Parkertown Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 (edited) I've been considering this thread for a while now. Occasionally, I'll see posts that complain about this box set, specifically it's packaging. Mine is in pretty much the same condition as it was when I bought it used. The amount of oxidation (or rusting) hasn't increased much, if at all. I wonder if it's because of the dry climate here in Colorado. People always say stuff like "be careful not to get rust all over your hands, etc.". It's just not that way with mine, so I'm intrigued. So, I would love to see pics of your set and your thoughts. Here's mine: Edited August 3, 2003 by Parkertown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkertown Posted August 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Here's one more, of the inside. It's perfect! No rust at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Scott: don't want to derail your thread right at the start, but would you be willing to pause and give me your opinion about the music in the box? I have basically none of it, although I've heard some. I would imagine it's pretty wonderful overall, but kinda costly. Help me pry my wallet open by giving me some tantalizing comments, if you feel like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 DrJ, this is a GREAT box. I have the Riverside and Fantasy boxes too, and I prefer this one the most out of the three. Some highlights: The session with the Gary McFarland Orchestra - very sublime music, and not available anywhere else. Highly recommended. Alone - Available in the Master Edition series. Bill Evans plays solo, and it's very peaceful music. I listen to this one a lot when I'm trying to relax or fall asleep. Live at Montreux '68 - I like this one a lot because having Jack DeJohnette on drums really seems to push Evans. Playing sounds very lively and inspired. From Left to Right - My first Bill Evans CD, so this one has long been a favorite. He plays both grand piano and Rhodes, sometimes together. Very laid back session, with orchestra on most tracks. Great version of Eca's "The Dolphin" on this one. There are many, many sessions of note in this box. Find this one used if you can. I got mine for around $175, and it was worth every cent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Pretty corroded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Here's the inside. I would imagine that mine has corroded a bit more since I live in a rather humid location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Thanks for the mini-review, Vibes! I'd love to hear others' thoughts, too...the wallet is creaking open... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 (edited) I just recently started downloading the "Last Waltz" and "Consecration" boxes from EMusic. I gotta say, I was amazed at the strength of these sets (and I've only listened to the first 'disk' of each). I can't wait to hear the rest of them. Bill was really smokin' in the final days of his life. Edited August 4, 2003 by BFrank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 The "planned rust" idea is all well and good, I suppose - conceptually speaking at least. But my biggest beef is that I end up getting red rust all over my hands, and often a little on my clothes, every time I open up the set. So, for this reason, it gets the prize for dumbest box-set packaging concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkertown Posted August 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Tony, this is an indispensable set. I'm sure you can find it used; I found mine for around the same price as Vibes, around $175. It hasn't changed a bit since I bought it. The music? Well, I love so much of it. There's the set with Stan Getz and Elvin Jones! Some cool in between song chatter on that session. A set with a symphony orchestra that has a vibe about it that I really dig. There are lots of live sets, with numerous unreleased tracks from the live sets with Chuck Israels and Larry Bunker or Philly Joe Jones in California, from 65 and 67 respectively, I think. I like the Trio '64 and '65 albums and you also get both of the overdubbing experiments: Conversations With Myself & More Conversations. The Montreaux set from '68 previously mentioned is a classic set, where they had the audience in the palm of their hands. Also a few rare albums, probably only available on imports. Bill Evans Trio at Town Hall, with the wonderful solo medley subtitled "In Memory Of His Father". Oh, also the album with Jeremy Steig. It's 18 discs, but a really great set. The booklet is great too. Several different points of view offered. One of my favorites. But then, Bill Evans is one of my favories; everything he played was always beautiful. The sound... Wow vibes: your set has quite a bit of rust. Does it come off on your hands? Mine sure doesn't. Dry as a bone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkertown Posted August 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 No kidding Rooster? That's too bad. I guess it's pretty humid down in K.C. I grew up in Tulsa and I'm sure my set would be doing the same if I still lived there. It must really have a lot to do with the amount of humidity one's environs. Got a pic? Thanks for posting your pic Vibes. This set is really great music wise. One should not be put off by the packaging. I've got all the other boxes as well, except the Riverside which I have all the individual albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Thanks Scott! I knew I could count on you to help me spend more money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 (edited) The last three of the albums vibes has recommended are also avaialble seperately. A few sessions in the box contain many alternate takes. Here is a complete track list on some photos of the set: http://www.kind-of-blue.de/seiten/boxen/bi...s_verve_box.htm Edited August 4, 2003 by Claude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 (edited) 'Alone' was re-released last year with a complete additional session which was not known at the time the box was put together. While the tracks that made up the original LP surely are the the definitive takes, the newly discovered alternates were very interesting to hear for an Evans enthusiast like myself. The only drawback of the new release is that a wonderful alternate take of 'A Time for Love' - which appeared both at the box set and the previous CD release - was omitted due to time restrictions. Personally, I think the Riverside box is more consistent - or rather: thouroughly excellent. Besides there are not much additional material to the Verve studio trio sessions, which perhaps would have been what one wanted to hear more of. But there are almost two CDs woth of live material with Philly Joe Jones and Eddie Gomez which haven't been available separatly. It was good to hear it once, but I don't return to those discs particularly often. Hence my - of course very personal - opinion is that the Verve material probably could be boiled down to some five or six excellent separate CDs for the non-Evans fanatic. But I wouldn't want to be without the box myself. Edited August 4, 2003 by Daniel A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 I guess I'd call mine "weathered". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Oh, I forgot the box itself! Mine is considerably more rusty than those in the pictures above. And I've scratched several of the discs when trying to get them out from the useless sleeves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 All the Evans boxes I've heard are great. . . I really like this one for the clarity of the recordings and the variety of the sessions. I put all the discs in slimline fourbangers---my set really hasn't corroded further, but I'm not crazy about the other packaging aspects of the set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Thanks for the further comments, folks. Thing is, I've really enjoyed Evans' playing on just about everything I've heard him on (including a lot of sideman dates less herlded than with Miles - Michel Legrand's LEGRAND JAZZ, George Russell's NEW YORK, NEW YORK, etc). But despite having over 1600 jazz CDs I've lagged WAY behind in picking up his leader sessions. I have just 4 - WALTZ FOR DEBBY, SUNDAY AT THE VANGUARD, EVERYBODY DIGS, and THE TOKYO CONCERT (plus UNDERCURRENT, a shared leader date). Not an intentional slight, but I do find that in the past I've had other priority buys and Evans gets nosed out. I'm now ready to turn my full attention to his work. Despite the Riverside box probably being consensus "more essential" music, I'm concerned about the age of the remastering (and Fantasy now issuing his work in 20 bit newer remasterings seems another way to get the music). Have heard raves about the sound quality on the Verve box. Also, the variety in the Verve box really appeals to me - so many different settings, and stuff that is hard or impossible to get elsewhere. So that's my reasoning for going there first, although I will gradually be gathering the Riversides and post-Verve recordings (I absolutely love the TOKYO CONCERT from 1974; despite its being from a period less heralded in Evans' output, it's actually my favorite of the leader dates I own so far - there's a zest and pure joy I find sometimes missing from the "great trio" work). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 I forgot to mention one other GREAT session in the Verve box that I've been listening to a lot lately: INTERMODULATION. This is the "sister" session to UNDERCURRENT, which you may already have. I almost prefer INTERMODULATION. Evans' work with Jim Hall is unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2Lunch Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 My box was rusted when I bought it. While the packaging might change with age, the music is TIMELESS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Mine is rusty all over except on the backside where I left the coverpage. The music is beautiful but if I were to search for Bill Evans boxes, I would get the Complete Riverside set and the 'Turn Out the Stars' Village Vanguard Warner set first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 (edited) I made what I think is an EXCELLENT find this weekend - the COMPLETE BILL EVANS ON VERVE box for $129, used but in perfect condition! I can't wait to tuck into listening to this one in detail, so far have just sampled Disc 12 (some of the Vanguard material with Gomez and Philly Joe - outstanding!). The notes to this box are truly wonderful, you get way more for your money's worth than in many boxed sets and the quality of writing and analysis is strong. I love the interviews with the musicians, many of them (e.g. Marc Johnson) played with Evans for years, really knew the music and the man inside out. Some touching stuff. Now to the original subject of the thread: my box is pretty rusty all over, and I think it looks kind of cool (although it's too big to fit on my storage shelves, so into the closet it goes). I've seen some much more artistic rust/age patterns on other copies of the box, but as they all were selling for $250-300, given the price I got, I can live with a generic looking rust pattern! Edited November 30, 2003 by DrJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 Great find, Tony! You'll have a great time with this box. If you haven't listened to it yet, look for the session with Gary McFarland. You're in for a real treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 Still need to check out the McFarland, as well as about 95% of the rest of the box! I'm gonna be immersed for weeks. Will post impressions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted December 1, 2003 Report Share Posted December 1, 2003 Mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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