FIRST PICTURES / Suede: The Vinyl Collection box set

Suede‘s 11LP Vinyl Collection box set is released today, and we can bring you some exclusive photos of the box.

All of the band’s studio albums are presented on vinyl, in a sturdy white outer box with the classic suede logo spot varnished with album artwork inset.

This collection includes two gatefold LPs – Dog Man Star and Bloodsports – although only the former is actually a double album. Head Music is another double, while the B-side compilation Sci-Fi Lullabies is spread over 3LPs. All the albums are on 180g heavyweight vinyl, with the exception of Bloodsports which is pressed on what you might call ‘medium weight’ 140g. The music uses the 2011 remastering with adjustments made for vinyl. This is true for all the records except for Bloodsports, which hasn’t been remastered – unsurprising since the album is a little over six months old.

Artwork reproduction is surprisingly good.  Sci-Fi Lullabies the star of the show with the John Kippin cover photo looking pin sharp, with crisp text throughout. A New Morning is the runt of the litter with the already horrible cover, looking rather soft with a hint of pixelation around the typography. I wouldn’t have blamed the band for changing the cover to this album, but they’ve stuck with the photo of a CD!

In addition to the records, this set comes with an excellent large format 34-page booklet. Thankfully, it’s not full of arty photos, rather exactly the content you might hope for, which is the band talking through every album track-by-track. These are based on what appear to be new interviews with journalist Pete Paphides (Bernard Butler takes part for the first two records).

Only 1500 of these (numbered) sets have been produced, and although one imagines the albums will be made available individually at some point in the future, until then, this is the only way to buy remastered Suede on vinyl.

Any box set north of £100 should be considered a significant investment, but this collection is undoubtedly worth it for Suede, Dog Man Star, Coming Up, Sci-Fi Lullabies and Bloodsports, alone. Place your order while you still can.

• • Amazon UK Pre-order: Suede: The Vinyl Box Set
• • Amazon GERMANY Pre-order: Suede: The Vinyl Box

• • Order from the Suede online store

Many more photos below:

• • Amazon UK Pre-order: Suede: The Vinyl Box Set
• • Amazon GERMANY Pre-order: Suede: The Vinyl Box

• • Order from the Suede online store