Yeah, I have a playlist of outtakes on YouTube. Although the playlist is around 5hrs long, I think it's just shuffling/editing around 2hrs of raw material. Haven't bothered sorting as I mostly use it as background music... https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfOs1ZtjYFMtAJqW6_oPclJeHhtrFGRJR
Speaking of 'beefs': when the Beefheart collection The Dust Blows Forward came out, my initial litmus test was to check for Pachuco Cadaver and Gimme Dat Harp Boy, my idea of two essential tracks. Both were missing. Revisiting the tracklist online (I refused to buy it) I also see only 2 tunes from Safe As Milk. No Sure 'Nuff, Zig-Zag Wanderer, Dropout Boogie, etc. There were a few other Rhino anthologies back in the day that I also thought missed the mark, Clifton Chenier and Prof. Longhair amongst 'em. Got the feeling that they were assembled by well-meaning but inexpert listeners, who had trouble discerning the vital tracks. As far as nonexistent box sets: Impulse has juggled the John Coltrane catalog around in various ways, but why no complete Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders or Alice Coltrane boxes? No Jackie McLean big box on Blue Note. And how about the 13cd Rahsaan Roland Kirk on Atlantic that producer Joel Dorn had mapped out decades ago?
Buffalo Springfield - the extended version of Bluebird was not included. Why? (yes, I know, Neil, Stephen, etc.) McCartney - Flowers In The Dirt - the download only tracks. I never bought it, and don't regret it. Bob Dylan - The Complete Album Collection. Yes, the title is complete album collection, but they included the Side Tracks 2 CD set, meant to collect non-album tracks. So, why go through all that trouble and NOT include all of them? Considering the target demographic, you'd think they'd bother to round them all up. Nope. Beatles - Let It Be & Revolver. The imbecilic spreading out of tracks to "mirror" a vinyl release, resulting in an inflated price, and BS hype - "FIVE CDs!" Yeah, that could have have been reduced to 2 or 3. The absence of the blu-ray disc in Revolver. General kvetches: Shoddy housing for the CDs (Dylan bootleg series, McCartney deluxe editions) resulting in scratched discs. Mirroring the format of one medium to the other. (6 CDs for 6 LPs, etc.) Minimal use of the disc data space. It's a box set, a retrospective - pack them up with content! Format crossover. If I'm buying a CD set, it's because I have no interest in vinyl or cassettes or wax cylinders. Multiple discs in a box where the art/design makes it difficult to tell the CDs apart. Packaging that requires an additional shelf.
Great post! I agree with everything here. BTW, what is missing from the Dylan Complete Albums Set? I have it but I am not an expert.
I love the Woodstock mega box set except for the Jimi Hendrix discs, which was just the edited version, originally released in 1999. When the Woodstock mega box was in production, the producers had a big battle to get every single artist on board with the project. Eventually this happened, except for Jimi Hendrix’s estate. The producers had a brand new mix of Jimi’s set ready to go, but it was promptly rejected by Jimi’s people. Apparently they didn’t want any of Larry Lee’s tracks included. So the Hendrix estate-approved “Live at Woodstock” became the default discs. One day I hope the new and improved mix of Jimi Hendrix set will come out so I can finally replace the two CDs in my Woodstock mega box!
A couple of b-sides that would have easily fit on the Side Tracks set. Off the top of my head, missing was: Rita May, the "big band" version of George Jackson, a live version of Tom Thumb's Blues, and the single version of Spanish Is The Loving Tongue. Anyone else wanna chime in?
Oh, I know Rita May because I have the song in a Jerry Lee Lewis CD. Is there a CD I can buy with the song and avoid repetition with the rest of the box? Checked discogs but I only see it in a comp called Masterpieces. Any reason for the omission?
The Let It Be super deluxe box was designed as a vinyl LP set, and IMO the contents make perfect sense in that configuration. The CD version was basically each record transformed into a counterpart aluminum disc -- which of course could've been condensed into fewer CDs, but they probably didn't want to put much more effort into a reimagining. Seems they wanted to keep the concept for each disc the same across the formats and replicate the artwork from the vinyl set. Regarding the 13 minute Let It Be EP -- in the vinyl set, it's a 12", four track EP that runs at 45 rpm for higher fidelity, housed in a 12" diecut cover that looks like a vintage Apple Records 45 sleeve. Works great in that context!! Translated to its own standalone 13-minute CD, it's sort of a waste -- they could've tacked those four tracks onto the end of one of the other discs, but again, they issued the CDs as a replica of the LP box, and I totally get why they did it that way.
I don't know if I can add anything to that other than all four are available on Masterpieces. It's a great compilation too.
I stumbled across something just yesterday that fits this thread. I was digging through totes and came upon Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town box set. I had forgotten the contents so I scanned the back. Not 1, not 2, but 3 blu-rays included. All blu-rays have amazing content, no problem with that. But they could not see fit to include the album proper, in hi-rez, on one of them?
Frank Black And The Catholics - The Complete Recordings All the songs ranked in alphabetical order. Dumbest thing i ever seen.
I'd love to see the sales numbers for CD vs. vinyl with the Let It Be box. I'd bet money that the CD sales were much higher so that seems like a waste to me, There's a purchase poll for Revolver and as far as the boxes, the CD is leading quite handily over the vinyl. I suspect that would be higher if a blu-ray were included. It is much cheaper to manufacture a CD set than it is to manufacture the same vinyl set. So in order to get those sales from vinyl they are sacrificing the integrity of the CD. Plus this all makes it seem like the CD sales are keeping the vinyl prices lower. It's all kind of ridiculous.
I think the real problem is that they're acting like CDs cost an arm and a leg to manufacture when in reality it's pretty cheap, especially in the bulk numbers a Beatles release require. Yes, yes, there's the book and the box but at most I think this box set should have been about $75. I don't mind each disc being dedicated to a particular running order, but I do mind the extremely excessive price-padding that's going on because of it. If Mercury Rev can release several multiple-disc boxsets with extensive liner notes for $40-50 each, so could the Beatles. Heck, on Amazon right now you can buy the Secret Migration (5 discs), All Is Dream (4 discs), and Snowflake Midnight (5 discs) for around $90 total. There is an especially heavy "Beatles tax" going on with the Revolver box, IMO.
Why would you assume that the CD sales were higher than the vinyl sales? I wouldn't consider that a safe bet these days at all. With streaming and downloads being so prominent, and CD players going the way of the dodo, I would assume the vinyl box sold more in 2021-2022.
With all due respect, it's a very common thing to see posted around these parts in relation to so many boxed sets, "this box should have retailed for $(insert much lower price)" -- when in reality the people making these claims (no offense) have no idea what kind of mechanical costs there are behind the scenes, take no aspect of the packaging into account, etc. That said, you can get the CD box on Amazon right now for $65.99.
I have the two CD set, Now I have to look and see what else is on it. Here's a question for you. Do you find yourself listening more to the Detroit mix. That is certainly true for me.
You need to think outside of the SHMF (ahem) box. A member of the general public that is interested in the box is going to buy what is less expensive unless they are particularly interested in vinyl. It's easier to sell a 5cd set a certain price point than than a 3 CD set no matter how much room is left on it. The narrative is being controlled. With that being said, I think the sales of the single vinyl will be higher than the single cd. I'm not even sure if there is a 2 LP set.
I have Masterpieces. And I agree. Be that as it may, the powers that be could have and should have included them in that box set. This thread is about box set beefs. That's my beef, or tofu, if you prefer. I could have then sold Masterpieces. I need the shelf space, dagnabit!
Revolver without the Blu-Ray. Every other set had it but, in order to squeeze more money out of the reissue, they opted for the Atmos being exclusive to streaming. Poor decision that will impact sales.
