The Doors released Strange Days, an eerie, psychedelic album including the hits People are Strange and Love Me Two Times. It remains a classic of 1960s counter-culture, and you'll find a free copy inside The Sunday Times this weekend.

Then, from Monday to Friday, pick up five more seminal albums free with The Times in WHSmith: Forever Changes by Love, Closer by Joy Division, Psychocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain, Power, Corruption and Lies by New Order and Ocean Rain by Echo and the Bunnymen.

???? what the hell ????

mark reed wrote: ???? what the hell ????

Maybe they've decided that with everyone bringing their Remasters back for refunds - they have to give them away free with the paper instead!!!

No seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

Adam Tate wrote:

No I seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

You'll need to buy the paper though !!

Colin Simpson wrote:

Adam Tate wrote:

No I seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

You'll need to buy the paper though !!

True - I need to buy the paper - I notice you live in chilly jocko land - so the expense of the paper should be considered

However, I think a few pence spent on the paper and a bit of a read and a free CD is pretty good. Certainly better than £15 for a CD set mastered from Vinyl !

By the way Joy Division's Closer is free on Tuesday and PCL is Thursday.

Adam Tate wrote:

Colin Simpson wrote:

Adam Tate wrote:

No I seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

You'll need to buy the paper though !!

True - I need to buy the paper - I notice you live in chilly jocko land - so the expense of the paper should be considered

However, I think a few pence spent on the paper and a bit of a read and a free CD is pretty good. Certainly better than £15 for a CD set mastered from Vinyl !

By the way Joy Division's Closer is free on Tuesday and PCL is Thursday.

Although it is The Times... Not a paper I'd buy out of choice...

(Although, having said, a lot better than the Mail or the Sun)!

Suppose we'll have completists from the colonies on the scrounge

Jesus H Fucking Christ

Does this not strike people as being a bit tacky?

Again, this is a fucking management decision, and we're in the weird position of appearing to give more of a fuck than the band about their legacy. As if we have more of an authority and right as custodians than the authors of this stuff.

Where's fucking Wilson when you need him?

To a) maybe have stopped this shit in the 1st place, or b) provide some wonderful critique on the relationship and rights consumers have with art and artists

hey,

let the rest of us know what version they end up releasing..

thank you

later -1

Adam Tate wrote:

Colin Simpson wrote:

Adam Tate wrote:

No I seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

You'll need to buy the paper though !!

True - I need to buy the paper - I notice you live in chilly jocko land - so the expense of the paper should be considered

I'll wait 'till they're chucking the papers out at the end of the night and see if I can get it for nothing......!

Emile Strunz wrote:

Does this not strike people as being a bit tacky?

Strikes me as a sound bit of business, I wouldn't be surprised if most or all of these were repackaged stock which will never ever sell now that re-issues are out. Even if its an entirely new print run you're talking pennies with the prospect of a few thousand people thinking "shit, forgot about these! I loved this lot 20 years ago, think I'll buy the rest of the albums" add onto that the number of sales from kids who've never heard of New Order but whose dad bought the paper and chucked the CD at them.

I wonder what Ian would have thought about the fact that one day his band's album would be given away free with The Times.

As a Tory voter Ian would have, I dare say, been quite pleased. The more I think about it this free disc is the ultimate indication that Joy Division / New Order have been totally assimilated into the mainstream establishment in the UK. Wilson's quote years ago that New Order are the new Floyd has actually come to pass.

Colin Simpson wrote:

Adam Tate wrote:

Colin Simpson wrote:

Adam Tate wrote:

No I seriously I suppose these free discs will be the old master but then that is no bad thing. I am now even more pleased I held back from buying the crummy remasters as I will get a brand new PCL (my fave NO album) for free!

You'll need to buy the paper though !!

True - I need to buy the paper - I notice you live in chilly jocko land - so the expense of the paper should be considered

I'll wait 'till they're chucking the papers out at the end of the night and see if I can get it for nothing......!

...spoken like a true Scot !

Adam Tate wrote: I wonder what Ian would have thought about the fact that one day his band's album would be given away free with The Times.

Who gives a flying one? He lost entitlement to any decisions or opinions when he opted out 28 years ago FFS.

James Thomas wrote:

Adam Tate wrote: I wonder what Ian would have thought about the fact that one day his band's album would be given away free with The Times.

Who gives a flying one? He lost entitlement to any decisions or opinions when he opted out 28 years ago FFS.

Yeah sorry James that was a bit hypothetical of me wasn't it.

Just think that IC would have had a hard job understanding back in the day how accepted by the mainstream Joy Division have become. At the time Ian probably thought of JD as being a kind of Throbbing Gristle anti establisment group....and now they are being promoted in The Times of all papers. A little ironic I think.

So it'll come in a little cardboard slip then? Collectors item

James Thomas wrote:

Emile Strunz wrote:

Does this not strike people as being a bit tacky?

Strikes me as a sound bit of business, I wouldn't be surprised if most or all of these were repackaged stock which will never ever sell now that re-issues are out. Even if its an entirely new print run you're talking pennies with the prospect of a few thousand people thinking "shit, forgot about these! I loved this lot 20 years ago, think I'll buy the rest of the albums" add onto that the number of sales from kids who've never heard of New Order but whose dad bought the paper and chucked the CD at them.

Thanks for pointing out the rudimentary marketing principles behind this, but what's the next move?

New Order (in whatever form, probably minus Hooky) on the bill of the Here & Now 80s revival tours alongside T'Pau, ABC, et al?

Peter Hook's New Order touring, and The Original New Order on a rival tour?

Adam Tate wrote:

James Thomas wrote:

Adam Tate wrote: I wonder what Ian would have thought about the fact that one day his band's album would be given away free with The Times.

Who gives a flying one? He lost entitlement to any decisions or opinions when he opted out 28 years ago FFS.

Yeah sorry James that was a bit hypothetical of me wasn't it.

Just think that IC would have had a hard job understanding back in the day how accepted by the mainstream Joy Division have become. At the time Ian probably thought of JD as being a kind of Throbbing Gristle anti establisment group....and now they are being promoted in The Times of all papers. A little ironic I think.

It would seem very strange back then the idea of giving any albums away for nothing in newspapers.

As for them being part of the establishment, all "indie" lost it's independence sometime back in the 90s. It's a new world now, get used to it.

And just in case you don't believe me...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2008/oct/01/advertising

Suppose we'll have completists from the colonies on the scrounge

Maybe....

I shall popping down to the newsagents twice this week then! Thanks for the tip off.

I am quite willing to get copies for ONE lucky colonial cousin and post them free of charge.

Wanna bet it's the Centredate reissues?

So those outraged by this, where do you stand on the Komakino flexi? Pretty much the cheapest format of it's day, given free to the bands target audience to try increase sales. Would imagine Wilson, Gretton and Curtis didn't have a hissy fit over it.

Give away the best JD album and the best NO album...WTF? What then, this drums up interest in upcoming live tours? Oh what, that can't be it... Drums up interest in the upcoming New Order album, oh wait thats not happenning. Drums up interest in The Killers or whoever? Gets the kids interested in finding other mp3s on the internet? Have they given away The Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall in the paper? As far as the "like Floyd" theory?

CDs are cheap to make, it would be cheaper to just make new ones than collect all the old copies, so that theory would not make any sense.

I've bought Closer five times already (2 vinyl, Factory CD, Heart and Soul, 2CD re-issue).

get over yourselves- anyone having a go at the Bunnymen or JAMC? All great albums being given away for free - what can be better? In this day and age you can get these for free on the net anyway - so it makes little difference in the scheme of things.

As for Floyd references those 7 unreleased songs are not 23 mins each are they, rambling on and on...

James Thomas wrote: So those outraged by this, where do you stand on the Komakino flexi? Pretty much the cheapest format of it's day, given free to the bands target audience to try increase sales. Would imagine Wilson, Gretton and Curtis didn't have a hissy fit over it.

Positioning, association and synergy mean anything to anyone?

I remember Depeche Mode being slagged off in their early days for naff kids TV appearances, and cheesy features in girly teen magazines.

If it was given away with Mixmag or even the fucking NME then yeah, but The Times?

A conservative (small c and big C) broadsheet that has a readership which consists of people who aren't as painfully fucking awful as Mail and Telegraph readers?

I once worked in music PR, and handled a few major accounts - there was certain publications that I'd pitch certain acts and albums to, and others I wouldn't.

I can see the point in what they're doing from a pure marketing angle, but for a me, it's just a few steps away from a cross-promotion with Weetabix or Coca Cola. Call me pious but the Mars Bar ad was bad enough.

I know it's all aesthetics at the end of the day but, as Tony Wilson once said, "Does the Catholic Church pour its wine into mouldy earthenware pots? I think not."

The Komakino flexi wouldn't have been distributed via Woolworths or Asda, and compare the original Factory issued CD with the flimsy cardboard sleeve that will come with a grubby daily newspaper.

Call me old fashioned, but this devalues the album for sake of shifting a few more units.

I will try and find out why they are giving these freebies away from new orders pr next week.

Does sound like a decent enough marketing ploy as JT rightly said.

Wonder if there will be a link to the new re-issues on the cd's?

We will find out next week.

Emile Strunz wrote:

I can see the point in what they're doing from a pure marketing angle, but for a me, it's just a few steps away from a cross-promotion with Weetabix or Coca Cola. Call me pious but the Mars Bar ad was bad enough.

Sunkist is the one.

His Holiness, The Pope wrote:

Emile Strunz wrote:

I can see the point in what they're doing from a pure marketing angle, but for a me, it's just a few steps away from a cross-promotion with Weetabix or Coca Cola. Call me pious but the Mars Bar ad was bad enough.

Sunkist is the one.

Point taken.

I blame Barney for this new direction then.

Maybe that's the real reason for their fall out - Barney wants to cash in on their legacy, whilst Hooky wants to stay reasonably true to the original Factory ethic.

I blame Barney for this new direction then.

Maybe that's the real reason for their fall out - Barney wants to cash in on their legacy, whilst Hooky wants to stay reasonably true to the original Factory ethic.

erm - I only did Brazil for the money.... not sure Hooky is so self righteous - not that I think any of them needs to be