It seems that it won't be in my lifetime...
Let's face it, the handling of the Queen legacy and catalogue is almost as if they want to piss off loyal fans. The exhibition is underwhelming and cheap. The forthcoming remasters don't exactly open up the vaults. Pretty cheap to pass off previously released Karaoke versions of songs as "backing track" mixes...if anyone's expecting instrumental versions, you'll be disappointed, the backing vocals are in there.
I've spent a shit load of money on Queen since the early 80s...but I'll be giving the remasters a miss.
So, all I'm asking is, what is the hold up with the proper box set? And what is the reason for the deluxe issues being so tight with the rarities and unreleased songs/versions...you know, those things that deluxe editions are renowned for?
According to the Book of Revelation (as appears on 1994's "Happiness") the proper box set will not arrive until the Second Coming of Freddie at the Battle of Guitarmageddon on the shores of the Seven Seas of Rhye in the year of '39. What a seaside rendezvous that will be! A man-made paradise! It was a revelation to me, in another world! And, um, something John Deacon wrote!
Seriously, people have been whining and bitching about the damned box set(s) for a decade and it hasn't made them come out any faster. Getting yourself wound up about it isn't going to help or make you feel any better. Just learn to live with it. You'll lose weight.
Since the De Lane Lea demos are soon published as bonus tracks for Queen 1 I guess they have given up the idea of a "classic" box set. In an interview around his first solo album Brian May said, the original "Keep yourself alive" would appear one day "in the box set".
But with all those tracks now being published before I don't see many interesting and f i n i s h e d items left for such a project.
I hope and somehow assume that the Stormtrooper exhibition is the fuel to bring the Queen machine back into life. It would be really ignorant to leave it just like that. Those shows simply beg for a proper release, regardless of quality.