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Well, thanks Mozo. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I like to joke & be mischievous, perhaps a little too much. I gave up being exasperated a long time ago by PG's endless non-delivered projects - in the end you just can't take any of it seriously anymore.

i understand all of that now. thank you for your honesty. i've been quite out spoken as of late. some take it as "personal" attacks on the man. i think he's making a series of possibly career ending blunders including this "no brainer" box set. one post of yours that i almost quoted had to do with PG continuously "raising expectations." if a 30 year, diehard fan like myself can become this disappointed, he should really listen to the feedback rather than saying "fuck 'em."

Likewise Mozo, I have been a fan since GWF. . but in recent years enthusiasm has been replaced by exasperation, disappointment and most unfortunately, cynicism. And now loyal fans are treated to overpriced & poorly conceived re-treads from a dusty back catalogue. I think from now on I will settle on indifference. And thanks once again for your understanding of my posts.

The 10 year wait between Us and Up was unbearable enough. Another decade has almost passed without any new material. SMB did nothing for me - I don't mind the odd cover, as Peter always does them well and creatively, but a whole album of them just wasn't to my taste. New Blood, was good, if short-lived. I think the orchestral versions have limited appeal. Nice alternatives, but never beating the originals. I didn't even buy the Live Blood CD - no interest whatsoever. Its the first PG release I haven't bought, so that must mean something! I've basically given up on waiting/looking forward to new music from PG. It's mentioned every year yet never seems to gather momentum. Now, with the So reissue, which like any reissue, isn't likely to be something you'll be playing for weeks on end - unlike a new album of new, undiscovered music - no UK dates to look forward to and then a whole "year out" (which I don't have a problem with personally), unless Peter's got a new solo album close to completion and he isn't telling us, it's going to be a good couple of years before anything new. I guess we're all so desperate for something new, this kind of thing just feels really frustrating and it's easy to become disillusioned and cynical about it.

the odds are looking poor, but don't give up. according to his own words, PG needs deadlines and prodding to get things done. i recall some story about locking him in a studio or something to finish an album. he get's "writer's block" by his own admission. i suspect some of his recent frustration directed at fans in interviews stems from his own fears of this fact. i hope (and pray) that this year of interesting things provides him with inspiration for new song lyrics. words no longer fall from the sky at age 62. that's why i recommend 10 minutes of journaling each day.

I must say I am totally disappointed by the Deluxe Box set... As SO is one of my favorite albums ever I was so excited about this release! I was hoping for Surround Mixes, Highres Audio, the B-sides, Rarities and Remixes... and now NOTHING! I even scanned my old Concert ticket for this project and feel badly ripped off now. This is the first time Peter really offers an overpriced mess instead of quality. I quite can´t believe it! And I always had a problem with the new tracklisting. I always thought that IN YOUR EYES is perfect to open Side 2 of the Vinyl, not end it... for CD this doesn´t matter, but it´s hard to take for Vinyl.

I don't personally care for 5.1 surround or hi-def and all that, but it's another example of where they missed the mark in places. Peter's plan was always to have IYE as the last track - but it didn't work out on vinyl a the time because of the track lengths. However that change of tracklisting put me off buying the 2002 reissue, as This is the Picture has always felt like the perfect closing track for me. The box set is expensive, but I don't think it's radically overpriced, when you consider it includes 5 CDs, a DVD and a hardback book. If you were to buy those individually, you'd run up a similar bill I'm sure. £70 may have been more reasonable, but it's pretty standard pricing for that sort of thing, I think.

I agree with you Alex about the price of the box set. I bought PG stuff in the past far more expensive.

@AlexS In terms of the box pricing, two of those discs are simply an audio rip of the DVD/Blu Ray source. It's cost is pence. Considering the live discs are part of a larger run, featuring in the deluxe package which is not as limited, their production costs are lowered still. As I wrote before, you are paying for the book, So DNA and box. You will be able to assemble the components (in Blu Ray) without the book in a few months for a fraction of the cost. It is radically and unrealistically overpriced. Unlike some posters on other threads, I am extremely fortunate to be in the position to not have to worry about costs. But that doesn't mean I'm prepared to be taken for a mug! I also don't like the environmental wastage to have 6 of the discs unused as when the PoV/Classic Albums Blu Ray comes out I will watch them, I'll not listen to the live album as I'll watch the visuals (and I could rip it), the vinyl So is useless to me and so I'll have to "source" the exclusive tracks.

@Alex: If Peter always wanted to be IN YOUR EYES as the closing track, your post doesn´t make much sense to me. Changing the tracklist would not affect the playing time at all... and THIS IS THE PICTURE was the CD Bonus track back then! The original vinyl had only 8 songs and WE DO WHAT WE´RE TOLD as the last track. And for me the price ist still out-of-range as you get much material that is available elsewhere or double (the Athens-concert on CD and DVD). The only interesting things for me in this set are now the book and the DNA-CD. For me, SO was a state-of-the-art album when it was released in 1986 and did not need to be remastered in the first place. Now, we get the second remaster version, but only on CD! And I doubt if will sound really better or only louder, meaning more compromised! I really wonder why a guy like Peter, who was always on top of technical development with his output, chose to publish his masterpiece in such an old-fashioned, boring way, omitting so much material that was deeply wanted by his fans.

Peter explains the tracklisting problems and space on vinyl in the Classic Albums documentary. It was more something to do with how much data, if you like, can be grooved into vinyl or something technical like that.

Ideal Box Set for me: Disc 1 - Album remastered on CD Disc 2 - Album remastered on Blu-Ray in 5.1 Surround with accompanying Videos Disc 3 - B Sides, DBTR, GaGa, WTTF, Curtains, IHTT85,Sledge Extended & Dance Mix, IYE Special Mix and Extended Single, BT 12", LAnderson version of EB(TITP),MS (Orbit Mix) Disc 4 - Instrumental version of the album Disc 5 - Live version of the album compiled from various concerts Disc 6 - Demos and unreleased tracks

I'm not sure there would be any demand for an instrumental version of the album, although musically it'd be interesting to hear. You have to remain realistic about what's feasible to include, and I don't know what merit a live album compiled from other gigs (of undoubtedly varied quality) would have. If the box set had contained a disc of b-sides and rarities (including the 2 tracks on the vinyl), I think most folk would be happy, as the book looks good and DNS sounds like it'll be intersesting. Or as I've said elsewhere, if the 3-disc version had contained the live DVD and DNA disc, then, despite the absence of b-sides, it would have been a no brainer for so many. There's just little point in the audio from the concert when it's the DVD everyone wants and you can do the audio yourself if you so desperately need to hear it. All wrong.

DNA*

Hi Alex S, thanks for your comments; my previous post was what my ideal box set would have looked like, it seems a shame that fandom doesn't appear to have been polled regarding what the content would be, everyone will have their own personal wish-list but I suspect had this been done the box set would have been rather different. I do need to stop crying in my beer as the announcement of the box set content is now a done deal. My preference would always be to have content that would allow you to view the album through a different set of lenses each time, hence an instrumental version allows you to enjoy the music on it's own (as worked with the special edition of New Blood), I have no idea what Live stuff might exist within the archive (assuming there is one!) but again my thoughts are that hearing how he has interpreted these songs in a live context would again have the SO album centre stage. One of the things that bugs me most about the absence of the 12" versions is In Your Eyes, as both alternatives have the extra verse "Accepting all I've done & said.." , every time I've heard it done live he includes this verse, so my perception is that PG considers this a part of the song now, but it's not there on the album version. Other lenses that could have been used to view the album could be a Scratch My Back style covers album by other artists (if I was producing said album I'd have Kate and Peter re-record DGU singing each others parts!) but so much for my fantasies! I agree with you entirely that including the audio for a concert twice (once with the visuals) is wrong, it is just padding to make it appear like you are getting value for your dosh, personally I wouldn't have included the concert once let alone twice. Cheers

Some good points there. The sad fact it is too late for anything to change is incredibly frustrating.

@finkyjd - It's not exactly official, but I'll be happy to shoot you a link for the Dormlights Mix of In Your Eyes. It's my personal version that has all of the extra lyrics incorporated.

So... unless you buy the super-dooper-boxset, the other reissue get a live CD and that's it?!?! No unreleased stuff, no alt versions, no b-sides. This has to be one of the worst re-issues ever!

Thanks @Chelieguy much appreciated!

...we should all email our thoughts to the ones that are responsible for this: http://petergabriel.com/misc/contact What is so difficult in asking the fans before releasing something like this? And a "Super Deluxe Edition" of an album reissue should be satisfying for fans! I worked on an extensive recording/raritiies guide (which hopefully goes online soon) and the included '83 - '88 part of is full of worthy material. It's so sad not to get the full picture of that period with a boxset like this.