Box Set Preferences

i'm really digging the stax-volt singles box right now.

What the heck are you talking about? That's the best box ever!

I like all the listed variants except 4). If I like an artist to the extant that I would buy a box, chances are I have the original lps anyway. That's what's frustrating about the CCR box. There are like two rare tracks (from singles) on the whole damn thing, and I already have the lps.

There are plenty of exceptions that combine 3) and 4) tho, like the VU box mentioned. the Grateful Dead box has all the albums with extra material appended to them, most of which is pretty good. Coltrane's Heavyweight Champion and Ornette's Beauty is a Rare Thing also are original lps supplemented with extra discs of otherwise unavailable stuff.

The best box sets in the world ever are made by Bear Family. That's the way to do it.

If you have a trust fund!

I just buy 'em from the guy on eBay who sells under the name "cdwolf". He sells the 4cd ones for $66. Less than $17 a cd and as they're imports it's not that bad. Just don't ever pay more than the opening bid. He's got a connection and he always has them.

*In October

The Echo & the Bunnymen box set, CRYSTAL DAYS, is mighty fine, as is XTC's COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS. Iron Maiden's EDDIE'S ARCHIVE is a thing of beauty to behold, but does anyone *REALLY* need countless live versions of "Sanctuary" and "Murders in the Rue Morgue"?

Sorely in need of a proper box set treatment (their viny-only box, AN INCOMPLETE COLLECTION was just that): KILLING JOKE.

See, I don't get this. Why the heck would anyone buy this set if they didn't know what they were in for?

Best Boxes Ever (IMHO):

- VU - Peel Slowly and See (for people who don't have anything VU)
- Joy Division - Heart and Soul (same as above for JD)
- Blur - 10 yr Anniversary Box (Pure GENIUS. Recommended for anyone who likes Blur)
- Smashing Pumpkins - The Aeroplane Flies High (same as above for SP, but Blur's better)

1) various artists collections of singles
2) various artists collections representing a specific genre/era
3) single artist retrospective collections (incl rarities collections)
4) single artist complete album collections
5) various/single artist live collections

Or, name some of the best/worst boxes in each category.

-- dleone

3) would be my pick. As cited above, JB's "Star Time" is the quintessential ex. of this. There is no one JB album good all the way thru--"Sex Machine," 1970, comes close, but it has goddam "Spinning Wheel" on it...and "It's a New Day/Let a Man Come In" (hard to tell what the fuck the titles are on some of those Brown-empire recordings) also has some shit along with two or three amazing tracks. The Everly Bros. box is also choice, with all that great mid-'60s stuff where Don was smokin' the good pot...
The worst would be the stuff where you take all the outtakes which should have remained back in the day and all that shit, like the complete "Bitches Brew." Who's gonna sit thru that?

2) can be all right, but as much as I love Stax music, those boxed sets have a lotta shit...the first one could have been whittled down to maybe 5-6 CDs, from the 9...altho I am a better man for having heard "Mini-Skirt Minnie" and "Bo-Time" and so forth...

And then there are good ones that are 2-CD sets, which is ideal. For ex., "Vintage," now OP, by Moby Grape...everything essential plus a little bit more...and I like the way Columbia/Legacy does those mystery tracks with the ads for the albums themselves (some are one-CD reissues but my point is that sometimes you don't need no fuckin' box) as on the aforementioned M.G. set...hick voice: "Why if it ain't MOBY GRAPE... 'Truly Fahn Citizen'...recorded in Naish-ville..."

Galaxie 500 1987-1991
Creation Soup
Cocteau Twins singles box
Blur 10th anniv box

The Blur one is very well put together but if you're not a big fan (and to be honest i'm not, really) it all feels rather inessential. The other three, though, are fantastic, esp the G500 one (which really should have included the Peel tracks and the other unreleased stuff from the early demo, but that's nitpicking)

Surely the king of category 2: the Nuggets box!

I never have enough money to buy a whole box set, and it's stupid how they cost the same as if you were to buy all the cds seperately. If you buy a bag of Snickers its cheaper than buying that many individual Snickers, right?

(also, is there a nuggets 3 boxset, and if so does it come in a boxset with the other two?)

nuggets 2 - the world (u.k. primarily)

My dad got this box set from a UK label called Proper Records, that seems to be repackaging all this crazy old stuff. His pick was Wynonie Harris, 'Rockin the Blues'.. wild old stuff.

Of course it's a different story now the remastered versions from the boxset have all been released as individual CD albums.

This Mortal Coil's 1983-1991 -- Compiled their proper stuff, added an extra disc of "the originals" they covered, and packed it all in a box that's short (nearly devoid) in liner detail but high in visual impact.

Miles Davis' Live at the Plugged Nickel and Keith Jarrett's Sun Bear Concerts are prime examples of what makes a premiere jazz box.

---Anybody tried Proper? Proper Records releases some well done and CHEAP box sets that anybody building a collection should consider. These are my three:
Hittin' On All Six, 4 Disc set covering the history of jazz guitar.
Doughboys, Playboys and Cowboys: The Golden Years of Western Swing, 4-disc set.
Fare Well To Ireland, 4-Disc set covering early Irish artists.

Search also: box sets on Proper (another UK label), similarly astonishingly cheap: Nat Cole, Anita O'Day, Ernest Tubb, Kat Starr, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Bob Wills. The best of the bunch is their western swing box set. Unlike the JSP boxes these typically come with extensive liner notes.

An embarrassment of riches really.

I prefer types 3 & 4 - if I don't own any of the CD albums but want to, because of either having various bits'n'pieces scattered over different times and formats, or as a present because I'm sure I'll like enough of them to make it worthwhile, I generally like the idea of getting them as a box set. It's also good for the bonus/rarity things that sometimes get added - I do have completist tendencies.
I don't see it as problem that it's all one artist - I don't feel obliged to always listen to the whole set in one go - can happily just select a disc/tracks - it's what the technology is there for.

I'm not sure I'd trust the definitions/choices involved in type 2, and type 5 doesn't appeal because I've generally preferred studio work over live music. Type 1 would be good for same reasons as 3 & 4, as long as it's a completist thing, and not someone's selection.

Only box sets I own:
Pere Ubu - Datapanik In The Year Zero box set
Frank Sinatra - The Capitol Years
Brian Eno - EnoBox 2: Vocal
Joy Division - Heart & Soul
Throbbing Gristle - TG24
Steely Dan thingy
Beach Boys - The Pet Sounds Sessions
Wendy Carlos - The Switched-On Box Set
Roxy Music - The Thrill Of It All
+
Bill Nelson - Noise Candy (wasn't a 'collection' - new material)
Bill Nelson - Demonstrations Of Affection (also wasn't a 'collection' - new material)

Box sets I do/will/would covet:
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
That Japan/Sylvian singles set
This Mortal Coil - set that also had CD of original song versions
(haha x-posting - dammit christoff I covet yr possession...)
Kate Bush - 'This Woman's Work' thing
Beach Boys - can't remember what it's called
Magazine - 'Maybe It's Right To Be Nervous Now'

I'd also like to see ones by Killing Joke, Peter Hammill, Can ......and the Tuxedomoon set that I believe is imminent (although I'll probably end up getting that for completist reasons and even if it's of type 5)

Ned - if a CSA boxed set came out, would you get it ? I probably would, in spite of possessing the material already....thank god there's ppl like us to keep the biz going, eh?

I wouldn't mind them digging up even more rarities, sure...I'm thinking what would be good would be a lot of live stuff from the early days.