George Harrison is getting a massive 74th birthday party, in retail form. The Harrison family, in conjunction with Universal, has announced a giant LP box set, George Harrison: The Vinyl Collection, to be released on Feburary 24th.
The set includes 180-gram LPs of all 12 of the late former Beatle’s studio albums with facsimiles of the original notes and art, as well as a copy of his celebrated live album Live in Japan across two records. As a bonus, there are two 12”s of 1987’s Cloud Nine singles “When We Was Fab” and “Got My Mind Set On You.”
Don’t worry, there are no garbage transfers from CDs or anything here; these albums are remastered from the original analog tapes. Other good news: If you don’t want to go too deep into the catalogue and your pocketbook—the set runs upwards of $450—you’ll also be able to buy your favorite Harrison LPs separately.
There are more potential offerings available to the superfan on this unofficial Harrison holiday: a career-spanning, annotated version of Harrison’s 1980 autobiography I Me Mine, including writing from Harrison’s widow Olivia Harrison and writer/famed Beatles publicist Derek Taylor, as well as a complete compendium of Harrison’s lyrics. You can also buy a limited-edition Harrison-themed turntable (!) designed by Pro-Ject Audio. For Beatles fans, this news should be as exciting as it is incredibly overwhelming.
