Pet Shop Boys Community

Technically you don't touch the data surface - the data is actually directly below the label (and a layer of lacquer) and what looks like the silver side is actually a clear sheet of plastic with the silver layer behind it. But other than that yes it is a bit annoying, although those card sleeves have their charm too, especially after a couple of years when the opening edge has been flattened down and they're a bit tidier looking.

I’m playing the long game and waiting for the 11 disc digipack box set.

Has anyone in the US been able to order these from the UK store? My order was declined as unable to deliver to my US address.

greenmile wrote: Fri 05 Jun 2026, 5:51 pm

telys wrote: Fri 05 Jun 2026, 11:38 am
Some of my old discs are getting worn. CD is not an eternal format, longevity doesn't exist.

None of my cd's have touched a proper cd player for years. Everything gets ripped to flac immediately and stored on my server so I can play them back anywhere I want.

"Dear Telys....."

Xakrij wrote: Mon 08 Jun 2026, 3:29 pm Has anyone in the US been able to order these from the UK store? My order was declined as unable to deliver to my US address.

I ordered mine from Townsend Music where they offer a bundle.

https://townsendmusic.store/product/psb-cd-album-bundle

My CDs arrived this morning! Lovely, but not gonna lie, I do kind of wish I could have them all collected in a box. Might see if I can find something appropriate.

If they release a box set of this I am gonna be soo POed

This is getting VERY nerdy now but is this the first release of Nightlife where that unusual high-gloss finish isn't part of the artwork? It seems weird not to have it - even the fanclub postcard for the album was gloss varnished, albeit not to quite the same standard as the CD/cassette/LP/minidisc. And then the Further Listening reissue had it too on the slipcase because that happened to be the style for the series.

Genuinely can't see the point of the soft pack reissues - not least because the audio is exactly the same as the 2017-2018 Further Listening and the packaging is inferior.

Morse wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 1:11 pm Genuinely can't see the point of the soft pack reissues - not least because the audio is exactly the same as the 2017-2018 Further Listening and the packaging is inferior.

They're not replacing the FL editions, but the jewel case versions that have been continuously in print since their various original release dates. Jewel cases are becoming less common - these are just keeping the CD albums available and more up to date in design for anyone who discovers PSB tomorrow and still wants to buy physical digital media. I won't be buying them but nor was I about to go out and buy a jewel case version of Nightlife either.

Morse wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 1:11 pm Genuinely can't see the point of the soft pack reissues - not least because the audio is exactly the same as the 2017-2018 Further Listening and the packaging is inferior.

So people who don't have the albums on CD but would like them can buy them. Not everything is for us.

Just been on Ebay and you can get the original CD of every one of these albums for between £3 and £4, and even buy 1 CD and get a big percentage discount buying another CD from the seller. So you could easily get them all for about £15.

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nonesuch wrote: Sat 06 Jun 2026, 1:40 pm

DopeFiend wrote: Sat 06 Jun 2026, 12:24 pm I'd still like to know what the discs inside look like.

It's not clear, it's just white (upper right corner).

The OP has more views of the covers on their Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZA7TngiEOo ... M4b2hubzRp

Thank you! That solves it.
Pretty silly they use a transparent image in the marketing.

Sithblade wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 9:33 pm Just been on Ebay and you can get the original CD of every one of these albums for between £3 and £4, and even buy 1 CD and get a big percentage discount buying another CD from the seller. So you could easily get them all for about £15.

Surely a big part of buying any physical media is the thought that the money is going towards the artist.
Buying secondhand completely eliminates that.

Ramzy wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 4:05 pm

Morse wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 1:11 pm Genuinely can't see the point of the soft pack reissues - not least because the audio is exactly the same as the 2017-2018 Further Listening and the packaging is inferior.

They're not replacing the FL editions, but the jewel case versions that have been continuously in print since their various original release dates. Jewel cases are becoming less common - these are just keeping the CD albums available and more up to date in design for anyone who discovers PSB tomorrow and still wants to buy physical digital media. I won't be buying them but nor was I about to go out and buy a jewel case version of Nightlife either.

Further Listening is long out of print.

Overall it looks like the fanbase here aren't too keen on these issues.
I think they're cool. Jewel cases can easily be damaged. These gatefold reissues let the album cover pop out visually.
They're a bit incidental, not really anything special but at least it means these 9 albums being manufactured and sent out to music shops globally. The fact we can readily go buy these albums is good. I mean there was excitement for the Relentless reissue but the community here hardly sees any purpose of reissuing Please through Elysium. Having PSB physical media more available is always a good thing, albeit fairly inconsequential particularly to dedicated fans.

Also comparing to FL. I have the FL CDs, Release is 3 discs. The packaging is quite large and clunky.
These thin soft packs could easily fit in your car's glovebox for convenient use.

Sithblade wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 9:33 pmJust been on Ebay and you can get the original CD of every one of these albums for between £3 and £4, and even buy 1 CD and get a big percentage discount buying another CD from the seller. So you could easily get them all for about £15.

Lots of people will just wander into HMV though. These are for them.

Ramzy wrote: Mon 15 Jun 2026, 12:48 pm This is getting VERY nerdy now but is this the first release of Nightlife where that unusual high-gloss finish isn't part of the artwork? It seems weird not to have it - even the fanclub postcard for the album was gloss varnished, albeit not to quite the same standard as the CD/cassette/LP/minidisc. And then the Further Listening reissue had it too on the slipcase because that happened to be the style for the series.

Same with Elysium, they don't use glossy technique at all.

I agree these are cool, and I do think casual browsers in stores might pick these up with the renewed PSB interest and touring.

That being said, I realised recently (after some soul searching) that my days of being a collector/completist are largely over, because as others have noted, my age group is no longer the target audience (except in the case of brand new material).

Reissues for more seasoned bands seem to be more about outreach to new (often younger) audiences. Who hasn't bought a reissue of an album from a long retired act in their teens?

I love these cardboard gatefold sleeves now, but unless something really special comes along, I doubt I will ever buy a PSB album from Please to Elysium ever again.