LITTLE ROCK — Is there no end to the treasures buried in the vaults?
So many boxed sets have hit the market in recent years that it’s hard to believe there’s much quality unreleased material left. But this year has seen a number of great sets, particularly live recordings. The continued decline in overall sales is certainly a major reason, as record companies seek ways to boost revenue.
The highest of the high end may well be Yo-Yo Ma: 30 Years Outside the Box, a 90-CD set priced at $789.98. The two $200-plus Beatles boxed sets will be under a number of Christmas trees this year, as should be the fine Woody Guthrie set My Dusty Road and live sets by the Doors, Nirvana, Genesis, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and others.
First, some live recordings:
Ella Fitzgerald, Twelve Nights in Hollywood, Hip-O/ Verve, four CDs, $69.98
The best Ella Fitzgerald albums are the live ones, when her personality, humor and musicality burned brightly. Originally issued as Ella in Hollywood after these 1961 performances, Twelve Nights is a four-CD expansion (one CD comes from 1962) that includes more than 70 tunes from Hollywood’s Crescendo Club by the singer, then in her mid-40s and at her peak. It’s aconsistently joyful and brilliant performance with few song repeats. Her peerless scatting on “Take the A Train,” with its abundance of clever variations, and “Mr. Paganini” are unforgettable. Fitzgerald is relaxed and adventurous. These songs show emotional and musical depths not always heard in her studio work.
Hank Williams, Revealed, Time Life, three CDs, $39.98
The second boxed set from Williams’ Mother’s Best Flour radio shows recorded in the early 1950s is revealing. Thanks to this set and its predecessor (The Unreleased Recordings), we’re getting a real portrait of Williams as a performer and personality. Each of the thematic CDs - Hits, Southern Harmony and Luke the Drifter - has a complete radio show asa bonus. The intimate sessions, recorded just as Williams was emerging as a national star, are wonderful. The mix of familiar tunes (“Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey Good Lookin’”), gospel (“Lord, Build Me a Cabin inGlory,” “I Am Bound for the Promised Land”) and songs from alter ego Luke the Drifter (“Alabama Waltz,” “Faded Love and Winter Roses”) make this a real treasure for American music fans.
Frank Sinatra, Sinatra: New York, Reprise, four CDs and one DVD, $79.98
This set compiles Sinatra’s previously unreleased New York concerts, including a 1955 performance at a Tommy Dorsey tribute, a 1974 show at Madison Square Garden and a 1990 concert at Carnegie Hall. Fans will be thrilled by a 1963 performance at the United Nations with Sinatra accompanied only by Skitch Henderson on piano, and a DVD of a 1980 Carnegie Hall concert. The booklet isn’t special, other than a good essay by Nat Hentoff.
Grateful Dead, Winterland 1977: The Complete Recordings, nine CDs, $99.99
Of all the live performances by the Dead, these shows at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom may be the most cherished. Complete has all three of the band’s shows mastered from the soundboard tapes. The Dead’s shows precede the release of 1977’s Terrapin Station and tap most of the tunes from that album, along with selections from Wake of the Flood, Mars Hotel and Blues for Allah. David Fricke of Rolling Stone called the second set from June 9 the band’s best ever.
Rolling Stones, Get Your Ya-Yas Out, ABKCO, three CDs and one DVD, $59.98
The late Lester Bangs described Ya-Yas as “the best rock concert ever put on record.” The Rolling Stones’ powerhouse Madison Square Garden show 40 years ago is rightfully celebrated. But at this price, the boxed set’s contents are skimpy. One CD has a remastered version of the album, the second CD has five unreleased performances from that show and the third has the sets by opening acts B.B. King and Ike and Tina Turner. The DVD has performances of the five tunes featured on the second CD.
FIRE
, DOLLY AND MORE
Various artists, Fire in My Bones: Raw and Rare and Otherworldly African-American Gospel, 1944-2007, Tompkins Square, three CDs, $25.98
A ragged but righteous compilation of mostly obscure black gospel music, Fire burns red-hot. It covers more than 60 years of recordings in an amazing diversity of styles; there is incredible beauty in “Does Jesus Care” by Marie Knight and incredible spookiness in “Get Back Satan” by the Rev. Roger L. Worthy. The roughness of several recordings adds to the listening experience, though several are hampered by poor sound quality. But the highs are so high that the low moments almost seem like breathers.
Dolly Parton, Dolly, RCA/ Legacy, four CDs, $49.98
From a song Dolly Parton cut at age 13 through her last RCA sessions in 1993, Dolly covers a big part of a tremendous career. This excellent set isn’t a complete career overview, as it lacks her excellent post-RCA work. But what’s here is very impressive. Among the nearly 100 tunes are 21 No. 1 hits, 11 duets with the late Porter Wagoner and a staggering array of great songs, such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and “9 to 5,” plus her work with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt and Parton’s pop hits. An American original, Parton is one of our finest songwriters and a formidable talent.
Elvis Presley, Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight, RCA/ Legacy, four CDs, $59.98
Heard the news? This comprehensive overview has 100 tunes that tell the story of Presley’s rise to fame, his impact and influence. This is the best of the King and, while there are some great tunes that aren’t here, they’re hardly missed. Elvis 75 is all hits and major album cuts - no filler, no alternate takes, no unreleased material. The best Presley compilation yet, the boxed set is out ahead of Presley’s 75th birthday on Jan. 8.
Billie Holiday, Complete Commodore and Decca Masters, Hip-O Select/Verve, three CDs, $54.99
Some of Billie Holiday’s best performances are here, including “Strange Fruit,” “I Cover the Waterfront” and “God Bless the Child.” There is a melancholy thread through much of this material, which makes her warm and joyous “Embraceable You” even more special. Most of her support on the Commodore sessions is by small groups, including pianist Eddie Haywood. Holiday’s first hit on Decca, “Lover Man,” marked a change to a more pop-oriented approach. Melancholy was never far away with “Good Morning Heartache,” “Don’t Explain” and “What Is This Thing Called Love.” A superior compilation.
Richard Thompson, Walking on a Wire, Shout Factory, four CDs, $59.99
A revered member of the British folk scene since his days with Fairport Convention, Thompson is a superb songwriter and an exceptional guitarist who has never risen above cult status in this country. Walking is solid and very listenable (produced by Thompson and David McLees); the remastering is very good and the sequencing flows smoothly. But it has no bonus or unreleased material. Serious fans probably have most or all of these songs. It is a great introduction to a writer and singer of honest, heartfelt songs.
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Style, Pages 56 on 12/20/2009