What's the bestest box(ed) set in ya house?

[Fonz]

I've probably listened to 'Citizen Steely Dan' more than any other.

The Prestige, Complete Miles and Coltrane, and the 63-68 Quintet Miles boxes would be next.

Honourable mentions to 'Downside Up' (Siouxsie),'The Secret Jewel Box' (Steve Vai), and Satriani's Complete Studio Recordings. Oh, and 'The Heavyweight Champion' (Trane)

[toomanyhatz]

I have to say, the set that best made its case for the greatness of the artist when I heard it first is this one:



I suppose you can always quibble with song selection, but I don't know how a better overview of exactly what's so great about him could have been done in 4 discs. And it only peters out - and even then only a lttle - at the very end.

There's lots of sets that do something similar that I love, but I usually skip almost all of the last disc - most notably Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers have sets very much like that.

To me that's the ultimate job of a box set - to concisely state the case for the artist. There are 'complete' sets I like a lot - that Steely Dan one is nicely compact and spares you the awful reunion stuff - but they almost feel like a cheat somehow, especially for those with short peaks and/or careers.

[ChrisB]

Wonderful music throughout. Great record label.



Faultless

[Darkness_Fish]

I don't have much in the way of box sets, so this Throbbing Gristle set is the only serious contender I own:

[Jeff K]

I love the Nuggets sets and the Fall Peel Sessions also but this might be my favorite.....

[algroth]

I only have one:

[The Write Profile]

I have to say, the set that best made its case for the greatness of the artist when I heard it first is this one:



I suppose you can always quibble with song selection, but I don't know how a better overview of exactly what's so great about him could have been done in 4 discs. And it only peters out - and even then only a lttle - at the very end.

There's lots of sets that do something similar that I love, but I usually skip almost all of the last disc - most notably Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers have sets very much like that.

To me that's the ultimate job of a box set - to concisely state the case for the artist. There are 'complete' sets I like a lot - that Steely Dan one is nicely compact and spares you the awful reunion stuff - but they almost feel like a cheat somehow, especially for those with short peaks and/or careers.

Yep, that's the one for me too. It works because it establishes a clear narrative to his career, selects tracks which fit it, and leave just enough in storage to allow the listener to pursue different eras further (in particular, the 2-CD Foundations of Funk focuses on Brown in the mid-1960s, where he was creating a whole new kinda thing and so prolific that everything that came out sounded like a hit, even when it wasn't). Plus, it's well designed, and the liner notes are comprehensive without being overwritten. There are others already mentioned--such as Nuggets, The Fall's Complete Peel Sessions and the ongoing Bootleg Series by Dylan, and that Island Anthology--but I also want a shoutout to I Am The Upsetter, which collects Lee Perry in his imperial phase of production. Everything on that four-disc set sounds amazingly fresh and bright, but there's a savagery present too in many of the tracks, right from the accusatory vibe of the "title track" to the original recording of "Small Axe".

However, as much as I like Peel Slowly and See and Direction Reaction Creation, both of them are kind of cheating by including (almost) everything by the respective artists, and as such aren't really built for casual listening.

[The Write Profile]

I have to say, the set that best made its case for the greatness of the artist when I heard it first is this one:



I suppose you can always quibble with song selection, but I don't know how a better overview of exactly what's so great about him could have been done in 4 discs. And it only peters out - and even then only a lttle - at the very end.

There's lots of sets that do something similar that I love, but I usually skip almost all of the last disc - most notably Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers have sets very much like that.

To me that's the ultimate job of a box set - to concisely state the case for the artist. There are 'complete' sets I like a lot - that Steely Dan one is nicely compact and spares you the awful reunion stuff - but they almost feel like a cheat somehow, especially for those with short peaks and/or careers.

Yep, that's the one for me too. It works because it establishes a clear narrative to his career, selects tracks which fit it, and leave just enough in storage to allow the listener to pursue different eras further (in particular, the 2-CD Foundations of Funk focuses on Brown in the mid-1960s, where he was creating a whole new kinda thing and so prolific that everything that came out sounded like a hit, even when it wasn't). Plus, it's well designed, and the liner notes are comprehensive without being overwritten. There are others already mentioned--such as Nuggets, The Fall's Complete Peel Sessions and the ongoing Bootleg Series by Dylan, and that Island Anthology--but I also want a shoutout to I Am The Upsetter, which collects Lee Perry in his imperial phase of production. Everything on that four-disc set sounds amazingly fresh and bright, but there's a savagery present too in many of the tracks, right from the accusatory vibe of the "title track" to the original recording of "Small Axe". On another note, as much as I like Peel Slowly and See and Direction Reaction Creation, both of them are kind of cheating by including (almost) everything by the respective artists, and as such aren't really built for casual listening.

[Darkness_Fish]

I only have one:

At least it's a bloody good one. Could have been improved by removing Paul Morley's essay, but that stands for anything which includes a Paul Morley essay.

[joels344]

I don't own many box sets, but this is my favorite out of what I own:

[Rayge]

Well I have loads of the fuckers on mp3 that are pretty great, including many already mentioned,
but actually owning on vinyl is a toss-up between Jerry Lee's Sun / Bear Family set and this one, which wins out because there is absolutely no filler

[copehead]

The first was Nuggets and it is still probably the best.
Incredible run of music must be 100 songs or so nearly all brilliant.

Heart and Soul, the Joy Division box set is impeccable

The fall Peel sessions is essential, usually better versions than those on the albums

Scared to be Happy is a great Indie box set from the 80s

I also have various 60s Girl Group box sets

[Fonz]

The JD is good, but like the Steely Dan one there is no separation between the albums.
Some of the live stuff is rough, and since it came out, they found some more stuff in the vaults, so it's not complete.

[Moleskin]

This is also pretty terrific:


(notwithstanding editing off the first couple of seconds of 'My Friend Jack')

[Count Machuki]

That Complete Miles Davis on Columbia, probably, but I'm way more likely to reach for one of the three Stax singles boxes

[Walk In My Shadow]

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