As an owner of the box sets, I'm now more than a little annoyed. I know it's more negligence or bad negotiating on the bands part than being directly their fault, but they've let the label create a huge cash grab atmosphere to suck money from the big fans, no doubt. This is just another example.
Edit: I'm speaking of including the 5.1 stuff well after releasing it and making it seem like it would only be in the box sets.
Might pick up a few of the vinyl releases, even though I already have originals of all of them.
Might be just a mild thing...but remember this is a BluRay release...the originals were DVD-A. Not only that, but I never really cared for the idea that I had to buy an entire box set just to get that DVD-A....which is why I never got it. I'm kinda happy that now I'll be able to pick it up as a standalone piece if I wish.
I realize that it's semantics since they are most likely the identical mixes. I just wish they'd pull the trigger on remixing *all* the albums for 5.1 instead of this picking and choosing crap.
I get what you are saying, and back with the box sets I wished then that they would be released separately. But they didn't, and that was a cash grab, and now releasing a perhaps slightly better version now is a cash grab on top of a cash grab. As was the compilation with 3 remixed Vapor Trails songs prior to the real thing. As was the R40 set. As was one or two other things I'm forgetting at the moment.
I've always given them credit for one thing, they drive hard for new fans with their pricing. On Amazon right now I could get Hold Your Fire brand new, shipped to my door in two days for $4.02. I could get other albums for $5, and most of the rest for $6. But man, have they fleeced hardcore fans hard over the past decade.
Oh, and the merch in the expensive VIP packages was rather disappointing as well.
Okay, I'm done bitching, as I was typing that last sentence my Enemy Within alarm went off and reminded me how much I love them, even if I don't love their merchandising. And another nice thing, the backstage club has always put out a lot of cool items like playing cards, calendars, pins, etc.