News

Pink Floyd / The Division Bell: 20th Anniversary seven disc box

By Paul Sinclair

Comments

84

spread2

A new 20th annversary box set of Pink Floyd‘s 1994 studio album The Division Bell will be released on 30 June 2014.

The set will feature a new two-LP edition of the album, remastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab from the original analogue tapes. This vinyl edition will include all the full length tracks (they were originally edited to fit on a single LP) and is presented in a gatefold sleeve designed by Hipgnosis/StormStudios.

Five other discs are included: a red seven-inch vinyl replica of single Take It Back, a clear seven-inch vinyl replica of High Hopes, twelve-inch blue vinyl replica of High Hopes (with reverse laser etched design), the 2011 ‘Discovery’ remaster of The Division Bell (on CD) and a Blu-ray disc including The Division Bell album in HD Audio, plus the previously unreleased 5.1 surround sound audio mix of the album by Andy Jackson.

Another addition included on the Blu-ray disc is a new video for Marooned which has been directed by Aubrey Powell at Hipgnosis. It will appear on the disc with audio tracks in both PCM Stereo and a 5.1 mix by Andy Jackson.

The anniversary box set also comes with a selection of art prints, a booklet and a poster. The discs have been remastered by long term Pink Floyd audio associates James Guthrie and Joel Plante.

boxcover

Box Set

vinyl_only

2LP Vinyl Only reissue

SuperDeluxeEdition.com helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.

Related Content

84 Comments

84 thoughts on “Pink Floyd / The Division Bell: 20th Anniversary seven disc box”

  2. Pingback: Saturday Deluxe / 7 May 2016 | superdeluxeedition

  4. Ordered just the Blu-ray disc as I’m not a LP collector. Got notified late last week that the disc [well in North America] is already backordered.

  6. Pingback: Pink Floyd / The Division Bell 5.1 DVD available separately | superdeluxeedition

  7. I would never buy this. I hate this vynil revival – why, oh why? – and if there’s no new music, what’s the point? Give us a real incentive to buy this again, or just forget it.

    1. Yes, absolutely. Division Bell and it’s predecessor were both crap. Just dull Gilmour solo outings marketed as Pink Floyd albums so that they would sell.

  10. I suppose this means that the PF re-issue concept still has a pulse, so to speak. Sadly, the imperative will be to make money and sometimes you’re worse off with a big name band because they know people will buy practically anything. Why didn’t they include an 8 track cartridge, a wax cylinder maybe? This really should have been left as a blu-ray, with separate vinyl. Like others, I’m happy to get marbles and scarves elsewhere if I’m cold or bored, so glad they’ve been dispensed with.

  11. The only things most people would want here are either the unedited vinyl and/or the 5.1 mix. The Marooned video is on YouTube and elsewhere so don’t see the point in including that, it should have been purely a promotional tool.

    The initial price renders this as bad as the Oasis box considering the content, even if it drops to £70-£90 it is overpriced. The vinyl and 5.1 are the only new things here and the rest is paper based art and reproduction vinyl that has no exclusive content.

    So we have a vinyl that should be £20 and a CD and 5.1 mix disc that should be no more than £20 if you consider the price of similar Jethro Tull or King Crimson releases for example.

    If you are going to deservedly call out the Oasis box then this deserves equal criticism as a padded out, overpriced monstrosity.

  12. Enrico. The full length tracks have always been on the cd. They were edited to fit on the original single LP vinyl but now the LP will be a double LP so the unedited songs will be used on that.

  13. I think this box is overkill. The replica 7″ singles should be left out and you could have a nice vinyl, CD and 5.1 Bluray box with an artwork book which also has pics of memorabilia rather than actual reproduction items. That should be around £60-ish at current equivalent prices, although they would obviously charge more.

    Then release the vinyl, CD (again?) and Bluray individually.

    Also no reason why downloads can’t be high-res. If they are including a CD which can be copied losslessly extremely easily, why include a 320kbps download card?

    1. The CD is identical to the Discovery edition of 2011. The blurb says it has a “commemorative cover”. The vinyl album blurb claims to be the same 2011 mix as the CD.

      I don’t currently own a copy of this album, so I was ok with buying the Vinyl/DVD bundle. I still had to get a T-shirt that is too small for me and a set of coasters in order to get the DVD.

  16. Regarding the ELP Brain Salad Surgery release mentioned above, the 5.1 now only comes with the expensive deluxe box, not the standard edition. I had to cancel my order as the record company does not want my money.

  18. No unreleased music, No Sale. While I’m equipped to play vinyl, I’ve seldom bought or played any since 1987 (three years after I started collecting CD’s). The inclusion of all this vinyl in this boxed set is just a way to inflate the price.

    Not my favorite Pink Floyd album. The emphasis on vinyl and the lack of unreleased music bodes poorly for future Pink Floyd “Immersion” boxes. Hopefully, the 5.1 mix of “The Division Bell” will eventually appear as a sold separately Blu-Ray or an SACD.

  19. Pre-ordered the LP standalone through amazon – hopefully the price will drop a little before release and match on the online store – but maybe you will have to pay a shipping charge through the official online store which take it up the near the current amazon price.

  20. why ohh Why do record companies keep mixing Digital and anloge in box sets.

    The only new thing in this box is the 5.1 disc which i would snap up in an instant if it was released outside of the box or without all the vinyl.

    CD/DVD collectors are different from vinyl collectors and there is little crossover.

    My feelings are that record companies would be better off splitting Vinyl and Digital releases. Those mega fans that want both will buy both those that don’t will buy their preferred format.

    for me this is a lost sale just too much redundant stuff.

  21. These bloated overpriced deluxe box sets piss me off. All I want is the 5.1 Blu ray disc, not a bunch of vinyl and eye candy. The Who have been doing it right: fancy box sets for the folks who want them, simpler versions for those who don’t. Also, the upcoming ELP release has two versions, a music only set and a bloated box.

  25. Hm, something wrong today with Amazon.de, as I placed order on the page today in the morning (21.5.) the price was 116€+postage.
    Now just as looked the page, its gone up back to 164€.

  26. Hey SDE – this seems like a good basis to set up some sort of Super Deluxe Swap Shop. I see comments from folk who want the three singles (unavailable outside the overpriced deluxe sets), and others that just want the 5.1 mix but not the vinyl; how about setting up a forum or something where folk can post their wants lists from bundles like this, and others can offer them at a sensible price or in trade for somethin else? Everybody wins.

    1. Well about that part not able to say how to get the 5.1 but if you go to Discogs and search for the 7″ and 12″ they are a few copies for sell of both of the three and probably if take a look on eBay could find it as well, not sure which prices but is a way to try it after all…

  27. Personally i think led zep have the right idea by just releasing expanded versions of each album. People shouldnt have to buy a load of stuff they dont want just to get a blu ray or a dvd. Record companies are trying too hard to get money out of people. Maybe they should ask the fans what they really want before commissioning a major release.

  29. Does the headline on the Oasis review also apply here? Comparing a single album box set to a career spanning box set for the same price. I am coming to the conclusion that very few albums are deserving of a deluxe edition costing more than £20.00. Let alone these ~£100 monstrosities.

    Tubular Bells yes, WYWH & TDSOTM yes, The Wall no. Achtung Baby no, Station to Station no.

    I’m amazed that EMI aren’t making these boxes for the Beatles catalogue, but maybe thev have better quality control.

  30. @francis , why do you need a turntable to be a proper music lover ? I’m sure there are lots of floyd fans and other classic rock lovers who weren’t even born when vinyl died first time around

  31. This will be the first release of Pink Floyd in a very long time I will not buy.
    between the Immersion Box set’s and this one Pink Floyd changed Record Company, I think this is Warner’s way to get a lot of money out of the Pink Floyd music.

  34. All those moaning because vinyl records are included in the box set, if they are proper music lovers like myself they would have a turntable (in fact, I have two). The same can be said for those who do not have CD Players. YOUR LOSS, not mine!

    1. Francis

      I don’t want a Division Bell vinyl box because I bought the original LP back in 1994. And yes, I still own three turntables and have bought vinyl for the last 33 years. A CD+DVD/BD is what’s needed here with a separate double LP pressing.

  37. The £49 set doesn’t include the DVD. I added it to my basket and at checkout it itemises what you are getting -very helpful. So I’ve ordered the £57 set with small t-shirt as the other sizes no longer add to the basket! HURRY if you want these bundles, they’re selling fast!

  38. Why do record co’s / marketing peeps do this paying for extra stuff you don’t want scam so often? Forcing fans to (at least) consider having to buy things they don’t want or need or can’t do anything with is really low. It’s almost like they have no comprehension of real world scenarios.

    I know you don’t have to buy it, but it’s always a dilemma if you are a completist.

    1. Sadly, I’m betting record companies know exactly what they’re doing–forcing fans, if they want one format, to pay for two–or three, etc. Same goes with the idea of having them pay for the additional art, marbles, or whatever else they decide to include.

  39. The official shop doesn’t have a vinyl and Bluray bundle that I can see – it’s got vinyl+DVD, but that can’t be the same thing, as you can also get a bundle with the deluxe set on its own or deluxe set + DVD. So there seems to be a DVD as well as the Bluray – no idea what’s on it, though!

  40. Seems a shame that whilst they’ve learnt their lesson by not including mindless peripherals like marbles (what were they thinking..) they are still lumping the one thing people want (bluray audio) in with other items simply to push up sales/cash figures…now record companies are releasing some quality bluray audio (the recent Grace Jones is just brilliant!) you’d think they would respond by offering this as a stand alone product…they would fly off the shelves and probably increase total sales! As others have said, hopefully they will eventually offer it stand alone….

      1. I changed the batteries in mine a few times but then the unit itself gave out. For a while I thought it meant that something bad was about to happen to me :-)
        (‘Get Well Soon’ but Godley and Creme anyone?)

  42. Well, I bit hook, line and sinker for the $180.00 Deluxe Box Bundle. I have to agree that they would probably be better off and get more instant sales by separating the items into what each individual might want. Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and TDB one of my favorite albums…so I was helpless…again.

  43. That’s good info. Still, the fact that it’s a “bundle” would seem to indicate it could be made available separately. I think I’ll be waiting.

  44. Yeah, if I knew they were releasing the 5:1 mix separately–and they did so for WYWH, and had already done so for DSotM, right?–then this would hold no temptation for me whatsoever. I have to think they’ll do that with this, too. There doesn’t even seem to be a decent book–it looks like a pretty straightforward lyrics/art book, but nothing new there, either.

    And I agree, they need to separate the vinyl from the high-rez digital stuff, or at least make sure that everything comes on both formats, and is really worth spending the kind of money for both formats. I don’t mind some extra art prints or knick-knacks, but it seems silly to force everyone to buy a format that only a small percentage can even use–especially when it adds so much extra size and cost.

  45. If it comes down to below the Floyd Immersion set prices I would buy it reluctantly to get the 5.1 mix but I simply do not want all that vinyl and would feel that it has been forced on me to some extent. There needs to be some separation between vinyl enthusiasts, memorabilia enthusiasts and the people who want high quality digital audio on high-res formats. We need to be given the choice which formats we want to buy and for them to stop bundling loads of stuff in together resulting in silly pricing and alienating a lot of the people who would love to get their hands on certain items.

    Having the Discovery box already the only draw is the 5.1 which has just got to be released separately.

    I know the original Division Bell vinyl goes for ridiculous money on the likes of eBay so there is also a good draw here for the vinyl crowd.

    The upcoming ‘Quadrophenia Live In London’ compilers have got it right by releasing everything in the box set separately as well so that the consumer is given the choice to pick and choose what they want.

  46. Who is buying all these super expensive boxsets. I love surround but not when it cost me over $100 to get it. They at least give vinyl fans a option to buy just the Lp but not just the Bluray or at least cd\bluray or cd\dvd, just stupid.

  47. I just don’t understand how this is so difficult. Other than vinyl enthusiasts, who wants all of that vinyl? And why do we need to buy all of the vinyl to get the ONE new item that’s actually worth it–the 5:1 mix? Unless you’re a vinyl enthusiast, there’s literally no new audio there–the b-sides (which are inessential anyway) are only on vinyl. So I’m looking at a price tag of over $100 for a 5:1 mix. That’s it.

    I disagree with Dave J–yes, the other sets had a bunch of inessential toys, but they also all had previously unreleased audio, while this does not. No demos or alternate mixes, no previously unheard material, and no b-sides/live material except on vinyl–which is pretty skippable considering the Pulse release has (nearly) everything you would need anyway.

    1. @ John: You make a great point. I was just happy to see this box filled with music not toys. However, you’re 100% right that this box contains nothing new, unlike the Immersion boxes, and that’s a huge disappointment. Especially knowing there was a lot of material recorded during the Division Bell sessions the band talked about releasing at some point 20 years ago. Thanks for your comment.

  49. Hopefully the Blu-Ray will be released separately in the future. Although I’m happy to hear that another Floyd album is getting the box set treatment, I was hoping Meddle and Animals would be announced by now.
    I do understand that this is a 20th anniversary edition and not a immersion release.

    1. Yes ! Bring on Animals and Meddle on Blu-Ray Audio and give us a card to also download in 192k/24bit for portability on a PONO player.

  51. The double dipping is so annoying. As is the 5.1 on blu-ray only. Blu-ray still takes up significantly less place in a high street shop than DVD. I’m not investing in a player and new amp just to play one disc in an overpriced box set!

  52. It’s £70 on the US Amazon, so almost guaranteed to come down significantly in the UK (even if it doesn’t quite match it like-for-like).

  53. Wow, a bunch of vinyls that no one will ever play, a three-year-old remaster and the opportunity to hear Floydian nadirs like A Great Day for Freedom in 5.1! Thanks guys. And no sign of the ambient collection The Big Spliff that they taped at the same time – quelle surprise.

    1. Sorry, but the 5.1 mix will be great. TDB is the best-sounding PF album (“Poles Apart”! “Cluster One”! “Lost for Words”! “High Hopes”!). Agree with you about the vinyls though. The “three-year old remaster” is probably going to be the standard version. What should they do? Another remaster only three years later?

  54. All very well if you have a record player; I do hope that the Bluray with the 5.1 mixes is released separately, because I’m not going to fork out £150 for 5 bits of vinyl I’ll never listen to!

  55. Official store has other options too including a LP/DVD/Download/T-Shirt/Coaster set but not a bloody marble in sight. Maybe that’s the new publius enigma?

    1. For me it’s a shame that this boxset ISN’T designed as the Immersions boxsets.

      This boxset it’s “more music” than the Immersion ones? Really? Have you even heard the Immersion boxsets? More music you say?

      On the 3 Immersion boxsets released you get demos, alternate and live versions of the songs. Please name those in this 20th anniversary edition. Oh, i forgot you can’t because there’s no such content.

      And if you don’t have vinyl player, you won’t be able to play 5 of the 7 discs on this boxsets… counting that you have a Blu-Ray player! And the singles have the same content as the full album (if the mixes are the same)…

      Almost 150€ for this? With the immersion boxsets you get far more value for money… and more music!

      1. I didn’t say this box contains more music than the Immersion boxes, I said I wished the Immersion boxes were more like this in that they focused more on music and less on trinkets. That said—as I explained to John below—the criticism of what music was included for the price is completely fair, and to be honest, I basically agree with it.

Leave a Reply