In my post Awake, I mentioned that I had received an e-mail from FriendsOfLive, the web site of the band Live, notifying of a new release. Extracting the essence, it said;
The new CD/DVD combo package, “Awake, The Best of LIVE” hits stores worldwide on November 2nd
Worldwide was apparently not to be taken literally because it was yesterday before I finally found product on a local store’s shelves. Naturally I bought a copy, rushed it home, only to find that it was not a CD/DVD combo as promised but merely a CD, with a slightly different track listing to the US release. Needless to say, I am not amused and sent the e-mail below to FriendsOfLive. I suppose there is a slight hope that it ends up with someone that can actually make a difference and help to provide better uniformity for future worldwide releases.
This is the e-mail I sent as a reply to the one I received from them.
After almost daily visits to record stores here in South Africa, I finally found Awake on the shelves yesterday and bought a copy. The packaging didn’t say anything about a DVD but I remembered that the latest Linkin Park CD/DVD was in a standard jewel case so I wasn’t too worried. Imagine my disappointment, that soon turned to disgust, when I found no DVD on opening the case.
Why would the ZA release not have the DVD? Is this to be taken as a message that the band sees us as second class fans, not worthy of receiving what fans elsewhere do. I seem to remember that there was some extra with The Distance To Here that was also not available with the ZA release. After having bought every one of Live’s albums (some twice after the first copies were stolen) I am beginning to wonder if I should continue to do so.
I love Live’s music, but the marketing/distribution of it really sucks. To be told that the release will be a CD/DVD combo when in fact it is only a CD makes me wonder if the album might not more aptly be titled, “Awake :: The Best Of LIES”
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