Customer Reviews

Oh, by the Way (Mini LP Replica)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

(MAY 2011 UPDATE: PINK FLOYD CATALOG RE-RELEASE, TEXT BELOW THIS REVIEW, ONE MORE REASON NOT TO BUY THIS SET)

Starting in 2001, Toshiba and Sony Japan successively released 18 Pink Floyd titles in LP-mini-sleeve replica format. With only 5000 copies of each title manufactured for worldwide distribution, they quickly sold out, then soared in aftermarket resale value, as supply never even began to approach demand. A full set, new, would probably now be somewhere north of fifteen hundred bucks on eBay.

From a collectable standpoint, those Japan mini-sleeves are held by all fans as THE Pink Floyd catalog to own, and it is EXACTLY that pent-up demand and desire that EMI is attempting to exploit with this "Oh By The Way" box.

With the release of the newly 2007-remastered "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn", which supposedly heralds the commencement of another Pink Floyd catalog remastering campaign, this box set is nothing more than Capitol/EMI's wretched attempt to wring as much final revenue out of the old remasters as possible: If all 10,000 box sets sell thru, multiplied by the set's wholesale price, even after production costs, EMI stands to net a cool million plus.

If EMI does sonically revamp the PF catalog over the next few years, there will undoubtedly be another Japan mini-sleeve catalog release with those new remasters. My advice: Save up your money and be patient for that day, because NOBODY does LP mini-sleeve replicas like the Japanese. I have the entire Japan set, and they are stunning.

Put quite simply: THERE'S NOTHING NEW HERE IN THIS BOX but a poster and two coasters. If you buy it, you're allowing EMI marketing vermin to wretchedly devour the contents of your wallet, snickering at you as they drag your hard-earned cash back to their dank coffers, all the while leaving a slug-like trail of slime in their wake.

At the very least: DON'T fall for the marketing gag of the faux "LP album sleeves", as their quality is far less than the Japan `sleeves, DON'T be fooled by the "limited edition" marketing, as this set will depreciate in value from the day you open it, and DON'T fork over big bucks for the same masters you either already own, or can find new or used in standard jewel-case editions, and for far less money, than this expensive, redundant, worthless box set.

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

MAY 2011 UPDATE (EMI PRESS RELEASE):

EMI will launch its massive Pink Floyd release campaign Sept. 26 with "Discovery" editions of the band's 14 studio albums. Also due out that day will be expanded editions of "Dark Side of the Moon" -- a six-disc "Immersion" CD/DVD/Blu-ray/memorabilia boxed set and a two-disc "Experience" edition (which EMI describes as pairing a classic album with related content "to offer a deeper listening experience").

CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, vinyl LPs, SACDs, digital formats, iPhone apps and a brand-new single-album and best-of collection are all part of the effort. Super-deluxe box sets, which will contain unreleased tracks, alternate takes, restored live concert screeen films and a live recording of the band's 1974 "The Dark Side Of The Moon" performance at Wembley.

"This is a unique collaboration between EMI and one of the most creative and influential bands in history. We have worked together for more than a year on this program which incorporates all the elements that have made Pink Floyd one of the most inspiring forces in modern music. Why Pink Floyd? Because their music is without equal and these exciting new releases will allow music fans to rediscover their incredible legacy and demonstrate that an appreciation for artistic quality never goes out of fashion," said EMI Group CEO Roger Faxon.

Pink Floyd film archivist Lana Topham supervised the restoratio of many historic films from the band's classic era, which will be included in the Immersion box sets for "The Dark Side of The Moon" and "Wish You Were Here."

That's just one phase of EMI's "Why Pink Floyd ... ?" campaign. It continues Nov. 7 with the Wish You Were Here `Immersion' 5-disc and `Experience' 2-disc editions, both of which will include bonus material from the band's 1974 Wembley dates, including a 20-minute tour de force live rendition of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," as well as a unique recording of "Wish You Were Here" featuring jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli. A collectors' vinyl LP will also be available, as will various digital formats.

Released simultaneously will be "A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd" a collection of the band's best-known songs, contained on one album for the first time. The long-awaited 5.1 version of "Wish You Were Here," mixed by James Guthrie, will also be released via independent label Acoustic Sounds.

Look for seven-disc "Immersion" and three-disc "Experience" versions of "The Wall" on Feb. 27, 2012. A collectors' vinyl LP will also be available, as will various digital formats.

"We have worked together for more than a year on this program, which incorporates all the elements that have made Pink Floyd one of the most inspiring forces in modern music," said EMI Group CEO Roger Faxon in a press release issued May 10.

Longtime Pink Floyd art director Storm Thorgerson has overseen the visual design, including new booklets for all the CDs and new artwork for the boxed sets. Photographer Jill Furmanovsky has edited books of original unseen photographs. Pink Floyd collaborators James Guthrie and Andy Jackson have been handling digital remastering duties.

I am a huge pink floyd fan, and have been since I can remember. I missed buying the shine on box set, and have not purchased any of these on CD yet. I have all of these albums on Cassette, and I use them quite a bit. When I heard this set was coming out, it was a no brainer for me to buy. However, if you already own the original CD versions, or the remasters, do not invest your money on this box set.

It is a nice box, and all 14 albums (16 cd's) fit in it, with 2 coasters with the box photo on it, and 1 poster of the 14 albums. The CD's themselves are in the original gatefold LP vinyl covers, and are in cellophane like the records. The price on this was right for me (I got really good sale price), much cheaper than purchasing these separately ($12.50 a disc).

One downfall is the small printing of the lyrics, and the lack of artwork available on the CD remasters. Secondly, the only live album here is the UMMAGUMMA live set. The Delicate Sounds of Thunder and Pulse are not included. Neither are the greatest hits selections of Relics, A Great Collection of Dance Songs, and Works. I purchased these separately.

Novelty notes: I just discovered after cycling through the discs, UMAGUMMA disc one and disc two are mis-labled and reversed on the CD printing. Secondarily, the second disc of the wall cd sleeve is misprinted. The lyrics are side 3/side3, rather than side 3/side 4. The Pink Floyd Website has an e-mail address to send your information to to get a correct sleeve listing. Thes two things show how painstakingly they put this box together!!!! This makes it special to me due to the show of overt greadiness of the record company that they would not check the labeling before producing 10000 copies.

Overall, worth getting if you have not purchased the previous editions of these albums, but if you want more artwork, and easilly legable lyrics, then purchase the albums separately in the last series of re-masters. I'm happy with the set, and I hope you are too.

***Update 9-23-2011*** My original review stands as it does, but now in a few weeks Pink Floyd will re-release there entire catolog again in the "discovery" series, and they are putting together another box set of their studio albums. Reviewing what that release is going to contain, it appears that may be a better choice than this box set if you want to buy the complete pink floyd catalog. It may be mastered differently, and the packaging will be different, but hopefully a bit more care (no mistakes with labeling discs or sleves) will be put into it. Plus there appears to be an information/liner note book coming with it. Check it out.

If you're a Pink Floyd completist--and who isn't?-- than this package is well worth picking up...otherwise stay away.
The set contains all studio Floyd releases (14 albums, 16 CDs) neatly packaged in replicas of the original LP releases.
The drawback to this is that getting the CDs in and out of the sleeves is a bit of a chore, and they're really not meant for over use. Store it in your living room proudly, but don't expect to play it much. REading the liner notes on the sleeves requires a 6X magnifying glass. The original Dark Side poster and stickers are also included in scaled-down format.
There's nothing much else in here, except for two coasters (will anyone use them for holding glasses I wonder?) and a oouple new posters folded and squeezed into the box as an afterthought. The recordings aren't newly remastered and there's no special disc of goodies.
This set is strictly for Floyd collectors with an extra bit of disposable income.

The immense boxed-set that includes 14 previously-released albums is as frustrating as it is fascinating.

Based on the packaging - the reproduction of original LP artwork and dust sleeves, with a poster chronicling the band's history and a pair of coasters - it is a very unique collection. But with nothing new in the mix - alternative cuts, remixes, unreleased live recordings - it fails to deliver in perhaps the most crucial aspect surrounding boxed sets.

This is not a foundation piece to complete an authorized exploration into the career of Pink Floyd; rather, it is just another brick in the wall in the game of repackaging already available material, with a few perks to entice a collector.

I've been waiting a long time for this to arrive on the scene. Yes, all the albums are represented here very well. Yes, it's the music we grew up with and enjoyed at all those Friday night parties when mom and dad were away. The lyrics you committed to memory and sang so faithfully along with the band while at their concerts. The music that calmed you down to dream at night after a hard day's work.

However, I do feel a sense of being short-changed. I think they could have done without the coasters and made the set bigger by including Relics, Works, A Collection of Great Dance Songs, Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse. Now this would have been worth the list price and a coda of releases for a band I've been devoted to since 1969 when I was fourteen. Also, with all the albums in hard cardboard, why did they opt for Obscured to be showcased in a flimsy, almost paper-like, thin cardboard jacket? I don't recall that LP was of a similar version, but indeed was hard cardboard.

Anyway, it is worth owning for this Floyd fan who traded in all in old plastic cased Floyd CD's for this collection. Maybe there's a Part 2 that will include the missing links? Oh, by the way, the poster is cool.

I don't understand the whining and moaning about the lack of new material, on here. No one puts a gun to your head and makes you buy this. It's a nicely packaged set of the complete studio works of Pink Floyd. It doesn't pretend to be anything else. I love everything about Floyd, and this came to me as a gift and I was delighted, even though I own all of these records already. The mastering is superb, and it has all of the PF you really need in one place. It is what it is. Don't buy it if that's not what you want.

Yes, the other reviewers are correct in that the individual albums are all 5 star albums. But this box is not. Where is the extra material that only appeared on Relics? Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, etc.

Why would I want to shell out this much money for a box whose albums I mostly own? There's nothing extra here. So, why bother?

Please beware and do not buy this copy as it is a counterfeit item. Here is how you can tell a counterfeit from the original: (amazon does not allow links from 3rd party websites, so go to youtube and search for these keywords : pink floyd review of oh by the way box set (bootlegged/ copy)

I would ask the seller about the points mentioned in the above video before purchasing it.

save your $$ and instead buy the 2011 remasters from amazon.com directly.

This set has all of Pink Floyd's albums, including soundtracks - 16 CDs in all. Like all boxed sets, it aims at both hard-cores and the fairly casual looking for a single, comprehensive purchase. I will address the latter first, as the former will of course buy anyway. Anyone wanting all the albums should get this if it is less expensive than buying the discs separately. The deal is even better in that the sound is considerably superior to early CDs', making this ideal for those wanting to update. Packaging is also great; long-time Floyd designer Storm Thorgerson created a fine, clever cover with references to prior works that fans will appreciate, and the contents are also well-designed. The discs are presented in mini vinyl replicas, including material such as posters, stickers, etc. that came with the original albums but has typically been missing on CD. We also get a poster collage of Thorgerson's Floyd artwork and two coasters.

However, very few will want all the albums. Floyd is one of the greatest bands ever, but their work is greatly diverse and far from even. The undeniable masterpieces that everyone should have are Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. I would add The Final Cut, but this is the most hotly debated Floyd album; some even call it their worst. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is also contested; quite a few put it with their best, and many who do not otherwise like Floyd swear by it, while a high percentage of those who love the more famous work disown it. All must decide for themselves with these two, arguably making them obligatory also. Most consider Meddle the next best album, and Obscured by Clouds and The Division Bell have great merit. The rest are for hard-cores only. Many, perhaps most, will prefer some combination of these to the whole, but that will may cost nearly as much as the box, arguably making it the way to go. As for those who have a good number of albums and want some or all of the rest, the extras are not enough to make the box worth buying over the remaining albums if the latter are cheaper.

In regard to hard-cores, Floyd has some of the most loyal in existence, and many will buy this simply for completism. However, I cannot unhesitatingly recommend it because it is incomplete. The band has a good CDs' worth of non-album tracks, including many early singles, which are frustratingly not included. Adding those would have made the box perfect, and diehards will truly regret the loss.

In short, this box will not satisfy everyone, but there is a small market that it serves perfectly; all others must decide whether they want to make the proverbial leap.

First I got burned on eBay when I saw the Pink Floyd "Oh by the Way" going for way less than it should be selling for. And when I opened the shrink wrap it was in used condition and the discs were scratched, typos, smudged artwork, missing posters, EMI would not have approved of these. I found out that I had a bootleg copy of it after I read this online PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING YOUR BOX SET, BECAUSE AMAZON ONLY ALlOWS SELLERS TO POST STOCK PHOTOS INSTEAD OF SELLER PHOTOS!!!

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Happy shopping and DON'T get burned twice like me...if you see it's less money, be sure to ask for photos of the product!!!