So there's no printed inner sleeves? What happened with those PDF pages designed exactly like printed inner sleeves with song names and the number of the side?
So there's no printed inner sleeves? What happened with those PDF pages designed exactly like printed inner sleeves with song names and the number of the side?
Again, drop the needle on the damn record and listen because for what is lacking in the packaging decisions is definitely made up for in the meticulous, painstaking audio detail. I'm the only person in this entire thread so far that's commented on how nice the record actually sounds, which is ridiculous. Complain about the artwork, cause I get it, I'm complaining right along with everybody else, but the actual music and the way its presented on these heavy pieces of wax that barely even fit in the gatefold, sounds outstanding. They made sure this music translated 150% to vinyl.
They stayed in the PDF, girl.
Also, there's no reason for an unboxing video. The pictures you're all seeing is exactly what we got. Nothing more to see.
+Standard, flimsy gatefold that isn't meant to house four heavyweight vinyl
+Four vinyl with no track list or any identifiers on any sides, just vague art in the color scheme of The Fragile
+One manila art sheet with the tracklisting on it and a pixelated guide on the same sheet as to which vinyl is what side
+A download card
+A sticker on the shrink wrap with a funny blank parental advisory sign.
+An outstanding, cohesive mix of Deviations from the original album when you finally press play.
That. Is. It.
Last edited by 2020k; 06-29-2017 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Clarification. Unrelated, I'm happy to see there are other Beach House fans on this forum. Bring on the B-sides record!
Girl? Unboxing video?
Anyway, a huge disappointment. Want to make it minimalist? Want to give us LESS printed artwork than the PDF? OK, but don't charge $80.
I hate to be another one to complain, but I just opened mine and the top left corner is pretty dented. Honestly, after all of this I just don't care enough at this point. However, for the amount I paid the entire experience has been pretty terrible. it does appear to have been damaged during packing and not a result of the actual packaging.
Man, this thing is getting absolutely ripped apart everywhere it is mentioned. Have you checked the r/nin subreddit yet? We got firebranded again.
I'm very interested in an answer to this. Trent, if you're reading, confirm or deny pls.
Looking at everything here -- from the initial format-locking, to the issues with the downloads not working right, to the bafflingly pathetic lack of artwork, to the thoughtless and damage-encouraging shipping and packaging -- the thought that I paid $80 for this is hilarious.
I seriously can't believe the PDF had more artwork than this. Did they end up rushing it to make up for the delays and just be able to say that they got it out there? It's great to hear that it sounds good, but if I bought vinyl only for audio fidelity then I would stick to high-res digital copies. There are plenty of great-sounding records that have light packaging and aren't $80 -- the content doesn't justify the price tag at all. This looks like the standard edition of something, not a collector's item.
Last edited by implanted_microchip; 06-29-2017 at 04:27 PM.
Ditto. What irritates me more it's not to get less artwork than the PDF, it's that those pages of the PDF with song titles and Side X written on them were specially designed to be inner sleeves for each vinyl. So yes, this looks like a rush job. Maybe they didn't get the inner sleeves printed on time, I don't know but this is sad. Oh, and about the sound... The vinyl is digital sourced, which can sound very very good, but it's very similar to high-res files. There's no AAA and tape assembly work here, with is more expensive and could justify the price tag.
This is just digital files pressed into vinyl, which is fine but with lack of artwork and a mere gatefold sleeve. Not good Trent, not good.
The fact that none of the artwork from the PDF was used besides a few for the cover and back astounds me. This really seems like a half ass packaging job for the $80 price tag. Double vinyl albums in a gatefold cost around $20-25, so what the hell did you pay the extra $60 for? Four records, double it at $40 and okay. But this? What a joke. And the fact that he made it impossible to purchase a digital copy and instead must resort to stealing it just is the icing on the cake. Only to then deliver a mediocre end product after his long-winded BS about the virtues of vinyl and its packaging and all that nonsense. This release certain didn't help sell the beauty surrounding the vinyl format. This shouldn't have cost no more than $40... $50 tops and that is pushing it.
I am not a negative person. I stayed quiet and patient with the digital email woes, and the physical delay. I was happy to buy this, and don't regret the purchase, but for $80 I really expected a higher quality product...
Hell, The Fragile comes with an actual booklet though with lyrics... well we can hope the Definitive Editions does. But at least it's suppose to be 3 records with a large booklet. This is 4 records and no booklet. So the huge price difference makes zero sense and except just to gouge the hardcore fans he knew would pay for it. Why give you this PDF booklet with amazing artwork only to half ass the vinyl packaging? I thought the whole point was to prove how amazing the vinyl experience is? In the end, the digital folk got treated better. This whole thing just makes zero goddamn sense. Can you imagine if the digital had a separate for sale option? How pissed would people be who bought the vinyl set only to discover the folks who bought the digital download received more artwork? LOL
Last edited by neorev; 06-29-2017 at 08:30 PM.
I agree. I'm kinda not looking forward to the delivery as much anymore since I know I am in for possible disappointment. Hell, I wonder if the definitive editions will come this fucked.
After TR's firm, pretentious anti-anything-but-vinyl monologue, it's insane that the first LPs shipped have been packaged so badly.
Four heavyweight vinyl records shoved into a thin gatefold? Not only will this screw up the spine, those LPs are going to be warped to fuck in a few years if stored like that. Surely he must have realised this?!
Bare minimum they should have had full mock-ups available on the product page to make it clear what you'd be getting. A lot of this negative surprise reaction could have been avoided by providing that.
For comparison, you could've bought a single day to their night at Riot Fest for about the same as this. Beautiful.
His holier than thou, overly pretentious speech about the over exaggerated glories of vinyl is what makes this so much more funnier.
Yes, the vinyl experience can be oh so wonderful. The amazing packaging and beautiful artwork to look at.
Just not THIS vinyl release.
If Trent was trying to sell the world on vinyl, he failed. Trent just pulled a With Teeth on all y'all!
Pray the Definitive Editions aren't sans lyrical art booklet.
Oh boy, Trent's gonna be piiiiiiissed.
If only this were not the actual events.
We can blame Sandbag for the damaged items due to packing and shipping, but the actual product itself is all on Trent. He has to okay the proofs. He follows the process and okays the final product. Crappy packaging = Trent's fault / Crappy shipping = Sandbag
First rule of business, don't name your company Sandbag.
Jeez, remember how crazy the Firebrand dedicated thread was? Sandbag, here we come!
Having said that, by the time my parcel reaches Australia...
I'm still blown away that is is what almost a decades worth of delays amounted to. Should have just done a regular rerelease of the fragile on vinyl for $40 and then thrown this overpriced packaging afterthought in a slipcase with the remastered fragile vinyl and put a $120 price tag on it.
I think most people would be perfectly happy with two separate gatefolds with different artwork, no booklet, ok. But to pack vinyl like this....remember the regular vinyl version of Ghosts? Same shit. I wonder why the fucking Year Zero Remixed vinyl could get a very beautiful package and not this gem...missed opportunity and pissed fans...
I don't know guys, if I had $ 100 to spend right now I would buy one of these. I love the ultra minimalist design I'm seeing in these pictures, and if the vinyl sounds well, I'd be delighted. It's 2 and a half hours of music from The Fragile! A bit more artwork would be fine, but it's still a gem. The damage caused by the shipping seems a pity though.
I like the packaging. I think the stripped down approach to the original Fragile artwork works nicely with the theme of the album.
I'm expecting my copy to arrive "Somewhat Damaged" I've ordered a few records from nin.com over the past decade and there's always at least a corner bump or bend somewhere. Which is fine with me, as long as the records sound fine and the artwork is still pretty.