While I was stunned by the realization yesterday, that I was finally going to get to see Lene Lovich perform live…along with DEVO as as a bonus [!!], in came the missive from Spandau Ballet Central that coming soon was something else we’d have to save our shekels for if we wanted a copy. An expansive box covering the first two album period of the band from 1978 to 1982. Certainly the bullseye where my interests in the band lay most strongly at this point and time. Due for release on Sept 11, 2025. Just a few months down the road.

I was an early passenger on the Spandau Ballet train. I’d been hooked…hard, on Ultravox’s game-changing “Vienna” album by late 1980. Soon afterward, I caught wind of another band that Chrysalis had signed to capitalize on the New Romantic trend that seemed to follow in Ultravox’s wake. So as soon as “Journeys To Glory” was released in America, I was on a copy like white on rice. As compared to Ultravox, this band were sheer greenhorns. I was non-plussed by it all and wrote the band off as hype. I felt that there was more musical inventiveness and excitement in any single minute of any track on “Vienna” than in ten copies of “Journeys To Glory.” I moved on.

By the summer of 1981 I saw that Spandau Ballet had pivoted towards Funk from the New Romantic sound they began with. I was dismissive of it at the time and what I’d heard from the second album, 1982’s “Diamond,” was nothing that I thought I was interested in. It wasn’t until I heard the Vegas Soul of the song “Lifeline” that I thought the band were making anything for my ears. I bought the US 12″ remix single, followed by the great “True” album and was on the cusp of actually becoming a fan. Then seeing the “Live Over Britain” concert on MTV gave me a shove and I fell hard for the band. I worked my way backward and quickly came to treasure the deeply odd [at the very least] “Diamond” album.

I then embarked on a program of buying all of the Spandau Ballet I could find and almost 60 discs later, have a rather large Spandau Ballet collection. Which I rendered down into a comprehensive BSOG [with DVD!] sixteen years ago. Now the band have crossed the line into a multi-disc box that looks set to put the 2010 2xCD remasters of their canon very much in the shade. They only had a smattering of the commensurate tracks and were brickwall mastered for poor sound. Frankly, it looks like they are following the lead of the three figure David Bowie career boxes; albeit with mixed formats. Covering a period of their career in some depth. It wouldn’t be the first time they were chasing after Bowie!

ALL YOU NEED IS ‘EVERYTHING IS NOW’

Spandau Ballet: Everything Is Now – The Early years 1978-1982 – UK – 2xLP + 6xCD + Blu-Ray + Book + T-Shirt [2025]

JOURNEYS TO GLORY LP

1. To Cut A Long Story Short
2. Reformation
3. Mandolin
4. Muscle Bound
5. Age Of Blows
6. The Freeze
7. Confused
8. Toys

DIAMOND LP

1. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
2. Instinction
3. Paint Me Down
4. Coffee Club
5. She Loved Like Diamond
6. Pharaoh
7. Innocence And Science
8. Missionary

CD1 | JOURNEYS TO GLORY | SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS

1. To Cut A Long Story Short (7” A-side)
2. The Freeze (7″ Version A-side)
3. Muscle Bound (7″ Version A-side)
4. Glow (7″ Version AA-side)
5. To Cut A Long Story Short (Version)
6. The Freeze (Version 7” B-side)
7. To Cut A Long Story Short (Mix 1 A-side)
8. To Cut A Long Story Short (Version) (Mix 2)
9. The Freeze (12” A-side)
10. The Freeze (Special Mix 12” B-side)
11. Glow (12″ Version)
12. Muscle Bound (12” B-side)

CD2 | DIAMOND | SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS

1. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)(7” A-side)
2. Paint Me Down (7” A-side)
3. She Loved Like Diamond (7” A-side)
4. Instinction (7” Trevor Horn Version)
5. Feel The Chant (Short – 7” B-side)
6. Man With Guitar (B-Side of Paint Me Down)
7. Gently (B-Side of Instinction)
8. She Loved Like Diamond (Instrumental B-side)
9. Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
10. Feel The Chant (Long – 12” B-side)
11. Paint Me Down (12″ A-side)
12. Re Paint (12” B-side)

CD3 | DIAMOND | 12” REMIXES FOR 1981 BOX S ET

1. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) (Remix)
2. Instinction (Remix)
3. Paint Me Down (Remix)
4. Coffee Club (Remix)
5. She Loved Like Diamond (Remix)
6. Pharaoh (Remix)
7. Innocence And Science (Remix)
8. Missionary (Remix)

CD4 | BBC SESSION 1981 / BBC IN CONCERT – BOURNEMOUTH 1982

1. The Freeze [BBC Session]
2. Mandolin [BBC Session]
3. Muscle Bound [BBC Session]
4. Glow [BBC Session]
5. The Freeze [live UK]
6. She Loved Like Diamond [live UK]
7. To Cut A Long Story Short [live UK]
8. Glow [live UK]
9. Paint Me Down [live UK]
10. Instinction / Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [live UK]

CD5 | BBC IN CONCERT | PARIS THEATRE 1982

1. Instinction (Version 1) [live Paris]
2. The Freeze [live Paris]
3. She Loved Like Diamond [live Paris]
4. To Cut A Long Story Short [live Paris]
5. Pharoah [live Paris]
6. Glow [live Paris]
7. Muscle Bound [live Paris]
8. Confused [live Paris]
9. Paint Me Down [live Paris]
10. Coffee Club [live Paris]
11. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [live Paris]
12. Instinction (Version 2) [live Paris]
13. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) (Reprise) [live Paris]

CD6 | DEMOS

1. Toys [1979 demo]
2. Age Of Blows [1979 demo]
3. Eyes [1979 demo]
4. To Cut A Long Story Short [1980 demo]
5. The Freeze [1980 demo]
6. Confused [1980 demo]
7. Reformation [1980 demo]

BLU-RAY | DOLBY ATMOS | PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS | AND LIVE PERFORMANCES

1. To Cut A Long Story Short [Steven Wilson remixes]
2. The Freeze [Steven Wilson remixes]
3. Muscle Bound [Steven Wilson remixes]
4. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [Steven Wilson remixes]
5. Paint Me Down [Steven Wilson remixes]
6. Instinction [Steven Wilson remixes]
7. To Cut A Long Story Short [music video]
8. The Freeze [music video]
9. Muscle Bound [music video]
10. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [music video]
11. Paint Me Down [music video]
12. She Loved Like Diamond [music video]
13. Instinction [music video]
14. She Loved Like Diamond[OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST/1982]
15. Coffee Club[OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST/1982]
16. Interview at the Underground Club with Pat Wadsley [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
17. Intro/Jim Fouratt [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
18. The Freeze [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
19. Mandolin [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
20. Reformation [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
21. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
22. Toys [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
23. Age Of Blows [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
24. Muscle Bound [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
25. Confused [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
26. To Cut A Long Story Short [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
27. Glow [LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC/1981]
28. To Cut a Long Story Short. 26th July 1980 [HMS Belfast footage]

• 44 pp. Autographed Coffee [Club] Table Book
• T-Shirt

Yes, it’s true that the planners of this box were obviously looking towards the ethos behind the Go-Betweens boxed sets that managed to pair the albums on LP and the numerous bonus materials on CD. Making for a highly annoying [if you’re me] blurring of formats in a single package. If there’s anything actually worse than the dreaded redundant vinyl [CD and LP of a title in the same box] it’s this approach. As near as I can tell, the tracks in red are new to CD and or our ears. Importantly, every track variant on the many 7” and 12” singles are all present and accounted for. While most of the Bournemouth show is on the second disc of the 2010 DLX RM of “Diamond,” the Paris Theatre Show from late in 1982 seems to be a debut for us. I will admit that I’d like to hear that whole show and hope that I can buy those tracks in iTunes one day.

The semi-legendary boxed set of “Diamond” that was issued on 4×12″ singles is now a discrete disc all on its own.. in spite of the fact that the last three tracks are not actually remixed as the track list above states. Maybe they replicated the fades that the boxed version had. Famously, the LP segued the last three tracks on side two together for a stab at that David Bowie “Low” side two, sound.

The demos, for the most part, are making their debut. A pair of them figured on the 2002 “Reformation” 3xCD box that makes a fine single Spandau Ballet release if you’re only having one. Having heard the two earlier demos, it remains to be seen how different these might be. I found the 1980 demos to be neck and neck with the same tracks on the first album. I will call foul on the fact that CD 6 has a scanty seven demo tracks of probably no more than 30 minutes of music if I’m being generous. But it may have had to play out like that owing to the density of the preceding discs.

At first I was highly intrigued by the notion of Dolby Atmos® and 2.0/instrumental mixes of the material by the indefatigable Steven Wilson but apparently Wilson is human as he’s only remixed all six of the band’s A-sides from the period. A pity, as I’d really like to hear him take a stab at the Proggy side two of “Diamond!” “The Freeze [Steven Wilson Remix] is on iTunes now and sampling it revealed that he strongly reined in the effects overkill on Tony’s vocals! He’s no longer bellowing in our faces but instead sits within the music cohesively. He’s also simplified the mix and it sounds much warmer and subtler as it emphasized the rhythm guitars and plenty of spaciousness. All of the brittleness of the track is gone. Since it’s called “The Freeze” maybe this is an error? I actually liked what I had heard but my friend Echorich was scornful. Your mileage may vary.

The package has a nice new design using elements from the old days, courtesy of original designer Graham Smith. One unusual factor is that the covers to the LPs are not the original designs but a new one mapped to the parameters of the box itself. The sleeves to the LPs and CDs seem to have icons that look like they may be gold foil stamped for that extra posh look. Smith also designed the T-shirt and 44 pp. book that accompanies the box. They got all five members [presumably not in the same room] to sign 200 copies of the box both with and without the T-shirt as sold exclusively in the band’s web store. So I’m reading that as 400 signed copies en toto. And what’s the asking price for this package of Spansau stuff?

¡¡¡Madre de dios!!! They are asking $199.99 for signed box without T-shirt!!! And $224.99 for the signed box with the T-shirt. At that price, go for the T-shirt! Seeing as how I’m probably the target audience for this boxed set [hint: I already own five different pressings of “Diamond”], and also how there’s no way I’d begin to consider buying this at that price, I wonder if the mooted volume two, covering the supper club soul version of the band from ’83-’84 will ever take flight?

AUTOGRAPHED BOX W/T-SHIRT: $224.95

STOP THE PRESSES! NO SIGNATURES/T-SHIRT: $99.98

Perceptive commenter strange_idol brought it to our attention that the US Rhino web store has the unsigned, and sans T-shirt box for sale in pre-order for the sensible…even possibly desirable charge of $99.98. Like The Brains said, Money Changes Everything. If you can stand just the music, the price is more closely aligned with the value. Just make sure you already have vintage [well mastered] CDs of “Journeys To Glory” and “Diamond,” like your friendly, neighborhood Monk and if you get this you’ll be golden. DJ hit THAT button!

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