Favorite Rock Box Set?

[take5]

I believe the entire Talking Heads catalogue is slated for a remastered release, and the tracks on this box set will be on the albums proper. I personally like albums, not compilations or box sets of compilations, so this box doesn't interest me, but the new CDs will.

[ghost of miles]

"Zombie Heaven" is my favorite.

Yep, that one came up as well on my short-list. Lots of gems in there that I'd never heard before ("I Must Move" is a particular favorite). Another short-list candidate was the 4-CD Joy Division box that came out first in England and then a year or two later in the States.

[porcy62]

What I hate of rock (and sometimes jazz) box sets is the mix of alt and outtakes with official album.

I loved the Velvet and the Dead box sets, full of demo and live unissued tracks but, at the same times I hate to dupe my Lps, so my vote for the best rock box set goes for the Hendrix, all unrealeased material, and you can have it even on vinyl!!

Nuggets is great too, all unavailable music.

BTW you should also listen to Chuck Berry's Chess Box sets and Little Richards "Speciality Sessions", all the singles togheter!!!

[neveronfriday]

Are Walter Becker and Donald Fagen "Rock"?

My Steely Dan box is the one box that has gotten the most consistent play at my house ever since I got it (1993?) when it came out in its first incarnation.

Interestingly enough, that is closely followed by the Gordon Lightfoot one.

Well, I think it's intersting.

All the Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Police, Eagles, Doobies, Earth, Wind and Fire and whatnot boxes have basically been sitting on my shelves, staring at me.

Hm.

I know what it is.

I'm getting old.

Cheers!

P.S.: I need to buy that CCR box sometime. It's relatively cheap here in Germany (check "Music Garden" on eBay ... they also have another site somewhere) and has been on my shipping list forever. I just have most of the CCR stuff on spin-off remasters from that box project, so other things always came first.

Edited September 7, 2004 by deus62

[A Lark Ascending]

The Great Deceiver - King Crimson - I retain a great love of this band of my youth. Went to see them three times just before these concerts were recorded. Great memories, marvellous music.

Fairport Unconventional - I hate box sets that pack over half with tracks available elsewhere and then put in a few rare things. This one (like all the Free Reed boxes) is made up of nearly all rare things - B-sides, never reissued things, TV and radio broadcasts, live recordings. Recording quality varies but once you've aclimatised it is marvellous to hear some well known stuff played very differently. Free Reed are putting together a Richard Thompson box at the present - hopefully it will follow the same approach.

I'd also vote for the Hendrix. I was never much of a Hendrix fan - enjoyed bits here and there. I bought this out of curiosity and play it a great deal. Only 'Electric Ladyland' gets much play of the original discs. Well presented, good sequence, very enjoyable all round.

[Tony Pusey]

Personally Deus, I think it is very brave of you to admit having ELP! But we all have embarrasing stuff tucked away behind a radiator I suppose...

[Big Al]

I believe the entire Talking Heads catalogue is slated for a remastered release, and the tracks on this box set will be on the albums proper. I personally like albums, not compilations or box sets of compilations, so this box doesn't interest me, but the new CDs will.

I hear ya, and I can’t wait for those, although to be sure I’m only gonna get Fear of Music and Remain in Light, the only two Heads albums for which every song is a winner for me! The box has everything else I need by TH!

[kulu se mama]

i have 3 that i return to time and again.

"star time" by james brown.

i am not sure if anyone considers it rock - but it's not jazz.

"coat of cupboards" by xtc.

not for the uninitiated as they only include a smattering of "proper" album cuts.

"beg, scream, and sout - the big box of '60's soul"

another classic from the folks at rhino.

[Matthew]

The Jam is nice, and don't forget The Style Council either. Love the sound both these bands had.

[Gary]

Joy Division - Heart & Soul

[neveronfriday]

Personally Deus, I think it is very brave of you to admit having ELP! But we all have embarrasing stuff tucked away behind a radiator I suppose...

I have the Rhino Disco! box.

'nuff said.

[Chrome]

The video for “Crosseyed and Painless,” which I’d never seen (much less knew it existed) is a hoot!

Ah, yes ... I could never quite be sure if Byrne was dancing or just having some kind of seizure in that.

I'm also thumbs up on James Brown - Star Time and that Rhino Box of Soul thing ... and Chess used to put together some nice boxes. I've got them for Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters ... highly recommended.

[7/4]

... and Chess used to put together some nice boxes. I've got them for Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters ... highly recommended.

I have the Muddy Waters & Howlin' Wolf Chess boxes.

[ejp626]

I have the Rhino Disco! box.

'nuff said.

Yes, but I have all 15 volumes of Rhino's New Wave Hits of the 80's plus the New Wave Xmas album. It's what I grew up on and is part of my musical genetic make-up. There's no point in denying it, so I might as well embrace it. Not a true box set, however.

[GregK]

King Crimson-Great Deceiver, followed by Epitaph (the 4-disc version)

Tom Petty box is pretty good, half of it is outtakes, and a great booklet; I also like the Springsteen Tracks box, for the first 3 discs anyway. And the Johnny Cash Unearthed box is very good. Outtakes from the American Recordings!

[Big Al]

The video for “Crosseyed and Painless,” which I’d never seen (much less knew it existed) is a hoot!

Ah, yes ... I could never quite be sure if Byrne was dancing or just having some kind of seizure in that.

Maybe yer thinking of "Once in a Lifetime?" None of the band appears in the video for "C&P."

And as long as we're talking about Chess boxes, a big for the Chuck Berry box. All the evidence you need to prove that he was the real King of Rock & Roll.

And another vote for Cash Unearthed; at least for the first three discs (now that disc four is available separately).

[jazzypaul]

I only own one rock box set, so it's my favorite, I guess...Velvet Underground: Peel Slowly and See.

[BFrank]

I can't believe that I still don't have that "Experience" box. Maybe I'll break down and pick it up on my next Amoeba run.

There's a fun (but flawed - selection-wise, I think) box from Rhino called "Cowabunga - The Surf Box", which is - DUH! - a collection of instrumental surf tunes. I believe that it's OOP, but probably turns up in the used stores periodically.

[Leeway]

The Who - have they YET put out something not flawed? Even the "deluxe" My Generation has problems.

Mike

It’s all part of Townshend’s plan to remix, repackage, and reissue the same damn music for eternities to come. I’m sure there will, eventually, be four-disc repackages of all of the Who’s albums. I can just see it now: the Ultimate Deluxe Edition of Who’s Next, with two full discs of unreleased demos, studio chatter/brawls, tracks containing nothing but the lone synthesizer tracks, tracks containing nothing but Moon’s drums, Entwistle’s bass, Townshend’s guitar, Daltrey’s vocals, etc etc ad nauseaum. Plus an unlisted track containing the sound of the band pissing on that concrete block! Oh yeah, and the actual album will be remixed, so that it’s different from the previous issue and different from the original LP. AGAIN!!!

Just as long as Pete doesn't include any of those photos he was downloading from the Internet B-)

I'l have to put the Hendrix, Zombies and Velvet Underground on my wish list. I've even started-- way late in life- something of an interest in Black Sabbath, so that one is a definite maybe.

Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters sets from Chess- already have- powerful good stuff.

[Alec]

I have to give another shout out for XTC's "Coat of Many Cupboards"---great stuff by a great band. I also love their "Transistor Blast" BBC sessions stuff.

And yes, I have and love the Rhino ELP set (although I have most of the individual cds.

Last but not least--- The Monkees "Listen to the Band" set. Ahhh, pure bliss (except for the end of the fourth disc).

[Matthew]

One rock box set I would love to have, but not in my lifetime, is Bob Dylan: Jewels and Binoculars. A couple of days ago it went for well over $800.00 on ebay. That's my nirvana of box sets. *sigh*

[ghost of miles]

One rock box set I would love to have, but not in my lifetime, is Bob Dylan: Jewels and Binoculars. A couple of days ago it went for well over $800.00 on ebay. That's my nirvana of box sets. *sigh*

What's on that, Matthew?

Still wishing they'd put out an "official" complete BASEMENT TAPES.

[BruceH]

I don't know if it's necessarily my favorite, but it's the first one that came to mind: the Nuggets box from Rhino, which adds 3 CDs to the original 2-LP set (contained on CD 1). Lots of fun garage-pop stuff I'd never heard before and a great booklet to boot.

The first thing that came to my mind, too. But I'd have to say I like Nuggets 2 even more. That's the rhino box of garage songs from outside the U.S. More stuff on it that I didn't already have, and much of it just rocks out more. As one friend put it, there's a "turbo-charged" quality to some of the songs.

Zombie Heaven is great too.

[Matthew]

One rock box set I would love to have, but not in my lifetime, is Bob Dylan: Jewels and Binoculars.  A couple of days ago it went for well over $800.00 on ebay.  That's my nirvana of box sets. *sigh*

What's on that, Matthew?

Still wishing they'd put out an "official" complete BASEMENT TAPES.

It's a 26 cd set that has everything that was ever recorded from Dylan's 1966 "World Tour". On stage, rehearsals, hotel rooms, and I think a sneeze and burp of Dylan's also. I just think that what Dylan created by '66 was so unique, and so powerfull, that I would love to hear all the music from that tour. Re: a "complete Basement Tapes" set -- there's a complete edition out of Germany making the rounds, and ... er, ahem, I hear it's pretty good.

[wolff]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set.

This is really a well put together box set for the Hendrix fanatic. . . it presents a lot of music officially for the first time, the sound is excellent, the notes are good with photos never before seen. In all important ways this was carefully put together.

I have the vinyl edition and it's my only rock box set, therefore my favorite.

I think all the stuff his estate has put out has been of the highest quality.