Next Paul McCartney Archive: London Town, Back to the Egg or something else?*

I think this is on Macca, not the label. If it was the label's idea, then all Beatles-related SDEs would be getting more expensive, wouldn't they?

 

I'd be shocked if they did a mass market SDE for Fireman - just not enough potential sales there, IMO.

That's why I think the Archives end before long: most of the remaining possibilities aren't viable for huge, expensive boxes.

London Egg is a given, and maybe they do "Press" and "OtG".

Not sure what they could do with "Broad Street", and I don't know how much of an audience there'd be for SDEs of the covers albums...

 

They should get back to the original book boxes for the minor albums....

 

The prices are creeping up due to inflation.
But keep in mind as well that (a) the Beatles sets are not limited editions with numbered copies – they can always do another run if wanted – and (b) the audience for The Beatles themselves is larger.
That said, I paid $200 for The Beatles, a 7 disc set, and $250 for Flaming Pie, a 7 disc set with more printed material, so the two are actually closer than some think.

 

No - they're going up because Macca is charging more.

Going from the already-steep $200 for "RRS" in late 2018 to $256 for "FP" in mid-2020 isn't inflation. That's more than a 25% increase over 19 months - way more than inflation!

White Album SDE = $160 on Beatles.com, "FP" = $256 on pm.com.

Not close.

 

If selling the two together is the plan I will be looking for someone who wants to buy my BTTE half of the set. It must have some value to someone, perhaps as a paper weight.

 

FWIW, I seriously doubt the Macca camp would force you to buy both if you just want one.

The only scenario in which that seems probable would be a London Egg box akin to the BBB: both packaged together with an exclusive live 1979 release as well.

All of the "2 albums on the same day" releases - "McCartney"/"II', "WL"/"RRS", "V&M"/"SOS", "Tug"/"Pipes" - have sold both individually.

Indeed, the BBB is the only time they formally bundled the 2.

So unless you want the London Egg box, you can buy "LT" without "BttE"...

 

Cool I was misreading thread as saying they were packaged together - which seemed odd as they are perhaps the most dissimilar consecutive Wings albums - both in feel and in personnel.

 

Red Rose Speedway: 6 discs
Flaming Pie: 7 discs
The latter also has a bigger box and more memorabilia attached to it. It's not a direct price comparison.

You're comparing American prices to American prices. I'm not. I was comparing prices paid upon release here in Canada.
And, again, Flaming Pie is bigger and heavier. It far less of a gap than every person whining about prices thinks it is.
It's expensive and there's a rise in price… but not a massive jump like has been complained about.

 

So you want to make claims that the prices haven't increased but won't compare prices.

So we should use the prices you got as gospel?

US = much bigger market than Canada = more accurate gauge of pricing trends.

It's 25%+ more than a release from 19 months earlier. That's a massive jump, one not explained by inflation - and not really explained by "bigger and heavier", either.

I've not been one to whine about the price, really - I think it's more expensive than it should be, but que sera and all that.

I just don't get the bending over backwards to claim that "FP" isn't substantially more expensive than the rest - and probably more expensive than it needs to be...

 

The assumption is "LT" and "BttE" will get the same release date as those other pairs, so that's why they're linked in the title.

Methinks there's a 0% chance the Macca camp would actually package them together without separate availability. They've never done that previously and it'd make no sense to do it now.

We all assume there'll be that London Egg box with a live exclusive, but that's just a guess...

 

Please please please let this happen. So many good outtakes too...

 

As much as I want London Egg... I wouldn't complain at all if "PtP" came next!

Woulda much preferred it to "Pie"!

 

Agreed. I actually am very fond of Press to Play.

 

I kind of wish that they would have stayed with the book format this whole time. As beautifully put together as some of these sets are, they can be fairly unwieldy (as well as expensive).

I have spent far more time poring through the text of the Band on the Run and McCartney II than I have with Red Rose Speedway or Wings Over America.

The Imagine box from last year is another prime example. Lots of content wrapped up in a nice book package that's easy to handle and read.

 

It's at worst my 2nd favorite Macca album of the 80s - it's close between "PtP" and "Macca II" for me!

I like the fact he took some chances on those 2. The other 80s albums have quality material but they're Macca playing it safe...

 

General question : do any of the Archives have the very best SQ on vinyl than any other pressing?

 

Count me in as a member of that dark, seedy underworld that loves Press To Play and wants an archive.

But honestly I'm fine with finishing off Wings first. The other albums aren't going anywhere. Just as long as Paul gets his input in and the songs selected.

 

well, if this is what you are expecting....odds on favorite is that you will be disappointed

 

I'm hoping London Town and Back to the Egg are the next releases. Those are the first two McCartney albums I bought in "real time" when I was 12 and 14, so they're a bit extra special to me. Goodnight Tonight should be added to Egg, right? Hopefully with the long version also.

However, I am very interested in a Press to Play archive. I wasn't a big fan of the album, but I did like a lot of the songs. It was just the so-called '80s production sound that turned me off, I suppose. I've always wondered if there are earlier versions, demos or home recordings, that don't have that sound on them. I don't pay attention to boots, so I don't know if there's anything out there like that. Anyway, I would love a Press archive for sure.

 

Press to play is going to make a great box. It has many singles and mixes, video content, out takes/left overs.
If they go with stripped down versions and lose that 80's production the songs are really good.
I still want the two Wings albums more but I'd be happy with a Press box.

 

But before Paul releases an Archive Deluxe Press box, we must:

 

I just hope he doesn't leave off obvious songs such as the single mixes and 12" singles. He totally ignored the wonderful "Only Love Remains" video when putting together the McCartney Years DVD set.

 

Exactly, it’s a smaller subset of an already small subset to target to make it worth their time