Press Release: News Of The World - 40th Anniversary Edition

CD2 is interesting, the documentary is probably worth our time but everything else is pointless filler for the hardcore fans. Somehow I think this is a product for new audiences rather than us.

And while CD2 is the star of the set, it doesn't make me very hopeful at all for an eventual Queen Anthology. Is that all there is from the NOTW sessions, really? No more unreleased demos or experimental outtakes?

I'm shocked. This feels all fur coat and no knickers to me. A few nice interesting tracks but it looks like the rest of it is just padding. Ok some purists will be happy with a vinyl version but the rest of it seems like the original album with a few remixes which, call me cynical, I'm not expecting to be all that different. So disappointed with this. The only thing I might get excited by is the documentary but again, how much of that will unseen and essential versus padding. It's as if Maylor don't want us to hear anything truly rare, or as little as they can get away with giving us.

I'm so happy that my favorite Queen LP finally gets a deluxe release, but I wish it was blu-ray, not dvd

I bought the deluxe editions of releases for the last three years. But this one I am really struggling to justify. As someone else said, where is the Blu Ray? This stuff was shot on film, it can be released in 1080p at high bit rate. Reducing that to DVD video is an insult.

Golden Salmon, re:

>Is that all there is from the NOTW sessions, really? No more unreleased demos or experimental outtakes?

Remember that Brian himself has mentioned that a producer was brought in to manage this element. What we will get are POLISHED versions of alternate takes that make up a revisionist NOTW and what QPL feel is good enough. The fact that there may be multiple takes of All dead All Dead or Spread Your Wings doesn't bother them as much as it does us; I'd happily sit through multiple playings of every CD they could build out of the entirety of the vault - as I'm sure many others would too - but the decision-makers prevent us from having sets like The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds Sessions" for some strange reason and believe we're more interested in having their turds polished as opposed to just the turds.

Well, the bonus CD certainly looks interesting and I am curious how the alternate versions sound like.
The analog version of the album is a nice gesture but I wonder how many will actually hear a difference with normal audio equipment like iPhones and car radios.
The documentary sounds promising although DVD is totally outdated these days. It should be available on new digital online platforms in at least HD quality.

What baffles me is the reuse of live tracks.

Sleeping On The Sidewalk apparently exists in a live version, why not release the whole show? Probably because there are some glitches in it and Dr May wants only perfection.
Take an example in The Rolling Stones who released all Stripped shows (Paris, Amsterdam and London) as they are, including some glitches that only increase the live excitement. True jewels and amazing set lists.

I would be very interested in new recordings of the NOTW tour. US shows and European shows. It's Queen live in their prime.

And we KNOW they are in the vaults, it makes it so frustrating that this release could have been much better.

[QUOTE] [b]Day dop wrote:[/b]

CD2 is what should've come as a bonus CD on the 2011 deluxe edition.
And the all analogue vinyl is what the 2015 vinyl should've been, instead of getting the 2011 remaster on vinyl.[/QUOTE]

Both correct statements.

Still, this box set is a step in the right direction. This is probably the most we can ever expect to get from a Queen product - 3 of the 5 discs will be interesting for most hardcore fans.

i think they worked backwards here... they figured that this would not be a big seller to the casual fan... so they then realized their would be X number of people buying rather than Y number of people. They then looked at their fixed cost - intangible production (prepping the mixes, editing of the book, production cost of the film, etc). Now they had to spread that cost over the expected number sales - which again, would probably not be as expansive as you would get for 10 pound product in the UK or a 15$ disc in North America (ie. yet another greatest hits release).

They then had to leave room for the variable cost of production - ie. cds, vinyl, book, box. When they got to that figure they probably decided on including the 2011 master (previously available) and only producing a set with a DVD since not everyone has switched over to blu ray yet. Also everyone with a blu ray player can play a DVD.

That being said - that is why we are getting this set. I imagine we may hear a single blu ray release on the horizon... same as 3-disc set and maybe even a single vinyl version of the analogue cut (less likely as a wide release but very likely as an RSD release). But given the expense of the set - they probably want to first release the box as a first wave to recoup as much of that fixed cost as they can - so as to assure a profit margin.

All that being said - I CAN'T WAIT TO BUY THIS!!

[QUOTE] [b]Golden Salmon wrote:[/b]

CD2 is interesting, the documentary is probably worth our time but everything else is pointless filler for the hardcore fans. Somehow I think this is a product for new audiences rather than us.

And while CD2 is the star of the set, it doesn't make me very hopeful at all for an eventual Queen Anthology. Is that all there is from the NOTW sessions, really? No more unreleased demos or experimental outtakes? [/QUOTE]

Congratulations - you now understand the QPL business model.

Of course they have more. But they are clearly protective of their legacy, and they only want the public to hear Queen in a particular way. Not with warts and all. The polished Queen.

The only thing that baffles me is why they won't release the uncut concerts. 1977 shows are already on youtube, in much worse quality. Why the hell not release the full shows, to replace the already existing crappy quality stuff, since they say they're all about quality?

Dirty bastards...only way to get the new analogue vinyl is in the full set; the limited pic disc is just the 2011 digital master plonked onto a bit of coloured vinyl.

Don't even start me off on the CD of already released "rare" stuff. It'll be interesting to see if Greg comes back to comment, and what his support of that disc is based on the glowing comments he gave earlier on this.

Wow. They managed to fuck up this one too. Why am I not shocked? Plus the price is the final "cherry on the cake"

Since I don't have money to burn, I am definitely NOT going to buy this box. €120 for a vinyl I don't want, a remaster I don't need, ONE cd of very interesting material, one cd of dull crap and a somewhat interesting documentary that is only 60 minutes long? They must be crazy.

[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Day dop wrote:[/b]

CD2 is what should've come as a bonus CD on the 2011 deluxe edition.
And the all analogue vinyl is what the 2015 vinyl should've been, instead of getting the 2011 remaster on vinyl.[/QUOTE]

Both correct statements.

Still, this box set is a step in the right direction. This is probably the most we can ever expect to get from a Queen product - 3 of the 5 discs will be interesting for most hardcore fans.
[/QUOTE]

3? Which 3 if I can ask? SOME of the tracks on disc 2 MIGHT be interesting, the documentary also MIGHT be interesting (but it's just 1 hour, which is a giant middle finger shoved to faces of the fans).

The sad thing is that Brian is probably very proud of the fantastic work they have done :-(

[QUOTE] [b]pittrek wrote:[/b]

The sad thing is that Brian is probably very proud of the fantastic work they have done :-([/QUOTE]

Actually, Brian is too preoccupied with complaining about how the people behind Firefox are doing terrible things to him (translation: he doesn't know how to work his browser) to even mention it on his website: https://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbsep17a.html#04

EDIT: I see there's a copy of the press release on his website now.