Are Box Sets worth the money and if so what is your favorite Box Set?

Good afternoon Mike :)

I think this totally depends on both the band/artist, and the actual set.

I personally have bought a few over the years, mostly when I am still making my way into their music, but chosen based on getting a good selection of output {eg: a lot of rarer songs in one place, rather than having to be 7 or 8 albums for that one track} - I refuse to buy 'yet another' compilation album, even by one of my favourites, unless there is something *very* special on it.

For example, I refused to buy the Sandy Denny 19-disc boxed set, because I already have all those studio albums, and it wasn't worth it for a few alternative mixes, live versions or home-demos {i have listened to the tracks on the 4-disc version online, and they are not good} - though I would have loved the book that went with it.

I bought the Fleetwood Mac 4-disc boxed set "25 Years: The Chain", when I was still just generally into the 1967-1970 & 1975-1989 eras {at this point I only had 4 studio albums, and a couple of PG years 'best of' albums}.

Though the majority of this set was from the post-1975 era, there was a good selection from both the Peter Green and Bob Welch years, which got me into those parts I was missing, and began my journey to those studio albums. Also, several of the 1975+ tracks were alternative or unedited takes {13}, 4 live performances, and 7 previously unreleased songs (one by Danny Kirwan).

Stevie Nicks' "The Enchanted Works of" 3-disc set, which came out when I was really getting into her solo work alongside expanding my FM collection, gave a nice selection to stand beside her studio albums. The 'known' songs are on the first two discs, though 4 are remixes, one is an extended version, and one is a live performance from her first solo tour {which you can not officially get an audio of, just a VHS}, plus two b-sides and 'Desert Angel' {which was only on the "Timespace" best-of album, which was actually the first Stevie album I bought}.

But the 16 tracks on disc 3 is where it really gets interesting: we have a Buckingham Nicks track; another b-side; 3 top-quality demos; John Stewart's 'Gold' on which Stevie sang backing; another live "Bella Donna tour" track {'Gold and Braid', which has never had a studio release}; 2 unreleased album session songs; a specially recorded piano/vocal version of 'Rhiannon'; and 6 songs that went to film soundtracks which many of us may never have been aware of.

The final one I recommend is Mike Oldfield's "The Platinum Collection", from 2006.

I had got properly into Mike's work around this time, and had most of his studio albums, so the majority of the first 2 discs were of no interest, being extracts of his main studio work, and several shorter pieces {most of which I had on the 2CD "The Complete Mike Oldfield" - which also features 4 very good live tracks}. However, amongst these were 4 extended versions, and a track-with-hidden-track from "The Killing Fields".

But again it is disc 3 hiding the pieces that made it worth buying: a long-gone single, in an extended version; a club mix {with different singer} of an album track; 4 12" versions; and a single version of the opener to "Tubular Bells 2".

Love 'em! Boxes like The Velvet Underground - "Peel Slowly And See" spans their entire career with all of their album and includes demos and live stuff. It's a great way to get them all specially (if like me) didn't have any of their albums prior. The tops of my CD racks are littered with them. Another and more recent favorite is Asp - Der Komplette Schwarzer Schmetterling - Zyklus I-V, a 10-CD set of their entire career up to 2011.

No, they're hardly ever worth it. In the case of older bands you may even find the sum of the albums is less than the box set (I think it's the case with Judas Priest at the moment).

Mike I only have two one by The Monkees, and of Donovan, and they both are great sets. But I have looked at others and from what I read on them they were not worth the money. Plus the two I have did not cost all that much.

take care

dave

Hey Mike :)

I only have one box set, it was well worth the money I spent on it. There were a lot of songs that I didn't know so I was happy about that.

Simon and Garfunkel

http://www.shop.express.co.uk/csp/exp/readeroffers...

If you love the band that much, absolutely,

Nirvana - With the Lights Out

I have the Beatles Anthology, That is the only thing close to a set that I own.

Mike some can be my friend,but some not so good,im a Queen fan,so i have there's and all great stuff too my friend.