Amazon tells us that on March 27, Thom Yorke's album The Eraser will be reissued as a "Special Edition." It is an "extremely limited Taiwanese pressing [that] includes his debut solo album (with OBI) a bonus CD single for "Harrowdown Hill" that includes two non-album tracks, "The Drunkk Machine" and "Harrowdown Hill (Extended Mix)" along with an exclusive Thom Yorke/Eraser T-shirt (One size 48 x 70cm)." A T-shirt? C'mon Beggars Banquet International Trade Holding Incorporated Conglomerate! Take a look at what other bands and their labels are doing with their reissue ideas:
- Sparta's Threes is being re-released and may come cased in a Spartan helmet to cash in on the success and hype surrounding 300. Random copies come with doru spear and aspis shield accessories.
- Tom Waits has already given consumers loads to digest with his set of outtakes and rarities Orphans. The new version will be allegedly more expensive, but with each album you buy, you automatically sign the papers finalizing the adoption of a real third world orphan. Good tunes + adopting the Madonna and Brangelina way = "a rewarding experience."
- Dilla's Ruff Draft was just re-released by Stones Throw. Donuts has to be next. The thought of wrapping CDs in waxed paper and baking them directly into the center of a Boston Cream or a dutchie seems a bit time-intensive and dangerous. Plan B is the simple idea of inserting a coupon for a free day-old donut at Dunkin's into the casing instead.
- Want more Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri? Nobody does, but the reissue of their Queens of the Stone Age album Songs for the Deaf will be the first in history to restore hearing to the deaf, so they too can revel in the QOTSA rawwwk that we all know and love. Going deaf? You're shit out of luck... this is for fully deaf only, you hard-of-hearing bandwagon jumpers.
- Things We Lost in the Fire by Low will now come with things found in the fire, including singed condoms, half-burned family pictures, pieces of couch cushion, and blackened hopes and dreams.
- Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor figured prominently among many year-end 2006 album polls. Reason enough for a reissue, we say! Unfortunately, those in charge have opted to give away the strange combo of Lunchables and cooking sherry as extras in this packaging.
- A Grand Don't Come for Free. Too true, Mike Skinner. The second Streets gem will be out again someday, but the price is high... it will go for a grand (plus all applicable state and music industry fuck-ya taxes).
- Sleater-Kinney's much-loved All Hands on the Bad One comes with a set of hands. To put on yourself. Because you are the bad one. Oh yes you are.
- Electric Warrior by T. Rex will be re-re-released. Every new and improved copy bought will be hand-delivered by an actual warrior with a car battery rigged up to its undercarriage so that proper voltage is provided (assuring that sought-after "mark of authenticity" factor). Worldwide polls are deciding which out-of-work warrior will be assigned to this delivery task. So far, the front-runners are an exhumed Khan-era Mongol, an ancient Grecian hoplite, or Chancellor Gowron from The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine. Tom G. Warrior from Celtic Frost is also in the thick of the battle as are some of the animated Saiyans from DragonBall Z.
See? It REALLY doesn't take that much imagination at all to come up with original reissue giveaway ideas.
Yorke's proper band, Radiohead, will also see the limited-edition reissue of their 1998 mini-LP/EP Airbag/How Am I Driving? at the end of March (the 31st to be precise). It comes with absolutely no extras. And no T-shirt.
