Frank Sinatra Set from Sony/Legacy, 1935-1955 Radio Performances, "A Voice on Air"*

I'm glad you're enjoying the discs!

Re the packaging, originally it was intended to essentially mirror how A VOICE IN TIME is put together. However, between rising costs for packaging in and of itself, along with many other costs in the project, there were basically two choices - cut out a lot of music (and likely issue only a 2 disc set) or make the best of reducing the budget for packaging and create it to be as elegant as possible within those constraints.

Having as complete a repertoire of music/an overview of Frank's radio performances and the era as possible, filling each disc to its max, and making sure it all sounded as good as it could be, was first priority. That doesn't mean the physical aspect of the set itself was not considered important or an afterthought (far from it, and my hat's off to Maria for her work on its "look"/appearance), but it does mean that in this era, choices have to be made re expenses that in the past might not have been needed. I do hope that in light of this, you may see that every effort was made to offer as attractive a package as was possible.

 

I do have one small complaint about the packaging.

When you take the set out of the shrink-wrap, there's a loose piece of cardboard on the back with the blurb and the track listing.

I wish that had been printed on the back of the slipcase (or at least on the back of the CD folder) instead of put on that loose piece of cardboard because I want to keep the cardboard piece with the set (so I can check the track list at a glance) and it will kind of be a pain to keep it paired with the box.

A lot of other box sets do this too, unfortunately.

That small gripe aside, I think the packaging is absolutely fine in terms of functionality and of course the contents are superb.

 

I know exactly what you mean: quite a lot of my sets have that piece of card sticking out of the slipcase at my home because they have that fold-down at the bottom that makes them too small to store neatly. To be fair, the designers think they're doing you a favour because you can peel the card off and have a nice clean luxury product with no bar codes on it; the embossed Sinatra signature on the back of this box (once you uncover it) is a nice classy touch. Moreover, in this day and age people usually rip the discs so they have the track information wherever they play the set.

But personally I'd like to see this problem solved in a different way.

 

It fits nicely INSIDE the outer box sleeve in its original orientation (with the small folded tab sitting on the bottom of the inner box).

Note that the track list shown on that removable card does NOT include the bonus tracks, so it's not totally useful as a reference.

 

Hmmm....Let me see now....4 discs of greatly produced music and a so-so package...2 discs of greatly produced music in a lavish package....or no physical product but 4 discs worth of music to download online.

I'll have to get back to you on that one!

 

Paul,

You should have seen me trying to fit that damn thing inside the box to keep it with the book without doing any damage. No go! Oh well.

 

Yeah, I'm not even going to try and fold it to slide it in the box because the box it already crammed tight with the booklet and the disc envelope as it is!

 

Anyone else think we should have stuck to the plain old simple jewel case? At least if they break they can easily be replaced. I've never had scratched discs inside a jewel case either. My own personal favourite packaging design is where you have a double CD jewel case which slips inside a card outer sleeve with sufficient width to include a small booklet alongside it. The jewel box remains unmarked as do the discs and the booklet is safe with it. The Dylan Bootleg Series uses this approach for the "standard" issues. I have a number of 4CD sets which are also contained within a quadruple tray jewel box. If they supplemented the inner booklet(s) with a thicker soft-back book to be stored inside an outer card slip case that would do the trick and save money.

 

I would have preferred a big box with jewel cases and a larger (rectangular) booklet, yes.

 

This is a small thing but I love that the set opens with a radio "tuning in" to the show. That's a nice little detail that really helps set the mood.

Kudos to whoever decided to do that sound effect.

 

I think we are EXTREMELY lucky to have this set released in any form, any package, with booklet, without booklet, etc.... Let's not get greedy. The music and sonics are the most important factor

 

Here! Here!!!!

 

You are 110% correct---and this is an amazing set. Period!

 

Remember that they lost it. They probably haven't found it yet.

 

Oh god.. *throws a pumpkin pie at you!*. Bad, Keith!

 

I'm waiting for my set to arrive from Amazon-UK. It is tempting to start listening on Spotify, but I really want the first experience to be the CDs.

Here's a dumb question. I understand that choices had to be made as to what was and what was not included in this set and on the Smithsonian CD. Are there enough quality radio recordings to warrant a "Volume 2" set?

 

As for the Smithsonian set, if it's any comfort, I ordered it Monday, and it came last night.

 

There's apparently enough material for quite a few more CDs, but I don't know how much of it is in good enough audio quality to be released commercially.

If we got another four discs of this stuff in the next 3 or 4 years, that would be awesome.

 

Wow, that's way, way faster than I thought it would arrive. Did you get a shipping confirmation with a tracking number by chance?

 

Thanks, Paul.

 

No...all I got at ordering was an email confirmation of the order.

 

Okay, I got that too. I was hoping we'd get a shipment confirmation with a tracking number. Oh well. If it gets here in a week I will be very happy.

 

From the Creative World of Stan Kenton, er Chuck Granata.

 

Give him an "Atta boy!" from me, please.