I own the Billie box and it sounds fine.
― skip, Monday, 30 April 2012 18:59 (1 year ago) Permalink
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Albums-Collection-Electric-Orchestra/dp/B005LTDPJI/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1335816749&sr=1-8
perfection in a box
as for the sound = the discs are the recent remasters with extra tracks etc and sound amazing ..
― mark e, Monday, 30 April 2012 20:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
I want that one.
Why doesn't the American Amazon offer these things?
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 30 April 2012 22:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
they've got it: http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Albums-Collection-Elo/dp/B005LTDPJImaybe not quite as cheap (from the dealers) but still a deal.
― tylerw, Monday, 30 April 2012 22:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
good.
its f*ckin' fantastic.
― mark e, Monday, 30 April 2012 22:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
So, I went for The Byrds box, despite myself.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 09:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Mark G, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 09:21 (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
so did i today.
not picked up anything by the byrds before, and rather than cherry picking decided that at this price/deal, no point in umm and arr'ing and got the lot.
so far i'm well chuffed.
like the ELO boxset the sound is brilliant as the discs are the most recent remasters with extra tracks etc.
― mark e, Tuesday, 12 June 2012 20:16 (11 months ago) Permalink
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0075LTOR2/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0QMGFXM2HYPQVNG95GAK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=317819927&pf_rd_i=468294
another month, another cheap boxset.heavyweight cardboard covers + 2 cds of extras (remixes/singles/b-sides etc) all for £55the remastering is amazing.makes me glad i never picked up any of the individual albums
― mark e, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 16:26 (9 months ago) Permalink
Most of these are even better deals for US people -- that Roxy Music one is $81, which would be... 51 pounds?
― your native bacon (mh), Tuesday, 7 August 2012 18:23 (9 months ago) Permalink
its clearly a new direction after the recent overpriced deluxe boxsets that the labels are now exploring.this year alone i have got the byrds, elo, simple minds, neil young, bruce springsteen, roxy music catalogues.if they had done them up a la pink floyd, beatles et al, then i would never have bothered.in fact i do wonder if emi will re-release the floyd material in a more slimmed down/budget style.i much prefer this simple approach of just the albums in a nice box like they have with kraftwerk.
― mark e, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 18:46 (9 months ago) Permalink
Miles Davis: 20 Classic Albums, 10 CDs for 14 quid:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miles-Davis-Classic-Albums-10CD/dp/B004UVCOZ4
The Real Bob Dylan, 3CDs for a fiver:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Bob-Dylan/dp/B0096YP8G2
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:33 (3 months ago) Permalink
Some of the out-of-copyright things released by those Real Gone people look amazing - I'm excited by the thought of the Ernest Tubb and Stanley Brothers ones, and would be by the George Jones and Faron young ones if I didn't have big chunks of those already.
If I was in the market for jazz I'd be hoovering up tons of those - the Coltrane Prestige one looks insanely good value.
― Tim, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:54 (3 months ago) Permalink
xpost
Dubious abt the Miles box - it's all the out-of-copyright stuff (some of it v early and not absolutely terrific) and has been digitally remastered (from what source?) Obv it's still a tremendous bargain, but you can get the legit releases, often w/ gd bonus tracks and sleevenotes, for next to nothing these days, anyway.
― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:57 (3 months ago) Permalink
Coltrane Prestige one looks insanely good value
A lot of those recs are p routine hard bop albs, tbh.
― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:58 (3 months ago) Permalink
I agree with that up to a point, Ward, though some of these at <£1 per LP, are even closer to nothing than next-to-nothing.
You'd assume they were mastered from previous CD reissues, right? I mean, given that the company making them will be cutting every possible cost as far as they can, that would be the cheapest way of doing it.
xpost - I'm not the man to discuss the quality of Coltrane records, really, having been off The Jazz for may years now, but when I was interested in Coltrane the hard bop stuff was the stuff I liked best. I realise what a disgusting savage that makes me, but sometimes you just have to live with these things.
― Tim, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:02 (3 months ago) Permalink
I'm with Tim, actually; Prestige-era Coltrane is a hell of a lot more fun to listen to than furrowed-brow, voice-of-God-through-the-horn Impulse!-era Coltrane.
― 誤訳侮辱, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:08 (3 months ago) Permalink
The Real Bob Dylan, 3CDs for a fiver:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Bob-Dylan/dp/B0096YP8G2
That's ... crazy! Not 'out-of-copyright' stuff, but Sony/CBS
I mean, I have enough Dylan, so won't be. But, still..
― Mark G, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:20 (3 months ago) Permalink
I think Amazon credits you with a £1 music download when you spend that £5 too.
― Stop Gerrying Me! (onimo), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 15:27 (3 months ago) Permalink
There's a lot of artists in the CBS "The real..." series, and they are often in HMV's "Two for £10" offer. There's a Johnny Cash set which compiles 6 of his early 60s LPs, a Miles Davis that includes 5 late 50s / early 60s LPs, the Dylan one is slightly different as it's a good overview of his career rather than a compilation of existing albums. There are similar sets for RCA acts too, I picked up a 3 CD Elvis set which concentrated on his 50s output for £3 in Sainsburys last year.
― Rob M Revisited, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:19 (3 months ago) Permalink
Any notable classical boxes worth buying on the cheap?
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:53 (3 months ago) Permalink
Almost certainly. What periods/composers are you interested in?
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:55 (3 months ago) Permalink
Interested in anything baroque or impressionist.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:56 (3 months ago) Permalink
The huge Debussy Edition released by DG/Universal not long ago is full of good stuff, very good choices taken from the DG/Decca/Philips catalogues.
Last year's giant EMI box of Delius is a great deal too.
On the 'impressionist' tip.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:06 (3 months ago) Permalink
Harmonia Mundi UK is flogging this great box for a mere 15 quids: http://www.amazon.co.uk/La-Musique-Lumières-Music-Enlightenment/dp/B005BZBY1I/
Includes the full recording of Rene Jacobs' great Figaro amongst others.
I make knowing these box bargains my business. Craftily watching the listings on various sites has netted me the incredible Scarlatti Scott Ross box for 30 notes or so amongst other deals. A very good tool for this is the excellently-named pricenoia.com
Oh and that Debussy Edition Jon mentioned really is worth every penny.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
If you need to be sold on the Mozart (which was 30 quid retail on its own when released): http://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/09/figaro_netrebko.html
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 17:41 (3 months ago) Permalink
Sorry to geek out over pricing but the Debussy is now 32 quids on Amazon UK - cheapest I've ever seen it.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Thursday, 31 January 2013 20:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
Thanks for the tip, I ordered the Debussy comp. Love everything by him that I've heard, and that's a ridiculous price.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:12 (3 months ago) Permalink
Tuomas, you should post your thoughts on one of the classical threads as you work your way through it!
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:29 (3 months ago) Permalink
I dunno, coming from a dance/electronic music background, I don't think I'm well versed to talk about classical music. I only own a handful of classical records, and I've only seen a few concerts (plus a few operas)... All I know is that I've really liked every Debussy recording I've heard; to me, there's something airy and beautifully simple in that stuff that I've not heard in earlier, more "complex" and frilly classical music I heard (which I do also appreciate, but not probably enough to get buy an 18 CD box set).
― Tuomas, Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:49 (3 months ago) Permalink
Heard, heard, heard, I should find new words!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Debussy-Edition-Claude-Achille/dp/B00742LLKU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359673052&sr=8-1&keywords=debussy+box
Hope this is the same. Just ordered it! Thanks for the tip.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:00 (3 months ago) Permalink
the so called "classic" 10cc albums ..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Album-Selection-Ten-Cc/dp/B009GWHUS8/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359675088&sr=1-3
brilliant stuff ..
― mark e, Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:32 (3 months ago) Permalink
xpost yes that's the same set.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:36 (3 months ago) Permalink
Pretty excited!
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 1 February 2013 02:31 (3 months ago) Permalink
all i want is a killing joke boxset ... is that really too much to ask for ...
― mark e, Friday, 1 February 2013 08:17 (3 months ago) Permalink
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Albums-Dances-Night-Boxed/dp/B0093LKOGM/
;-)
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 08:41 (3 months ago) Permalink
not good enough.
want a nice boxset with all the classic emi/virgin era albums in replica cardboard sleeves a la elo/byrds/simple minds etc ..
its surely only a matter of time ..
― mark e, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:33 (3 months ago) Permalink
Thanks for the heads-up on the enlightenment box CtC - seems insanely good value + is just the sort of thing I feel like I want to spend some time with now, find out something new.
― woof, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:41 (3 months ago) Permalink
This Stravinsky box is definitely worth a look: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Works-Igor-Stravinsky/dp/B000PTYUQG/
Anyway, I thought we were all meant to be boycotting Amazon.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 10:45 (3 months ago) Permalink
Why?
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:01 (3 months ago) Permalink
In Britain, a lot of anger lately over their tax-dodging:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/03/amazon-google-starbucks-tax-avoidance
Plus the usual more general issues - squeeze on smaller merchants, emerging monopoly, bad terms offered to affiliates, publishers, authors etc
― woof, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:12 (3 months ago) Permalink
Not worth trying the "we" thing here.
Tax issues may be one reason to feel slightly peeved at Amazon (I don't myself but understand why others might) but the rest of it appears to be the usual denial routine.
None of the "smaller merchants" will admit to themselves that they are rubbish; it makes them feel better to bleat about an "emerging monopoly" rather than get off their backsides and restructure their business and their attitude (the latter especially important) so that they can offer decent competition to Amazon, rather than waiting for someone to come and drop a succession of fifty-quid notes through their front door.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:22 (3 months ago) Permalink
i'm all for crushing capitalists of any size but i think economies of scale might make it not v. straightforward to "compete" with hulking sales behemoths? i dunno, economics is shit to me
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:25 (3 months ago) Permalink
xp Not sure how those smaller merchants are supposed to compete with the combination of Amazon's relentless squeezing of suppliers and shall we say "favourable" tax arrangements. I think it's perfectly legitimate to expect a more level playing field, and Amazon are becoming a monopoly provider if not de jure then certainly de facto. How would you suggest small providers "restructure their businesses" to be able to compete in these circumstances? Redundancies all round?
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:27 (3 months ago) Permalink
The book industry should maybe look at what happened to HMV and how all the indie record shops in London have survived, which seems a complete inversion of the David/Goliath competition set-up. Doing it on an unequal playing field is possible, even if sometimes you have to wait for Goliath to trip up.
I would say that small providers need to stop being lazy and complacent, learn about running a business and stop regarding their little independent shop as a display of their own collection.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:29 (3 months ago) Permalink
The EMI Mahler box is pretty good. The complete works on 16 CDs for only £18, all good recordings and conducted by Klemperer, Rattle, Barbirolli etc. Packaging is minimal but attractive nonetheless:
www.amazon.co.uk/Gustav-Mahler-Complete-Works-Anniversary/dp/B003D0ZNWY/
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:36 (3 months ago) Permalink
woof: You are very welcome and I'm sure you will enjoy it.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:36 (3 months ago) Permalink
xxp Can you provide examples of this complacency? Or is it just a question of Amazon's prices being consistently lower? Because if it's the latter then there are structural reasons for this that can't simply be blamed on laziness or complacency.
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
oh wow if i had £18 that i wasnae going to waste on rum :\
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
I have lots of sympathy for small record stores, but in here Internet distribution had sadly already done its damage before I even started ordering stuff from Amazon. Most of the records I order from there are the sort of stuff no record store in Helsinki has sold in years, so I feel no guilt over that. The local and more obscure stuff I still get from local stores, as well as used records.
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
Another Mahler bargain on Amazon is the Tennstedt box. 16 CDs for 16 squids as of right now and rumoured to be one of the best cycles.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
Here it is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Klaus-Tennstedt-Complete-Mahler-Recordings/dp/B004OGDW4M/
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:38 (3 months ago) Permalink
fuggit i am treating myself to the Mahler next payday if it's still that price. also it will be good to give a shoeing to lazy complacent independent retailers.
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:38 (3 months ago) Permalink
stickin' it to that lazy old man
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
they should get on their bikes and look for customers
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:40 (3 months ago) Permalink
Noted independent record store devotee Norman Tebbit
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:41 (3 months ago) Permalink
Mary Portas vs ILM up in here!
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:42 (3 months ago) Permalink
Looks like that Tennstedt box sticks to the symphonies, so if you want yr Kindertotenlieder etc then go for the EMI box instead.
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:42 (3 months ago) Permalink
Can anyone recommend one of the Sibelius Symphonies boxes? I have a couple of Rattle discs but wouldn't mind a complete set.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:43 (3 months ago) Permalink
I was kinda wondering: why are these classical box sets selling for so much lower price than box sets in most other genres? Is it because they don't have to pay royalties for the composers? On the other hand, many/most of them feature a lot more players than your typical pop/rock record... Do these performers get any royalties from records sold?
― Tuomas, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:45 (3 months ago) Permalink
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk looks half decent although no doubt they are struggling to compete with Amazon prices.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 12:46 (3 months ago) Permalink
This is the Sibelius bargain of the minute: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Complete-Symphonies-Tapiola-Finlandia/dp/B0091JQH2Q/
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:53 (3 months ago) Permalink
look at that lazy website tho, they shd get rid of all that content nonsense and concentrate on bunging me tax-exempt CDs from the Channel Islands hand-packaged by children
― Hermann Hesher (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 February 2013 12:53 (3 months ago) Permalink
Presto is great. Fast delivery and often cheaper than Amazon. One of the better examples of a well-curated online shop.
― Head Cheerleader, Homecoming Queen and part-time model (ShariVari), Friday, 1 February 2013 13:04 (3 months ago) Permalink
Cheers OG - looks like promising.
― millmeister, Friday, 1 February 2013 13:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
ShariVari xp: agree, that's where the competition needs to be. Constructive answer in amongst mounds of misplaced student union sarcasm.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 1 February 2013 13:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
personally I wasn't being sarcastic, but thanks.
― Neil S, Friday, 1 February 2013 13:45 (3 months ago) Permalink
For a Sibelius box (and yay we are talking about my other favorite composer now) I would give the slight edge to this older EMI set. The symphonies here are with the Helsinki SO and recorded in the 80s rather than the 70s (but the digital sound picture is not bad in the way a lot of early-digital stuff can be, and the Helsinki are great and there are no dud interpretations) plus you get 4 and a half discs of the equally important tone poems, theatrical incidental music, and myth-based cantatas:
http://www.amazon.com/Sibelius-Complete-Symphonies-Tone-Poems/dp/B00005MIZT/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1359736483&sr=8-5&keywords=sibelius+berglund
More compact, beautifully recorded in 70s analog, and brought off with tons of personality is this set of the symphonies and a few tone poems with Colin Davis and the Boston SO. Davis' later Sibelius recordings with the London SO are not near this level:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Symphonies-Boston-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B007CW2FFM/ref=sr_1_39?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359736428&sr=1-39
For the two Mahler sets discussed above, I would DEFINITELY opt for the mixed-conductor Klemperer/Barbirolli/Rattle set rather than the all-Tennstedt one. I know the idea of a whole cycle in one conductor's interpretations is seductive but with Mahler's symphonies there simply is no one conductor who's gotten all nine (or ten) right.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 February 2013 16:42 (3 months ago) Permalink