FIRST PICTURES / Paul Simon: The Complete Albums Collection
Paul Simon‘s Complete Albums Collection box is released this week.
Here’s an exclusive look at this set which contains expanded versions of all Simon’s studio albums. 37 bonus tracks in total, although they’ve all been released before on past individual reissues.
The box itself has a soft almost rubber-like feel to it, very similar to the Michael Jackson Bad box from last year. Like Jackson’s reissue this also contains a hidden magnetic enclosure which secures the contents with a satisfying ‘click’.
This discs come in the familiar ‘vinyl replica’ card wallets. These are fairly basic, as usual, and they don’t feel particularly robust. Sleeve art reproduction is average and a white border encroaches on every sleeve. Certainly don’t expect Japanese mini-LP CD detail, like the embossing and spot varnish on the front of Graceland. Because the sleeves replicate the original vinyl, they do not list the bonus tracks for each album. That detail (and much more) can be found in a 52-page perfect-bound booklet.
Retailing at around the £90 mark, this set feels like decent, if not outstanding value. Any collector who has picked up a Japanese vinyl replica reissues in the past will be dismayed at how poorly the packaging of the individual discs in this set compares to what comes out of the Far East.
These vinyl replica wallets are now firmly Sony’s favoured option when it comes to large multi-disc sets. The much more expensive Johnny Cash Complete Columbia Album Collection packaged its discs identically, but in that set you got 63 CDs for around £180. That’s less than £3 a CD. This Paul Simon box works out at around £6 a CD, so you feel like you should get a bit more for your money.
Despite all this, the very attractive outer box and the quality of the music within is sure to appeal to many fans and we can see Paul Simon’s Complete Album Collection filling many a Christmas stocking.
- • UK Pre-order: Complete Albums Collection
- • USA Pre-order: Complete Album Collection
- • CANADA Pre-order: Complete Album Collection
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Complete Albums Collection
- Be careful when removing the glued paper ‘wrap’ from the box (click to enlarge)
- • UK Pre-order: Complete Albums Collection
- • USA Pre-order: Complete Album Collection
- • CANADA Pre-order: Complete Album Collection
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Complete Albums Collection
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Picked this up in York HMV today at the absolute giveaway price of £30.
Slip slidin’ away ?
This another stupid wrong size Mini Lp set ,stick with the Japanese Box
The British music industry, never ones to do an excellent Super Deluxe Edition when a merely adequate-to-good one will do for the same price :-)
It’s definitely overpriced. Shop around online and you can knock at least %30 off that retail figure. And even then it’s a bit much for what it is.
Am I the only person who thinks this is too expensive by half?
I’d rather have the first 10 albums as The Classic Paul Simon coming in at say £30-£35
Yes that helps, thanks Paul!
Hi Paul, love your site! I have a question about the booklet in this set. Does it have decent liner notes for each album? I have most of these individually, but I am thinking of getting the box to consolidate everything into one neat set. I don’t want to shell out over $100 to get less than what I already have. Thanks!
Thanks Michael. The booklet has very detailed credits for each album – track listings, who played on the records, songwriting credits etc. but there are no lyrics or album-specific essays. There is an introductory piece at the front but that’s quite short and not really significant. Some nice photos dotted throughout the booklet including an outtake from the Paul Simon cover session (him wearing the coat with the furry hood). Basically, there’s not much to read here, just reference material. Hope that helps, P