Top box sets 2010: From Bowie to Beatles' Apple reissues
Though digital downloads are now the preferred format for many music listeners, you still can’t beat the extras that come with a well-conceived box set. Here’s a guide to some of the more notable multi-disc packages released this year (listed alphabetically by artist):
David Bowie, “Station to Station -- Deluxe Edition: The Ultimate Fan Experience” (EMI, $165.98): This over-stuffed box is for hardcore Bowie-philes only, a trove of music and memorabilia from his brilliant if drug-zonked “Thin White Duke” phase. In 1976, Bowie released “Station to Station,” a futuristic mix of space-rock, funk and electronic music, bridging “Ziggy Stardust” glam and his experimental Berlin albums. Two differently mastered CDs are included, plus DVD and vinyl incarnations (Where’s the cassette and eight-track versions?). The prize is a previously unreleased ’76 concert, with Bowie in top form with a killer band. Fans on a budget can get the essentials in a more affordable three-CD format.
Bob Dylan, “The Original Mono Recordings” (Sony, $129.98): This is Dylan as he intended to be heard on his first eight, game-changing studio albums, from “Bob Dylan” (1962) through “John Wesley Harding” (1967). “Original Mono Recordings” is a long overdue addition to his official catalog; bootlegs and used vinyl copies of the original mono recordings have been selling at exorbitant prices for years. During most of the ‘60s, mono was the preferred format, and Dylan and his engineers focused most of their energies on getting the mixes just right. That’s especially apparent on the classic “Blonde on Blonde” (1966). Though fans may prefer the sharper separation of the instruments on the stereo mixes, the mono versions get at the heart of Dylan’s rough and tumble sound, with the vocals in the midst of the instrumental fray rather than pushed out in front of it. The rockers especially sound more menacing than ever; “Like a Rolling Stone” has never sounded better.
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