Thanks Stuart very informative but I think Ill keep my pension in my pocket Id most like play once and put it on my shelf

The White Album SDL offered the best value for money of the Beatles sets and Revolver the poorest. However, the large format books and boxes are all welcome and Sgt Pepper was the most fun. Also amazing how much the prices dropped on these relatively quickly. I got Abbey Road SDL new for about £35 after a few months!

On the solo Beatles, I eventually bought all of the Lennon sets and really enjoyed them all. However, before I go that far, I bought the Lennon 'signature' box that has all his albums as not everything was re-done as a super deluxe. My favourite Lennon album is 'Walls and Bridges' and would love a bigger version of this if one is ever done. I was also surprised how much I enjoyed his 'Rock 'n' Roll' album.

I prefer George Harrison's later albums (late 70s / 80s) to his earlier 70s output overall, though I have the box sets of both eras. I got the smaller box set of All Things Must Pass and quite enjoyed that though I think the earlier tracks on it are better than the rest.

McCartney? Well I have a lot of those single and 2 x CD sets in white card sleeves that came out years ago and obviously enjoy those. I have never been tempted by the really expensive super deluxe box sets of his as mostly they seem to comprise of books of hand written lyrics and family photos which I can do without. Actually, the 2 x CD set of Flowers In The Dust features Elvis Costello singing the album songs on discs 2 and sounds better than McCartney singing them!

PS
In the current economy I feel almost self-conscious even talking about such indulgences; CD prices have gone up the same as everything else. Not to get political but jus to say solidarity with Amazon workers (who get so many of our aural delights to us) and their struggle for union recognition at the Coventry plant. One woman described how she had just got her wedding ring out of pawn, that's how well paid they are!

PM

Thank you Paul and Phil for your replies.

I get what you're saying concerning "indulgences"Paul,particularly in a time that desperation is being made and felt.....but it will be telling how many people go abroad this summer on their holidays,its a thing i don't do,so music is my only indulgence really.Now that the payments for fuel from government have stopped,the biting hardship will be getting felt for those on the lowest incomes and assistance.

As up to now i'm not too sure things have been as desperate as is being made out in the main media,of course there will be the large minority where it really IS biting,as it usually is the lowest paid and those on assistance that ARE hit first and the hardest,i mean social media is full of photos of folks on holidays,and people counting down the days and weeks when they go abroad too and the restaurant and hospitality sector seems to be picking up in Edinburgh,i have been on lunch twice with my elderly aunt,and the places we went too were mobbed,the lady said it had never let up for weeks,to me these are signs that the hardship has not hit as hard as it could have been,but as i say,now the fuel payments have stopped,the real hardship WILL begin to hit the many,as interest rates on mortgages begin to really bite too.

With food prices getting to utterly ridiculous prices as inflation goes down,it's weird,so there IS definitely profiteering going on with big shopping corporations,as its utterly ridiculous that items have went up by 50%,40%,30% and more,there is NO justification for increases that large,it AGAIN shows that big companies can't be trusted to control their greed as they take advantage of a bad situation.The same with the big fuel companies,as crude oil prices come down,our fuelbills continue to increase, and it ISN'T just a strange coincidence that as our fuel bills increase hugely,the companies ARE making record profits!!

Makes me wonder if the prices that have went up spectacularly,when the economy eventually does plateau,will those prices come down to lower level.......i doubt it very much!!THAT will be a disgrace,its very rare when prices of items go up,they come down to previous prices.I await with interest....so much for competition keeping prices down,as they're ALL in it together,making sure situations are always GOOD for the big companies,i think that's called shared interest,operating a kind of protection for each other in cooperation,in essence a type of concealed monopoly.

I've went on a bit of a tangent there,but i agree Amazon NOT recognising Trade Unions or their representation of employees,harks back to victorian times,and is utterly abhorrent,but i DO believe we need risk takers,entrepeneurs as such to create business with fresh ideas and Amazon have done that at an alarming rate,they filled a void and service that ultimately has proved very popular with the general public,and HAS created large numbers of global employment,but unfortunately their cut throat management structure along with its working practices make unnecessary highly pressured,high stressed toxic atmosphere within its corporation,particularly for those on lower wage scales and in manual jobs,THAT comes from the top down!

Personally i DONT believe in big government as they're usually hopeless at business with unnecessary red tape,and ALWAYS over run and overspend on ANY project they undertake and the government funded public services like civil service,local authorities can be wasteful where those poor at their job ARE protected,including bad teachers,bad health workers,bad management,i was in it for 30 years.The things i saw and know would open many eyes!!

I'll leave it there Paul,as i've went on a bit much,but its an interesting discussion none the less.I must add i DONT label myself left or right,i dislike BOTH sides,i trust NO-ONE in power,whether its conservsative or labour,they're ALL the problem,and certainly NOT the solution.