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Suede, Ian Dury and more feature in new Edsel Classics range

By Paul Sinclair

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34

classics

Edsel Records have launched a ‘Classics’ range that sees acclaimed or popular albums issued at a budget price but in smart packaging.

The albums come strictly without bonus material, but the discs are housed in elegant gatefold card wallets. Best of all, the CDs are rather cool with the topside replicating the look of a vinyl record (complete with ‘grooves’) and the underside is a deep black.

suede_classicsuede_c2

Albums currently available in this series include Suede‘s Mercury Music Prize winning debut, Ian Dury‘s timeless New Boots and Panties!! and Sugar‘s Copper Blue (see more below).

These are out now and are around a fiver each.

suede_c

Suede

dury

Ian Dury / New Boots and Panties!!

copperblue

Sugar / Copper Blue

beat

The Beat / I Just Can’t Stop It

donna

Donna Summer / Another Place and Time

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34 Comments

34 thoughts on “Suede, Ian Dury and more feature in new Edsel Classics range”

  1. Pingback: Out This Week / on 2 October 2015 | superdeluxeedition

  2. The Japanese plastic over-sleeves should fit these. That’s what I buy to house Japanese paper sleeves, which are usually part of the sold package anyway! There goes the spills and moisture problem! These do look nice. The Suede box follows the paper sleeve fosm and is a deal!

  3. Pingback: Out This Week / on 7 July 2015 | superdeluxeedition

  4. Edsel has done some nice deluxe versions of T.Rex. Without unlocking my “vault” for a look-see, the 8 CD Unchained box set, The Slider box set, and the T.Rex/Zinc Alloy book set are Deluxe with a capital C. Yes, pricey, but I purchase from the Amazon Marketplace for better deals and also use Bing Bucks rewards to save money.

    Universal put together a great Electric Warrior box set and then released the pre Warrior deluxes in the flimsy 2CD digipaks. After the first digipak purchase, I abandoned the rest and went to downloads. If I find the digipaks at ridiculously low prices on the Marketplace, I may consider purchasing them – and I do mean ridiculously.

  5. Hello, Paul! Talking ’bout Edsel, any news on the deluxe reissues of the Comsat Angels albums? I’d love to know more details about them, including the track lists. Can’t wait to finally get Chasing Shadows!
    Thanks for always keeping us informed!

  6. I’m pretty meh about these – not because they’re useless (lord knows I’ve picked up many a budget reissue while browsing) but mostly because it sort of doesn’t fit with the deluxe theme of the site, and are almost non-news it seems (example: the exact suede album has had several budget versions come out already). It’s all well and good but… So? is it just because they’re on Edsel, a label that regularly does deluxe releases? Why not more broadly start reporting these types of releases then?

    1. Maybe because for £4.99 they are deluxe. They have a gatefold sleeve and the “vinyl-look” CD which is black rather than the standard silver. It also mimics the vinyl grooves and label. For £4.99 that is pretty luxurious.

      1. Indeed. This blog’s broad remit is to celebrate physical product – reissues, box sets etc. But it doesn’t always have to be £100+ sets. I’m sure it’s probably a relief for people to being alerted to ‘cheap’ product where an effort has been made with presentation.

        1. True, it is nice to get a heads up about them, especially if its artists that are otherwise being covered. Just seemed rather random and ad-like if it’s not something being covered more consistently.

        2. Yes Paul, I agree. What I’d be curious to know however, even just with the Edsel example, is who decides and why the presentation format? For instance I’m a big fan of the plastic free digi-book. The Edsel Gene and Cast reissues of last year are beautiful and stylish. So with such sophistication available, why are their (e.g.) three Specials reissues cased in plastic retainer clipped digipaks? Even using the digipak format, Edsel could at least use a plastic free version such as the new Sly & Family Stone live 4 x CD set on Columbia has done. This almost halves the width of the package, saving shelf space and is also more elegant than plastic glued on card. Is there a reason for the variation in presentation and the options used within each variant?

  7. I absolutely love my Edsel Steve Miller Band reissues from a few years back. Beautifully packaged and presented. Certainly NOT low quality!

  8. My point wasn’t card sleeves vs jewel cases, point was Edsel does very low quality card sleeves and low quality packaging in general. And I don’t know why we shouldn’t criticize a budget release, I only expressed my opinion, whatever the price is.

    I think the problem here is that any sort of critic is seen as something that shouldn’t be, and generally people try to shut down criticism defending the blog owner and the incredible work he keeps up. And again, no wonder that the blog owner got a bit aggressive when Edsel didn’t get the usual praise… but you know, I don’t get stuff for free, I pay for my records and I do not run a daily advert for my buddies’ products.

    @Darren: I don’t have anything positive to add, so what?

    1. You are entitled to your opinion, but – Suede deluxe sets apart – I simply don’t see any evidence for “Edsel does very low quality card sleeves”. The ‘casebound books’ that they constantly release are MUCH nicer than most releases and feel ‘quality’ to me. The only reason to complain is if you ONLY like jewel cases and nothing but jewel cases. But that is more a case of the packaging not being aligned to your personal preference rather than ‘low quality’.

      Can we be grown up about these things? Reading your comments, apparently not. Running this blog I have inevitably got to know people who work in various labels Edsel, Cherry Red, Sony, Universal, Warners etc. I welcome (and regularly dish out) fair criticism but your “total mess” and “bad company” comments were bordering on ridiculous which is why I defended them. I don’t really have anything else to add, so let’s just move on.

      1. Indeed, the casebound books are very nice, much nicer than a jewel case. Yes you do have to look after the card sleeves more, but overall I’m in favour of them.

        It’s a pity the old plastic slipcases were abandoned (Was it Universal?) as they kept the multi-flap digipacks, such as the Suede reissuses, together nicely. I also never understood why companies who produce a plethora of different packaging options, never produced a generic version of this slipcase.

    2. @suedemania

      It was merely a question to clarify whether you had anything positive to say or not. I didn’t for one moment think you would, but thought I would clarify for my own interest.

    1. If that’s true regarding Another Place and Time, then it’s 25 extra tracks!
      Get in quick before they realise. If I hadn’t already bought the Donna box, I’d definitely snap it up.

  10. Seriously, in order to make complaints about CDs that cost £4.99 you really have to be a total asshole.

    These are budget items, but they’ve clearly tried to make an effort by giving the “vinyl-look” discs etc.

    Either buy them or don’t, but quit whining.

    1. You’re totally right as you would like to glue them at the wall. I have, however, a strange habbit: I love to play my cds and love to hear fine sonics… I know, stupid me…

      1. The discussion here is about packaging, not sonics. The sonics on this £5 CD are the same as the £15 deluxe or the CDs in the £100 super deluxe.

    1. Just the same style. A few different companies have produced discs like these. Weren’t the discs in the blue ABBA complete recordings box similar?

  12. These are very nice. I agree the packaging on the Suede re-issues from a few years ago left a lot to be desired. But aside from the packaging, I really thought the content made them the standard for re-issues. Ill pick up the Ian Dury issue here and hope they put more out.

  14. Agree with suedemania – the Edsel/Demon packages aren’t up to much. Their Wedding Present reissues were a right dogs dinner. They’re putting out The Comsat Angels back catalogue later this year, I can’t see how they’ll top the Renascent versions from some years back for look and feel of presentation. Also, how many times does Edsel/Demon reissue these same few albums?!

  15. These discs are going for £5 at the time I’m posting this, so it’s hard to complain.

    On card v. Jewelcase…..

    They each have benefits. Jewelcases have a couple significant ones – they’re moisture proof (yes, I’be accidently spilt coffee on a CD), and can be easily replaced. They’re also a standard size, so sit well on a shelf where you can easily scan the spines – which doesn’t work well with the paper sleeves overall. The downsides are that they take up more space than they need to (not a problem for me, I have no issue giving space to something I love), and booklets can get damaged if not cared for (for example, the Edsel Costello releases had major booklets, and they barely fit in the Jewelcase).

    Paper sleeves have good and bad things about them. Moisture is a huge problem. Many of them are constructed as though they’re intended for people with ten CD’s or something, because you can’t read the spines easy with them lined up on a shelf (come on, collectors anyone?!?) Also, people complain they have touch the surface of the disc, and that they get scuff marks. Frankly on the latter – this is one of the huge advantages of CD over Vinyl – it doesn’t matter if you touch the playing surface! And scuff marks? Again, this was a problem CD’s solved – a scuff mark should have zero effect on playback, they’re designed to withstand it. The only people who are bothered by it are obsessives, imo.

    But….. and it’s a huge BUT – the vast majority of paper sleeves are let down mostly by how cheaply they’re made. Let’s get rid of some of the mystique – Japanese Mini LP’s are well designed, well made, and look beautiful. In this day and age, it should not be prohibitive to make the same quality of paper sleeve in Western countries – they simply don’t do it. I don’t know why. However, I do own some Mini LP’s, and every time I play one I think – “Why the hell didn’t record companies make THIS the standard packaging option from the start?!?” Instead we got Jewelcases, and now cheap – yes cheap – paper sleeves. Since we know they can be done well, you’ve got to shake your head in disbelief.

    Having said all that – the releases here are £5 people! £5 for a new copy of an old favorite. Life’s too short to be complaining about cheap packaging in a cheap item……

  16. Regarding ‘Suede’: it is the 1234809432… reissue from the band’s back catalog, there’s no trace of a booklet, the vinyl look of the CD is rather ridicolous and the quality of Edsel’s card wallets is total rubbish, see 2011 Suede deluxe editions. What else to say?

    1. These card wallets aren’t ‘totally rubbish’, although I agree the 2011 deluxe ones weren’t very good.
      These are much nicer than a standard jewel case, in my opinion.

      1. At least jewelcases prevented from damage and general worn much more than these card sleeves that we have nowadays. Edsel did a total mess with Suede back catalog in the recent years, and their packaging is very low quality. Wish the band didn’t give their rights to such a bad company.

        1. Did you see the Bloodsports deluxe set? *That* is what I call terrible packaging.

          Yes, jewel cases protect booklets etc. but they are not very tactile. I’d prefer something that is nice to handle and use rather than something which prioritises ‘protection’. I could wear see-through plastic bags around my shoes to ‘protect’ them and stop the leather wearing out but I don’t bother to do that.

          “Total mess”, “bad company”…?! Tell me which record label you think would have given you more/better releases than what Edsel have put out?

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