A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the Deluxe Vinyl Box Set for the “new” 50th Anniversary Edition of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. In reality, this is not a new mix at all, but almost certainly the 2016 mix in new and “exciting” packaging. As I mentioned in that article, I almost didn’t purchase the set at all. Since then, I have somehow come a long way from that thought and have ended up buying all the variant vinyl versions that have been released for the occasion. Why? I’m a collector and it’s a sort of disease, I guess. I got one, and it was just downhill from there. The good news is that I did it, and now you don’t have to.
As a result, this will be a different kind of article. Some parts of the full box set review might be relevant here, so feel free to check that out. We all know what WYWH sounds like, and most of us have the 2016 version in some form already. But how do these new variants rank? Should you get any of them for the sound quality? How would they rank on a list compared to each other? Well, I listened to them all, and I think I can give you at least a pretty good overview. I think it might be a while until I listen to WYWH again. Maybe I’ll be ready again in 50 more years.
So here they are, listed in the order I listened to them in. At the end, we’ll see if any version is the clear winner.
Quadratic Coral Splatter by Blood Records
I tried to buy this version right after it was announced, but it absolutely flew off the digital shelves. This one is limited to 7500 copies, and each one comes hand numbered in pen on the back of the jacket. Since I couldn’t get one at retail price, I waited until it actually came out and scooped up a copy off eBay. It seems like every reseller in the world heard about this before I did, so the marketplace has been drowning in copies. I got mine for about 80 dollars, which was around double the original price, but still not too bad.
There is no doubt that this pressing is visually striking. I’ve never seen a splatter like this, and “coral” does seem like a good way to describe it. The jacket and sleeve are the same as they are for all the other variants, with the exception of the writing on the back. My copy wasn’t really “sealed”, but I’m not sure if the reseller did that or if it came that way originally.
Unfortunately, the good news pretty much ends here. This press has a bunch of surface noise and has a heartbeat-like thumping that persists in the quiet parts of the record. It’s even audible in the louder parts, just not as much. It was definitely very distracting for me, and a bit disappointing since I was into the color so much. For packaging and pressing, this is an easy 10/10. It’s the coolest looking splatter record I’ve seen in recent memory. The audio comes in at about 6/10 though, so I don’t think I’ll be listening to it again any time soon. A cool display piece, but that’s about it.
Quad Liquid-Filled by Bad World Records
Bad World Records is apparently a subsidiary of Blood Records. Bad World exclusively makes liquid filled records, and Blood Records makes non-liquid specialty stuff. It kind of seems like the names should be reversed, but what do I know? The Bad World website talks about how making records filled with liquid is particularly challenging, that it takes forever, and the results usually sound pretty bad. They also say they have solved these problems, but don’t go into any detail about how.
This is the first liquid filled record I’ve ever had. Will it eventually dry up? Leak all over the shelf? I have no idea. I put mine in a sleeve where it can’t destroy anything else if it does eventually crack or bursts, but only time will tell, I suppose. What I can tell you for sure is that they definitely can burst, and that the liquid inside smells like Elmer’s glue and paint. How do I know this? Well, I ordered one of these for myself, and a family member surprised me with a copy for Christmas. One of the copies was intact, but the other was leaking upon arrival. I have sent an email to Bad World and I’m hoping they will fix the situation, but it’s been several days and there’s been no response yet. I will update here when I find out if they are going to make it right or not.
This version was available for about a three-day window in which anyone could order copies. I guess in that sense they are limited, but the amount that was ultimately produced is undisclosed. As you might expect, this is the copy everyone seems to want, and prices have hit close to 250 USD on the resale market. I expected this to be no more than a novelty item, but I have to admit I was surprised at the sound quality. This is a very heavy record, and I cleaned it using only a vacuum machine. Like picture discs and other oddities, ultrasonic cleaning just didn’t seem like a good idea.
This record is much thicker and heavier than anything I have ever had on my turntable, but it played just fine. The jacket was a little wider than the standard ones, and a bit more heavy-duty. I was shocked that the audio really did sound great. I can’t believe I’m giving it a 9/10, but here we are. The packaging is appropriate and modified for the record, so I’ll give that part a 10/10. The liquid does look cool, and I might even consider buying more liquid-filled records from Bad World… if they replace my defective copy.
Yellow Flame – Japanese Version with Mastersound Obi
I imported this version directly from Japan, and I guess I was one of the lucky few who were able to get it at the actual retail price. Since then, resale prices have skyrocketed, but thankfully nothing like the liquid filled version. They are still readily available, and you should be able to find an overpriced copy on eBay or Discogs quite easily. The Mastersound Obi does look cool and gives the whole package a nice retro vibe. As is standard with Japanese versions, this one does come with some extra liner notes the “New Music Fridays” sticker.
Like most modern-day Japanese releases, however, this record is not pressed in Japan. It’s an EU version in a Japanese wrapper. The color itself is very subtle, and I feel like they lost a good opportunity to make a really striking variant that actually looks like flames. I guess it’s a bit subjective, but I’m not exactly reminded of the power of fire when I look at this. There was no sample picture when I ordered, but I would have gotten it anyway, even if I had seen that the color was kind of bland.
I have to admit that I figured this would be the best version. When I was going through the different pressings for David Gilmour’s Luck and Strange, the EU pressed Japanese version was the clear winner for me, although it wasn’t exactly fantastic either. I had just been used to hearing the atrocious US pressed versions.
This version does sound pretty good. There is a little surface noise even after thorough cleaning, but there are no weird “heartbeat” thumps or anything out of the ordinary. Obviously, the packaging on this one is great and the throwback obi looks cool, so 10/10 on presentation. Audio wise, even with the surface noise, I’d give this one an 8.5/10. I would rather listen to this version than the clear one that came with the US pressed box set.
Yellow – US Walmart Stores Exclusive
This was supposedly a Walmart exclusive, but apparently you can also buy it “exclusively” through the Sony Music online shop in Canada. At the time of this writing, this one is still widely available, so depending on where you live in the world, you should have no problem finding a copy if yellow is your thing. It’s got a hype sticker just like all the others, but otherwise nothing special here. Just a standard, yellow vinyl record.
Even though it’s being sold at US stores, this one is also pressed in the EU. Essentially, it’s the exact same as the Japanese record, just without all the fancy packaging and extra insert sheet. It’s still just the regular WYWH album jacket and sleeve, so I’ll give it a 9/10 for presentation. The audio gets the same rating as the Japanese at 8.5/10.
White – Pop-Up Locations
The release for this one is a little bit confusing. It seems we have some anecdotal stories, but no solid information or hard numbers. What I can say for sure is that it was available at a “pop-up” shop in Los Angeles at one point. If you aren’t familiar with the term, a pop-up shop is basically a surprise shopping tent or similar location that materializes overnight in a major city. These places usually sell some exclusive items that you can only get at the pop-up. Resellers sniff these things out like bloodhounds looking for an escaped convict and then list their exclusive haul on eBay, usually netting very high prices from the actual fans who want the item. Awesome.
Apparently, there were also pop-ups in London, Barcelona, Paris, Milan and Berlin where you could get copies as well. I think it was supposed to be exclusive to these things, but for a few hours, it also appeared on the UK Pink Floyd webstore. My friend in the UK was kind enough to grab a copy for me, which is how I ended up with one. These all seem to be made in the EU, but I can’t know for sure just based on the one copy I have. The white vinyl is very… white… and comes with a hype sticker similar to the other variants. It doesn’t include anything extra. You could also get postcards from the point of sale, but those were apparently a separate purchase.
Since this version was also pressed in the EU, I expected it to more or less sound just like the Japanese version. It does, because just like the Walmart yellow variant, this is the exact same record. It’s got the surface noise on it, same as the other two, and is still better than the clear version that comes with the US box set. So, 10/10 packaging-wise and 8.5/10 for the audio.
Variant Ranking
I feel crazy for saying this, but somehow, the liquid-filled variant from Bad World wins on all counts. It’s certainly novel and unique, and most people won’t have a record like this in their collection already. In my opinion, the audio was the best of the bunch at around 9/10 which is stunning for a record like this. It is apparently a fragile item, but since my second copy burst and leaked during transit, I can’t say I have any idea how fragile or how much abuse they can take. Who knows what the postal service did with it. If you can only get one variant of the lot, this is the one I would recommend. Otherwise, the ranking would go something like this:
1 – Liquid Filled 9/10
2 – Japanese Yellow Flame 8.5/10
3 – Walmart Yellow 8.5/10
4 – Pop-Up White 8.5/10
5 – Coral Splatter 6/10
The Japanese, Walmart and Pop-Up versions are all the same record, so just pick whichever one is more convenient to grab and/or looks the coolest to you. If you have the choice of any of them, I would say that the Japanese one edges out the others for the cool retro look and additional insert sheet. The Coral Splatter certainly looks amazing, but if audio quality is important to you, you’re going to want to avoid this one or just use it as a decoration.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. I didn’t really expect to cover everything from the WYWH 50th Anniversary, but here we are. Overall, I would say that you are still better off just buying a 2016 standard black copy if you are looking for the best sound at a good price. These variants are visually interesting, but with the exception of the Bad World Liquid-Filled version, aren’t really anything too special. Just another way to get people like me to keep buying the same record five copies at a time. I guess I can’t blame them, because clearly, it works. Hopefully, I’ve helped at least a couple people decide they don’t need to spend the money unless they are just a serious Pink Floyd collector. Which in that case…
Shine On!