Anthologies, bootlegs, and rehersals dead and gone?

[Hobbs]

I'm a really big Beatles fan. Have been since an x girlfriend introduced me to their music officially back in my sophmore year in high school some 20 years ago. Recently, I have had the pleasure in introducing them to my two daughters, 7 and 4. They love them. So I have been listening to them quite a bit lately. I have found several websites, iamthebeatles and songfacts, that go behind the scenes so to speak, and give insight behind the meaning of some of the songs, how they were written or recoreded, and some really cool trivia about them as a group of songwriters, musicians, and people. I know that they have several Anthology albums that give different versions of their songs like demos, alternate takes. There are also some bootlegs that I have gotten a hold of that actually have rehersal sessions of some of their songs. I'm just fasinated by this.

Then I started thinking. There aren't too many bands that this sort of thing is desireable. Listening to alternate/demo/rehersal versions of well known songs. I can see Led Zeplin, maybe the Stones, maybe The Who, Queen, and some other classic bands. However, I don't see anyone years from now clamering to get a hold of bootleg songs from White Stripes song, or reheral tapes of 50cent, or alternate takes on the song "Speed of Sound" with the same desire. I maybe wrong, but are the days of wanting to get behind the scenes of what bands do in the studio dead and gone with the new bands out there? Is there any band out there that anyone might like to get a hold of some bootleg studio recordings other than the classic bands?

[Clodfobble]

Congratulations, you're getting older.

No, I don't think the desire has gone away at all. You just don't dig modern music as much as the classic stuff, or hang out with people who do, so you don't recognize the desire to listen to underground bootleg recordings of those artists. I have friends who love to dig for the studio sessions and weird side projects of their favorite new punk and rock artists.

My father didn't think Nirvana would have any staying power either, and his father said the same thing about Elvis.

[Elspode]

...and his father said the same thing about Glenn Miller, and his father said the same thing about Al Jolson...and so on.

Those who have a fanatical interest in (place performer name here) will always have some interest. As they age, they will develop nostalgia for the media of their youth (there's a reason we are seeing a bunch of lameass movies made from old TV shows, 80's cartoons are being recycled, and the toys of those who now have their own children are coming back onto the shelves).

Once the kids who can barely afford to steal the mp3's have grown into adults with disposable income, products will arise to deprive them of some of it. Anthologies, live albums and other such rarities/oddities only come into existence when there is a big enough market for them.