So as I said in the review thread, I now have Legacy! Merry Christmas! I got the package with the shirt.
My thoughts:
Pros
- I really like the disc of single versions and B-sides. This disc is the biggest plus.
Note: I said this in the Christmas post, but Don was right to be ticked off about that single edit of "Best of My Love" - it really was poorly done. Perhaps if I wasn't so well-acquainted with the original, I wouldn't notice that after "I guess that wasn't enough, oh-hoh-woah, but..." they unceremoniously remove "here in my heart, I give you the best of my love."
In the end, though, it's really cool to have different versions of the songs we love, regardless of which we find preferable.
- The booklet has some great photos, of which you've already had a little taste. It's nice and thick. The booklet is the second biggest plus.
A quick correction on the photos: the newest ones are from 2010, not the History of the Eagles tour. They're from the tourbook for that summer leg they did to wind up the Long Road Out of Eden tour (the one where they played the shorter set, with the Dixie Chicks and occasionally Keith Urban as opening acts).
- The black, red, and gray color schemes and designs of the interior covers are nicely done.
- If you add up the price of everything individually and compare, it really is a good deal.
Ambivalent
- A lot of these say they are remastered, but I can't tell any difference. However, I am listening to them on a cheap machine, so... anyone who has this and can hear a difference, please speak up.
Cons
- The holders for the CD version are cheaply made.
As I mentioned in the Christmas thread, the binding of mine fell apart right out of the box:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w3xpae7e37...13851.jpg?dl=0
I was going to return it, but the discs are ok, and I realized that with the cheap way it's made, this binding will inevitably fall apart with usage anyway. If this one can't take the strain of eight cardstock discs simply being thumbed through, how long before the next one falls apart when it's jiggled as I slide the discs in and out? It's just that it's happened right away as opposed to later on. I'm going to try to use some regular glue to repair it - I'll let you know how that goes. I just hope that since the other book only holds six discs, it will be able to handle the load. I'm certainly being VERY ginger with it.
- This is not for people who want any sort of album individuality in terms of looks.
While the swirly patterns on the cardstock holders hold some interest, they are not individualized for the albums and all the discs themselves look the same: solid deep red with EAGLES LEGACY in big writing at the top, then in smaller writing on the bottom half you have the album name, producers' names, and record company logos / copyright / legal info.
- For those getting the package, the shirt design is cool, but unusually long.
I got a medium. Here's where it falls on me without even being pulled down all the way, and I'm 5'5'':
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w67vcxjyf8..._0017.JPG?dl=0
To be fair, for taller people, it won't be a problem. I guess this is more a guy's shirt. It's also possible other sizes hang differently.
Overall
It's a good buy if you don't have a lot of the collection already. The "few frills" aspect saves you money.
If you do have a lot of the collection already and you want to buy it because you're a completist, perhaps get the LP version if you can afford it. It has a bigger booklet which makes the photos more enjoyable, and there won't be all these CD holder issues. Then again, I guess if you are a completist who already has all of the CDs, you won't be getting the discs in and out that much anyway!
If you have just about everything and don't care about the cool booklet, just get the digital download of the singles/B-sides disc on Amazon for ten bucks, because I think that's definitely worth the money: https://www.amazon.com/Singles-B-Sid...QTWHZQ31QHFPHW (I wonder if they give you a smidge of album art with the download? If anyone buys it, let us know). That's only available as an MP3 album, though. If you want it on CD, you have to buy the whole shebang. They know their audience.
Any questions?