Toughest band or artist to collect music for?

Lee Scratch Perry

 

No, not for me. But that's just my taste. I thought they sounded too muffled and wavey. I like the sharp sound of the RCA's.

 

Thanks for mentioning it. I was considering getting it.

 

GISM.

Want a CD version of their most popular album? Hope you don't mind spending $150! Oh by the way, it might be a bootleg.
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/2145919?ev=rb

Their cheapest and most widely available release is a CD compilation released last year. It goes for around $40 right now.

Everything else is on vinyl or tape and is long out of print, catching obscene prices.

It's probably cheaper to buy Zappa's whole catalog.

 

Gerogerigegege

I wish there'd be easier access to their releases.

 

It is pretty hard to get first pressings of the first 4 sabbath LPs, they are around but they are usually 200 - 300 pounds or more for something in EX or better.... i paid $200 aussie dollars for master of reality in supposedly EX condition, it played well and was quiet but was dished and has a weird discoloured section on sweet leaf that has a minor skip and a wooshing sound for about 20 seconds, this is my best first press of MOR i have had 2 others described as VG+ and EX both of which were worse than the above mentioned LP... i havnt found a good self titled or paranoid UK under $300 AUD but i did get lucky and get Vol 4 first press in EX for $100 AUD. I should mention i live in Australia so that makes it harder as i cant actually see the record before buying it in most cases, even first aussie pressings of MOR and Paranoid are consistently $75 AUD.

 

I once tried to abord the subject of their 60s output but found it to be such a tangle that I just gave up. A great shame because they cut some amazing sides.

 

Bill Nelson. Over 100 albums, not including Be Bop Deluxe.

 

Misfits. Short press runs and variations means you need some money. Then you have all the pirate pressings. On top of it, you have the boots as well.
Rumors always had it that Glenn had a hand in many of the boot releases.

 

Queen for sure - and if anyone's got the UK promo box set for News Of The World, yeah, please get in touch!

 

No problem, but remember, this is just my opinion.

 

Aside from the artists already mentioned, Neil Young takes some work to collect.

 

I've missed a few since then, but as of about 2010, I owned every single one.

 

For similar reasons P-Funk and the various related bands are a challenge.

 

got be SUN RA.

there's just too many record labels
and live stuff to get my head around.

not to mention the fact that he has recordings going back to the early 50s?

 

I've become quite a fan of Lettuce from listening to Sirius' Jam On......but just try
to collect the Lettuce CDs! I managed to acquire the latest effort, `Crush', but even
it is a Japanese pressing.

 

Les Razilles Denude ( large discography, much illegit, easy to download, hard to find real copies)

Taj Mahal Travellers (small discography, some illegit, hard to find overall)

 

i would imagine its all in how you look at it.

if you want to be a true completist there are some artists out there that are just all over the place: soundtracks, tributes, benefits, one-offs on various comps.......

 

Carpenters, due to Richard's incessant re-mucking with the arrangements?

 

Allen Toussaint takes a lot of work, but itt;s been worth it. Far as his own albums go, there are a couple of NO-only issues that are pretty scarce. Loads of singles that weren't collected on CD until very recently. And there are always more albums he wrote/produced to track down (like Browning Bryant, which I found out about here). Not to mention those extremely dodgy "Allen Toussaint Orchestra" discs that it turns out he had nothing to do with.

 

Seems likr everyone I love becomes a pain to collect. Everybody has those super rare, untouchable, unreachable releases.

 

Merzbow

 

From personal experience it has to be Sun Ra.

Too many on his own labels (El Saturn, Philly Jazz) that are insanely rare and some that have never seen a release on CD or re-release on vinyl. Even a recording for Impulse in the 70s (Astro Black) has never found its way onto CD.

And that's not to mention the one (Celebrations for Dial Tunes) where no-one really knows whether it exists or not.

And Anthony Braxton? Let's not go there...way too many releases for anyone to keep up with.

 

Guided by Voices/Robert Pollard, from what I've heard. Insane amount of material!

 

A complete studio album collection from any of these artists will give ANYBODY a headache. On vinyl of course

The Cardigans
PJ Harvey
Tindersticks
Richard Hawley