Will We Ever See The Box Sets Continue? NO CODE - YIELD Should Come Next

It just occurred to me that maybe they’re waiting for Neil Young to reissue Mirrorball to continue a chronological release pattern? Unfortunately I don’t think this is the case but it gives a bit of hope for further box sets.

I would not count on any more album oriented box sets.  They just re-released Yield last year, and No Code was specifically recut for Vinyl first in 2016 with represses of that cut in 2020 and 2021.

They probably need an archivist for this instead of relying on Jeff's collection and time.

Abe Froman said:

Not anytime soon. I don’t remember what interview but Jeff said he was tired of going through all the old stuff and has no plans of doing anymore of them. 

THIS. 

It makes much more sense to live in the present tense.

I remember being surprised the b-sides were not in them. I know they are available in other releases but thought they'd want to package everything in one set.

wnh1977 said:

BF25394 said:

It makes much more sense to live in the present tense.

I agree with this... however, it just feels like a weird thing to leave incomplete.  I've definitely accused the band of being in nostalgia/merchandise-mode at various times over the past 15 years, so I'm totally happy to have the band focused on the "present tense", releasing and touring in support of new material.

In regards to the Jeff quote mentioned earlier in the thread, I do vaguely recall that... but I don't think he said he has no plans.  I think it was more along the lines of he had done plenty of looking back, and, FOR THE TIME BEING, he was ready to focus on looking ahead.  I remember it sounding like it would be quite a while before they continued with it, but maybe not impossible to think it would resume.

It's not only a function of the time it would take to put things like this together, it's also a function of demand. Expanded editions of later, worse-selling albums do not figure to attract the demand to justify the time and expense. The boxes they did release were pretty disappointing in terms of the most important thing I wanted from them, which is unreleased music. As far as the live sets go, once you get to 2000, pretty much every live show is available already. And as far as the collectibles are concerned, again I think the interest in them is proportional to the interest in the albums themselves.

If it were up to me, the only thing I'd really want is a follow-up to "Lost Dogs" with all of the completed songs that have never been released. I'd bet this could fit on 2 CDs. Give me that and I'd be thrilled.

JT167846 said:

Yeah I think Europe 2007 is an exception to that rule so a box set of Avocado/Backspacer/LB would ideally have the London 2007 show in it.

Would Jeff be ok with outsourcing it to anyone? Hell Andrew Watt seems like such a superfan he could compile it. If he has time. SVT would be a great addition to it as would anything unreleased. Hell Merkinball could be included if they could sort the label issues. Though that's also a RSD option.

this is a fabulous idea. someone put the bug in Watt's ear and he'll convince the band to do it. haha

wnh1977 said:

Do you think we'll ever see the box sets continued?  "1996 - 1999" should be next up... the Jack Irons albums.  Has there ever been any answer on this?

I would love to see these continue, but maybe it would be better to do it after the band has called it a day.  Ideally, I think it could be broken down something like this:

• NO CODE - YIELD (1996 - 1999)
• BINAURAL - PEARL JAM (2000 - 2008)
• BACKSPACER - GIGATON (2009 - 2023)
• DARK MATTER - ??? (2024 - ???)

I remember posting/hoping/dreaming a lifetime ago that the box sets should include the Benaroya Hall, coupled with the complete Easy Street set:

No Code / Yield 1996-1998
Binaural / Riot Act 2000-2002
Live at Benaroya Hall / Live At Easy Street 2004-2006

The band said the box sets would only be for the Epic/Sony albums (so that rules out Easy Street, Avocado, and everything that followed) so finishing the series with Benny would be perfect.