Incredible new Japanese boxset from Mr. Big - "The Vault" (wow!!)

I may keep this quote handy for when the missus reads the bank statement and tries to divorce me!!!!

Philip

 

It's been a while since I've posted here. But it's good to be back. To any of you guys still after this boxset, it can be picked used up for around $160 (+s/h, etc) directly from Kupiku, and new for slightly more. Mind you, most "used" CDs (and sets) in Japan are so meticulously cared for- especially ones purchased recently, you'd think they're new.

 

I agree 100%. I've bought several used "very good" category stuff from Japanese sellers on Amazon before and they are always in perfect shape. That's awesome if some copies of this are out there used for only $160!

 

I am a fan of the band and have most of their regular output, but 20 discs at a time would be too much for me to stomach. I'm not a fan of demos and outtakes in general and I do have my share of Mr. Big live albums already.

But I do agree that this set looks incredibly beautiful. A treat for any die-hard fan. Packaging is great, though I hope it's sturdy enough to last long. If one of those hinges break, you're stuck. No way to replace it in any way, I think.

 

Construction seems really solid. No probs so far (fingers crossed) with the folding case things

 

How is the mastering on this set? Can someone who has it post DR logs for a few of the discs?

 

Well deserved. Congrats, very impressive boxset.

 

I'll have to leave that for someone else but wanted to say that if killer sound quality in general is what yer after this probably won't satisfy you. Some of the stuff is kind of rough mixes/recordings, like one of the live or jam ones I could barely even hear the vocals for long stretches (if at all). It is a bit overwhelming going through all this but I did listen to most of the discs twice, but hard to keep it all straight. I do enjoy this set immensely though, warts & all.

Haven't watched the DVDs yet other than putting them in the player to make sure they work (they do).

 

I am seriously considering ordering this set before it becomes even more scarce than it already is, but do the demos offer enough variation from the recorded versions that made it onto the albums? Are there different parts, sections, guitar solos, etc., that differentiate it from the released album versions?

I'm a big fan of Paul Gilbert in particular (...I even own one of his signature Ibanez PGM401 guitars...), and I want to get this set, but I also want to make sure there is enough "new stuff" within the demos.

 

And yet, here in the states, I've never been able to find anything beyond the first three - new or used. Yeah, I could buy off the interwebs, but I prefer to keep record stores and their employees around for a bit longer.

I will say that I have heard the Kotzen material, and I was not a fan. He's a far more blues-basesd guitar player, where Paul (IMO) has more of a classical influence. They're both great players, but I think Kotzen was a bad fit for the band.

 

Cool that you have one of his Ibanez models.

I really dig the set, especially some songs I never heard before, dig the demos/rehearsals/etc, but it is overwhelming there is so much to go through. I'm really glad I got it but YMMV.

Also, btw, they have some new live sets out now as well. I splurged again on another big box thing. Same design of the foldout trays in a large book for the discs - "only" 5 CDs, 3 DVDs, and a blu-ray (same as 2 of the DVDs). I really like the last couple albums so nice to get some recent live stuff. Also interesting to see them with a different drummer (Pat Torpey is there but he can't play the drums the whole show because of his health).

 

I am a big fan of Kotzen so I liked the albums with him. Yes he is a very different player from Paul though.

 

I went ahead and ordered the set yesterday. I figured I should go ahead and bit the bullet while Amazon still has a few new copies in stock at a reasonable price. I'm sure I will enjoy it, and I am most looking forward to hearing those songs that have never been released in in any capacity.

I'm guessing you must have bought the new big and deluxe edition of "Raw Like Sushi 114". I plan to soon get the scaled down version of it with just the blu-ray and 2 CDs. Mr. Big live is awesome IMO. They are obviously monster musicians on their respective instruments, but I think most people overlook their vocal abilities and harmonies.

 

Hope you dig it. Please post your thoughts about as you delve in, that will actually help me absorb it as well. I've listened to some of the CDs three times but the rest only once or twice. I'm sure a lot of cool details have escaped me.

If you don't like it, take comfort in the thought that since it was limited and already out of print, copies for sale will get scarcer and scarcer and eventually you should be able to resell your set to some other collector down the road, if not for what you paid for it but perhaps even more.

Yes, I got the big set. I especially wanted the extra live CD in there so I decided to spring for it. The large book is another beautiful photograph set. Haven't watched the tour documentary yet (nor any of the DVDs with the archive set yet either). I did half watch the concert DVD though, it is cool to see them when they do the instrument-swap stuff (this tour they do it in a cover of Judas Priest's Living After Midnight!!), plus watching helps to see what is going on with Pat, what he's doing on stage, all the love the fans are showering him with, that you can't pick up on with just listening to the CDs.

Not sure if you know, but the big set also includes 2 CDs live from Sendai 11/8/14 (in addition to the DVD/blu-ray/CDs of Tokyo 11/10/14) which are available separately as well as a 2 CD set called R.L.S. 113 Sendai - Official Bootleg. The main sets are the same tracklist but the encores are different.

No arguments here. Paul and Billy are virtuosos IMO. Pisses me off that most people haven't a clue how great these guys are and think of Mr. Big as a "hair band" (which is beyond azzinine).

 

It's so cool to see someone really excited about music. That will never get old and I hope to never become so jaded that I don't love seeing this sort of thing. Enjoy the set. It looks absolutely incredible!

Ed

 

The cool thing is that this isn't just about the music - it is also about the buzz you can get when a "package" is done so well, layout-wise, booklets, photos, all kinds of stuff to get off on while you listen to the music & get off on that too. You lose that whole experience with just digital downloads. Yeah, the music itself is the most important part about why we love this stuff but incredible sets like these enhance the enjoyment of it IMO.

I guess this is similar to the LP experience, the artwork etc in that 12" format. I do miss that with just regular CD releases. At least with well done box sets we can get that old album design kick.

 

The boxset arrived yesterday (was not expecting it until today with Amazon Prime 2-day shipping). It is an impressive physical package. The photo book is cool , particularly the concert photos and the inclusion of Paul Gilbert's personal photos from 1989-1992 in the early days of the band. They look like they were having so much fun then (and still do today), and I don't mean fun as in the stereotypical rock star debauchery. They just looked like they had fun touring the world, hanging out together, and playing music that they love.

I only managed to get through disc 1 (...only 21 more to go!!...). My guess is this is the roughest sounding disc from a technical perspective. Much of disc 1 (but not all) sounds like rehearsals recorded live from a mic direct to tape. While the recording quality may be somewhat poor, it is cool to hear these songs being worked up live in a room, and they sound like they were having a lot of fun doing so. I would also guess most of these recordings are the very initial stages of the band getting together and developing that first set of songs that eventually became their first album. There are a lot of cool little extra bits in these songs that were not on the eventual released album versions. The first recording here of "Addicted To That Rush" is longer and has a bunch of additional guitar fills in it, and more "call and response" bits between Paul and Eric towards the end. That is just one example, but most of the songs have extra bits thrown in here and there as the songs developed and changed over time.

Disc 2 may be the more formal "demos" for the first album, but I guess I will find out as I make my way through the set. I'm trying to go in order, but I kind of want to "bump ahead" to the demos/outtakes for 'What If...' and 'Hey Man' as those are my 2 favorite Mr. Big albums.

 

I skipped right to the What If disc when I first got it since that is my favorite Mr. Big album. The Hey Man disc is really good IMO, some cool unreleased songs, and it helped me rediscover/appreciate the original album now, which I never paid much attention to when it came out.

Congrats on your new arrival!

 

Here are some shots of the new "Raw Like Sushi 114 Deluxe Edition".

Same design as The Vault set, except is just one big hardbound book inside the slipcase with both a photo album AND the discs in same "book". Also includes 2 inserts - the extra info thing with the tracklists of all the discs/lyrics/etc and a poster thing. Same cool design to the the fold up disc trays as The Vault.

Another real nice boxset.

Front:


Back:


Spine:


What you get (clockwise from top left) - the outer slipcase, photo book with the discs, poster, and booklet insert:


Book opened up, photo section on left, discs on the right:


More below (can only upload 5 photos per post)....

 

...continued from above....

Layout of the discs, how the trays fold up. The blu-ray on top left is on tray by itself, but all the rest of the trays fold up to reveal either 2 or 3 discs for each position as it were:


Some of the photos. Another big collection of photos, like in The Vault set - must be around 100 pages:


This must be from the "instrument swap" encore. You can see Matt Starr the drummer (who is doing the heavy lifting for Pat Torpey this tour) on the left with Paul's guitar, and Eric Martin strapping on Billy's bass. Pat Torpey is in the center, doing the lead vocal honors (a cover of Judas Priest's Living After Midnight):




Inside of the insert with tracklists on the left. Other pages have song lyrics etc.


Yet another really nice package. Wish more artists released packages like this. On second thought, maybe not - this stuff is expensive!

P.S. Just noticed this set is on sale at CDJapan now, 10% off - about $110.

 

Heads up for anyone interested - CDJAPAN has two recent Mr. Big releases on sale for 20% off.

One is that Raw Like Sushi 114 Deluxe Edition I pictured above. Going for about $100 now.
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/IEZP-87

Another is a great deal - the special "deluxe" whatever-they-call-it version of the last album, The Stories We Could Tell. You get 3 discs (2 CDs + a DVD) for only $25. The second CD is re-recordings of 10 older Mr. Big songs, really good if you dig that sort of thing. The packaging is really unique as well, has a slipcase that has 3 dimensional images on both sides, really freaky.
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/IEZP-77

 

Same here.

 

I'd love to get a copy of this, but doesn't look to be available in the US.

 

I agree, Japan knows how to do it right.

 

Not sure what yer sayin' Stodger - CDJapan ships to the US. (They are Japan only releases though)