Relationship Type "Is The Earliest Release Of" for Albums

Link Phrases

• release is the earliest release of release
• release is a later release of release

Description

This advanced relationship type indicates that two releases are essentially the same. However, there may have been bonus tracks added, the tracks might be in a different order, the release could be credited to a different artist, or any number of other variations that mean the releases can't simply be merged.

In line with the DontMakeRelationshipClusters principle, all versions of an release should be linked to the earliest release. In any group of releases, only one should ever have more than one "is the earliest release of" relationship.

There is a usability problem with the way this relationship currently appears on the website. When making the relationship, you end up with something that says "Album A is the earliest release of Album A". Because the releases are identically named, you can't tell which one is really the first one. You have to click on the links to figure out which one is which.

This AdvancedRelationshipType is part of the AlternativeVersionRelationshipClass.

Relationship Attibutes

None are appropriate.

Examples

Def FX's release Light Speed Collision was originally released in 1992. It was then re-released, with a couple of bonus tracks and the songs re-arranged, in 1997. Because their track listings are different, these releases cannot be merged. Instead, they should be linked with the "is the earliest release of" relationship.