Pitchfork

[Posted Wednesday, October 1st, 2003 02:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

I've always wondered about the 'special' editions inevitably released for 'event' albums from the likes of Radiohead and R.E.M. Typically they come dressed in extensive packaging, for about twice the price, and have nothing musically new to offer other than something else to buy for the completist. I have a friend who bought both the regular copy of Kid A and the special edition the day they came out-- ostensibly, she claimed, to have a copy for the car and home. As pathetic an excuse as that would have been anyway, it somewhat ignored the fact that she had a CD burner in her computer. In any case, I just don't get it-- I mean, do you really need a big wooden box to protect your precious copy of Automatic For The People?

Which is why it's refreshing that the recently announced special edition of Aimee Mann's 2002 release Lost in Space actually has a reason to exist. According to Mann's label SuperEgo, the limited-edition release will add an entire disc of new material with six live tracks (including a cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist"), both b-sides from the "Humpty Dumpty" single, and two previously unreleased tracks. Of course, there's also the requisite special packaging, new art, limited edition of 20,000... you know the drill.

The enhanced CD will also contain the video for "Pavlov's Bell." The special edition streets November 18th with a recommended retail of $21.98 (I did mention the new packaging, right?). There are also plans for a fall tour, although we couldn't nail down any details. The first disc is the same as the original Lost in Space, but here's the tracklist for the extra disc:

01 Real Bad News [live]
02 The Moth [live]
03 This Is How It Goes [live]
04 The Scientist [live]
05 Invisible Ink [live]
06 It's Not [BBC]
07 Nightmare Girl
08 Backfire
09 Fighting The Stall [previously unreleased]
10 Observatory [previously unreleased]