| Queen Archivist 21.12.2008 07:31 |
Each to his own. I believe that. Freedom of speech to say what you genuinely think, of course. But some so called Queen fans, like the anonymous individual calling himself/herself 'clear', just seems to complain endlessly for the pure sake of complaining, and this they do with none of the facts, and with no logical basis or foundation. It's like people who congregate at places just to moan about TV, radio, the cost of things, the state of their town, mortgage, job, car, financial state, young people and their language, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. They moan on endlessly but rarely or never get onto the GOOD things. Let me just examine some of the things that 'clear' would have us all believe are THE FACT according to him/her... clear: I know I've already passed comment on the execution of this concept. But I'm afraid I have to add something now that I've actually seen it in it's cardboard glory and (yes Greg) "held it" in my hands. GB: "cardboard glory". If it had been a plastic box full of plastic jewel cases, clear and his like-minded chums would have complained about that too. Be honest, think about it, he WOULD. He definitely would. Like I say, people like clear seem pre-programmed with an auto-response of "Right! What can I find to pick holes in?" "Ooooh, it's made of cardboard!" "Oh, they've used unusual sleeves." "Heavens above! It's purple and white lettering!" "It's a fucking disgrace!" It's a f...in disgrace. Even worse than I imagined. GB: See what I mean!!! My initial thought was "how is Freddie's original artwork (the Queen word logo) allowed to be used in such a tasteless naff manner? GB: Honestly NOT worth boring us with. You are scraping the barrel with such tedious observations. Can you not find anything more SIGNIFICANT than the colour scheme? Jesus, what a bore! White reversed out of purple!!!! like some 14 year old design students embarassing mistake. Next to a stamp type idea informing us it is part 1. GB: You would have complained if it were the Queen II picture ("it's overused" you'd say), or a photo from 1984 or 86 ("why this picture?" you'd bleat), or plain silver or navy blue ("Why couldn't they depict some rare sleeves from all around the world that most fans couldn't afford to buy on vinyl?" you'd no doubt complain). Why not give it some class GB: Who the Hell are you to judge for all of us what is or is not 'class'. These comments are just YOUR opinion. Some people do actually think it looks great, clear. Did you even stop to consider this??? No, you just assume that ALL fans feel like you, but they don't. YOU think it has no class. I don't. Gary doesn't. Brian doesn't, etc, etc. The many who bought it yesterday didn't share your opinion either! and, if you're aiming it at the general public, base the design around Queen 2 which has the added bonus of being associated with Bohemian Rhapsody? GB: It's selling very well chum. You're talking out of your arse again. This design evidently IS appealing to the masses you mention. The "general public" are responding very well to the box, so it seems the designer knows more about this stuff than you do. You see. You don't know 1% as much as you thought you did. |
| Queen Archivist 21.12.2008 07:31 |
continued... No bugger, except Queen fans from the 70's, will recognise the covers. GB: That's partly why people ARE responding so well... they're intrigued by the weird sleeves. You should read the NON Queen "general public" forums - you might learn something. People DON'T HAVE TO recognise sleeves to buy a box, silly boy. They just need to like the concept on a general level.... like I did when I bought Blondie, Simon & Garf, Big Country boxed sets of this exact format. 13 CDs for £39 and all with intriguing sleeves is what attracts people to buy it, NOT the things you cite. This clearly is something you know little about. You're forte is NOT design or marketing. It's COMPLAINING WITHOUT FINDING OUT THE FACTS FIRST. Queen fans want ALL the remixes etc. GB: True. It has NO aesthetic value - GB: Blatantly NOT true. it's like a giant fag packet from somewhere in Eastern Europe. GB: Says who????????? You. Who cares about what you think??? The box is selling well. Get this into your thick head. WHO THE HELL IS IT AIMED AT??? GB: The masses. And they are buying it at a healthy rate. So what do you really know? In HMV, where I had the misfortune to bump into it, it is in the racks next to GH1. GH1 has all the hits and more for £5 if bought with another album for a £5. This stinking turd costs £39.95. EIGHT TIMES THE COST and the hassle of changing the f...ing CD every couple of songs. GB: But.... dear 'clear' .... it's not really intended for you and me and fans who already have that material on the albums and other collections. Do you really need me to point this out? It's intended for your sister, your mates' dads, ordinary music lovers - the kind who like to buy Greatest Hits, your NON big fan people who quite like certain Queen singles and whom love to buy little boxes from other artists they don't know much about. This box is selling to precisely the people it was aimed at... whether you like it or not. it just IS. It is OF ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC GB: TOTALLY AND UTTERLY 100% WRONG. It is these people that are buying it in significant numbers. You are so very wrong. Stop and think before you write. OR THE QUEEN ENTHUSIAST except for a couple of tracks that are, to be honest, forgettable (why they were B sides in the first place). GB: No. It's not really aimed at this market, in my opinion. 'WE' already have all these tracks, obviously. But the average person on the street just has the odd one or two. They see this and know they're getting ALL the great Queen singles, PLUS some rare sleeves, all in a little box easy to store away. "Bargain!" So, before the Stepfords start, here are a few answers to your questions. I'm posting because I love the original Queen and detest what QPL have done with their legacy. GB: So do I and most of us here. You just sound bitter, and looking for confrontation. I find it hatful that Brian and Roger ever even contemplated getting Jer's (Freddie's Mum) blessing for their sick money making schemes (We Will Rock You), never mind publicising her "blessings". GB: You sound like a 14 year old. How old are you???? I am well aware that I am not "forced" to buy anything. My point is that, QPL (which includes Brian and Roger) know full well that their ardent fans will buy what is released because that want to have a complete collection of released material. They therefore have a moral duty to release worthwhile material that is not just another re-release with one or two un-released tracks that make the full-on fans feel obliged to complete their collections. GB: What an arse-hole thing to say. And you're serious too. Incredible. I will continue to make my comments because they represent the views of a lot of Queen fans who feel nothing but despair at what has transpired since Freddie died. GB: You DO NOT represent the fans I've spoken to, as I've said. Only an arrogant person, or a teenager, which I suspect you must be, would suggest such a ludicrous thing. Have you heard your silly self.... "I will continue to make my comments because they represent the views of a lot of Queen fans" This is laughable. You might want to re-think certain points you offer as fact, because the way the box is selling disproves most of them - if not ALL of them. |
| Reading Princess 21.12.2008 08:57 |
Now that's what I call someone in a corner.
It seems to me Greg that you keep trying to deflect my points by continually saying that I think that I'm speaking for ALL Queen fans. Everyone that has read my posts can clearly see that I have said that my views represent those of a LOT of Queen fans. You only have to look around here AND Queen Online to see that this is true.
On the other side of the coin, I have NEVER disputed your (or anyone elses) view that some people have different views to mine and that some people like the box.
Queen Archivist wrote: Each to his own. I believe that. Freedom of speech to say what you genuinely think, of course. But some so called Queen fans, like the anonymous individual calling himself/herself 'clear', just seems to complain endlessly for the pure sake of complaining, and this they do with none of the facts, and with no logical basis or foundation.It's like people who congregate at places just to moan about TV, radio, the cost of things, the state of their town, mortgage, job, car, financial state, young people and their language, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. They moan on endlessly but rarely or never get onto the GOOD things. Let me just examine some of the things that 'clear' would have us all believe are THE FACT according to him/her... clear: I know I've already passed comment on the execution of this concept. But I'm afraid I have to add something now that I've actually seen it in it's cardboard glory and (yes Greg) "held it" in my hands. GB: "cardboard glory". If it had been a plastic box full of plastic jewel cases, clear and his like-minded chums would have complained about that too. Be honest, think about it, he WOULD. He definitely would. Like I say, people like clear seem pre-programmed with an auto-response of "Right! What can I find to pick holes in?" "Ooooh, it's made of cardboard!" "Oh, they've used unusual sleeves." "Heavens above! It's purple and white lettering!" "It's a fucking disgrace!" It's a f...in disgrace. Even worse than I imagined. GB: See what I mean!!! CLEAR: Er.. no. I made my initial comment. I haven't repeated it after the box has been re-packaged. My initial thought was "how is Freddie's original artwork (the Queen word logo) allowed to be used in such a tasteless naff manner? GB: Honestly NOT worth boring us with. You are scraping the barrel with such tedious observations. Can you not find anything more SIGNIFICANT than the colour scheme? Jesus, what a bore! CLEAR: YOU, Greg, are the one who's tried to defend the box with such lines as "wait until you hold it in your hand, it's actually a lovely item". So because I have responded with my opinion, that subject is now "scraping the barrel" and "tedious". Some consistency wouldn't go amiss if you want to be taken seriously. White reversed out of purple!!!! like some 14 year old design students embarassing mistake. Next to a stamp type idea informing us it is part 1. GB: You would have complained if it were the Queen II picture ("it's overused" you'd say), or a photo from 1984 or 86 ("why this picture?" you'd bleat), or plain silver or navy blue ("Why couldn't they depict some rare sleeves from all around the world that most fans couldn't afford to buy on vinyl?" you'd no doubt complain). CLEAR: Try arguing with what I've said, not what you think I'd say Why not give it some class GB: Who the Hell are you to judge for all of us what is or is not 'class'. These comments are just YOUR opinion. Some people do actually think it looks great, clear. Did you even stop to consider this??? No, you just assume that ALL fans feel like you, but they don't. YOU think it has no class. I don't. Gary doesn't. Brian doesn't, etc, etc. Is that all you can find to mention.The many that bought it yesterday didn't share your opinion either! CLEAR: Again you try to make out that I speak for ALL Queen fans. I never have done and you know it. As you point out it is MY opinion (and some others). Why are you getting so flustered? I would also point out that out of "the many who bought it yesterday" undoubtedly some were Queen completists who would agree with me - not all. Read your last sentence back Greg and see who tries to represent everyone. and, if you're aiming it at the general public, base the design around Queen 2 which has the added bonus of being associated with Bohemian Rhapsody? GB: It's selling very well chum. You're talking out of your arse again. This design evidently IS appealing to the masses you mention. The "general public" are responding very well to the box, so it seems the designer knows more about this stuff than you do. You see. You don't know 1% as much as you thought you did. CLEAR: SHOW US THE FIGURES!! Ha ha ha. |
| john bodega 21.12.2008 09:01 |
I should've known that when he started a thread starting with 'my last post', it would herald the exact opposite. |
| Reading Princess 21.12.2008 09:51 |
Queen Archivist wrote: continued... No bugger, except Queen fans from the 70's, will recognise the covers.GB: That's partly why people ARE responding so well... they're intrigued by the weird sleeves. You should read the NON Queen "general public" forums - you might learn something. People DON'T HAVE TO recognise sleeves to buy a box, silly boy. They just need to like the concept on a general level.... like I did when I bought Blondie, Simon & Garf, Big Country boxed sets of this exact format. 13 CDs for £39 and all with intriguing sleeves is what attracts people to buy it, NOT the things you cite. This clearly is something you know little about. You're forte is NOT design or marketing. It's COMPLAINING WITHOUT FINDING OUT THE FACTS FIRST. CLEAR: If I, as someone who likes Blondie's music (i.e. not a full-on fan) wanted Blondie's greatest hits/singles I'd buy a Greatest Hits album for about £10. Why would I buy a box set of singles with pic sleeves that do not really interest me, cd's that have to be changed for the next one after evey hit song has been heard, and pay £40 for the pleasure? What makes the man in the street who whistles "Don't Stop Me Now" any different? Does Queen music somehow hypnotise people to spend 4 times as much money as they need to in order to own the same music. Queen fans want ALL the remixes etc. GB: True. It has NO aesthetic value - GB: Blatantly NOT true. CLEAR: It is true that it is my point of view. it's like a giant fag packet from somewhere in Eastern Europe. GB: Says who????????? You. Who cares about what you think??? The box is selling well. Get this into your thick head. CLEAR: Once again Greg, this is a forum for opinions and I have stated mine. People look at these forums to see other points of view. WHO THE HELL IS IT AIMED AT??? GB: The masses. And they are buying it at a healthy rate. So what do you really know? CLEAR; SHOW US THE FIGURES GREG. Ha ha ha In HMV, where I had the misfortune to bump into it, it is in the racks next to GH1. GH1 has all the hits and more for £5 if bought with another album for a £5. This stinking turd costs £39.95. EIGHT TIMES THE COST and the hassle of changing the f...ing CD every couple of songs. GB: But.... dear 'clear' .... it's not really intended for you and me and fans who already have that material on the albums and other collections. Do you really need me to point this out? It's intended for your sister, your mates' dads, ordinary music lovers - the kind who like to buy Greatest Hits, your NON big fan people who quite like certain Queen singles and whom love to buy little boxes from other artists they don't know much about. This box is selling to precisely the people it was aimed at... whether you like it or not. it just IS. CLEAR: Jeez...My point is just that. It is OF ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC Why pay 4 times the cost and have the hassle when the GP can buy QGH1 and 3 other GH from other artists for the same money? GB: TOTALLY AND UTTERLY 100% WRONG. It is these people that are buying it in significant numbers. You are so very wrong. Stop and think before you write. CLEAR: I have "thought". Prove me wrong and SHOW US THE FIGURES GREG. Ha ha ha OR THE QUEEN ENTHUSIAST except for a couple of tracks that are, to be honest, forgettable (why they were B sides in the first place). GB: No. It's not really aimed at this market, in my opinion. 'WE' already have all these tracks, obviously. But the average person on the street just has the odd one or two. They see this and know they're getting ALL the great Queen singles, PLUS some rare sleeves, all in a little box easy to store away. "Bargain!" CLEAR: Again, why not buy GH1 for 1/4 price?. You're the one who defended breaking the box sets up because of cost and the "credit crunch". By the same logic Mr. Average will but GH1 rather than a box full of un-necessary packaging. Your points are increasingly sensless Greg. QPL must be paying you well to make such a tit of yourself. So, before the Stepfords start, here are a few answers to your questions. I'm posting because I love the original Queen and detest what QPL have done with their legacy. GB: So do I and most of us here. You just sound bitter, and looking for confrontation. CLEAR: Not bitter, just dismayed. I find it hatful that Brian and Roger ever even contemplated getting Jer's (Freddie's Mum) blessing for their sick money making schemes (We Will Rock You), never mind publicising her "blessings". GB: You sound like a 14 year old. How old are you???? CLEAR: Older than you sunshine, and obviously with more respect than some people for an old lady. I am well aware that I am not "forced" to buy anything. My point is that, QPL (which includes Brian and Roger) know full well that their ardent fans will buy what is released because that want to have a complete collection of released material. They therefore have a moral duty to release worthwhile material that is not just another re-release with one or two un-released tracks that make the full-on fans feel obliged to complete their collections. GB: What an arse-hole thing to say. And you're serious too. Incredible. CLEAR: Yes, very serious. Do you know what morals are Greg? Maybe, rather than just saying "arsehole thing to say", you'd like to give a considered response to that paragraph. Or are you too "bored". Or thick. I will continue to make my comments because they represent the views of a lot of Queen fans who feel nothing but despair at what has transpired since Freddie died. GB: You DO NOT represent the fans I've spoken to, as I've said. Only an arrogant person, or a teenager, which I suspect you must be, would suggest such a ludicrous thing. Have you heard your silly self.... "I will continue to make my comments because they represent the views of a lot of Queen fans" This is laughable. CLEAR: Here we go again.. I do not, and have never said, that I represent the views of all Queen fans as you keep trying to make out is my position. It's there in the line you quote - "the views of a LOT of Queen fans".Look around the forums. You might want to re-think certain points you offer as fact, because the way the box is selling disproves most of them - if not ALL of them. CLEAR: SHOW US THE FIGURES GREG. Ha ha ha. |
| oh-ja 21.12.2008 10:34 |
greg, did you ever consider psycho therapy? |
| TRS-Romania 21.12.2008 12:12 |
show us the figures Greg ! |
| cmsdrums 21.12.2008 16:11 |
Sorry Greg, but your argument of "it's selling well" that you state several times doesn't really say much. In fact it backs up QPL apparent train of thought that if something sells well then it's good. This simly isn't the case. Steps, Mr Blobby, Westlife, Black Lace (I could go on) all sold more than well, but this doesn't make the product good. The general pubic could well be buying this set in their thousands, then getting home and saying 'oh bloody hell, I could have bought the Platinum Collection for a 5th of the price of this, and that's got a comprehensive booklet with stats, pictures of sleeves etc.. and far more tracks - I've been done'. Nearly every Queen fan would be happy for a far more comprehensive set to be released that may sell a lot less but be far better in quality. Sorry, I am not siding with the original poster that you are protesting about, but just putting a counter point to your response that if it sells well then almost this alone justifies the set. Cheers |
| Saint Jiub 21.12.2008 21:04 |
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,554 in Music Yep - it is selling "well" ... "well" behind the pack. http://www.amazon.com/Singles-Collection-Queen/dp/B001GRY5YI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1229911100&sr=1-1#moreAboutThisProduct |
| Bo Rhap 22.12.2008 01:56 |
I have to say this singles box set is a total rip off.Yes,i held it in my hands.Looked at it.Then put it down again. However,had it had been a vynil box set i MIGHT have considered it. |
| Benn 22.12.2008 04:31 |
Greg. You've stated on many occasions how much you dislike the majority of people and their views on this site. However, you STILL feel the need to come here and *get involved*. The *FACT* is that the singles box is a complete and utter waste of time, energy and money and is merely an excuse to milk the cash cow that is the Queen back catalogue. QPL show no imagination or clarity of thought in ANYTHING that they do these days and it's a sad indictment of the naivity of many of the people this collection has been targetted at that QPL feel that they can still, successfully market this type of release. Those of us who have a long association with Queen over many years know this to be true and are wise enough to be able to exercise some kind of quality control over our spending these days on Queen product. If that sad old leach Jim Beach was man (or monkey) enough to come here - in place of you - and give us some kind of justification as to the reason behind this pile of shit being produced, we'd have a fairer understanding of the motivations. We already *KNOW* that your opinions are not representative of those of QPL, so no one ought to take *ANYTHING* you say regarding QPL seriously at all. You are, as we are, a mere fan. I've defended you and your opinions on a number of threads here on this site in the past. I believe that you, as a fan, have an unbearably tough time from a number of different quarters on almost everything. I also know from experience that, working for your heros, however much they try to convince you otherwise, is, more often than not, a thankless task. But, defending the undefendable is a waste of your time. You'd been quiet on the subject for so long - why bother to comment now? What is your motivation behind what you say now? |
| cmsdrums 22.12.2008 07:17 |
Bo Rhap wrote: I have to say this singles box set is a total rip off.Yes,i held it in my hands.Looked at it.Then put it down again. However,had it had been a vynil box set i MIGHT have considered it. Greg - In addition to this point Greg, Brian did say on his website that a 7" vinyl edition would be released; do you know if this is still in the pipeline, and if so when?? (ie not til all the CD ones have sold, or available at the same time?) Also, of the 10,000 worldwide copies do you know how many are distributed in each major territory?? (eg 2,000 in the UK, 1,00 in Germany, 500 in USA etc...etc...?) It would be interesting to know how many are in the UK and then see how long the stock lasts |
| Marcos Napier 22.12.2008 10:31 |
Benn wrote: (...) The *FACT* is that the singles box is a complete and utter waste of time, energy and money and is merely an excuse to milk the cash cow that is the Queen back catalogue. QPL show no imagination or clarity of thought in ANYTHING that they do these days and it's a sad indictment of the naivity of many of the people this collection has been targetted at that QPL feel that they can still, successfully market this type of release. Bravo. |
| Benn 22.12.2008 12:29 |
Marcus re: >Bravo What saddens me is that Greg even *BOTHERS* to come on here and defend what's been released as being for the masses. For fuck's sake. The masses aren't going to bother to buy a set in which each CD has a maximum of 4 tracks on it and then have to change it each time they want to move on. One of the reasons *WHY* the CD medium became sosuccessful was that it meant you didn't have to get up and change to side 2 in order to hear your new LP in full. The *FACT* also is that the conventional singles sales market has dropped almost off of the radar - you can download individual tracks for convenience and then build a collection with which you have immediate availability to play track after track - no need to change CDs....... What you have to do now is to change disc 13 times in order to hear the whole collection. Waste of time. The masses also have the freedom to purchase GH1, 2 & 3 should they so whish. They also have the ability to download Queen tracks through various portals. *WE* - long-term / die-hard / cautious - collectors? What do we have to satiate our appetites? Bugger all. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Nought. With a bit of luck Greggy Boy will disappear again from trace and not darken our doorstep again.... until the next product arrives that's not worth a dime and needs a bit or prodding forward. This all may, of course, be an exercise in cleverly agitating the market to prompt a few fence-sitters to go out and simply wonder what all the fuss is about........... Wouldn't surprise me given the tight market conditions we're all operating under at the moment........? |
| Reading Princess 22.12.2008 20:09 |
As I said Greg, just look above and around here and Queen Online. I speak for a LOT of fans but not all. Now, do Queen a favour and sit down with Jim Beach and discuss if the remainder of Queen want a decent relationship with the people that gave them the life they have in the first place. Or do they want to behave like utter c...ts and and be like McDonalds, constantly churning out the same basic in a different format every time the bank balance dips. Therefore creating a harmony akin to that of Sylvester and Tweetie Pie. Time moves on, Jimmy Jenks won't always be there. The core is turning. 10,000 copies of the box manufactured? Big deal. Show us the sales figures Greg! Thought of a new job? From the skills you present in making and answering posts on this forum, and, of course, your legendary reputation for accuracy, I would recommend a job in the aformentioned McDonalds. Just until you sort yourself out, you understand. I'm sure that Steve Brookstein or some other X Factor "star" could really use your Butlins-level spin. And their back catalogue wouldn't be too comprehensive for you to deal with. |
| victor fleitas 22.12.2008 20:24 |
dont listen to this people greg... they're all idiots... I love youuuu! youre a great archivist and all... well... now.. Send me some multitracks!!!! and the hyde park in high quality video... and all those things that I dream off watching... Comon... I wont send it to nobody else... I promise... jejeje |
| Queen Archivist 23.12.2008 14:02 |
Benn wrote: Greg. .....I've defended you and your opinions on a number of threads here on this site in the past. I believe that you, as a fan, have an unbearably tough time from a number of different quarters on almost everything. I also know from experience that, working for your heros, however much they try to convince you otherwise, is, more often than not, a thankless task. But, defending the undefendable is a waste of your time. You'd been quiet on the subject for so long - why bother to comment now? What is your motivation behind what you say now? My motivation is sinister and menacing, Benn old boy. My reasons are so dark and important and crucial, I daren't tell you more. |
| pittrek 23.12.2008 14:04 |
Have you fallen to the dark side of the Force ? |
| Micrówave 23.12.2008 15:59 |
So lets see how the box compares to some other Christmas faves: Genesis Box Set Amazon.com Sales Rank: #330 in Music link Big Country Box Set Amazon.com Sales Rank: #241,919 in Music link Miles Davis Box Set Amazon.com Sales Rank: #378 in Music link The Cosmos Rocks Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,060 in Music link and the number 1 ranked item in music: Holiday Spirits Straight No Chaser Originally formed a dozen years ago while students together at Indiana University, the a cappella group has reassembled and reemerged after their video for 'The 12 Days of Christmas' became a phenomenon with almost 8 million views on YouTube - the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense...and with a sense of humor. http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Spirits-Straight-No-Chaser/dp/B001G0LBXS/ref=pd_ts_m_1?ie=UTF8&s=music |
| Benn 24.12.2008 05:18 |
Greg, re: >>My motivation is sinister and menacing, Benn old boy. My reasons are so dark and important and crucial, I daren't tell you more. At last - an answer to a question! Finally! You see, he can do it. Did you SEE that!? Good man, Greg. Good man. |