Twenty-five bonus tracks and four different audio formats demonstrate that Pink Floyd’s archival vault runs deeper than most bands’ entire catalogs. The Wish You Were Here 50 collection, arriving December 12, 2025, marks five decades since the band’s 1975 follow-up to The Dark Side of the Moon—and delivers the kind of comprehensive dive that makes vinyl collectors suddenly very interested in their credit card limits.
Immersive Audio Meets Modern Tech
James Guthrie’s new Dolby Atmos mix transforms familiar songs into spatial experiences.
Producer James Guthrie, who’s been tweaking Floyd’s sound since the 1980s, crafted a new Dolby Atmos mix that places you inside the recording studio. Your home theater system suddenly becomes Abbey Road, with guitars swirling around the room and Rick Wright’s synthesizers occupying specific coordinates in space. The collection also includes:
- The original 1975 stereo mix
- Quad version
- 2011 surround mix on Blu-ray
Basically every way this album has ever been heard, plus some it hasn’t.
The Vault Opens for Real This Time
Previously unheard demos reveal how “Welcome to the Machine” evolved from rough sketches.
“The Machine Song (Demo #2, Revisited)” offers the earliest glimpse of what became “Welcome to the Machine,” complete with Roger Waters’ conceptual exploration of industry themes. More compelling is the unbroken version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-9)”—no side breaks, no pauses, just 26 minutes of uninterrupted Floyd at their most expansive. The instrumental “Wish You Were Here” featuring David Gilmour’s pedal steel work sounds like country music filtered through a fever dream.
Collector’s Paradise or Wallet Nightmare
The Deluxe Box Set includes everything short of Gilmour’s actual guitar picks.
Beyond the music, you get:
- Hardcover books
- Replica concert posters
- A Japanese 7″ single
- Storm Thorgerson short films
The full museum experience for your coffee table. Steven Wilson restored the legendary April 1975 Los Angeles Sports Arena concert, finally giving bootleg traders something to retire over. The clear vinyl editions look appropriately ethereal, though casual fans might find the 2CD version delivers 90% of the experience at half the cost.
This release arrives as vinyl sales continue their surprising resurrection and streaming services prove that even Gen Z appreciates concept albums. Whether you need another version of these songs depends on how deeply Pink Floyd’s brand of beautiful melancholy has colonized your brain—and your budget. The box set offers multiple entry points, from the essential 2CD edition to the completist’s dream deluxe package for classic rock enthusiasts.
