Steven Wilson’s Deluxe Edition is Deluxer Than Yours

Esteemed British musician and producer Steven Wilson has remixed and remastered more than his share of classic albums (from the likes of King Crimson, Yes, XTC, Jethro Tull, Roxy Music, Tears for Fears and many others) for high-dollar, limited-edition expanded anniversary reissues for audiophiles and super-fans. It’s kind of become an entire career for him alongside his own musical pursuits. So with the “Ultra Deluxe Music Product on Obsolete Media” edition of his forthcoming album The Future Bites, he’s mocking (one of) the hands that feed him, as well as the primary practice keeping physical CD production going at this juncture. All in good fun, of course – and for a good cause.

You see, the “Ultra Deluxe” edition is limited to a pressing of one, for the bargain price of £10,000 (approx. 13,300 U.S dollars). For that, you get all the music included in the mere “Deluxe” box set (the main album, an instrumental version of it, a third CD of remixes and additional songs, a cassette of demo recordings and a Blu-ray of further video and audio content), plus a one-sided 7-inch with an exclusive song never to be released anywhere else, handwritten lyrics, laminated all-access passes for previous tours, Wilson’s Grammy nomination certificate and medal from 2011, and more.

“This edition of The Future Bites takes the whole notion of deluxe limited editions to its logical and fairly extreme conclusion,” Wilson expounds. So you’re a Steven Wilson super-fan and you’re checking your bank account right now wondering how to explain away a $13,000 withdrawal from your wife? Too late. The one “Ultra Deluxe” edition was already sold to a well-off Wilson fan upon its on-sale date of Nov. 27, with all proceeds benefitting the Music Venue Trust to help save independent music venues in the UK struggling amid the Draconian coronavirus lockdowns. The good news for you is, regular and “Deluxe” versions of The Future Bites will be released Jan. 29, and they are significantly more affordable. I can hear you now: “But will it come on colored vinyl?”

Photo by Miles Skarin.