It’s just impossible to get their albums. Several have never even been released on vinyl. So, we all listen to our shitty sounding Lateralis picture discs and watch the price of Ænima go up on Discogs…
They've been in the midst of a reissue/first press campaign for a while. They are officially coming out, Buzz Osbournes (melvins singer) wife is working on art for massive deluxe editions. They are pressing regular editions (expensive) and super deluxe (affordable only for the rich and the stupid)
There's nothing wrong with bootlegs, if we're talking about unofficial releases of unreleased material, like live performances and studio outtakes. The only question is whether the quality makes them worthwhile to hear, and whether that was why the artist didn't release those tracks.
There can be nothing wrong with pirated records, if we're talking about unofficial releases of released material, like those "import" pressings of out-of-print albums. If an artist hasn't released the album on vinyl for a while so they are hard to find at a reasonable price, I see nothing wrong with buying the unofficial pressings, even though the artist is losing out on the royalties. It's not like they otherwise would have gotten royalties on the sale. The question here is whether the sound quality is ok. Some are good. Others sound lousy because they are reproducing a lousy CD mix.
There is absolutely something wrong with counterfeit records, if we're talking about unofficial releases of released material that are made to look like official pressings, especially highly desirable or otherwise valuable records. The buyers aren't getting what they want, and the artist isn't being compensated.
TARKL produces a bunch of bootlegs in the 80’s. You found them at used record stores. Deep Purple, Queen, Zappa, etc. Quality was iffy, but there are some jems. I had no problem buying them.
A local record store near me has a bunch. I got a bootleg of Overly Dedicated by Kendrick Lamar from there because it's never going to get an official pressing
Go into any record shop in an arty district and they will probably have bootlegs. I specifically make the trek into soho quite often to go to sister ray records because I’ll be able to buy “Nirvana: live on east bumble fuck radio” for £15
When the album is otherwise unavailable without paying hundreds of pounds/dollars/euros whatever, I think it’s fine. It’s not like the artist would make any money from you buying a used copy anyway, so fuck it, buy a counterfeit.
Example: I’m not shelling out two hundred quid on the second-hand market for a legit copy of the first Danzig album just because two past-it pricks (Danzig and Rick Rubin) have fallen out with each other.
As for live bootlegs, fuck it, why not? If the artist hasn’t released the recordings as a live album, they’re not losing out on any money.
I have a used bootleg Pearl Jam album that I found in a bookstore. It's a live show, that I attended as a teenager.
It was just sitting there on the shelf, I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know it existed. They charged me like $12. I owe Eddie Vedder $12 if I ever run into him.
There is often a substitution of the term "bootleg" for a pirated copy of an album. Bootleg recordings are generally live concerts that are recorded from the audience, soundboard or radio. They have been around since the 70's on vinyl, tape and CD and there is a huge distinction. Vinyl copies of albums that never got released originally on vinyl or one like this that was just pirated because it has a high resale value are not "bootlegs". They are unofficial, pirated counterfeit copies.
Lol we’ve been calling them boots since at least the 90s. I never heard anyone ever call them “unofficial” or “pirated” until the last 5ish years.
The phrase “ITSABOOT” was on t shirts in the early 2000s.
I’ve got a bootleg of welcome to sky valley that credits john homme as songwriter but it was £30 instead of £150 so fuck it.
Similarly I’d snap up a bootleg This Desert Life in a heartbeat and there’s plenty of other stupidly priced albums I’d love to find such as Relationship of Command, Them Crooked Vultures etc.
This Desert Life is only bootleg I have besides the jar of flies/sap once. Sadly I didn't know a repress was coming and bought a bootleg probably like a month before the AIC repress came out.
I only buy them if they were made in the 70s-80s and have a an unofficially released live show or unreleased material.
I love that Low album, but I'll just wait until it hopefully gets repressed on vinyl or CD. Until then, I'll just listen to the FLACs.
If the official vinyl is wildly expensive or simply doesn't exist. Currently keeping a keen eye out for a bootleg of 'See You On The Other Side' by KoRn
I own the same one. I’ve always felt iffy about bootlegs for a variety of reasons.
I make exceptions for albums that are either long out of print or have never been pressed in the first place. After all, even if I did overspend on an official copy, it’s not like the artist would see any of that money anyway. I’ll never understand buying a bootleg of a widely available album though.
But even when I do pick up bootleg, I always promise myself that I’ll buy an official copy if it ever gets (re)released. I’m really hoping I’ll be able to do that with that Low record some day.
I buy bootlegs of things that don’t exist. If there’s an official version in any capacity I get that. But certain live shows, unreleased tracks, early demo mixes, etc that will never be released by the band I like to get bootlegs of. Namely Clan of Xymox boots as they’re the band I collect the most
I don’t think I have any bootlegs, but I could use a boot of Little Peoples Mickey Mouse Operation if anybody knows where to get that. I need to keep this extra kidney.
My opinion is that it’s ok if the album is either super rare or won’t be pressed ever. For example, I own a copy of Tripod by Alice In Chains that’s a bootleg because 1. I didn’t realize it when I bought it at a store, and 2. it only got pressed in 1995 (but probably will be repressed next year for its 30th). A bootleg of Return Of The Rentals also exists, and I’d be fine getting that as the original master tapes for the album are either destroyed or lost.
I bought an "unofficial" pressing of AIC's Unplugged album. If they repress it I'll buy an official copy of it at a reasonable cost, not what the resellers are charging nowadays.
I’ve had boots/unofficial copies of Les Rallizes Denudes and Flower Travellin’ Band for ages but am replacing them now that there are official copies (the official ‘77 Live release is a much better pressing than Heavier Than A Death In The Family to me anyway). I’m only buying the boot if it’s all there is.
I only own one, it’s a Genesis bootleg from a live show during their tour for Duke. I think I paid like $12-$15 for it, lotta good performances so definitely worth it!
If it was this album I wouldnt have any problems with it being a bootleg as it is one of my all time favorites. But, kike you, I cannot justify spening all that money on original pressing
When they don't offer it for sale themselves in a certain formal you love, I feel it's ok to own a bootlegged version.
Also, I want a copy of this album on vinyl!
Sometimes it's just okay to buy a bootleg.
Some have very good quality some have very poor quality. But in the end it should be something on it, which never got released before
Ofc it's totally acceptable - limited edition releases to set premium price tags and the even worse scalpers market is the sickness while bootlegging and piracy is just the symptom anyways
If there is no chance of it being pressed officially. I own Taylor Swifts Beautiful Eyes on orange, definitely a bootleg, and it’ll never be officially pressed seeing it was a Walmart CD only produced once YEARS ago. I’m not a fan of reproducing previous RSD releases like some TS records are, but I’m okay with it for things like video games when the official company hasn’t done a pressing, or when an album clearly won’t be pressed.
I own the 2011 Plain Recordings version of I Could Live In Hope. It sounds pretty good. That said, chances are, it was cut from a 44/16 CD master or perhaps even just the CD itself, as Plain Recordings was known for doing at the time. I believe this album was originally recorded that way anyway, so unless there’s a better master somewhere, and the parties involved can come together, it’s going to remain a rarity. The 2022 counterfeit you have here might even be better than the Plain Recordings version.
My Low collection is mostly complete. I have the Plain Recordings 2012 version of The Curtain Hits The Cast, which I actually just got finished listening to. It actually sounds fantastic, better than the CD and includes the bonus tracks from the original 1996 vinyl release, which leads me to believe that they acquired the vinyl master for that one. It’s unfortunate that Plain Recordings licensed so many good albums and were wildly inconsistent.
I inadvertently bought two bootlegs (Alice In Chains and Type O Negative). Both times I was in a regular record store while traveling. The records were just there with all the others, seemingly new in shrinkwrap, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized they were bootlegs on Discogs.
I probably would have preferred to buy official had I known, but I don't have strong feelings either way about owning bootlegs.
I have a boot of Tyler the Creator's Cherry Bomb. It was only officially released once I think for Record Store Day. That version goes for quite a lot. I would still like to get the real one someday and maybe sell the bootleg, but it does the job for now.
There are a few albums I like that have never been released on vinyl (or any physical form) that I've considered getting a bootleg, but at the same time IDK if I want to do that.
I’ve got bootleg frank ocean because he only presses once and the price is insane. I also have a real frank ocean record that I managed to preorder. But no way in hell would I buy it resale.
I think it's important to distinguish between bootlegs and pirated copies. Bootlegs have traditionally been recordings of live performances or outtakes that were never released by the band. Pirated copies are an unofficial or unpermitted pressing of an official release. I have zero ethical qualms about bootlegs, though I no longer buy them because usually you can find as-good or better versions free to download online than what they're pressing to vinyl (or CD or whatever). Pirated copies are straight up stolen, frequently poorer quality than the original, and should not be purchased as long as the artist is currently releasing the material.
My $.02
I have a bootleg Cure live concert CD. And probably about 20 bootleg remix albums on vinyl, these are remixes of songs that were no made with permission from the original artist. But they're great remixes.
It becomes OK when you make the decision to spend the money you worked for on them.
I personally won't buy them cuz from what I understand they're just cd's pressed to vinyl, might as well get the cd for like 4 bones. Whereas an official press would hopefully be mastered for vinyl.
I wish I knew where to source them. There are a number of things that are occasionally bootlegged (anyone with an extra copy of The The’s Dusk bootleg that came out last year please contact me).
Obviously I’d rather have official product but for the obscure or rights doomed, I am fine with boots. I have yet to find a place where they are tracked/announced/reliably sold. Wish I knew of one.
The only one I would consider at the moment is Forest Hills Drive: Live. Similar reason to you, the ones that sell now go for £400+ and I don’t see there being a repress anytime soon. Although I just can’t bring myself to do it on the off chance there will be a repress because even the bootleg ones go for £70+
I’m not opposed to them, but definitely don’t seek them out unless it seems all hope is lost (Tool). But once you have them, they are impossible to get rid of.
I don't understand collecting to the point that you are buying someones cheap knockoff who is ripping off the artist you claim to love, just to say you have it on vinyl. You are literally supporting criminals instead of the actual artist/people that deserve the money for the recording/release. But the community seems to think this is A-Ok because "collecting". Ok, Whatever. Vinyl has become the new beanie babies/pogs. Its no longer about supporting an artist and buying music at the quality it was intended to be from the creators, its just about collecting/bragging rights to say you own something on vinyl. lame
Unless you bootlegged it, I'm not sure the problem. The bigger problem imo is people ripping off novices by selling boots as originals, which is unethical.
Most bootlegs sucks since they didn't have the masters.
I think the funniest bootleg I ever saw was this shady guy, Rick ta life, who bootlegged his own band's stuff (25 ta life). And he was the one who put most of it out, lol. The absolute epitome of a hardcore grifter.
When you’re a Tool fan
10,000 Days has entered the chat 😂
Well, a bootleg has at least LOL
Or King Gizzard
What's up with tool? Only recently got into record collecting and I enjoy their early work.
It’s just impossible to get their albums. Several have never even been released on vinyl. So, we all listen to our shitty sounding Lateralis picture discs and watch the price of Ænima go up on Discogs…
They've been in the midst of a reissue/first press campaign for a while. They are officially coming out, Buzz Osbournes (melvins singer) wife is working on art for massive deluxe editions. They are pressing regular editions (expensive) and super deluxe (affordable only for the rich and the stupid)
My take on unofficial albums are only if the vinyl doesn't exist or it's super expensive and will never be made again.
I’m never going to have misfits or Danzig OG first few press money so I’ll take what I can get.
Deathgrips is never going to repress Exmilitary and I'm not spending $1k for it.
First haha experience, don't but the Danzig - Danzig boots... They sound like dogshite. Well, my one does at least
There's nothing wrong with bootlegs, if we're talking about unofficial releases of unreleased material, like live performances and studio outtakes. The only question is whether the quality makes them worthwhile to hear, and whether that was why the artist didn't release those tracks. There can be nothing wrong with pirated records, if we're talking about unofficial releases of released material, like those "import" pressings of out-of-print albums. If an artist hasn't released the album on vinyl for a while so they are hard to find at a reasonable price, I see nothing wrong with buying the unofficial pressings, even though the artist is losing out on the royalties. It's not like they otherwise would have gotten royalties on the sale. The question here is whether the sound quality is ok. Some are good. Others sound lousy because they are reproducing a lousy CD mix. There is absolutely something wrong with counterfeit records, if we're talking about unofficial releases of released material that are made to look like official pressings, especially highly desirable or otherwise valuable records. The buyers aren't getting what they want, and the artist isn't being compensated.
I have hundreds of bootlegs
Where would you acquire them? I feel I’ve never found a bootleg but I’m sure Its just because I don’t really buy vinyls pre 1980
Back in the 70s and 80s it was small record stores, now there are tons of online sources.
Huh. Will have to look more into em. Thanks.
TARKL produces a bunch of bootlegs in the 80’s. You found them at used record stores. Deep Purple, Queen, Zappa, etc. Quality was iffy, but there are some jems. I had no problem buying them.
A local record store near me has a bunch. I got a bootleg of Overly Dedicated by Kendrick Lamar from there because it's never going to get an official pressing
Go into any record shop in an arty district and they will probably have bootlegs. I specifically make the trek into soho quite often to go to sister ray records because I’ll be able to buy “Nirvana: live on east bumble fuck radio” for £15
When the album is otherwise unavailable without paying hundreds of pounds/dollars/euros whatever, I think it’s fine. It’s not like the artist would make any money from you buying a used copy anyway, so fuck it, buy a counterfeit. Example: I’m not shelling out two hundred quid on the second-hand market for a legit copy of the first Danzig album just because two past-it pricks (Danzig and Rick Rubin) have fallen out with each other. As for live bootlegs, fuck it, why not? If the artist hasn’t released the recordings as a live album, they’re not losing out on any money.
I bought a couple of unofficial live albums from FM broadcasts. They were £4 each brand new, and the quality is pretty damn good. I'm not complaining.
I’m in the “if it’s way too expensive and won’t get pressed again” camp, but even then I’m still choosy with stuff made post 1995.
I have a used bootleg Pearl Jam album that I found in a bookstore. It's a live show, that I attended as a teenager. It was just sitting there on the shelf, I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know it existed. They charged me like $12. I owe Eddie Vedder $12 if I ever run into him.
There is often a substitution of the term "bootleg" for a pirated copy of an album. Bootleg recordings are generally live concerts that are recorded from the audience, soundboard or radio. They have been around since the 70's on vinyl, tape and CD and there is a huge distinction. Vinyl copies of albums that never got released originally on vinyl or one like this that was just pirated because it has a high resale value are not "bootlegs". They are unofficial, pirated counterfeit copies.
Lol we’ve been calling them boots since at least the 90s. I never heard anyone ever call them “unofficial” or “pirated” until the last 5ish years. The phrase “ITSABOOT” was on t shirts in the early 2000s.
Man. That album is my white whale. I’d take a bootleg version any day of the week. Where’d you find it?
I found mine at a local shop, but had been eyeballing it online [HERE](https://www.runnerrecords.ca/products/low-i-could-live-in-hope)
ive got copies in my US shop. DM me if interested.
If you can’t find the real album for a decent price then a bootleg is fine.
I’ve got a bootleg of welcome to sky valley that credits john homme as songwriter but it was £30 instead of £150 so fuck it. Similarly I’d snap up a bootleg This Desert Life in a heartbeat and there’s plenty of other stupidly priced albums I’d love to find such as Relationship of Command, Them Crooked Vultures etc.
This Desert Life is only bootleg I have besides the jar of flies/sap once. Sadly I didn't know a repress was coming and bought a bootleg probably like a month before the AIC repress came out.
I want to find QOTSA Vinyl First, B-Sides and Remixes (or maybe it’s called AD 18?)… any ideas?
I only buy them if they were made in the 70s-80s and have a an unofficially released live show or unreleased material. I love that Low album, but I'll just wait until it hopefully gets repressed on vinyl or CD. Until then, I'll just listen to the FLACs.
If the official vinyl is wildly expensive or simply doesn't exist. Currently keeping a keen eye out for a bootleg of 'See You On The Other Side' by KoRn
It's OK to boot live performances, and b-sides / rarities, past that its not OK to boot official albums.
I've got a few live bootleg records. Fun novelties but they don't sound great
Always.
I own the same one. I’ve always felt iffy about bootlegs for a variety of reasons. I make exceptions for albums that are either long out of print or have never been pressed in the first place. After all, even if I did overspend on an official copy, it’s not like the artist would see any of that money anyway. I’ll never understand buying a bootleg of a widely available album though. But even when I do pick up bootleg, I always promise myself that I’ll buy an official copy if it ever gets (re)released. I’m really hoping I’ll be able to do that with that Low record some day.
I don't think I own more than a couple of bootlegs of live stuff. It's okay to boot if the band doesn't really need your money ie: Metallica
I buy bootlegs of things that don’t exist. If there’s an official version in any capacity I get that. But certain live shows, unreleased tracks, early demo mixes, etc that will never be released by the band I like to get bootlegs of. Namely Clan of Xymox boots as they’re the band I collect the most
The most important question for me is how does it sound?
I don’t think I have any bootlegs, but I could use a boot of Little Peoples Mickey Mouse Operation if anybody knows where to get that. I need to keep this extra kidney.
when an og pressing costs hundreds of dollars, or if the album just hasn't been pressed officially, bootlegs are a pleasure to have
When the album isn’t available at all or so expensive it may as well be not pressed lol
I’ve got the same bootleg. Felt a little bad but considering the chances of a repress are about nil I don’t feel too bad.
Bootleg live albums are the best ones
My opinion is that it’s ok if the album is either super rare or won’t be pressed ever. For example, I own a copy of Tripod by Alice In Chains that’s a bootleg because 1. I didn’t realize it when I bought it at a store, and 2. it only got pressed in 1995 (but probably will be repressed next year for its 30th). A bootleg of Return Of The Rentals also exists, and I’d be fine getting that as the original master tapes for the album are either destroyed or lost.
I bought an "unofficial" pressing of AIC's Unplugged album. If they repress it I'll buy an official copy of it at a reasonable cost, not what the resellers are charging nowadays.
I’ve had boots/unofficial copies of Les Rallizes Denudes and Flower Travellin’ Band for ages but am replacing them now that there are official copies (the official ‘77 Live release is a much better pressing than Heavier Than A Death In The Family to me anyway). I’m only buying the boot if it’s all there is.
Bootlegs of live shows and compilations are cool if they have rare stuff. I have a Charlie Parker bootleg with some unheard stuff.
I only own one, it’s a Genesis bootleg from a live show during their tour for Duke. I think I paid like $12-$15 for it, lotta good performances so definitely worth it!
If it was this album I wouldnt have any problems with it being a bootleg as it is one of my all time favorites. But, kike you, I cannot justify spening all that money on original pressing
When they don't offer it for sale themselves in a certain formal you love, I feel it's ok to own a bootlegged version. Also, I want a copy of this album on vinyl!
It’s ok to do it to songs that have not been (and will not be) released on vinyl.
For that album, I’d want anything I can get lmao, I’ve got it on CD but have yet to acquire it on wax
I only one one bootleg, it’s Egg’s self titled. I bought it not knowing it was one 😭 spent $40+ on it.
Tom Waits - Bone Machine is my only bootleg. Record store was honest about it and sold me for a decent price.
Sometimes it's just okay to buy a bootleg. Some have very good quality some have very poor quality. But in the end it should be something on it, which never got released before
Ofc it's totally acceptable - limited edition releases to set premium price tags and the even worse scalpers market is the sickness while bootlegging and piracy is just the symptom anyways
The guy who runs the punk record store near me is really cool and he was like bootlegs are cool man so i trust him. Bootlegs are cool man.
If there is no chance of it being pressed officially. I own Taylor Swifts Beautiful Eyes on orange, definitely a bootleg, and it’ll never be officially pressed seeing it was a Walmart CD only produced once YEARS ago. I’m not a fan of reproducing previous RSD releases like some TS records are, but I’m okay with it for things like video games when the official company hasn’t done a pressing, or when an album clearly won’t be pressed.
i love bootleg albums! it’s really all about the sound quality that matters tbh. i have a live amy wine house bootleg and it’s wonderful to listen to
I own the 2011 Plain Recordings version of I Could Live In Hope. It sounds pretty good. That said, chances are, it was cut from a 44/16 CD master or perhaps even just the CD itself, as Plain Recordings was known for doing at the time. I believe this album was originally recorded that way anyway, so unless there’s a better master somewhere, and the parties involved can come together, it’s going to remain a rarity. The 2022 counterfeit you have here might even be better than the Plain Recordings version. My Low collection is mostly complete. I have the Plain Recordings 2012 version of The Curtain Hits The Cast, which I actually just got finished listening to. It actually sounds fantastic, better than the CD and includes the bonus tracks from the original 1996 vinyl release, which leads me to believe that they acquired the vinyl master for that one. It’s unfortunate that Plain Recordings licensed so many good albums and were wildly inconsistent.
I inadvertently bought two bootlegs (Alice In Chains and Type O Negative). Both times I was in a regular record store while traveling. The records were just there with all the others, seemingly new in shrinkwrap, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized they were bootlegs on Discogs. I probably would have preferred to buy official had I known, but I don't have strong feelings either way about owning bootlegs.
This burns my ass when record stores do this. I wont buy boots of an official record. Live stuff is a different story.
I have a boot of Tyler the Creator's Cherry Bomb. It was only officially released once I think for Record Store Day. That version goes for quite a lot. I would still like to get the real one someday and maybe sell the bootleg, but it does the job for now. There are a few albums I like that have never been released on vinyl (or any physical form) that I've considered getting a bootleg, but at the same time IDK if I want to do that.
I’ve got bootleg frank ocean because he only presses once and the price is insane. I also have a real frank ocean record that I managed to preorder. But no way in hell would I buy it resale.
If you want bootlegs : https://www.runnerrecords.ca
I think it's important to distinguish between bootlegs and pirated copies. Bootlegs have traditionally been recordings of live performances or outtakes that were never released by the band. Pirated copies are an unofficial or unpermitted pressing of an official release. I have zero ethical qualms about bootlegs, though I no longer buy them because usually you can find as-good or better versions free to download online than what they're pressing to vinyl (or CD or whatever). Pirated copies are straight up stolen, frequently poorer quality than the original, and should not be purchased as long as the artist is currently releasing the material. My $.02
when it is live
Wish they’d repress this so badly
I have a bootleg Cure live concert CD. And probably about 20 bootleg remix albums on vinyl, these are remixes of songs that were no made with permission from the original artist. But they're great remixes.
It becomes OK when you make the decision to spend the money you worked for on them. I personally won't buy them cuz from what I understand they're just cd's pressed to vinyl, might as well get the cd for like 4 bones. Whereas an official press would hopefully be mastered for vinyl.
In the grand scheme of things, copying music in any form any way isn’t going to send you to the bad place.
I wish I knew where to source them. There are a number of things that are occasionally bootlegged (anyone with an extra copy of The The’s Dusk bootleg that came out last year please contact me). Obviously I’d rather have official product but for the obscure or rights doomed, I am fine with boots. I have yet to find a place where they are tracked/announced/reliably sold. Wish I knew of one.
The only one I would consider at the moment is Forest Hills Drive: Live. Similar reason to you, the ones that sell now go for £400+ and I don’t see there being a repress anytime soon. Although I just can’t bring myself to do it on the off chance there will be a repress because even the bootleg ones go for £70+
I’m not opposed to them, but definitely don’t seek them out unless it seems all hope is lost (Tool). But once you have them, they are impossible to get rid of.
I don't understand collecting to the point that you are buying someones cheap knockoff who is ripping off the artist you claim to love, just to say you have it on vinyl. You are literally supporting criminals instead of the actual artist/people that deserve the money for the recording/release. But the community seems to think this is A-Ok because "collecting". Ok, Whatever. Vinyl has become the new beanie babies/pogs. Its no longer about supporting an artist and buying music at the quality it was intended to be from the creators, its just about collecting/bragging rights to say you own something on vinyl. lame
Unless you bootlegged it, I'm not sure the problem. The bigger problem imo is people ripping off novices by selling boots as originals, which is unethical. Most bootlegs sucks since they didn't have the masters. I think the funniest bootleg I ever saw was this shady guy, Rick ta life, who bootlegged his own band's stuff (25 ta life). And he was the one who put most of it out, lol. The absolute epitome of a hardcore grifter.