For years, I kept my Bear Family boxes in stacked crates, sort of randomly, like yours. But, having over 300 of them, it became near impossible to find what you were looking for. Two years ago, I came up with an ingenious method of storing them. A to Z, with compilations at the end (still semi-random)
Just counted, I'm up to 54 boxes collected over about ten years. Funny enough, the original box could have fit on seven discs. A couple of the CDs have at least 20 minutes of free space.
To think BF release huge boxed sets of these artists I've never heard about and only a 2 cd set comp on Herman's Hermits and 1 Paul Anka CD is frustrating. Hope they someday dive into 60s pop music for the likes of Peter & Gordon, the rest of the Herman's Hermits stuff, Gary lewis & the PLayboys, Jan & Dean, and a long etc... Also I wonder if they will ever re do the second Rick Nelson set where some songs are not well mastered and the live disc is sloppily compiled.
Frustrating to you, perhaps, but Bear Family addressed a niche market of classic, famous country artists, for instance, that no other label was doing much with. They may be unknowns to you, but not to Bear Family's longtime customers.
Bear Family was mostly driven by Richard Weize's musical passions. I highly doubt he was inspired by the "British Invasion". The Beatles box was more about The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany (which may have been Richard's hometown, at least close) I would also note that the complete discographies of many of the 60's pop/rock acts were not that large. When the songs averaged about 130 seconds, you could fit just about three LPs per CD.
Out of those I just have the first Wanda Jackson set, hoping for Bonnie Owens soon. If I ever make any especially wise investments I'll get both Bob Wills boxes. If Bear Family didn't compile these artists' work, who would? 60's pop is pretty well-served by many other reissue labels.
If you wish to add protection to your Bear Family boxes (I recommend that), it can be hard to find poly/plastic bags to fit the extra large Bear Boxes. I found that the Hefty Brand Jumbo bags can snugly fit over the large boxes. Cut off the zip lock strip, and slide it over. Sometimes you have to pre-stretch the bag for the thickest sets, but they make a nice protection and minimize scuffing the cover. The smaller boxes can use bags more commonly available from record collector supply dealers. Use this. It will work for those Bob Wills sets:
I'd love to see a more comprehensive Dorsey Burnette collection. His Era, Dot, Motown, Liberty, Melodyland, Hickory, Capitol, Reprise, Calliope releases in one set. I like this little track right here.....(poor quality)
Everyone at Bear Family was apparently so embarrassed with the live disc that they gave the source material to their friends at Ace Records to get it right. And they did.
Yes! I bought that ACE CD and it puts the last disc on the BF set to shame. Why would they sequence the tracks in alphabetical order? yeah but just like we have the amazing Del Shannon, Johnny Burnette and Gene Vincent sets, why not a Gary Lewis or Jan and Dean similar set? Is it too far fetched to think they would sell?
The Osborne sets are pure ear crack. Wish they could make more sets because trying to collect their albums from the mid 70s to 2000s is tough because there's no full/official discography of the band anywhere. I get some vinyl and CDs and just hope they're legit releases.
I wish. I got the ACE releases which are good enough. But there're some live tracks not included that I've ever only seen as digital downloads that I'd like on disc.
Pretty good, but I couldn't find their 90s album on the Pinecastle label. I have two of them. Not sure if there're more.
Try this also (scroll down for a list of albums and singles): Praguefrank's Country Discography 2: Osborne Brothers
This is the most robust one I've seen. The only thing (I know of) that's missing is the Live German DVD/CD set. But it's still hard to know if some of those "albums" are comps/re-recordings/new studio albums because of the odd way they are named.
Ordered a few more Sun Years Plus CDs last night, namely Doctor Ross, Jack Earls, Bill Yates, and Billy Adams (not the rockabilly one). The latter two were exponents of the 60's Memphis rock/R&B/soul fusion also played by Charlie Rich, Jerry Jaye, and Mack Allen Smith. Jack Earls might not get as many spins because while his Sun recordings are great, more than half of the first disc is made up of similar-sounding alternate takes. Couldn't pass it up for $11.99, though. Such a great resource. Nearly every time I look up an artist on that site, I find some material by them I never knew existed. Of those I've got Fats, Collins Kids, Platters, Skeets, Maddox Brothers, and Chuck. You've got to crack open that Maddox set. No doubt it would sell, but names like Gary Lewis belong to a later era of pop and rock which has never been BF's area of focus. They'd be entering a pretty crowded market.
Happened to notice that your Carl Story box set appears to be sealed. By any chance do you purchase doubles or multiple copies of any titles?
