Inspired by a recent FPP, I went to iTunes to buy Charles Mingus'Ah Um. I found the standard 12-track album (9 original, 3 new) for $9.99, a $16.99 50th Anniversary Edition (24 tracks), a $4.99 album (9 original tracks), and also for $4.99, Charles Mingus Complete Recordings: 1957 - 1960, a 9-album, 68-song collection including the 9 original Ah Um tracks. Being no dummy cheap, I got the latter, and am now wondering if there are any other festivals of musical bargains which may be lurking on the iTunes, and have some other questions about how to tell a good compilation from bad, and the differences in editions and releases of the same albums. First Question: For five bucks, 68 songs is a good deal, even if I don't like 90% of the content (I also got this classical compilation, which was okay, but felt like much more of a bargain-bin compilation). What are are your recommendations for a big whack of music for not a lot of money down? I'm particularly interested in instrumental jazz and classical music; jazz-wise, I'm quite enjoying Ah Um, so anything similar in the vein or sub-genre is welcome, and I really like Satie and Arvo Part when it comes to classical. Are there any collections that are a great, cheap introduction to your favorite music, or any compilations that look like deals, but are crappy?
Second Question: Regarding Ah Um, it seems really weird that the 9-track and the 9-album downloads were both priced at $4.99. The cover art for the 9-track looked amateurish, too, which scared me off from buying it, but the track lengths indicate that the album's legit. What's up with that? Is it because in 1979 the 12 tracks became the standard, and so someone swooped in and got the rights to release the original 9-track album?
Third Questions: The 9-album collection also only includes the 9 original Ah Um tracks, but it still seems weird that essentially a box set is being sold for so little. Granted, iTunes appears to treat the collection as a single, 68-song album which can make things a little awkward, but that can easily be fixed with music file management software. Perhaps I'm naive and the other albums are crap or the sound quality sucks, but still, what's up with that?
Second Question: Regarding Ah Um, it seems really weird that the 9-track and the 9-album downloads were both priced at $4.99. The cover art for the 9-track looked amateurish, too, which scared me off from buying it, but the track lengths indicate that the album's legit. What's up with that? Is it because in 1979 the 12 tracks became the standard, and so someone swooped in and got the rights to release the original 9-track album?
Third Questions: The 9-album collection also only includes the 9 original Ah Um tracks, but it still seems weird that essentially a box set is being sold for so little. Granted, iTunes appears to treat the collection as a single, 68-song album which can make things a little awkward, but that can easily be fixed with music file management software. Perhaps I'm naive and the other albums are crap or the sound quality sucks, but still, what's up with that?