The Tijuana Brass Reissue Debacle

A&M Corner got word today from Shout Factory that three new Tijuana Brass reissues are now available: the fan favorite Warm, the western-themed The Brass Are Comin’, and the overlooked second album of the TJB, Volume 2. Herb Alpert’s solo recording, Rise, is also imminent for reissue. Like the tired old cliché goes: there’s good news, and there’s bad news.

The good news is that there are three new albums available in the Herb Alpert Signature Series. The bad news for some CD collectors is that the albums are only available via download through an exclusive deal with iTunes. In other words, the only way to get these is through a lossy download from Apple. Official word about CD versions of these? “Not at this time.” From what we have concluded, and based on who owns and controls the masters (Alpert himself), this was the only way these recordings would be approved for release was in a digital format. The fans who have spoken up so far run the gamut from grateful to enraged; discussions mention everything from “feeling dirty” for downloading music, to blaming everyone involved (the label, the artist, etc.) for this utter travesty on humanity.

I must admit I’m somewhat disappointed that these did not see the light of day on CD. But by the same token, I’m very grateful that these are at least available in digital form for those who want to download them. Remember, many people no longer own a turntable, nor do they have access to good, clean vinyl like many of us collectors do. I also believe that once some of these fans get over the hurdle of having to download music, they may rediscover these albums once again, and be able to enjoy them.

Economically, this does make sense. These three albums did not burn up the charts like the previous albums did, and at this point in time, interest in these is primarily among dyed-in-the-wool TJB fans. The people who buy the Whipped Cream 40th anniversary edition are not the same ones that buy these niche-market releases that appeal mainly to collectors and fans. Now and in the future, I think that while iTunes releases are not ideal for my own purposes, at least the recordings will be available. I only hope that some of these negative discussions do not hamper any future releases, from iTunes or on CD. I do support the effort to keep the music alive, even if it is not in my preferred format.

Good news on the CD front, however: Rise, Herb Alpert’s landmark solo album, is being reissued on CD in the Herb Alpert Signature Series on May 29, 2007. It will feature two bonus tracks: an “alternate mix” of “Rotation” (which I’m guessing is the 12″ single remix from when the song was originally a hit), and a new remix of “Aranjuez”. This is the first of the second wave of Herb Alpert reissues that will be running through 2008.