Keep in mind: For a taste of what the ever-charming Parton has been up to lately, check out the new “Live From London,” a 2008 concert recording that comes in a CD/DVD set for $23.98. Its one drawback is that it runs only through the early ’90s, meaning none of her recent bluegrass work made it into the collection. The scoop: With 99 tracks spread across four CDs, “Dolly” offers all of Dolly Parton’s biggest hits, from “Jolene” to “9 to 5,” thoughtfully interspersed with key album tracks and a handful of rarities, including “Gonna Hurry (As Slow as I Can),” one of the first songs the country-music queen recorded. There’s also a visual version of the set featuring 13 DVDs for $79.98.Īlso keep in mind: For some homegrown music, check out the Minnesota Orchestra’s five-CD set documenting the group’s much-acclaimed performances of the Beethoven symphonies cycle recorded between April 2004 and January 2008. Keep in mind: The box serves as a teaser for the far more comprehensive “111 Years of Deutsche Grammophon: 55 CD Anthology,” which delivers just what its title promises for a list price of $169.98 (which comes out to roughly $3 per CD). The scoop: To celebrate its 111th birthday, one of the world’s oldest record labels has compiled this 111-track compilation that spans the company’s history of classical music, from the earliest days of recorded music to the present. “111 YEARS OF DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON: 111 CLASSIC TRACKS” For even more overkill, there’s a more expensive version of the box for $99.98 that adds all those same tunes on three vinyl LPs. Some fans have complained that those additional five live tracks should have been reincorporated into the main disc to make it one complete concert. Keep in mind: It’s a sharp package, to be sure, but it’s pretty pricey given the content. A third CD includes a dozen live songs performed by the opening acts Ike and Tina Turner and B.B. This deluxe box includes the entire original album, a second CD with five additional, previously unreleased live tracks (“Prodigal Son” is terrific) and a DVD featuring those same bonus songs as well as some additional, unseen Maysles Brothers footage. #The mighty vikings with the beatles freeThe Maysles Brothers’ equally legendary film “Gimme Shelter” also documents the tour, focusing on the disastrous free show at California’s Altamont Speedway that left an 18-year-old fan dead. The scoop: Originally released in 1970, “Ya-Yas” remains the Rolling Stones’ most-loved live album, largely because it captures them at the height of their infamous 1969 American tour. “GET YER YA-YAS OUT! THE ROLLING STONES IN CONCERT” A limited-edition set collects the mono versions of the Beatles’ catalog for $298.98. #The mighty vikings with the beatles plusPerhaps you heard? The British versions of all of the band’s original studio albums, plus two CDs of b-sides and other stray tracks, are available in a shiny black box for $259.98. Keep in mind: One of Big Star’s biggest influences, the Beatles, were the subject of their own reissue program in September. Using that trio of albums as a skeleton, the set incorporates alternate takes and demos with the familiar studio versions to create a seamless listening experience. Just ask superfan Paul Westerberg, who once proudly sang, “I never travel far without a little Big Star.” This set offers a lot of Big Star’s luscious power pop with barely a bum track to be found. The scoop: It might seem ridiculous that a band with only three albums that never sold many copies in the first place would be worthy of a four-CD box set, but Big Star is not like most bands. Retail prices are listed, although many shops sell the sets at a discount. With that in mind, here’s a look at 2009’s crop of box sets. It’s also not a coincidence that the majority of new box sets are released in the final months of the year, when folks are hunting for that perfect holiday gift. In many cases, labels are even offering additional, superpremium versions of those sets for those with particularly fat wallets. If anything, record labels have figured out that while the audience for standard-issue CDs may be dwindling, there are still plenty of longtime music fans willing to pay big bucks for artfully produced, lavishly packaged box sets. The box set still looks mighty fine underĭespite endless predictions, the digital era has yet to kill off the box set.
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