Oasis To Release Deluxe Box Set Version of New Album Dig Out Your Soul

Oasis are set to release their first album in three years and, in the process, may be proving BC Magazine contributor and writer extraordinare Tom Johnson's prediction correct.

Dig Out Your Soul is the follow up to Oasis' 2005 release Don't Believe The Truth and will be released Oct. 7, preceded by first single "The Shock of The Lightning."

So, what does this have to do with Tom? There seems to be a growing trend in the music industry towards releasing new albums in multiple versions. I'm not just referring to varying formats such as CD, DVD, vinyl, and digital. I'm talking about packaging brand albums in standard and deluxe editions. I've noticed it. So has Tom. His theory is that the concept of the box set as we've come to know it may be ending and that these deluxe releases are part of what will take their place.

Bob Dylan, Radiohead, NIN, David Byrne and Brian Eno, and David Gilmour have all recently released albums in differing packages and Oasis is now getting in on the act. Are these deluxe editions worth the (often considerable) extra expense? That's not an easy question to answer as it varies wildly from set to set and depends largely on how big a fan you are of a given artist. Let's take a look at this Oasis package.

They're releasing a box set of the album that includes a 24-page hardback book, two CDs, one DVD, and four vinyl LPs. The first CD is the album proper. The second CD features remixes, one previously released song, and a couple previously unreleased songs. At least one of the remixes is slated to be a B-side to first single "The Shock of The Lightning" ("Falling Down," remixed by The Chemical Brothers). The DVD features a "Making Of" the album, a making of the video for "Lightning," and the video for "Lightning." The four vinyl LPs feature all the songs from the two CDs.

The price for this limited edition set? $99.99. So, is it worth it? As a new owner of a turntable, I'm pleased with the vinyl inclusion. I'm also pretty happy with the bonus CD as Oasis have long been one of the few bands whose B-sides often end up being worth a damn, although three remixes and a couple of alternate versions diminish the value of that bonus disc a little bit. The DVD is probably interesting watching… once. I can't imagine that being something I queue up regularly.

Still, two CD, one DVD, and four LP is a pretty solid offering. The $100 is a bit excessive and it's giving me a moment of pause but I'm an unapologetic Oasis fan, I like the first single, and I still kick myself for having not bought the Radiohead In Rainbows box. That set was about the same price and it didn't include a DVD. The idea of shelling out $100 for a new album is hard for even a fanboy like me to swallow, but I know how much I'll regret it if I don't.

Full Tracklisting

Dig Out Your Soul CD

1. Bag It Up

2. The Turning

3. Waiting For The Rapture

4. The Shock Of The Lightning

5. I'm Outta Time

6. (Get Off Your) High Horse

7. Falling Down

8. To Be Where There's Life

9. Ain't Got Nothin

10. The Nature Of Reality

11. Solider On

Bonus CD

1. Lord Don't Slow Me Down

2. The Turning (The Jagz Kooner Remix)

3. Boy With The Blues

4. Falling Down (The Chemical Brothers Remix)

5. The Shock Of The Lightning (The Jagz Kooner Remix)

6. I Believe In All

7. To Be Where There's Life (A Richard Fearless Production)

8. The Turning (Alt Version#4)

9. Waiting For The Rapture (Alt Version#2)

DVD

1. Gold & Silver & Sunshine (The Making Of 'Dig Out Your Soul')

2. The Making Of 'The Shock Of Lightning' Video

3. 'The Shock Of The Lightning' Video

Vinyl One

Side One

1. Bag It Up

2. The Turning

Side Two

1. Waiting For The Rapture

2. The Shock Of The Lightning

3. I'm Outta Time

Vinyl Two

Side Three

1. (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady

2. Falling Down

3. To Be Where There's Life

Side Four

1. Ain't Got Nothin'

2. The Nature Of Reality

3. Soldier On

Vinyl Three

Side Five

1. Lord Don't Slow Me Down

2. I Believe In It All

3. Boy With The Blues

Side Six

1. Falling Down (The Chemical Brothers Remix)

2. To Be Where There's Life (A Richard Fearless Production)

Vinyl Four

Side Seven

1. The Turning (The Jagz Kooner Remix)

2. The Shock Of The Lightning (The Jagz Kooner Remix)

Side Eight

1. The Turning (Alt Version#4)

2. Waiting For The Rapture (Alt Version#2)