Pink Floyd fans who have been waiting for a reason to dust off the good turntable just got one. The band announced an Animals 50 edition, an anniversary reissue of its 1977 album, and the package comes with a track that Roger Waters fans have never heard.

The new edition arrives January 22 through Sony Music, according to SPIN, which broke down the contents of the release. It lands exactly fifty years after the original album, and it is built to please everyone from the casual listener to the collector who wants every extra disc.

An Unheard Roger Waters Track Called “Young Nicholas Jon” Anchors The Rarities Disc

The headline attraction of the deluxe boxed set is a disc of five rarities. Among them is “Young Nicholas Jon,” described as an unheard Roger Waters track, along with early versions of “Sheep” and “Dogs.”

For a band that guarded its studio work closely, a brand new Waters song from the Animals era is the kind of find that gets collectors talking. Early versions of two of the album’s best known pieces let listeners hear how the songs took shape before they reached their final form.

The box also holds the original 1977 album and James Guthrie’s 2018 remix, so a listener can compare the two side by side.

A 19-Year-Old Bootlegger Taped The May 9, 1977 Oakland Show

Here is the twist that makes this set stand out. Two more discs in the box hold a recording of the May 9, 1977, performance at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, and the tape was made by a fan.

That fan was Reinhard Hohlwein, a 19-year-old bootlegger at the time. Decades later, his recording has earned an official release, and the set includes an interview with him in its book.

Fans of live music will recognize how unusual that is. Bootleggers were usually the people record companies chased, and in this case one of them ended up with a place in the anniversary box.

Blu-ray, Atmos And A 64-Page Hardback Book Round Out The Deluxe Box

The deluxe set includes a Blu-ray with the album audio, with the 2018 remix presented in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos. Anyone with a surround system at home gets a chance to hear the record in a new way.

There is also a 64-page hardback book. It carries new notes by Jonathan Lethem, the interview with Hohlwein, an excerpt from the memoir of Aubrey “Po” Powell, and unpublished photos.

Shoppers will want to keep an eye on retailers for pricing as release day approaches, since each format will likely land at a very different cost.

Not Ready For The Big Box? Four Other Ways To Own Animals 50

The edition is not limited to the deluxe set. It also comes as a 1LP, a 2LP, a 2CD, a Blu-ray, and a digital release.

The 2LP and 2CD versions hold the original album plus the rarities disc. The digital edition adds the Oakland concert, which means streaming fans can hear the 1977 show too.

That spread gives buyers real choices, and it is worth thinking through before spending money. A single LP suits someone who simply wants the record, while the discs and the book suit someone building a permanent collection.

A Radio Edit Of “Sheep” Came Out November 5

To tease the release, the band put out “Sheep (Original Radio Edit)” on November 5. The edit runs about four and a half minutes and was prepared for radio back in 1977.

It has never been commercially released until now. For anyone who knows the long album version, hearing a version trimmed for the airwaves of the late seventies is a small time capsule.

How To Pick The Right Edition For Your Shelf

A good rule with any anniversary reissue is to decide what you actually want to hear. If the new track and the early versions are the draw, the 2LP and 2CD editions cover that ground without the cost of the full box.

If the Oakland concert is the reason you are interested, the digital edition includes it. Collectors who like the full experience, including the remix, the surround mix, the book and the photos, are the audience for the deluxe boxed set.

Once your copy arrives, a few habits protect it. Store vinyl upright rather than stacked, keep records away from heat and sunlight, and handle discs by the edges so fingerprints stay off the playing surface.

It also helps to wait for the first reviews of the pressing and the remix before you commit to a pre-order. Some buyers like to read the track list and the notes in the book first, and that is a sensible way to spend your money.

However you buy it, Animals 50 gives a fifty-year-old record a fresh set of reasons to be played loud. A new Waters track, an early “Sheep” and “Dogs,” and a teenager’s tape of a 1977 night in Oakland make this one of the more interesting Pink Floyd releases in years.

The release date is January 22, and the band’s fans have already been given a taste with the radio edit of “Sheep.” Mark the calendar, clear a spot on the shelf, and get the turntable ready.

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