What do you think about these here box sets?

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Pick one or two and try to keep it around $150. These prices were taken from amazon, but I can probably find them cheaper from the zSellers.

The Fall - Complete Peel Sessions, $47.98
Charlie Christian - Genius of the Electric Guitar, 49.98
Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 - 1957, 41.97
Lady Day: The Complete Billy Holiday, 169.98
Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings, 34.99
Charlie Parker: A Studio Chronicle, 25.99
Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives and Sevens, 25.99
Bo Diddley - Chess Box, 27.98
Muddy Waters - Chess Box, 49.98
Chuck Berry - Chess Box, 44.99
Howlin' Wolf - Chess Box, 44.99
Wilie Dixon - Chess Box, 44.99
Phil Spector - Back to Mono, 74.98
Atlantic Rhythm & Blues, 80.99
Complete Stax-Volt Singles, 89.99
Sibelius - Symphonies 1 -7 [Cond. Barbirolli], 61.99
Chess Blues, 59.98
Complete Miles Davis & Coltrane on Columbia, 98.99
Casablanca Records Story, 49.98
Miles Davis Live at the Plugged Nickel, 116.99
Ornette Coleman - Beauty is a Rare Thing, 89.98
John Coltrane - Complete Live at the Village Vanguard 1961, 49.49
Wagner - Ring Cycle [Cond. Solti], 163.99
Cocteau Twins - Lullabies to Violaine, 35.99

Here's the albums I own by some of these artists. Otherwise, I got nothing:
*Coltrane - A Love Supreme
*The Fall - Slates, Hex Enduction Hour, This Nation's Saving Grace
*Miles Davis - Birth of Cool, Miles Smiles, Round About Midnight, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, My Funny Valentine, Filles de Kilmanjaro, In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, Tribute to Jack Johnson, On the Corner.
*Cocteau Twins - Victorialand, Treasure, Heaven or Las Vegas

The only other box set I own is Star Time, which might as well be the only album I own.

Also, name some other good sets that are missing.

gratzi :)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:01 (twenty years ago)

you can get the Fall Peel Sessions at the moment for 18 quid from www.hmv.co.uk

― mentalist (mentalist), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:05 (twenty years ago)

Scott Walker, In Five Easy Pieces
Siouxsie & The Banshees- Downside Up
Joy Division- Heart And Soul
v/a, No Thanks!: The '70s Punk Rebellion

I can't say much about the more "respectable" stuff on your list, but the Cocteaus box is amazing, and aside from a few dud sessions the Fall box is almost superior to their album work.

― telephone thing, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:07 (twenty years ago)

First off, on those amazon pages, look for the link that says "Used and New from $XX.XX." I think you'll find that you can get many of those for almost 1/2 the price you listed.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:14 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I guess that's what you meant by the "zsellers." Never mind.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:15 (twenty years ago)

get Basie, Muddy, and Atlantic R&B. bob's yr uncle.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:18 (twenty years ago)

oh yea, add Beat Happening's Crashing Through, $65.98
i don't have anything by them.

I've considered getting the JD box, but i already have UP, closer, substance, complete bbc sessions, bains douches, and will probably pick up the preston warehouse thing soon enough. after i get that, won't the box be kind of unnecessary (save the liner notes)? i think i started a thread on it somewhere..

I thought about the Scott Walker, but i got pretty turned off by the theme sequencing (and some kind of audio defect on the entire third disc, apparently). I already have tilt, 4, and 3, so I think I'll just eventually buy 1, 2, Climate of the Hunter, and Walker Bros. Comp.

i don't know a single siouxsie and the banshees song. wow.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:21 (twenty years ago)

Just get the Stax-Volt and Casablanca Records comps. They'll make interesting companion pieces to Star Time.

― disco violence (disco violence), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:25 (twenty years ago)

Definitely unnecessary, then. Re: Walker- the defect was, IIRC, the whole third disc was missing the right audio channel.

i don't know a single siouxsie and the banshees song. wow.

You need The Scream, Juju and Kaleidoscope. Buy, beg, borrow, steal, download, whatever. Your ears will thank you with wet sloppy kisses.

― telephone thing, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:29 (twenty years ago)

beat happening
sibelius
charlie parker
howlin wolf
willie dixon

yeah i know its expensive

― Robin Samples (Robin Samples), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

i should have mentioned this was a holiday thread... my parents were dropping e-mail bait:

"There was an article in an airline magazine about high-end audio. It begins by distinguishing the mobile ipod users from the people who want to hear it in the room. Since it was promoting room systems, it suggested that they are better than ipods. But of course they don’t move. How do people feel about ipods these days. What is your opinion.

P."

had to take action to protect the discman haha

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 07:55 (twenty years ago)

How is Back to Mono by Spector, people? Finding all the stuff he did in one place is otherwise very very hard.

― Help, helpless, location, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

everyone seems to think it's about the best thing ever. i got most of these suggestions from teh archives.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:03 (twenty years ago)

i can't think of single hip-hop box set.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:10 (twenty years ago)

there's a 5CD Sugar Hill Records box and one called The Hip Hop Box on Hip-O from last year

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:13 (twenty years ago)

why do u do this to me? i aint got no money, fool...and i love me some box sets

― rizzx, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:53 (twenty years ago)

box sets are overrated as hell, btw.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

You can get an even cheaper version of the Hot Fives and Sevens if you look around. It is very wonderful.

My favorites: Fall, Atlantic, Coltrane. You will not be disappointed with any of them.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

won't the [Joy Division] box be kind of unnecessary

The early studio versions of "Shadowplay" and "Interzone" it contains are fantastic, as is "No Love Lost" (and yeah, the liner notes are great). If you already own all that other stuff you can certainly skip buying the box, but you do need to seek at least those tracks out.

― xero (xero), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

That Rhino Girl Group set is better than all of these, good though they are. And it comes in a hat box.

― snotty moore, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 10:42 (twenty years ago)

can't go wrong w/these IMO

Atlantic Rhythm & Blues, 80.99
Casablanca Records Story, 49.98
Ornette Coleman - Beauty is a Rare Thing, 89.98

which volume? -- I like all 3, you prob want #1

Complete Stax-Volt Singles, 89.99

start w/single-disc collections

Billie Muddy Wolf Bo Basie Bird.

The Willie Dixon box is a good Chess sampler.
For a Coltrane primer: The Complete Quartet on Impulse

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

poortheatre said **I've considered getting the JD box, but i already have UP, closer, substance, complete bbc sessions, bains douches, and will probably pick up the preston warehouse thing soon enough. after i get that, won't the box be kind of unnecessary (save the liner notes)?**

You obviously love JD, therefore you're mad as a door if you DON'T get the box. Not available (legally) elsewhere trax are :

The not-available-elsewhere trax on "Heart and Soul" are :

Insight/Glass/Transmission/Ice Age : Martin Rushent Demos

Dead Souls/Something Must Break/Walked in Line : Martin Hannett demos

Ceremony/In a Lonely Place

These Days/Candidate/The Only Mistake/Chance (Atmosphere) : Piccadilly Radio session

As You Said : from the Factory Flexi

Also Disc 4 has 19 live tracks from 4 gigs.

That makes a total of 31

Also I notice that you don't have the 'Warsaw' LP.(http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000075Z9/qid=1133953105/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/202-0344569-5451815) There are 3 tracks from that on the box (Drawback/Interzone/Shadowplay), but another 13 on the alum from the RCA sessions and the first Warsaw session that you don't have. So get both the box and the Warsaw CD!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

It is possible to love JD without being obsessively completist about their recordings. Most of that stuff is pretty missable, IMO -- just be sure to get hold of those tracks I mentioned, and you'll be fine. :)

― xero (xero), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Poortheatre said that he was going to get the Preston Warehouse live CD, which I would say is probably the least essential JD recording. IMO if you're thinking of getting 'Preston' you're probably a big enough fan to appreciate the box. Whatever...

Of the tracks you suggest No Love Lost is on Substance, so he'll already have that.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

Ah. I bow to your greater archival knowledge. I only meant that since poortheatre is a) trying to decide on one or two box sets among 30 or so possibilities and b) a) already well-equipped JD-wise, he(?) might find more enjoyment for his parents' entertainment dollars with another choice, which is not to say that he wouldn't appreciate the JD box.

― xero (xero), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

You're probably right, more new stuff for the money.

Anyway, THIS is my favourite box set ever: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AU21/qid=1133959168/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/202-0344569-5451815

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

I'd love to own all of those box sets at the top of the thread - apart from the Cocteau Twins

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

I reviewed the Hot 5s & 7s a couple of years ago on Freaky Trigger - it's great. I also have a 15-CD Armstrong box which contains like 97 out of the 100 tracks from that one, along with tons more, and that was VERY cheap. I also have a similar Django Reinhardt set.

Back To Mono is wonderful, if you like that stuff. One of my favourite three or so box sets ever (Star Time would be my #1). Other excellent sets that I own, without venturing in to Trojan territory, would include the superb Proper sets for Hank Williams, Rosetta Tharpe and Wynonie Harris, which are often available at around £10 each.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

back to mono is essential and if the miles plugged nickel is early 70s stuff like i think it is then id have to recommend it without even hearing it.

― jmeister (jmeister), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:01 (twenty years ago)

Plugged Nickel - 1965?

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

bob diddly
the fall
hank williams.

― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

The Plugged Nickel box is one of the best things I own.

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

Atlantic R&B.

― Bob Diddly (polkaholic), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

bob diddly

I love that, that's what I'm calling him from now on.

I would say the Fall and Atlantic R&B sets. Chris Kenner's original "Land of 1000 Dances" is almost worth $80.99 by itself.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

Where's the love for Motown? The Hitsville boxset (the 60s one, NOT the 70s one) is unbelievably good, and Hip-O is now gradually releasing the Complete Motown Singles Collection, featuring one box for every year of its existance. The price is pretty ridiculous-I think around $20-25 per disc, 6 or so per box...and I assume once they start releasing later 60s material it'll span 10+ CDs per year.

Back To Mono is excellent as well, and I believe comes with Spector's classic Christmas album.

― musically (musically), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 17:10 (twenty years ago)

thanks, guys. i'll tell you what i end up with.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Thursday, 8 December 2005 06:04 (twenty years ago)

For me the one must have on that list is the Coltrane Live box. Incredible every track. Second pick would be the stax singles. A lot of the stuff on the list I wouldn't want to buy a whole box without starting with single discs.

― Abbadabba Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 8 December 2005 07:59 (twenty years ago)

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