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| The Long Box releases of Sting’s CD albums are beautiful
items. When CDs were first released in the early 80s, the record stores were still selling LPs and they didn’t want to change their instore displays. The record companies therefore packaged the smaller CDs in 12" long boxes, which could be displayed on LP racks. Two CD Long Boxes side by side are exactly the same width as an LP! Later, only the initial releases of an album were packaged in Long Boxes, primarily for collectors. It’s also important to note here that Sting was one of the people who fought to stop the use of Long Boxes. He believed they were a threat to the Environment and hence the statement on the back of the "Soul Cages" issue: "You are holding a collector's item: a rare object; an endangered species. But this is one we can afford to lose - the environmentally hazardous, throwaway compact disc long box. Only the first printing of this album will be released in a long box - all future pressings will be shipped in a new environmentally-safer package. So you might not want to throw away this long box - in addition to keeping it out of a landfill, you'll possess one of the last of a dangerous breed." This is probably why so many people kept this particular release. The less interesting one is "Nada como el sol" which comes in a generic compact disc long box, with only the sleeve on front, and the back sleeve... on back! It took me many years to find all of the Long Boxes. First I found "Soul Cages", the more common one, and next, "Nothing Like The Sun". Then one day, another collector contacted me because he was selling his collection. And guess what? He had ALL of the other ones! Even "Ten Summoner’s tales"!!! :-) |