Bonus tracks on album. We love 'em because they are nice extras, and when we love a band, we often want to have everything they put out. And we hate 'em because we generally have to shell out extra bucks for some import or deluxe edition just to get the extra song(s). Here's a shining example of a band who gets that and has done something about it.
Y&T's new album, due out May 21, is being released in 3 formats: U.S. edition with 15 tracks. European edition with the original 15 + 1 bonus track. Japanese edition with the original 15 + 1 completely different bonus track. That means anyone who wants all 17 official tracks must, at the very least, buy both import version, right? Wrong. The band didn't want to do it that way, but the label and distributors required the bonus tracks on the import versions. What the band did about it is this: They secured the rights to make the two bonus tracks downloadable from their website once the import versions are released. That way, fans who don't want to shell out the money for an expensive import (2 separate imports, actually) will have the opportunity to purchase the domestic release and then download the two additional tracks for about a buck each. This may seem like a small thing, and maybe it is. But the reality is, most bands don't go above and beyond to do things like this for the fans. Kudos to Dave Meniketti for getting it right.