Paul's Boutique returns in lossless audio
20 years later, Paul's Boutique is still breaking ground. The album that secured The Beastie Boys a position in the pantheon of "credible" musicians has been re-released in a method that's unconventional even by today's music standards. Sure, it could have been remastered and put up for sale on the front page of iTunes, or be used to launch a viral video campaign, but that just wouldn't seem befitting.
With the help of Topspin and Prod4ever, Paul's Boutique has been made available as a 1.6GB download, remastered in both DRM-free 320Kbps .MP3, and the user's choice of FLAC or Apple Lossless. It comes with interactive 3D digital album art, five music videos, and a full album video commentary track with the Beastie Boys themselves. This package costs $15.99, less than (just randomly selecting something from the iTunes front page) the The Fray's self-titled album "deluxe edition" which was released yesterday for $16.99.