I agree with that up to a point, Ward, though some of these at <£1 per LP, are even closer to nothing than next-to-nothing.
You'd assume they were mastered from previous CD reissues, right? I mean, given that the company making them will be cutting every possible cost as far as they can, that would be the cheapest way of doing it.
xpost - I'm not the man to discuss the quality of Coltrane records, really, having been off The Jazz for may years now, but when I was interested in Coltrane the hard bop stuff was the stuff I liked best. I realise what a disgusting savage that makes me, but sometimes you just have to live with these things.
― Tim, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:02 (eleven years ago) link
I'm with Tim, actually; Prestige-era Coltrane is a hell of a lot more fun to listen to than furrowed-brow, voice-of-God-through-the-horn Impulse!-era Coltrane.
― 誤訳侮辱, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
The Real Bob Dylan, 3CDs for a fiver:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Bob-Dylan/dp/B0096YP8G2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Bob-Dylan/dp/B0096YP8G2
That's ... crazy! Not 'out-of-copyright' stuff, but Sony/CBS
I mean, I have enough Dylan, so won't be. But, still..
― Mark G, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:20 (eleven years ago) link
I think Amazon credits you with a £1 music download when you spend that £5 too.
― Stop Gerrying Me! (onimo), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:27 (eleven years ago) link
There's a lot of artists in the CBS "The real..." series, and they are often in HMV's "Two for £10" offer. There's a Johnny Cash set which compiles 6 of his early 60s LPs, a Miles Davis that includes 5 late 50s / early 60s LPs, the Dylan one is slightly different as it's a good overview of his career rather than a compilation of existing albums. There are similar sets for RCA acts too, I picked up a 3 CD Elvis set which concentrated on his 50s output for £3 in Sainsburys last year.
― Rob M Revisited, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
Any notable classical boxes worth buying on the cheap?
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:53 (eleven years ago) link
Almost certainly. What periods/composers are you interested in?
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:55 (eleven years ago) link
Interested in anything baroque or impressionist.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:56 (eleven years ago) link
The huge Debussy Edition released by DG/Universal not long ago is full of good stuff, very good choices taken from the DG/Decca/Philips catalogues.
Last year's giant EMI box of Delius is a great deal too.
On the 'impressionist' tip.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:06 (eleven years ago) link
Harmonia Mundi UK is flogging this great box for a mere 15 quids: http://www.amazon.co.uk/La-Musique-Lumières-Music-Enlightenment/dp/B005BZBY1I/
Includes the full recording of Rene Jacobs' great Figaro amongst others.
I make knowing these box bargains my business. Craftily watching the listings on various sites has netted me the incredible Scarlatti Scott Ross box for 30 notes or so amongst other deals. A very good tool for this is the excellently-named pricenoia.com
Oh and that Debussy Edition Jon mentioned really is worth every penny.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:39 (eleven years ago) link
If you need to be sold on the Mozart (which was 30 quid retail on its own when released): http://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/09/figaro_netrebko.html
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
Sorry to geek out over pricing but the Debussy is now 32 quids on Amazon UK - cheapest I've ever seen it.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Thursday, 31 January 2013 20:24 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks for the tip, I ordered the Debussy comp. Love everything by him that I've heard, and that's a ridiculous price.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:12 (eleven years ago) link
Tuomas, you should post your thoughts on one of the classical threads as you work your way through it!
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:29 (eleven years ago) link
I dunno, coming from a dance/electronic music background, I don't think I'm well versed to talk about classical music. I only own a handful of classical records, and I've only seen a few concerts (plus a few operas)... All I know is that I've really liked every Debussy recording I've heard; to me, there's something airy and beautifully simple in that stuff that I've not heard in earlier, more "complex" and frilly classical music I heard (which I do also appreciate, but not probably enough to get buy an 18 CD box set).
― Tuomas, Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:49 (eleven years ago) link
Heard, heard, heard, I should find new words!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Debussy-Edition-Claude-Achille/dp/B00742LLKU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359673052&sr=8-1&keywords=debussy+box
Hope this is the same. Just ordered it! Thanks for the tip.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:00 (eleven years ago) link
the so called "classic" 10cc albums ..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Album-Selection-Ten-Cc/dp/B009GWHUS8/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359675088&sr=1-3
brilliant stuff ..
― mark e, Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:32 (eleven years ago) link
xpost yes that's the same set.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:36 (eleven years ago) link
Pretty excited!
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 1 February 2013 02:31 (eleven years ago) link
all i want is a killing joke boxset ... is that really too much to ask for ...
― mark e, Friday, 1 February 2013 08:17 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Albums-Dances-Night-Boxed/dp/B0093LKOGM/
;-)
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 08:41 (eleven years ago) link
not good enough.
want a nice boxset with all the classic emi/virgin era albums in replica cardboard sleeves a la elo/byrds/simple minds etc ..
its surely only a matter of time ..
― mark e, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:33 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks for the heads-up on the enlightenment box CtC - seems insanely good value + is just the sort of thing I feel like I want to spend some time with now, find out something new.
― woof, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:41 (eleven years ago) link
This Stravinsky box is definitely worth a look: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Works-Igor-Stravinsky/dp/B000PTYUQG/
Anyway, I thought we were all meant to be boycotting Amazon.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:45 (eleven years ago) link
Why?
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:01 (eleven years ago) link
In Britain, a lot of anger lately over their tax-dodging:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/03/amazon-google-starbucks-tax-avoidance
Plus the usual more general issues - squeeze on smaller merchants, emerging monopoly, bad terms offered to affiliates, publishers, authors etc
― woof, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:12 (eleven years ago) link
Not worth trying the "we" thing here.
Tax issues may be one reason to feel slightly peeved at Amazon (I don't myself but understand why others might) but the rest of it appears to be the usual denial routine.
None of the "smaller merchants" will admit to themselves that they are rubbish; it makes them feel better to bleat about an "emerging monopoly" rather than get off their backsides and restructure their business and their attitude (the latter especially important) so that they can offer decent competition to Amazon, rather than waiting for someone to come and drop a succession of fifty-quid notes through their front door.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:22 (eleven years ago) link
i'm all for crushing capitalists of any size but i think economies of scale might make it not v. straightforward to "compete" with hulking sales behemoths? i dunno, economics is shit to me
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:25 (eleven years ago) link
xp Not sure how those smaller merchants are supposed to compete with the combination of Amazon's relentless squeezing of suppliers and shall we say "favourable" tax arrangements. I think it's perfectly legitimate to expect a more level playing field, and Amazon are becoming a monopoly provider if not de jure then certainly de facto. How would you suggest small providers "restructure their businesses" to be able to compete in these circumstances? Redundancies all round?
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:27 (eleven years ago) link
The book industry should maybe look at what happened to HMV and how all the indie record shops in London have survived, which seems a complete inversion of the David/Goliath competition set-up. Doing it on an unequal playing field is possible, even if sometimes you have to wait for Goliath to trip up.
I would say that small providers need to stop being lazy and complacent, learn about running a business and stop regarding their little independent shop as a display of their own collection.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:29 (eleven years ago) link
The EMI Mahler box is pretty good. The complete works on 16 CDs for only £18, all good recordings and conducted by Klemperer, Rattle, Barbirolli etc. Packaging is minimal but attractive nonetheless:
www.amazon.co.uk/Gustav-Mahler-Complete-Works-Anniversary/dp/B003D0ZNWY/
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:36 (eleven years ago) link
woof: You are very welcome and I'm sure you will enjoy it.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:36 (eleven years ago) link
xxp Can you provide examples of this complacency? Or is it just a question of Amazon's prices being consistently lower? Because if it's the latter then there are structural reasons for this that can't simply be blamed on laziness or complacency.
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (eleven years ago) link
oh wow if i had £18 that i wasnae going to waste on rum :\
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (eleven years ago) link
I have lots of sympathy for small record stores, but in here Internet distribution had sadly already done its damage before I even started ordering stuff from Amazon. Most of the records I order from there are the sort of stuff no record store in Helsinki has sold in years, so I feel no guilt over that. The local and more obscure stuff I still get from local stores, as well as used records.
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (eleven years ago) link
Another Mahler bargain on Amazon is the Tennstedt box. 16 CDs for 16 squids as of right now and rumoured to be one of the best cycles.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (eleven years ago) link
Here it is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Klaus-Tennstedt-Complete-Mahler-Recordings/dp/B004OGDW4M/
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:38 (eleven years ago) link
fuggit i am treating myself to the Mahler next payday if it's still that price. also it will be good to give a shoeing to lazy complacent independent retailers.
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:38 (eleven years ago) link
stickin' it to that lazy old man
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:39 (eleven years ago) link
they should get on their bikes and look for customers
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:40 (eleven years ago) link
Noted independent record store devotee Norman Tebbit
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:41 (eleven years ago) link
Mary Portas vs ILM up in here!
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:42 (eleven years ago) link
Looks like that Tennstedt box sticks to the symphonies, so if you want yr Kindertotenlieder etc then go for the EMI box instead.
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:42 (eleven years ago) link
Can anyone recommend one of the Sibelius Symphonies boxes? I have a couple of Rattle discs but wouldn't mind a complete set.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:43 (eleven years ago) link
I was kinda wondering: why are these classical box sets selling for so much lower price than box sets in most other genres? Is it because they don't have to pay royalties for the composers? On the other hand, many/most of them feature a lot more players than your typical pop/rock record... Do these performers get any royalties from records sold?
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:45 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk looks half decent although no doubt they are struggling to compete with Amazon prices.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:46 (eleven years ago) link
This is the Sibelius bargain of the minute: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Complete-Symphonies-Tapiola-Finlandia/dp/B0091JQH2Q/
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:53 (eleven years ago) link
look at that lazy website tho, they shd get rid of all that content nonsense and concentrate on bunging me tax-exempt CDs from the Channel Islands hand-packaged by children
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:53 (eleven years ago) link
Presto is great. Fast delivery and often cheaper than Amazon. One of the better examples of a well-curated online shop.
― Head Cheerleader, Homecoming Queen and part-time model (ShariVari), Friday, 1 February 2013 13:04 (eleven years ago) link
Interesting anagram, when I searched for this box set earlier today on Amazon US, the second result was that Love and Death album, but the attached photo was of this box set.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 20 October 2023 21:20 (eleven months ago) link
I'm still an Avant-garde Box Set half full kind of punter, but apologies if I've steered ppl the wrong way. At least we will be able to start an authoritative thread on Between Here & Lost by Love and Death.
― Ward Fowler, Saturday, 21 October 2023 06:24 (eleven months ago) link
well worth the gamble i think, and easy to get a refund if it is the wrong thing
love and death are christian metal btw, but they also do a devo cover on that album...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPS-IlxHOQs
― blazin' squab (NickB), Saturday, 21 October 2023 07:55 (eleven months ago) link
I'm just hoping I don't end up with the new Rolling Stones album.
― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 21 October 2023 08:51 (eleven months ago) link
Ah, looks like it got fixed. Or sold out...
― Mark G, Saturday, 21 October 2023 10:56 (eleven months ago) link
My order for the Avant Garde boxset ordered on October 20th is due to show up by Thursday. It hasn't been dispatched yet though, which makes me wonder if I will get one. Any lucky receivers?
― mmmm, Monday, 18 December 2023 15:52 (nine months ago) link
Exactly the same for me. Due to arrive on Thursday, not yet despatched.
― Ward Fowler, Monday, 18 December 2023 16:25 (nine months ago) link
Ditto. Given up on it tbh.
― Free Ass Ange (Tom D.), Monday, 18 December 2023 16:26 (nine months ago) link
We've been done up like a kipper, lads.
― Free Ass Ange (Tom D.), Monday, 18 December 2023 17:52 (nine months ago) link
Just had an email from Amazon telling me my Avant Garde box set has been dispatched and is due to arrive Jan 5th.
― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, 26 December 2023 20:47 (eight months ago) link
... wow, I'll go and check my order.
― The Italian Yob (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 December 2023 20:50 (eight months ago) link
... "We'll e-mail you when available."
― The Italian Yob (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 December 2023 20:51 (eight months ago) link
... ffs
― The Italian Yob (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 December 2023 20:52 (eight months ago) link
UPS delivered my parcel early, while I was down south for Christmas, so yesterday I had to collect it from a newsagent in Govan. My heart sank when I saw the packing note - Between Here & Lost (10th Anniversary Edition) Love And Death Audio CD - then rose when I saw the yellow Deutsche Grammophon logo peeking out - success! A mint condition Avantgarde series box set still in its shrink-wrap. I savoured the unseemly elation of a really good score - and hope others who ordered experience the same.
Didn't know this until I read the sleeve notes: "Three Stockhausen albums, which were part of the original Avantgarde series, have not been included in this edition as we respect the preference of the Stockhausen estate to abstain from such re-release." Huh, what a rip-off :-)
― Ward Fowler, Sunday, 31 December 2023 09:24 (eight months ago) link
Fuckin' Stockhausen estate
― The Italian Yob (Tom D.), Sunday, 31 December 2023 10:30 (eight months ago) link
I bought a house in the Stockhausen estate
― Expansion to Mackerel (Boring, Maryland), Sunday, 31 December 2023 15:51 (eight months ago) link
Amazon have emailed me to say they've cancelled the order. Cnuts.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Friday, 19 January 2024 14:03 (eight months ago) link
Ach, me too though tbh I could do with the money right now
― blazin' squab (NickB), Friday, 19 January 2024 16:26 (eight months ago) link
I could do with the Avant Garde box set right now.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Friday, 19 January 2024 16:41 (eight months ago) link
Sorry to hear this. I can only think I got my order in slightly ahead of yours - or was lucky enough to land a sympathetic picking+packing elf.
― Ward Fowler, Friday, 19 January 2024 20:44 (eight months ago) link
I was thankfully able to order it when sales were first announced last fall
― B. Amato (Boring, Maryland), Friday, 19 January 2024 20:44 (eight months ago) link
Me too, ordered it as soon as it was announced and had no problems receiving it.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Friday, 19 January 2024 20:58 (eight months ago) link
Yes well done but you weren’t trying to get it for twenty quid on Amazon
― Ward Fowler, Saturday, 20 January 2024 10:07 (eight months ago) link
Bingo
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Saturday, 20 January 2024 10:22 (eight months ago) link