Wither the Box Set?

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Granted, it's not the Christmas shopping season, but is it me, or has the Box Set phenomenon that seemed unstoppable in the 90's come to a halt?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Less hyper high profile classic rock ones, maybe, but it seems thriving in general -- Cure, Siouxsie, Fall, etc. among the last year or so, for instance.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

What was the last big uber-hyped boxed set? Something on Revenant? Grow Fins? The Charlie Patton one?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

Even those seem a bit paired down compared to the sprawling box sets of yore, though, no?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but even those recent ones (Cure and Siouxsie) seem a bit paired down compared to the sprawling box sets of yore (remember the original edition of Bowie's Sound + Vision?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

The sprawling box sets of yore were also designed to be slotted in amongst ye old baby boomers vinyl albums, though.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

pardon my double-posting

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

I think they're aiming more strictly for the collector's market at this point--e.g. the Fall Peel Sessions, Complete Motown Singles, etc.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, probably runs in low amounts too. Demand can still be underestimated, though -- the Fall set sold out immediately in the UK and caught Sanctuary off guard.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

that was a bit of a bargain box set though.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

it's a total bargain. I spent $20 more than Ned did for it and it was still a bargain.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

The Motown sets are in editions of 5,000 (I think), so yeah, it's definitely about smaller runs at this point.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Yay Fall box bargain!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, the first two box sets I remember being *must have* items in a rock sense were the Dylan Biograph set and the Bruce live monstrosity. The first one I actually wanted (and got on the day of release) was Sound and Vision.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

A couple other things spring to mind as well: one, a lot of labels have been recycling box ideas--the forthcoming Johnny Cash box is essentially a combo of the career-spanning 3CD box from '92, the Love, God, Murder box from '00, and Unearthed. I also got an advance of a 3CD Donovan set--replacing, I imagine, the Donovan box from the early '90s that went out of print. And two, the packaging has shrunk for most of the boxes--Hip-O's 3CD Roots of Rock & Roll and Golden Era of Rock & Roll from last year aren't ostentatiously packaged; both fit into regular-size CD bins, as do a lot of boxes lately, which makes them feel less like Events than regular issues.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:04 (twenty years ago)

pardon my double-posting

"Includes earlier version of post about recent box sets."

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Thursday, 23 June 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

The clunkiest box set I can remember is Live Shit: Binge & Purge by Metallica. In an entirely unwieldly "flight case" came three VHS tapes (remember those?) a clunkily packaged two-disc live set, a photobook and a "scary skull guy" stencil. Oh, and a 'backstage pass', all held in place by a foam piece. I've logn since lost the VHS tapes in a move. The discs live among my other discs (outside of the flight case). The stencil is god knows where. The book is somewhere in my bookshelf (invariably read only once). The "flight case" became a toy, believe it or not, for my infant daughter until we finally parted with it a month ago (Lars would be horrified, I know).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 00:05 (twenty years ago)

Did you mean: sprawling box sets of your

Your search - sprawling box sets of yore - did not match any documents.
Suggestions:

- Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
- Try different keywords.
- Try more general keywords.
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― Masked Gazza, Friday, 24 June 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

Five or six years ago, Columbia/Sony announced a Sly Stone boxed set w/ all sorts of unheard goodies was going to come out that Xmas.

I'M STILL WAITING.

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 24 June 2005 00:40 (twenty years ago)

The clunkiest box set I can remember is Live Shit: Binge & Purge by Metallica.

Thank god I waited on the DVD version.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 24 June 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Last major hyped box set on Revenant = the Albert Ayler 'Holy Ghost' fetish monument tomb

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:03 (twenty years ago)

The original Sound + Vision was a bit clunky as well, if I recall correctly.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

gimme gimme ramones box set treatment (3 cds, 85 tracks, 1 dvd, 1 comic book!)

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:13 (twenty years ago)

me likely, but didn't they already have a reasonably authoritative box set

(that being this....
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JFUY.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

What could possibly be left in the Les Vaults Ramone that hasn't already seen the light of day in several different editions already?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:18 (twenty years ago)

Ah yes, but that one was the Indispensable box set. The new one will be the Essential box set. The one after that will be the Authorative box set. Next, the Complete box set. (were there any other Calvin & Hobbes compilation books?)

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:37 (twenty years ago)

[ a pedant writes: ]

How does one wither a box-set? Leave it in the sun to dry out?

"Suggestions:

- Make sure all words are spelled correctly."

Hey, don't you give me that whithering look!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 24 June 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

Music boxed sets have been replaced in geek esteem by DVD boxed sets, particularly those collecting long-forgotten TV shows. Anchor Bay is putting out all the episodes of Profit on two DVDs later this year. I can't wait.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Friday, 24 June 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

Sandy Denny was the last lavish (i.e. too big for the CD bins) box set I can recall.

― zebedee (zebedee), Friday, 24 June 2005 10:11 (twenty years ago)

The original "Sound & vision" being the one w/the perspex lid? I've got that, and yes, it did get kind of grotty-looking very quickly. Good set, though!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 24 June 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

with·er ( P ) Pronunciation Key (wthr)
v. with·ered, with·er·ing, with·ers
v. intr.
To dry up or shrivel from or as if from loss of moisture.

To lose freshness; droop.

v. tr.
To cause to shrivel or fade.

To render speechless or incapable of action; stun: The teacher withered the noisy student with a glance.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:45 (twenty years ago)

I got the Rhino '70s punk box set as a xmas gift last year. Discovered a lot of great stuff through that.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

I think alot of it is the fact that the Big 900 Lb Elelephants have already had box sets (Led Zep, Brooce, etc)...now we're down to more niche/obscure artist....like the Faces box which I just got and posted a thread about....but, for what it's worth I bought that based on tons of great reviews...

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 24 June 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

Universal's Hip-O do mostly cheap greatest hits packages, but their two Bob Marley boxes (featuring the Lee Perry-produced JAD stuff) have been incredible. A third is coming soon.

http://www.hip-o.com/releasedetail.asp?id=B000209302

― Rob Uptight (Rob Uptight), Friday, 24 June 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

The Metallica set was pretty unwieldy, but the Aerosmith Box of Fire, or whatever the fuck it was called, was just as space consuming, with the bonus worry about busting off the match they used as a handle. That's the kind of collectible I can definitely live without.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

i think you meant "whither"?

i think box sets have become more useful lately--not only in better-sized packages, but actually compilations of music that makes sense in box-set form. not that i've bought any boxsets aside from those JSP/Proper things for a long time.

i'm such a consumer, though. i like looking at nice packaging. has anyone checked out hip-o select? they have some incredible stuff: http://www.hip-oselect.com/ complete motown singles box sets, sir douglas quintet box set, reissues of tom t. hall lps, a lost david ruffin album, etc. etc. it's even better than rhino handmade!!!

i'm glad i didn't buy those late-1990s JAD bob marley box sets where it was "all the recordings minus a few we couldn't get licensing for." it looks like the hip-o/trojan box sets have replaced those and then some.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

incidentally, finally there is an absolutely essential bob marley single-disc: http://www.hip-o.com/releasedetail.asp?id=B000329702

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

and finally: the thread title begs the question, whither the bill withers box set?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I was going to make that joke. That would rule.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

Amateur(ist) is actually correct: i did mean "whither".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

What could possibly be left in the Les Vaults Ramone that hasn't already seen the light of day in several different editions already?

The original 1975 demos, for one!! I think two or three have been released officially.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 24 June 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

i used "beg the question" wrong--my rhetoric professor would be very annoyed. sorry.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 24 June 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

wither on the vine: the bill withers anthology [comes with a bottle of 2002 pinot grigiot]

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 24 June 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

Beg, Scream & Shout was the last lavish box set I bought. It's going for $200 on eBay now, but worth every penny.

― mike a, Friday, 24 June 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

Sound + Vision, the original issue from 1989 or so, was odd in that it really should have been released AFTER the actual album reissues, replacing the album tracks with alternates... it was marketed as an appetizer, but an incoherent odd tasting appetizer. In retrospect, I'm glad I have it...

― donut e-go (donut), Friday, 24 June 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

But there have been tons of box sets semi-recently to very recently.. Alice Cooper, Ac/dc (Bonfire), T. Rex, Judas Priest, Slayer, Discharge, Death Angel.. lots of metal box sets lately.

― donut e-go (donut), Friday, 24 June 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

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