Dan

Yeah, the rarities album is exclusive to the box set. You're either buying one of the sets, or pirating it. I wouldn't expect to see it on legal streaming services.

Darth Maher

I'm pretty torn. $200 for something that I already own. But they are remastered. The songs on The Essential Weird Al sound great

DVD Josh

I'm okay with not having a bunch of brickwalled shit.

spsimmons

HUGE Al fan, but I think I'll be skipping this. Pretty steep price.

story

Tough call. A lot of major bands release deluxe remastered box sets for $100-$300 and often it's just for one album. Yet $200 is a lot. Still, I have maybe 2 or 3 CDs, otherwise I didn't upgrade all the cassette tapes I had as a kid. Our kids, meanwhile, love Weird Al, so it's tempting.

wahlers

I'm really torn. I have all the albums on CD and vinyl of all the albums that had vinyl to begin with.

I would love the vinyl set but wish it came with a download code for the set too as I don't want the rarities album on vinyl only.

It would be nice if they even offered a set for a little more that had the vinyl set with the cds included too.

Also, for reference, I've listed all of the officially released non-album tracks and alternate versions (that I'm aware of) below. Hopefully most of them will be on the rarities disc.

1. My Bologna (Capital records single version)
2. School Cafeteria (b-side to #1)
3. Happy Birthday (Placebo ep version)
4. Gotta Boogie (Placebo ep version)
5. Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung (Placebo ep version)
6. I Lost on Jeopardy (12" mix)
7. Eat It (karaoke) (from The Food Album - Japanese version)
8. UHF (single version)
9. Jurassic Park (japanese version)
10. Headline News (non-album track)
11. Christmas at Ground Zero (alternate mix) (b-side to +10)
12. The Night Santa Went Crazy (extra gory version) (from Amish Paradise single)
13. Dare to be Stupid (instrumental) (from Amish Paradise single)
14. Spy Hard (from Gump single)
15. Since You've Been Gone (karaoke version) (from Gump single)
16. Callin' in Sick (instrumental) (from Gump single)
17. Spy Hard (instrumental) (from Gump single)
18. Spy Hard (orchestral mix) (from Gump single)
19. The Saga Begins (edit) (from The Saga Begins japanese compilation)
20. Polkamon (from Pokemon 2000 soundtrack)
21. Homer & Marge (from Testify: Simpsons soundtrack)
22. You're Pitiful (Internet-only release)

Some of the songs from The Weird Al Show would also be nice but were usually done with the intention of being watched in the context of the show.

Obi-Wanma

He's already confirmed that You're Pitiful will not be on the release, as James Blunt wouldn't clear it.

Whatever we get, I certainly hope that it's not filled up with instrumentals and alternate versions of other songs. I would love to get some unreleased stuff, if it's possible.

pinata242

Way to stay irrelevant, James Blunt.

wahlers

Was it James Blunt this time or still Atlantic Records blocking it like last time?

Obi-Wanma

This time he specifically called out James Blunt.

http://weirdal.com/news/youre-pitiful-2/

The here, here, here stuff on his page are actually download links. They didn't copy over and I'm to lazy to do it myself one at a time

DVD Josh

There's a sad sort of irony in Al calling out Blount for that but gouging the shit out of his fans for this box set on a crowdfunding site.

Trevor

15 albums for $200 is gouging?

DVD Josh

I would say so in this day and age, yes.

pinata242

To be fair, in the past "Lady Gaga said no" but it was really management that answered for her and never presented the option, at least that's the story.

Could be the same this here with "he said no".

Obi-Wanma

When the original parody was released for free on his website, the story he told then was that James Blunt himself had approved the parody, but then Atlantic Records came back and said no after Al had already recorded it. Part of his statement at the time also said that because James Blunt had no problems with the parody, Al had no issue releasing it for free.

Given that, since the new statement names Blunt directly and nobody else, I think it's a fair assumption that he was at least in part responsible for blocking its release this time.

pinata242

Except the statement says "we were told he denied permission" not that "he denied permission".

Obi-Wanma

That's the "official" statement. Al also called him out directly on Twitter:

http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/weir...pitiful-owned/

DVD Josh

Let's be honest. Weird Al is no more relevant than James Blount. I love Al. But it's the truth.

wahlers

However, with social media and reality tv making celebrities even more self-important and obnoxious I think someone like Weird Al is needed more than ever. He can take them down a notch or two and can do it way more politely and professionally than most.

Also, I somehow doubt that James Blunt will still be recording albums after 30 years and still winning Grammys after all that time.

James Blunt just sounds like a sore loser because he's going to be a one-hit wonder no matter how many albums he makes. Al's song didn't even make fun of him at all in it. If anyone should have been sore about a parody it should have been Billy Ray Cyrus.

milo bloom

Billy Ray Cyrus seems the type to be able to roll with the punches. He's dealing with being Miley's dad, if you'll recall.

And we already have every album, I hope the rarities disc gets a separate release.

BearFan

So, I ordered this

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/weirdalyankovic

Legacy Recordings, home to definitive releases by the world’s foremost recording artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis, proudly presents Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic, a career-spanning box set of all fourteen of Al’s studio albums, remastered for CD and 150-gram vinyl, and lavishly housed in an exact replica of the artist’s signature accordion.

In addition to his studio albums, Squeeze Box will also include a special 15th bonus album, Medium Rarities, featuring previously unreleased and non-album tracks selected by Weird Al, plus a 100-page book including a treasure trove of unseen photos and memorabilia.

Squeeze Box will be officially released November 24, 2017, with a long-lead manufacturing time due to its unprecedented custom packaging. Fans have the opportunity to pre-order the box set now to be guaranteed delivery of this historic set, as only a limited number of sets will be manufactured after this pre-sale.

Fans who pre-order here will also gain access to a private section of this site (via the “Access Pass”), where they will be able to enjoy exclusive videos of how Squeeze Box was created and made, factoids of Al’s career, and special video greetings from the master himself.

LIST OF ALBUMS

“Weird Al” Yankovic (1983)
“Weird Al” Yankovic In 3-D (1984)
Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
Polka Party! (1986)
Even Worse (1988)
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff (1989)
Off The Deep End (1992)
Alapalooza (1993)
Bad Hair Day (1996)
Running With Scissors (1999)
Poodle Hat (2003)
Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Alpocalypse (2011)
Mandatory Fun (2014)
Medium Rarities (2017) Exclusive to Box Set

Please note that all purchases are final. Due to manufacturing timelines, the box set will ship in Fall 2017.

TerryW

It makes no sense not to include all of Al's music videos in this set as well. The visuals are at least half the enjoyment of the songs.

DVD Josh

The more I think about it the worse deal it is.

Darth Maher

I wonder if there will be a non-accordion version down the line

wahlers

For those who haven't seen the announcement video, the Medium Rarities will include:

1. Take Me Down (1978)
2. My Bologna (Capital Single Version) (1979)
3. Yoda (demo) (1981)
4. Dr. Demento Jingle (1981)
5. Pac Man (1981)
6. Dare To Be Stupid (Instrumental) (1985)
7. Jurashiku Park (1993)
8. Headline News (1994)
9. Since You've Been Gone (Karaoke Version) (1996)
10. The Night That Santa Went Crazy (Extra Gory Version) (1996)
11. Spy Hard (1996)
12. Lousy Haircut (from The Weird Al Show) (1997)
13. Homer and Marge (2003)
14. The Brain Song (from the 3-D Film Al's Brain) (2009)
15. 30 Rock Theme Parody (2012)
16. Super Duper Party Pony (from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) (2014)
17. Sir Isaac Newton vs. Bill Nye (from Epic Rap Battles of History) (2014)
18. Let the Pun Fit the Crime (from Wander Over Yonder) (2015)
19. Hey, Hey, We're the Monks (from Galavant) (2015)
20. Comedy Bang! Bang! Theme (2016)
21. It's My World (And We're All Living in It) (from Milo Murphy's Law) (2016)
22. Happy Birthday (New Version)

What's odd is they advertise it as a 23 track album, but I only saw 22 tracks. Did I miss something?