Spinema Issue 65: Unboxing Mondo’s MISSION IMPOSSIBLE Volume 1 Slipcase and GHOST PROTOCOL

Michael Giacchino’s lavish score to Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol is now available on vinyl from Mondo in 2 editions, a standalone version ($35) and packed in a “Volume 1 Slipcase” ($50) which has additional space for the prior three volumes.

I was surprised when a PR rep for Mondo reached out to let me know they were sending me a copy, but having it in hand, I understand why.

https://cinapse.co/spinema-issue-44-mondo-woos-hans-zimmers-mission-impossible-2-score-to-vinyl-57736b91c801

I’ve previously reviewed Mondo’s 2020 release of Mission: Impossible 2, a gorgeous presentation of one of my all-time favorite scores.

Mondo has continued to release the celebrated scores for this series, a who’s who of composers including Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, to vinyl editions following a consistent design scheme. With the new release of the fourth entry Ghost Protocol, they’ve reached the halfway point in the franchise, and nice place to but a bow — or rather, a box — on a “Volume 1” set. For collectors who own the prior soundtracks, this fourth release includes an option to purchase a beautiful box for housing the collection thus far.

Unboxing

Here’s a detailed look at the package, starting with what most of you are here to see: the beautiful, rigid slipbox.

To be clear, this is not a box set of all four scores, but an option to purchase a deluxe slipcase, perfectly sized for 4 LPs, along with the newest LP in the series (some bubble wrap is inserted into the empty space of the box for additional stability). This is targeted to fans who either already own the prior volumes or plan to buy them.

I don’t happen to own all four volumes, but even with just the two I have, you can get an idea of the clever design scheme which parallels the LPs’ spine colors into a larger motif.

Slipcase views:

Slipcase Detail:

Here’s some detail showing the textural highlights, which include metallic ink and spot-gloss.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The double album features 21 tracks on 2 LPs (4 sides), housed in black inner sleeves. Liner notes and a spine card are also included.

The artwork is stylistically in design continuity with prior releases in the series.

Album Art/Sleeve

Album Contents

Tracklist

A Bump in the Road

Custom vinyl isn’t an exact science and most collectors know the pain of getting a record with a flaw, and in this instance I did experience this with my sample copy. One of my LP sides had a strange “nugget” on the surface, I’m not sure if it’s a stray bit of debris or an artifact of the color mix-ins (it does appear to have a marbling effect on the surrounding vinyl). Thankfully it’s in the closing seconds of the last track on this side, so the play interruption is negligible — but in reviewing the product I should be completely upfront about this as an occurrence of a production flaw.