Roger Taylor (Queen) - Fun On Earth / The Lot Thread

But don't you think that people who DID buy it all and chased all the limited edition vinyl and CD singles will feel more than a little angry at being expected to fork out again for those tracks on CD and the 'bonus' DVD (which isn't even complete). They really are taking long-term fans for a ride, and not just with this box set. QPL know EXACTLY what the fans want, they just always do the complete opposite and manage to choose the wrong option EVERY time. What makes their attitude all the more baffling is that Brian May is a Queen collector. I'm sure he enjoys having that complete singles 10-CD box set on his shelf, having denied the fans the chance of having it.

 

That doesn't change the fact 90% of this set isn't on sale anywhere else, and hasn't been for a very long time. If you've already gone out and got all that stuff when it was first released, good for you. No one's forcing you to "fork out again for those tracks on CD". For everyone else, who can't simply pop down the shops and get a hold of Roger's extensive solo work, this is great news. You said it yourself, getting a hold of some of this stuff before was a pain in the ass. Now everyone who couldn't be bothered with (or simply couldn't afford) all that chasing can get it all in one place.

Besides, this is on iTunes right? You can always download the individual bonus tracks you don't have if that's all you want. The fact these sold out within a few days on the Queen store proves there are a lot of people who really want this. I highly doubt most of them already have all this stuff.

 

I will be happy to have this CD box set. Queen could have done nothing instead, and left a lot of this music out of print. I think it's a good idea to have "everything" compiled into a single box set. That seems to be the trend in recent years (see: Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Roxy Music, etc.), and I'm generally okay with it.

I do think the price on this is a little high - US$100-120 would have been better (and U$60-80 would have been more in line with similar "all the albums" box sets, on a per-disc average). But it wasn't too high that I declined to pre-order it. And I am assuming that compiling all of the singles and random tracks, as well as the DVD, added to the cost.

I won't persecute Queen because they were unable/unwilling to secure the rights to a few expensive-to-license videos. I just watched them both on YouTube and I know I can still be happy with the box set if they're not included. I just hope the remasters are high-quality, and not the typical "noise-reduced, brickwalled, etc." things we all love to hate.

I mainly love Roger's first two solo albums (I played them over and over in the '80s, when my music collection numbered in the dozens and each new purchase was constantly on my turntable for weeks after purchase), but I'm hopeful that having this box set will help me listen to the rest of his solo catalog with fresh ears and re-evaluate it all. (I have most of the other albums including The Cross stuff, but have only listened to each of those albums once or twice.)

Craig.

 

In response to the part I set in bold font, above: If it is already sold out on the Queen site, should those of us who pre-ordered from other sites (in my case, ImportCDs.com) be worried that our orders won't be filled?

Like I need any other reason to fret and worry about things!

Craig.

 

No, I imagine you'll be fine. Other sites were probably assigned (or requested) a set number to pre-sell, so any orders should be safe. Besides, they quickly released more on the Queen site and they're now accepting pre-orders again, so it seems they are still manufacturing more or were simply holding some back. Might want to check the individual site's small-print though, just to be sure.

I notice Amazon UK has recently removed the set from their listings, likely because they've already pre-sold their prescribed quantity.

 

I agree. Ive loved everything Roger did within Queen. I also like his album "Man on Fire" and a few things by "The Cross". But "Fun in Space" is terrible. I still have the original vinyl and tried playing it again a few months back for the first time since I first bought it. I found that my opinion hadnt changed on it at all since 1981.

 

At least I know vinylman won't be buying a copy that could otherwise go to me! ;-)

Craig.

 

We had Fun in Space and I liked it a lot. Wasnt very complicated, maybe done very quickly, dont know... just appealed to me.

Different strokes and all that.

"Air heads... stickin together, air heads, till the end of time.... air heads, should know better, air heads, I feel fine"

still remember that chorus, found it amusing. stupid but funny.

 

If only I could afford one..........

 

Does anyone know if there will be a book with the box set? Will original artwork/lyrics be contained? Maybe even some essays or photos? Or will it be just a "book" holding the discs with a leaf or two for the tracklistings?

 

I pre-ordered this today. Sure it is not perfect but a lot of this stuff was very expensive and hard to come by in the States. I have never regretted buying the very similar Freddie Mercury Solo Collection and hopefully the book that come with "The Lot" will be as detailed and informative about all of the remixes, B-Sides, extended versions et cetera....The Freddie package really was lovely and this looks pretty great as well! Not cheap but not outrageous to me either. Now bring on Brian's catalog!!!

 

I received my FM set and the pages had been completely mis-printed and with TERRIBLE creases all over them - immediately, the set went back and it was replaced.......by yet another one with the same flaws. Finally maneged to get a replacement at the third attempt that was acceptable. Looked at it again the other day and it seems that the discs themselves have started to deteriorate with that nasty water-damage look to the playing surface. Glad I copied the contents to my HDD.......

 

Yikes!! I will have to inspect mine...that would be terrible considering the cost of this!

 

Considering the fact that some people collect sealed boxes (which I cannot understand at all...) I think it's funny, if someone collects a sealed FM box only to find out decades later that it contains a worthless misprint....

 

I picked up the Freddie set quite recently and it was in perfect condition. Didn't look like it had ever even been looked at.

 

My copies were on a pre-order from a small independant record shop - I wondered if they had fulfilled the order from a batch of early pressings which turned out to be faulty. I do remember actually getting the call from them almost a week before the release date to say that the set was there with them and ready to collect - might solve the riddle........

 

As predicted, they've done it again:

Disc Errors:
1.) Track index marker error on track 9 of Shove It.
2.) Pressure On (Electric Fire) the wrong mix is used. No 2nd voice for half of the first chorus. (01:58 - 02:07)
3.) Wrong running order of FOE bonus tracks: "Whole House Rockin'" plays first, "Dear Mr. Murdoch" comes second.
4.) There are some complaints of juddering video on the DVD
5.) Life Changes (Blue Rock) the song suddenly stops, and then the first seconds of the song start again.
6.) Shove It (extended mix) with track duration 5:02 should have been on 'The Cross Singles 1' disc, but instead it has 'The 2nd Shelf Mix' with track duration 5:55.
7.) I Can't Get You Out Of My Head unfortunately has count-in chords badly edited out, causing a slight cut to the beginning of the song.
8.) Celebration is abridged version. 1:45-2:25 fragment of the original 5:15 track is edited out.
9.) Track index marker error on track 3 of Happiness.

Text Errors:
1.) The lyrics to the first four songs of Electric Fire are missing in the book (it starts with "People on streets")
2.) Incorrect spelling of 'Holocaust'
3.) The credits from 'Blue Rock' are directly taken from Discogs.com , including the (2) suffix for Peter Noone and the ANV-asteriks for Josh Macrae
4.) Wrong information - Dear Mr Murdoch originally featured on the 1994 album "Electric Fire".
5.) In his foreword, final sentence, Rhys talks about a "cole" instead of "collection".
6.) In the track listing of the Cross-singles, last track (Shove it US), it is stated that the inclusion is a last minute "edition" instead of "addition".
7.) The DVD notes incorrectly state that both versions of the "Power to Love" video are included (or perhaps one is actually missing from the disc?)

 

Glad I did not bite though I was very tempted.

 

According to RT's Facebook page, they are aware that "some" box sets have errors........... And an update will follow.

Some? I've not heard a single report of one that hasn't got errors.

I decided long ago that QPL wouldn't be worthy of any more of my money until I get 100% confirmation that what is released is what it purports to be and "fit for purpose".

 

Never forget that we all are human beings and make mistakes and errors. And even the people at QPL are human including May and Taylor.
I'm pretty sure that you already have all of the material in that box in it's original form, so it never can get any better.

 

I'm not so bothered about the typos in the book, but the faulty discs have annoyed me, because I don't own any of this stuff at all outside this set. I hope some replacement discs can be arranged.

 

Oh, for heaven's SAKE!

This set costs a lot of money and is marketed as being something akin to the final word on Roger Taylor and his career outside of Queen. He's been promoting it endlessley over the past two months or so and, come the release, it is CLEAR that he either hasn't bothered to listen to the final product, hasn't been involved in the actual compilation of the set and / or has entrusted the set to people who are sloppy, lazy and downright stupid in letting stuff like this actually go to market.

Human error can be excused in small part, but ALL OF THESE errors and omissions would have been spotted with perhaps two complete listens to the discs and one read of the booklet.

I do, yes, but I was hoping for MUCH BETTER mixed / mastered versions of The Cross material to be available before spending the cash; they're not, so I won't be.

 

Try to see it the other way around: If they sell you the same stuff again and it's enormously improved, you could complain why they didn't do it right the first time...

Also those companies like "QPL" or "Apple" appear to be soooo huge and powerful in the eyes of many fans. Basically they are just offices with people doing a day time job. Like record companies these days where you have "promoters" working instead of "music experts". And it's somehow a miracle that so few mistakes happen...;-)

 

There is simply no excuse for such apparent lack of quality control. All it would have taken was someone to check the discs once...

 

Received "The Lot" including all its errors, text omissions, text repetitions, sub-youtube quality videos and whatnot...
Listened to "Fun In Space". Liked the better defined bass on all tracks. Didn't like the relative brightness and loudness.
The DR Meter shows a dynamic loss of 1 : it's not that bad, but unnecessary...

The new CD (from The Lot)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DR7 over -8.25 dB Airheads.mp3
DR8 -0.00 dB -10.56 dB Fun In Space.mp3
DR8 over -10.10 dB Future Management.mp3
DR7 over -9.10 dB Good Times Are Now.mp3
DR8 -0.00 dB -10.92 dB Interlude In Constantinople.mp3
DR8 -0.00 dB -10.20 dB Laugh Or Cry.mp3
DR7 -0.00 dB -8.55 dB Let's Get Crazy.mp3
DR8 -0.00 dB -10.54 dB Magic Is Loose.mp3
DR7 over -9.70 dB My Country I & II.mp3
DR7 over -8.40 dB No Violins.mp3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR8


The 1996 remaster CD

DR8 -0.13 dB -9.92 dB 01. No Violins.mp3
DR9 -1.70 dB -13.00 dB 02. Laugh Or Cry.mp3
DR8 -1.55 dB -11.98 dB 03. Future Management.mp3
DR7 -0.00 dB -9.23 dB 04. Let's Get Crazy.mp3
DR9 -0.05 dB -11.97 dB 05. My Country I & II.mp3
DR8 -0.00 dB -10.13 dB 06. Good Times Are Now.mp3
DR10 -0.13 dB -12.59 dB 07. Magic Is Loose.mp3
DR10 -2.40 dB -16.38 dB 08. Interlude In Constantinople.mp3
DR9 -0.14 dB -10.64 dB 09. Airheads.mp3
DR9 -0.13 dB -11.87 dB 10. Fun In Space.mp3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR9

Vinyl (from DR database)

DR13 -2.31 dB -16.75 dB 01 No Violins.mp3
DR13 -3.51 dB -19.45 dB 02 Laugh Or Cry.mp3
DR13 -2.28 dB -18.18 dB 03 Future Management.mp3
DR12 -1.06 dB -16.16 dB 04 Let's Get Crazy.mp3
DR13 -2.37 dB -18.56 dB 05 My Country I & II.mp3
DR14 -1.83 dB -17.39 dB 06 Good Times Are Now.mp3
DR14 -1.44 dB -19.64 dB 07 Magic Is Loose.mp3
DR13 -3.22 dB -20.10 dB 08 Interlude In Constantinople.mp3
DR13 -1.09 dB -16.76 dB 09 Airheads.mp3
DR13 -0.40 dB -18.38 dB 10 Fun In Space.mp3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR13