Bruce Springsteen - The Album Collection Vol.2 1987-1996

That's not good. It seems you have to be lucky to get a near perfect set

 

From what I gather here, this new set is not quite as premium quality as the first one. Let's hope they'll step up their game for the next set, as it will hopefully include The Rising and Devils & Dust, which are very tough to find on vinyl at the moment.

 

The problem is apart from these all the later albums are available on Amazon. Frankly those aren't so interesting. This set could have done with a couple more studio albums for the asking price. Had to order a replacement box as flaws with Tunnel Of Love and Ghost Of Tom Joad. Second Joad less noisy (side 2) but still a flaw causing crackles for about 15 seconds. Also another Lp had a creased inner. The Eps and 'Unplugged' make this set feel like padding for the money charged. I paid virtually double I got the fist box for. Lucky I have The Rising and Devils. Bought the former just before prices went stratospheric. So will be passing on a third box (another 3-4 year wait?). Just need Seeger Sessions which is still available.

 

I'm still confused by the box. Like, they could've combined the EP's on to one LP, one on each side, and then added the "Spare Parts" b-sides (without repeating the album tracks like they did digitally) as a bonus thing, like the Bowie ReCall LP's in his box set. Seems like a no-brainer that probably would've slightly increased sales. Oh well. I'll just wait for the individual titles for Plugged and Joad in a few months.

 

I've been thinking about these Springsteen albums collections lately, and I guess I would have preferred the following:


First set (1973-1987): the first seven albums as originally released, plus Tunnel of Love on a single record for a total of nine records. I consider this the golden era of Springsteen's career, and I can't understand they left out Tunnel of Love.

Second set (1992-2005): Human Touch (2LP), Lucky Town (1LP), Ghost of Tom Joad (2LP), The Rising (2LP), and Devils & Dust (2LP), for a total of another nine records. This set would have included all the hard(er) to find Springsteen records.

Third set (2006-2014): We Shall Overcome (2LP), Magic (1LP), Working on a Dream (2LP), Wrecking Ball (2LP), and High Hopes (2LP), again for a total of nine records. This would have been a nice set for those who want all the more recent albums in one place.


This way, we'd have only gotten the studio albums in these three box sets, which makes a lot more sense to me than the unnecessary padding. All other releases (like the live albums, (18) Tracks, Darkness and River outtakes, and EPs) could simply have been (re)released separately.

 

Well they are obviously milking this reissue program. Good thing they should come out individually.

 

3 minutes into the first side of Tunnel of Love and I'm ready to throw this junk out of the window, noisy, bright, sounds like a bad cd.
As always chapeau GZ!

 

Has anyone bought the set and downloaded the MP3s?

If so can you run the albums through the dynamic range plug-in on foobar and post the results?

 

Seems like this set was a miss. Considering these are the Springsteen albums I listen to the least, and that I have originals LPs of them already (and the CD of Blood Brothers) I think I might be better served allocating $200+ elsewhere. My want list keeps growing with so many great reissues and new releases, I have to pick my spots. Kind of sucks, I was hoping to collect all of the album box sets. A shame they cut corners compared to the first box. Oh well.

 

I never found the Live set with the Roxy 78 stuff as a download ep. Did this get released? It is not on HDTracks UK.

 

I got that one via iTunes Canada. Not sure if it's available on iTunes UK or not. Odd that the others are on HD Tracks UK but not the Live Collection EP.

 

Except they are not GZ cheapo mastering but pressed from lacquers cut at Sterling. I think aside from pressing quality this isn't far behind the first box. Issue is that unlike the first set there is padding with a live album and a couple Eps. The number of discs is made up by making some titles double albums. As mentioned before this box should have included a couple more titles that aren't available readily. Anything after Devils And Dust is still available new. In effect this box is 4 studio albums for £150.

 

Yeah, that's why I passed. Putting the EP's as a single album and not unnecessarily splitting albums into doubles might've made it a more reasonable proposition. Also adding the "Spare Parts" digital EP sets as a double-LP compilation (a la Bowie's ReCall) seems like a no-brainer value-add to coax people into buying the box. Super confused about that one.

 

The labels are getting greedy with the vinyl boom and now seeking to milk these box sets. In effect prices have doubled in the last 5 years. I just cancelled the Buffalo Springfield as I don't need to be owning them in stereo and mono. Still have order for the Stones since the reported better sources and half speed mastering promise something in SQ. That may well be my last box set unless they start discounting due to lack of sales.

 

Thanks, checked again and it is not on HD UK. Odd but there you go.
Could not find it on the Bruce site either and that site will allow me to purchase the live shows but not the albums. Bring back ye olde record shop and I can go back to buying the stuff when out and about.

 

Other than maybe one or two LP's every couple months, I've almost completely stopped. It's just too expensive to be fun anymore. I'll get Tom Joad when they release them individually, since I already have OP's of the others. (And I'd never really play the EP's)

 

Yep. Even worse though are the box sets of individual albums. Somehow the old $10 CD you could pick up at your local chain retailer on release day because a $100 box set with essentially nothing but fluff added. See: Songs of Experience, U2.

 

I would be interested in tunnel of love cd but after that it's a song here and there

 

If you're referring to the "Live Collection" EP it's on the US iTunes Store. I realize that doesn't help you but did you do a search for Springsteen Live? It came up that way for me after scrolling down several albums.

 

Thanks I tried the itunes UK site but failed to find any music. What a horrible awful mind numbing bunch they are at itunes. Sorry can't stand em - I have an old player that was a gift (2005) and they told me once it would not download stuff because it was too old. Let them takeover music and there won't be any.
I have found it on good old easy to use Amazon mp3 only though. Definitely not on HD UK as the other digital eps are. Thanks again.

 

So what's the verdict on this box, for those who actually bought it? Was it work the money?
I've been on the fence about grabbing it, but it sure is a lot of money for not that much of quality content. Can't make up my mind.

 

I think the box is well over priced. I have no idea if it will sell out or when the album titles will get an individual release. I really think it depends on what folk want. My records in the box are all fine and sound as I would expect ie very good although I noticed all the clocks in the house stopped while Thomas Joad groaned on - now that is a paint drying album in my opinion.

 

Hahaha I'm actually quite fond of Side A of Tom Joad, love everything from the title track up until Youngstown, but I love these beautiful insults.

The thing is that I already have great originals of ALL the albums on vinyl. Even Tom Joad and Chimes Of Freedom. So it's not like I need the box for something I don't have, unless we're talking about the Blood Brothers EP. So, again, it's more than just a bit of a stretch to spend that kind of money in these titles. On the other hand I am an avid collector and Bruce fanatic, so I want the box more for the completism than anything else.
Jesus, being a collector is hard.

 

Yes all these boxes are big decisions for folk on budgets. I could never have afforded them when I was much younger when this music was being created. I only have Tunnel Of Love on vinyl from this set which I purchased on it's release so I cannot compare the new with the old (not that I am much good at that anyway)
for most of this volume 2 set. I certainly do not object to Bruce making the Joad album - you have to keep moving or as Neil sings you end up rusting- but for me Bruce had pretty much done all he could by 85 although the 88 tour was a good try at trying to move forward. I enjoyed all the reunion shows I have seen.

 

No, bad pressings that sound worse than the originals.
And btw, they look like bootlegs.