There are minor differences between the various versions of
The Information that have been released around the world.
Whiskeyclone.net documents some of these differences. This page concentrates on the CD packaging design variations not yet assessed by other Beck websites.
The back of the American version has a blue horizontal bar running along the bottom, truncating the grid motif. No other version except for the Canadian CD has this horizontal bar. (But I haven’t seen the Canadian version up close, so I won't speak about it further here.) The bar contains not one but two Anti-Piracy Warnings from the FBI (which is not the “Friends of Beck, Incorporated”). These unwelcome design characteristics lead me to consider the American CD as the least attractive version of them all. The grid on the back of the CD is also much darker in color than any other version that I have seen, and has the darkest color of lettering for the track listing as well. All in all, the back of the American CD is, generally speaking, “dark”, compared to all of the international versions.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Japanese version is the prettiest of all of the CD variations, from my point of view. When the obi strip is removed, the CD package is revealed to have the simplest design. There is no barcode on the back, nor are there any stickers on the front cover. However, that the CD cover lacks the colorful Beck lego logo may be a shortcoming. The track listing on the back has the lightest color of lettering of all of the versions that I have seen. This is the only edition of the standard release which comes with a booklet of the lyrics (and also an essay on Beck written in Japanese). There are two extra tabs on the inside front cover which hold the folded ends of the grid and the booklets in place snugly. The obi strip is beautifully designed and a welcome addition to the CD package (see my Japan pages). This is the most elegant edition of The Information that I have seen.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The German version comes with a purple sticker on the cellophane wrapper. According to whiskeyclone.net, the German-made version has been distributed throughout Europe (except for the U.K.). Although the Taiwanese version was also manufactured in Germany, there are differences between the Taiwanese and the German versions.
(The German sticker sheets are identical to the Taiwan sticker sheets, so see my Taiwan stickers page.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Taiwan CD was made in Germany but the front of the case is not identical to the German CD. The Taiwanese version has a larger transparent Beck name sticker (more on that below) as well as a white “stickers inside” sticker. The back of the CD case, however, is exactly the same as the German version. The Taiwanese version has an obi strip that was printed in Germany (see my Taiwan page). The German/Taiwan version is packaged in a so-called “super jewel box” which has a locking clasp in the center of the right-hand edge of the case. Because of this clasp, the small blue-colored “Beck” name is not centered along the right-hand edge (as it is in all other versions); instead, it is positioned to the left of the clasp, alongside the title, The Information. The super jewel box also has three extra bits of grid design visible through the polystyrene case: along the top and bottom edges, and along the front’s left-hand “spine” as well (all other versions have solid white paper visible through the transparent spine). The design of the credits inlay inside the back cover is slightly different as a result of the super jewel box design.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The U.K. variant in my possssion has no less than three stickers decorating the front of the CD case. There is the familiar Beck lego name, a white “stickers inside” box (note its differences from the Taiwan version), and also a “Special Edition” notice with the Universal symbol. This “Special Edition” sticker cannot be easily removed, and is an unsightly addition to the design. The back of the CD resembles the Japanese version, except for the fact of a barcode. Inside, the flip tray is hinged on the right, whereas in every other version that I have seen the flip tray opens on the left.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The chart above shows that the covers of the various editions, while vitually identical at first glance, in fact have minor differences. The U.K. edition has the largest transparent sticker and the American edition has the smallest transparent sticker. The largest Beck name of all is found on the Taiwan edition. As mentioned above, the Japanese version is lacking the Beck lego logo altogether; its front cover is pristine. The numbers reveal that each edition of The Information has its own unique cover design proportions.
