Inside the box

Separating the must-haves from the not-worth-its

Soulful jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, a former Little Rock resident, is one of the featured artists on Uncompromising Expression, a five-CD boxed set on Blue Note. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photo illustration.
Soulful jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, a former Little Rock resident, is one of the featured artists on Uncompromising Expression, a five-CD boxed set on Blue Note. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photo illustration.

“Too much is never enough.” — Miss Piggy

“I want it all and I want it now.” — from “I Want It All” by Queen

Neither of the above quotations is about the abundance of musical boxed sets and "complete" recordings collections that flood the market during the Christmas shopping season, but both fit like a needle in a vinyl record groove.

Bob Dylan and The Band's six-CD set The Basement Tapes Complete -- The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 (Legacy) echoes Miss Piggy's comment, while a batch of new collections from various labels let fans who want it all have it all, such as Bruce Springsteen's eight-CD The Album Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 (Columbia).

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Various artists, When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel, 1926-1936

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John Denver, All of My Memories

Some choice titles and guidance:

Simon and Garfunkel, The Complete Albums Collection, Legacy

WHO'S IT FOR: If you love the group, don't have all the recordings or want to update to a great-sounding collection, here they are. The 11-disc set has remastered versions of the duo's five studio albums, four live albums, Greatest Hits and the soundtrack of The Graduate.

HIGHLIGHTS: A fabulous body of work with a folk and folk-rock foundation influenced by the Everly Brothers, doo-wop and early rock 'n' roll. There are many superb songs, such as "The Sound of Silence," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer" and "Homeward Bound." The studio albums (especially the first three) still thrill, and the

majestic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" never fails to touch the spirit.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: A new booklet with liner notes about the music and the group by writer Bud Scoppa. There's a gem here and there, though, that pops up unexpectedly. Our memories, for example, of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" are vivid, but do you remember the version on Live 1969? It is an exquisite, simple version that predates the recording studio version.

LIST PRICE: $99.99

-- Ellis Widner, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Sleater-Kinney, Start Together, Sub Pop

RIOT GRRRLS: As an introduction to the Olympia, Wash., trio, this limited-edition colored LPs set is a bit overwhelming -- included are all seven of their albums, released 1995-2005. The remastered records are available individually on CD and black LP. But any newcomer to the group who buys one of the albums will likely want more, so this set might be worth the splurge.

HIGH FIDELITY: The discs look and sound great. Analog adds warmth to Corin Tucker's banshee vocals and to bass-less arrangements that leave plenty of space for Janet Weiss' drums and the guitar interplay between Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. For those who also want digital renditions, a coupon for downloading is included.

THIS BOX ROCKS: Perhaps the best rock band of its era, Sleater-Kinney combined the edgy thrum of Sonic Youth, the raw passion of the Sex Pistols and the overcast angst of Nirvana. As the group evolved, it maintained a remarkably consistent level of quality.

LIST PRICE: $125, $70 digital

-- Steven Wine, The Associated Press

Various Artists, Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression, Blue Note

WHO'S IT FOR: This five-CD set of singles offers jazz newcomers a concise overview of the evolution of jazz styles over the past 75 years, from boogie-woogie pianist Meade "Lux" Lewis to pianist Robert Glasper with his hip-hop, R&B and jazz fusion.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: The collection includes many jazz classics, including pianist Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," pianist Horace Silver's "The Preacher," Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' "Moanin'" and pianist Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man."

ADD-ON WE DIDN'T NEED: Jazz-rap group Us3's "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)," as if Herbie Hancock's original "Cantaloupe Island" wasn't funky enough; Marlena Shaw's disco-like "It's Better Than Walkin' Out" from the mid-'70s when the label almost went under as it strayed from jazz to more commercial recordings.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: Singles by organist Jimmy Smith, saxophonists Lou Donaldson, Hank Mobley and Dexter Gordon, guitarist Kenny Burrell and Grant Green, and trumpeter Dizzy Reece from 1953-1965 when Blue Note was the place for hard-bop and soul jazz.

LIST PRICE: $69.99.

-- Charles J. Gans, The Associated Press

David Bowie, Nothing Has Changed, Columbia

WHO'S IT FOR: Fans who have worn out the Changes compilation and are mildly curious about what David Bowie's been up to since "Let's Dance."

HIGHLIGHTS: A three-CD retrospective in reverse chronological order, starting with a new song, "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)."

ADD-ON WE DIDN'T NEED: The edited, single version of "Heroes."

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: The 1964 single "Liza Jane" by Davie Jones & the King Bees.

LIST PRICE: $39.98

-- David Bauder, The Associated Press

Frank Sinatra, London, Universal

WHO'S IT FOR? Fans of one of American music's greatest stars and singers. This three-CD, one-DVD set has more than 50 unreleased tracks and is organized around Sinatra's 1962 album Great Songs From Great Britain, which was released only in Britain. (It wasn't issued in the United States until the 1990s.) So it's more of an oddity than a beloved favorite. It has been remastered for CD, with Sinatra's audio introductions following the original 11 songs. A bonus disc of recording sessions also has some very cool live BBC material. There are also live concerts from London's Royal Albert Hall in 1984 on CD and the Royal Festival Hall in 1962 and 1970 on DVD.

GREAT?: Great Songs has moments of greatness -- "The Very Thought of You," "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and Vera Lynne's "We'll Meet Again." It's more subdued than many of his albums, with rich orchestrations by Robert Farnon. But some tunes are for Anglophiles only -- particularly "A Garden in the Rain" and Ivor Novello's "We'll Gather Lilacs."

HIGHLIGHTS: The BBC live sessions on Disc 2 and the Royal Albert Hall show, on which Sinatra's voice is world-weary and weathered, imbued with heartbreak on "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" and "These Foolish Things."

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: The 60-page booklet is excellent.

LIST PRICE: $69.99

-- Ellis Widner, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Wilco, Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014, Nonesuch

WHO'S IT FOR: Wilco devotees will salivate over the 77 rare tracks, but there's enough familiar and high-quality material to satisfy more casual listeners who won't be able to tell that they're listening to hard-to-find songs.

HIGHLIGHTS: The punk-band live version of the languid "Passenger Side" is a curiosity, while other live tracks featuring guests such as Feist, Fleet Foxes and Roger McGuinn are standouts. Alternate cuts to some of the band's best-known songs also provide a glimpse into what may have been. Even without any previously unreleased tracks, the set deftly touches on every part of Wilco's 20-year career.

ADD-ON WE DIDN'T NEED: None. This is an economical, compact boxed set.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: Jeff Tweedy's comments, peppered throughout the richly illustrated 63-page book, show rare candor and honesty, particularly when singling out songs either he or others in the band disliked. Essays from other band members and others close to Wilco offer meaningful perspectives.

LIST PRICE: $39.99

-- Scott Bauer, The Associated Press

Various artists, When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel, 1926-1936, Tompkins Square

WHO'S IT FOR? Those who love black gospel music, American roots music and the threads of American blues will find plenty here to stir their souls and rattle their rafters. The names of the artists may not be familiar, but the music is raw and primal, often heavenly.

HIGHLIGHTS: Lots of them. Three CDs' worth! The content includes mourning to ecstatic performances that range across primitive, mostly rural styles of singing, particularly shape-note hymn singing. One can easily hear the roots of blues music in these compelling tunes. Slavery was a recent experience and the Jim Crow laws were in place, which fueled these performances -- praying and singing for a better world.

WHERE DID THESE COME FROM? These recordings of sanctified and gospel singing were originally on 78 rpm records released in the 1920s and 1930s from a private collection.

LIST PRICE: $35.98 at tompkinssquare.com

-- Ellis Widner, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy, Atlantic/Swan Song

WHO'S IT FOR: Each of Led Zeppelin's first five records is available in various formats. The most casual fans can buy the original release as remastered by Zep's lead guitarist Jimmy Page. More dedicated listeners can go for the two-disc expanded versions, with outtakes, alternate takes and live versions. The most die-hard will want the super deluxe, with CD and LP record expanded versions, digital downloads and a hardcover 70-plus page book of photos and other material.

HIGHLIGHTS: "Whole Lotta Love," "Rock and Roll," Stairway to Heaven," "Dazed and Confused" and "The Song Remains the Same" are just some of the tunes that form the backbone of 1970s rock. The companion audio to Led Zeppelin, with eight songs from a 1969 concert in Paris, is particularly stirring.

ADD-ON WE DIDN'T NEED: The print of the original album cover, included in the super deluxe editions, may be suitable for framing by some, but for most it will just sit unseen tucked inside the box.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: The hardcover books in the boxed sets include a treasure trove of Zeppelin photos, copies of newspaper articles and other vintage 1970s material, but are oddly devoid of liner notes, a major miss for otherwise musically extraordinary boxed sets.

LIST PRICE: Deluxe boxed sets are $104-$140; CDs, $9; double-disc versions, $15.

-- Scott Bauer, The Associated Press

R.E.M., REMTV, Warner Bros./Rhino

BUY IT IF: You're an absolute R.E.M. fanatic who has always admired the band's visual aesthetic as much as its music.

FORGET IT IF: You're all about the music. This is nearly 15 hours of video on six DVDs.

HIGHLIGHTS: The triumphant MTV Unplugged performance in 1991, and their haunting rendition of "Man on the Moon" at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2007.

EXTRA WE DIDN'T NEED: Outtakes from various MTV interviews.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: It's all extras. For super fans only.

LIST PRICE: $99.99

-- Rob Merrill, The Associated Press

John Denver, All of My Memories, RCA

WHO'S IT FOR: For most of John Denver's fans, a greatest hits collection will be plenty. But those wanting a comprehensive overview of the earnest singer-songwriter who extolled love and the country life with a sweet, sincere tenor will find this set a winner. The four-CD set spans 1964-1997, has six unreleased tracks, live performances, demos and a booklet.

HIGHLIGHTS: The hits are here: "Rocky Mountain High," "Sunshine on My Shoulders," "Take Me Home Country Roads," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Annie's Song" and "Back Home Again." But so is a song popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary: "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," which Denver wrote. The melodies were usually sweet, his voice open-hearted.

EXTRAS THAT MAKE IT WORTH IT: Early demos and alternate versions of tunes such as "Eli's Song" add a richness to the set. Also welcome is "For Bobbi" from his days fronting The Mitchell Trio, and tunes with The Muppets, Placido Domingo and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

WISH THEY HAD FOUND ROOM FOR: "Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk on Christmas."

LIST PRICE: $69.99

-- Ellis Widner, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Style on 12/21/2014

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