All has largely been quiet on the Pink Floyd front since the early 2012 release of the Immersion (mega-box) and Experience (trimmed-down but still deluxe) Edition sets for 1979’s The Wall. The releases for The Wall concluded a campaign that also saw Discovery Edition (standard) remasters of all of the group’s albums and lavish sets for The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. Today, the Floyd camp announced a new 20th anniversary box set for the band’s fourteenth and final studio album to date, 1994’s The Division Bell. Though there’s no mention of Immersion or Experience anywhere, the Division Bell box, due on July 1 from Parlophone, will feature an array of music and swag to make it a fitting companion to the previous Immersion boxes.
Originally released in the U.K. by the EMI label and in the U.S. by Columbia Records, The Division Bell was the second Pink Floyd studio album following the departure from the band of Roger Waters. Though the musical auteur Waters was not involved, the album was very much in the vein of the classic-era Floyd concept albums. This time, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason explored the importance of communication. Gilmour co-produced the album with Bob Ezrin (The Wall, Alice Cooper, KISS) and had a hand in writing all but one track. Wright co-wrote a number of the tracks with Gilmour, and one with Anthony Moore, and also provided his first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd album since The Dark Side of the Moon. Other lyrics were provided by Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson and Nick Laird-Clowes; Ezrin co-wrote music for one song. Michael Kamen contributed orchestral arrangements to the album.
The Division Bell reached a peak of No. 1 in both the U.K. and the U.S., where it has been certified three-times platinum. Just two days after the album’s release, Pink Floyd launched a tour in support of it. The Pulse live album (1995) documented this tour. When the tour ended on October 29, 1994, it was Floyd’s final live performance until the 2005 Live 8 concerts which reunited the band with Roger Waters.
After the jump: what will you find on the new box set? (Hint: you won’t find any marbles.)
The 20th Anniversary Division Bell box will include the following:
- Remastered Double Vinyl In Gatefold Sleeve with full-length album versions (remastered by Doug Sax from the original analogue tapes);
- Division Bell CD (2011 Remaster) In Commemorative Sleeve;
- Blu-ray with 5.1 Audio Mix by Andy Jackson, 24/96 Mix and New "Marooned" Music Video directed by Aubrey Powell at Hipgnosis;
- “High Hopes” clear vinyl 7” single;
- “High Hopes” one-sided blue vinyl etched 12”;
- “Take It Back” red vinyl 7” single
- 24-page 12" x 12" Booklet; and
- Four 12" x 12" Art Prints designed by Hipgnosis/StormStudios.
Pink Floyd’s official online store is also selling the reissue in a number of bundles:
- LP-only;
- Box set with limited-edition-of-500 T-shirt;
- LP and T-shirt;
- LP, t-shirt and coasters (five cork and wood coasters featuring Division Bell artwork);
- Box set with T-shirt and coasters;
- LP, T-shirt and DVD (DVD contains 5.1 audio mix only available on Blu-ray in standard box); and
- Box set with T-shirt, coasters and DVD.
The vinyl edition of The Division Bell will be available as a stand-alone purchase, but no 20th Anniversary single-CD is being released, as the remaster is identical to that of the 2011 Discovery Edition of the album. Unfortunately, for the time being, the Blu-ray with the surround mix will remain a box set exclusive.
The 20th Anniversary box set of The Division Bell is available on June 30 in the U.K. and July 1 in the U.S. from Parlophone, now part of Warner Music Group. You can pre-order at the links below!
Pink Floyd, The Division Bell: 20th Anniversary Edition (Parlophone, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
Vinyl Only: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
CD Only (2011 Discovery Edition): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
- Cluster One
- What Do You Want From Me
- Poles Apart
- Marooned
- A Great day For Freedom
- Wearing The Inside Out
- Take It Back
- Coming Back To Life
- Keep Talking
- Lost For Words
- High Hopes
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Why not a special edition of Animals?
Exactly!
Well said John! Now there is a great album instead of this dreary piece of crap.
This is just what PF fans all over the world were holding their breath for: a super-mega-deluxe-edition of the Division Bell.
I can picture Waters having a fit
What a terrible idea. Forcing people that may want the 5.1 mix to buy all that vinyl which drives the price up to $120. I think this is the first Floyd release that I will be passing on. I hope they release the blu-ray or dvd-a in a stand-alone package at some point in the future. I refuse to buy vinyl records that I can't use (I gave my turn table away many years ago).
Here is a better package that I'd be willing to pay $200 for....
cd - original album
cd- outtakes and demos
blu-ray hi-rez stereo and 5.1 version of album
2 cd - Pulse concert (maybe with some previously unreleased material
blu-ray of Pulse concert
optional: other crap that no one cares about (art prints, marbles, etc.) but helps justify a 3 digit price
$200 for anything having to do with The Division Bell?
Take it back.
I, like the others, cannot understand why Animals is so ignored. I'll tell you what though. If they issue a Super Ultra Megalithic X P Alli Doscious Edition of Animals, I'm paying for the whole package....pre-order!
Don't expect Pink Floyd's surviving members to let go of any unreleased material until Warner Music's existing license from Pink Floyd Music Ltd. expires in 2016. It was a 5 year license (originally to EMI), and now inherited by Warner Music. Expect Pink Floyd Music Ltd. to ink another multi-million dollar mega-deal in 2016. How much money they will get will be dependent on the inclusion of vault material. Pink Floyd always owned their recordings from 1975 onward, and in the 2001 deal with EMI, EMI gave up ownership of "The Dark Side of The Moon". The DSOTM "Immersion" box describes Pink Floyd Music Ltd. as the copyright holder.
Product such as "The Division Bell" vinyl/CD/Blu-ray box(a poor value for consumers that only want the Blu-ray audio disc) is a blatant attempt to run out the clock on the license to Warners. A similar motive and situation is the reason why the "Bee Gees-Warner Bros. Years" box has not one note of unreleased music.
P.S. Typographical error. The most recent license from Pink Floyd Music Ltd. began in 2011.
@Philip
The license to Waters and its expiry is completely irrelevant regarding anything owned by "Pink Floyd Music (1987) Ltd.".
Note the 1987 - that's the company that was formed after Waters left the band, and they hold the rights to Momentary Lapse as well as Division Bell (and I'm pretty sure to Delicate Sound of Thunder and PULSE as well. No running the clock on Waters there.
With the power of hindsight I'd say the lack of outtakes etc. in this anniversary release is more to do with the preparation of a completely separate (new) album called "The Endless River" based on these outtakes.