Is The Later Years Box Set a Better Deal Than The Early Years?

The 2019 The Later Years box set covers only four studio albums (A Momentary Lapse of Reason, The Division Bell, The Endless River, and a compilation of unreleased tracks) plus live material, while The Early Years spanned 1967–1972 with seven volumes. At first glance it seems thinner — until you factor in the scope of the live footage. The Later Years includes the entire 1980–81 A Collection of Great Dance Songs concert film, the 1989 Venice show, the 1994 Earls Court and Pulse performances on DVD/Blu‑ray, plus the 2019 remix of A Momentary Lapse of Reason that restores Richard Wright’s keyboard parts and removes most of the session musicians.

The real value lies in that remix. The original 1987 album was famously a David Gilmour solo project in all but name, with Nick Mason and Rick Wright contributing minimally. The 2019 version integrates Wright’s actual 1987 recordings (re‑recorded parts from his home studio, even a Hammond solo) and gives the whole record a warmer, more band‑oriented feel. For a fan who already owns the early catalog, The Later Years is the definitive way to own the post‑Waters era — not just the albums but the live documentation that captures the reunion of the three‑piece lineup. Whether it’s a “better” value depends on whether you value deep archival rarities (The Early Years had over 130 tracks) or high‑quality video and corrected audio history.