Pink Floyd - Oh By The Way


Year of Release: 2007
Label: Capitol/EMI
Catalog Number: B000X1LH6C
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

When the lavish box set Shine On was released in 1992, to coincide with the band's 25th anniversary, all eight of the included CDs were remastered. Originally to be called The Big Bong Theory, the box not only contained exclusively packaged CDs (each album contained in a black jewel case with part of the famous prism on each of the spines to make a full picture when standing next to each other), but also a digipack containing the band's early singles, some postcards and a lavish hardcover book depicting the band's impressive career. Looking at the price, however, one would have expected the Shine On box to contain the band's entire official output but it didn't. In fact only half of the output was then present.

Today, fifteen years later, comes a box which does include the entire official studio discography (except for Works and Echoes). Spread over 16 discs this new box contains 14 albums from their very first release The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn from 1967 down to the very last The Division Bell from 1994. With the packaging designed by long time friend and collaborator Storm Thorgerson, each and every album comes in a miniature vinyl album reproduction including all of the original extras and LP dust sleeves, again in miniature size. Both Ummagumma and The Wall come in foldout sleeves each containing two discs. To top it all, a special poster has been designed, which of course is included in the box. This 20" x 30" high quality paper poster is a portrait collage containing an arrangement of 40 images from the band's history. Two Pink Floyd coasters with classic Floyd images conclude this limited edition.

Of course you'll fully understand that it's by no means my intention to describe in detail all of the 14 titles on offer here. In the 40 years the band has existed, numerous high quality reviews have been published the world over, whilst several of their releases graced the charts for a respectable amount of weeks, months, even years. Of course, it would have been nice to include an extra disc with unreleased material. Of course it would have been brilliant to include a brand new album with this set. Of course it would have been gigantic if each copy came signed by the complete band together with a letter of authenticity. Of course it would have been superb if a unique DVD could have been included. Yet the Pink Floyd heritage doesn't need extras, as there are more interested parties out there than there will be copies available. Maybe certain people will now sell their Shine On box even though it includes that digipack with the early singles and that wonderful hardcover book. They might just be tempted to get the full studio works as, after all, it's still the music that is the main attraction here.

Hopefully EMI will not release the equivalent of this box set as a legal stick containing the entire output as mp3 files like they did with Radiohead. What shape should they go for this time? The well known prism from DSOTM or the cow from Atom Heart Mother? Or maybe as a brick from The Wall? Let's remain old fashioned and "stick" to the "old" format of the CD as presented in all its glory in Oh By The Way. As a matter of fact it might just well be the beginning of a sentence many people will hear these days: "Oh by the way, if you don't know what to get me for Christmas, Pink Floyd has just released this magnificent box set containing their entire studio output?"

Click here to get a 3D view of how the box actually looks like : del.interoute.com/?id=3215bb77-762a-4a57-9235-b106116b968e&delivery=stream

With only 10,000 sets worldwide, no doubt the box will soon pop up on eBay costing a multiple of its current price, so hurry as this one will soon be OOP!

Here's where you can order the box via the Internet (exchange rates from 8th December 2007):
www.artistdirect.com - 203.99 dollars (= 139.25 euro)
www.cduniverse.com - 208.78 dollars (= 142.52 euro)
www.beyondrock.nl - 169 euro
www.musicdirect.com - 249.99 dollars (= 170.65 euro)
www.elusivedisc.com - 249.99 dollars (= 170.65 euro)
www.play.com - 144.99 British pounds (= 201,32 euro)


Tracklisting:
Albums included: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn; A Saucerful Of Secrets; More; Ummagumma (2 CD); Atom Heart Mother; Meddle; Obsured By Clouds; The Dark Side Of The Moon; Wish You Were Here; Animals; The Wall (2 CD); The Final Cut; A Momentary Lapse Of Reason; The Division Bell

Musicians:
Syd Barrett - guitar, vocals
David Gilmour - guitar, vocals
Roger Waters - bass, vocals
Rick Wright - keyboards
Nick Mason - drums

Discography:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967)
Tonite Let's All Make Love In London (1968)
A Saucerful Of Secrets (1968)
More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Relics (1971)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured By Clouds (1972)
Dark Side Of The Moon (1973/1992)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
Collection Of Great Dance Songs (1981)
Works (1983)
The Final Cut (1983)
The Committee (1985)
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987)
Delicate Sound Of Thunder (1988)
Shine On (Boxed Set) (1992)
The Division Bell (1994)
Pulse (1995)
Wish You Were Here - 25th Anniversary Edition (2000)
Echoes - The Best Of Pink Floyd (2001)
Dark Side Of The Moon - 30th Anniversary Edition (SACD) (2003)
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - 40th Anniversary Edition (2007) (2 and 3CD editions)
Oh By The Way (16CD Box) (2007)

Dark Side Of The Moon (2003) (VID/DVD)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: December 10th 2007
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.pinkfloyd.co.uk
Hits: 3175
Language: english

  

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