Those CD paper boxes along with the ordinary CD boxes

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Back in the 80s, North American CDs were sold in giant paper boxes. We didn't see much of them in Europe, but in Norway there were a few chains who specialized in importing CDs from the US or Canada, and I saw them there. They were giant and pointless.
Sometime around 1990, after long time pressure from environmental organizasions, the American recording industry decided that those paper boxes were just a waste, and they got rid of them.

But currently it seems they are on their way back in, in smaller size, but still just as needless. Personally, when I buy a CD with the cover in two versions, first the original one and then a paper box outside, I just discard the paper box, for several reasons:

- It takes more time to actually get the CD when I have to open a paper box at first before I'm able to open the actual CD box
- The paper box becomes worn out way before the plastic box
- It takes up (slightly) more space in the racks with the paper box on it

But the main issue is still the same as when the original huge paper boxes were gotten rid of: How many trees have been cut down in the production of these completely needless boxes?
These boxes have no purpose, other than maybe making CDs look different and "cool" and maybe trick a few extra people into buying them. There is absolutely no point besides that and isn't it about time they stop producing them, particularly in those cases where the paper sleeve is completely the same as the ones in the plastic box?

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:31 (eighteen years ago)

I'm going to enjoy this.

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH GEIR. :)

― Ronan, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

Case in point:

The "Welcome to the Black Parade" had black or white slipcases (for slipcases is what they are called)... BE A FAN BUY BOTH!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:36 (eighteen years ago)

There is a slipcase for the Beatles' "Anthology" parts one to three. But I don't think it was made widely available.

Just so you know.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:37 (eighteen years ago)

It's still less paper than a vinyl sleeve (sometimes foldout) + the inner sleeve + the booklet.

also: none of the trees protested!

(just kidding, you're right of course)

― StanM, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:42 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, dud. I've thrown away the vast majority of them, even when the picture was different on the paper sleeve. "What's this useless piece of shit? Oh wait, it's different on the inside. I must keep this lovely piece of cardboard forever!" No, fuck you. The worst is when they print the song titles on the sleeve but not on the back of the inlay card in the jewel case. You almost feel obligated to keep it. Or else you say, "Fuck it, I didn't want to know your stupid song titles anyway." But for that there's always CDDB, etc.

― marmotwolof, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:45 (eighteen years ago)

Look what you've inspired me to do! Me, activism? My god! *needs to sit down from the shock*

― StanM, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 10:03 (eighteen years ago)

i thought this thread was going to be about longboxes at first.

but yeah, these suck. i can only think of one or two albums where they accomplished anything other than being an exact reproduction of the cover artwork and tray card. and i think both were on the ae label (lucid and another band i forget).

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 10:12 (eighteen years ago)

then there are these new 'slimline' editions of the standard catalogue releases in which they do away with the jewel case and just have a skinny cardboard case and a web link printed , so people can get the details online. these are popping up more and more ..

― mark e, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 10:18 (eighteen years ago)

sure they're not just promos?

I would be pissed off if I bought a CD and it didn't even have the tracklisting on!

― fandango, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 10:35 (eighteen years ago)

not promos no.
Woolworths have had these on the shelf for a while now, and they are spreading. Best Ofs seem to be the mainstay (Britney/Squeeze/Tears for Tears).
no doubt in a few months, the shops will be selling'em cheap cos punters want the real product not a halfway house solution.

― mark e, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

i find they make a purchase more enticing

but they are pointless.

― s1ocki, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 21:13 (eighteen years ago)

Longboxes seem to be very collectable these days (probably cos everyone threw the boxes away). I kinda like the Nonesuch Explorer series slipcases, but I imagine it gets old fast.

― Matt #2, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 21:48 (eighteen years ago)

I'd say total dud about slipcases, but I did actually keep the one on my Judee Sill - Abracdabra double. It had a nice glow to it.

― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 21:53 (eighteen years ago)

i've got these homemade cd shelves which are designed to snugly hold cds and anything that fucks with the dimensions (nonesuch sleeves, those oversized gatefold special editions, the stereolab/low/tortoise mini boxsets, that one tim hecker cd, 'sails' by loren connors) needs to be stacked at the end somewhere. even the '69 love songs' box doesn't fit right. fuckit, stephen merrit is a theater student who hates rap music anyway, i should just sell that shit.

― rps, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 22:09 (eighteen years ago)

Because of 9/11, Gerling's album 'When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun' would probably never have been released in 2001 if it weren't for the slipcase it was eventually hidden within.

― SeekAltRoute, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 22:40 (eighteen years ago)

Also, you'll find that a lot of the slipcases nowadays are made from at least some percentage of recycled material. Particularly within the more alternative, left-leaning artistic crowd.

Which of course is what you should be listening to in the first place.

― SeekAltRoute, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 22:42 (eighteen years ago)

The worst is when the slipcase is a little too small, and it makes it really hard to get the actual cd case out of it. grrr..

― Z S, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 22:49 (eighteen years ago)

Particularly within the more alternative, left-leaning artistic crowd.

Which of course is what you should be listening to in the first place.

o rly

― marmotwolof, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

even the '69 love songs' box doesn't fit right

Tossed it. Kept the little interview book though.

― marmotwolof, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 23:33 (eighteen years ago)

It is kind of a pain in the ass, but there's something aesthetically pleasing about it IMO. The product feels solid and weighty (I'm very tactile) and there's a certain elegance about the presentation.

Of course this is all dependant on the quality of the artwork.

― circa1916, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 23:38 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I hate the god damn things.

― M.V., Tuesday, 3 April 2007 23:45 (eighteen years ago)

Also, you'll find that a lot of the slipcases nowadays are made from at least some percentage of recycled material.

I would suppose so, but it is still pointless. Btw. the My Chemical Romance one looked worn out already on the day on release. On purpose, of course.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 23:54 (eighteen years ago)

Even if it's recycled paper shouldn't it be used for something useful? I guess if you're hardcore eco-friendly you have one of those Godspeed style sleeves that scratches the hell out the disc.

― marmotwolof, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 00:11 (eighteen years ago)

The irony is that longboxes at least allowed for bigger/nicer artwork for CDs. At least the cardboard ones did. Those stupid plastic blister packs were insufferable.

Supposedly Russ Solomon -- head of Tower Records -- waged a huge campaign in favor of keeping the longbox back in the early 90s. Because, you know, why should he have to refixture his stores when trees can be cut down?

― Formerly Painful Dentistry, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 02:18 (eighteen years ago)

trees that will be replanted?

Waste of what...the cardboard will eventually turn back into its base form....

― wesley useche, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 02:23 (eighteen years ago)

Those stupid plastic blister packs

Oh god, I forgot all about that. I think the first one of those I bought was Nirvana "Bleach". If anyone doesn't remember, they created a bullshit longbox for CDs that didn't have them by taking out the CD booklet and sealing it in plastic above the jewel case. Ugh.

I took all my long boxes, opened them flat and hung them on my bedroom wall. I had the entire wall covered by the time they phased them out.

― marmotwolof, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 02:50 (eighteen years ago)

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Those CD paper boxes along with the ordinary CD boxes - Dud or dud?