Some improvements to the packaging have been made for the deluxe RAM, namely the way the discs themselves are stored. In the previous three Archive Collection deluxe editions, the discs were in pockets inside the back of a hardcover book. This, of course, resulted in minor scuffs on many buyers’ discs. For this box set, the discs are each in their own loose-fitting paper sleeve, nestled in their own compartment in the box. I honestly hope they don’t return to the tight pockets for Archive Collection releases, but then again I can’t imagine many of his other albums will receive treatment as lush as this.
If all that weren’t enough, the deluxe box also includes a business card with a code for high resolution 24bit 96kHz downloads of both the stereo version of the album and the bonus audio disc. To sweeten things even further, there are two additional tracks included in the download: “Uncle Albert Jam” (a silly two minutes of tomfoolery) and, much better, the eight-minute “Eat at Home/Smile Away (Live in Groningen, 1972).” We’re still not quite done, as the package also includes a one-year membership to McCartney’s official website. It’s a pricey set, but definitely a standard-setter for the Paul McCartney Archive Collection so far.
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