I'd rather they take their time and make the box set into something epic... Really, the most important thing is that they compile ALL the officially-released non-album tracks. If they can't do that, here's how I think they should prioritize them:
1st priority: Non-album Midnight Oil originals. This would be the b-sides like Heaven And Earth, You May Not Be Released, etc.
2nd priority: Alternate versions of Midnight Oil album tracks. This would include the shorter "single" versions of several songs, the remixes, the live b-sides etc.
3rd priority: Non-album covers of other artists. There are a few of these as b-sides (live and studio) and on tribute albums.
What do you other Powdies think? I know I'd rather have ALL of the first group above than an incomplete set from each category. I'd put the Non-album Midnight Oil originals on one disk, the live b-sides on a second disk, the single versions (and alternate versions like Cemetery In My Mind <True Believers Blind version>) plus covers on the third disk, and the Remixes on a fourth disk.
Of couse, any unreleased songs would be in a new "ultimate priority" group, but I suspect we'd be lucky to get even one of those, so it could go into the compilation of non-album originals.
Anybody want to pass this on to Arlene? ;-)
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au
From: rob10@liveonthe.net
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:37:37 +1000
Subject: [powderworks] Re: Message to the Powderworkers List
On 19/07/2011 1:53 PM, Midnight Oil Office wrote:
> Hi everyone
>
> I bring bad news I'm afraid... Oils box set release has been
> rescheduled for March.
> I'm very sorry for the disappointment and for putting a big hole in
> some of your Xmas stockings.
> We will do our best to make it worth the wait.
> Arlene
>