Is that a worst list? “Tracks” may well be the nadir of Springsteen’s career…all the awful songs you hoped you never had to hear from Springsteen, but which he shoves down your throat anyway.
Leave it to RS to give this ego-swelled disaster props, just as they will give Patti Scialfa’s new CD 4 or 5 stars.

the complete bitches brew

The original 4-CD Led Zeppelin box set was excellent

clapton’s crossroads box set
the beatles anthology

The Velvet Underground-Peel Slowly and See

Bob Dylan-Biograph

the pretenders’ “pirate radio”.

with the lights out– nirvana

The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 = OWNED

Tracks rules! Fuck, I’d pay sixy five bucks right now to hear the alternate version of stolen car.

P.S. Patti Scialfa’s cds are great! But I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion particularly if they have realy clever, prescient names. K-Fed Up! Jay Leno would be so proud!

Dylan the bootleg series vol 1 – 3

let’s see…

the 4 disc zepplin set
springsteen’s live set (1970something-85)
aerosmith’ s pandora’s box
no thanks! punk set
and for squirts and giggles… kiss’ box set…

i recently found a buddy guy one, but haven’t purchased it yet. anyone know what’s up with that?

The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set
Johnny Cash – Unearthed
The Clash On Broadway

Eric Clapton – Crossroads
The Police – Message in a Box
The Band – A Musical History
Bob Dylan – Biograph
Tom Waits – Orphans, Bawlers and Brawlers
Johnny Cash – Sun Records Years
Johnny Cash – Unearthed

Tom Petty’s Playback

Led Zeppelin ~ 4 CD Set
Eric Clapton ~ Crossroads
Santana ~ Dance of the Rainbow Serpent
ACDC ~ Bonfire

i hear neil young’s archives will be coming out next year. that will be great.

Led Zeppelin- How The West Was Won
Nirvana- With The Lights Out
Tom Waits- Orphans
Cactus- Barely Contained/The Live Gigs

also…
Pearl Jam ~ Live at The Gorge 05/06

back to mono- phil spector
peel slowly and see- velvet underground
complete recordings- led zeppelin

Did we ever get the complete list for the best guitar solo’s from last week?

Phil Spector – Back To Mono, of course

the cd will never be gone as long as pcs still have cdr drives…

Seriously, check out that Nuggets collection. I did, based on this publication’s review, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s like finding out there were bands like Green Day and The Hold Steady in 1967. DL all the discs onto one giant mix and just wonder at what never made American Bandstand and then wonder at the powers that be, that controlled the airwaves then, that control the airwaves now (as Rupert Murdoch is poised to buy out the Wall Street Journal).

The 4-disc Otis Redding one is pretty stellar.

Nirvana – With The Lights Out

led zeppelin – how the west was won

nirvana – with the lights out

the clash- clash on broadway

the smashing pumpkins – the aeroplane flies high…

5 singles, and 23 b-sides from the Mellon Collie-era…you can’t beat that.

Since The Band, Dylan, Zeppelin, and Velvet Underground sets were already mentioned, I’ll opt for Al Green – The Immortal Soul of Al Green

Complete Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Gil evens and Miles davis

Duke Ellignton Centenial collection

Bob Dylan Biography

Talking heads Brick

Joy Division Heart and soul

The Cure connect the dots

Echo and the bunnyman Crystal Days

with the lights out – Nirvana

Metallica- Live Shit Bindge Purge
Alice In Chains- Music Bank

U2’s Complete Works on iTunes when they came out with the iPod special edition only whets my appetite for a definitive U2 box set….but I remember Clash on Broadway vividly and also the Led Zeppelin set 4 cassette (!) set

Led Zeppelin’s “box”
The Police’s “Message in a Box”
AC/DC’s “Bonfire” (although they could use another)
KISS’s “box set” (although it has a lot of shit)
Elton John’s “To Be Continued…” is really good

simon and garfunkel “completed works”

its all the albums so yu realli cant complain about sumthing being left out, n the body of work speaks for itself

‘Good Vibrations’ 30 Years of the Beach Boys was classic. On the other hand, I thought that Nirvana’s ‘With the Lights Out’ was horrible. It took me from the status of a fan that truly believed that they had a legacy to believing that Kurt Cobain was nothing better than a talented junkie who’s music should stay where it belongs, in the 1990s. Just my two cents….

The Who Maximum R&B

Gotta go with “The Doo Wop Box”. Just a killer collection from a nice era of pop history.

Dylan’s Biograph set the standard in terms of including unreleased material that was as good as the previously released, and then The Bootleg Series 1-3 hit it out of the ballpark.

Dylan Biography
Nuggets
Eric Clapton Crossroads

Aerosmith – “Box of Fire”

Classic.

nirvana > with the lights out

Oasis-Stop the Clocks Special Edition

Not only did the package include the outstanding track list, but a great DVD. The DVD had a nice interview with Liam & Noel Gallagher, some live concert footage, etc. You don’t get a better summary than this in terms of greatest hits or whatever unless its the Beatles Anthology.

nirvana > with the lights out

“No Thanks” the 70’s punk collection on Rhino.

Velvet Underground, Byrds, and Led Zeppelin are the kings of the whole box set thing. Honorable mention to the Talking Heads though.

James Brown – Star Time
Steely Dan – Citizen Steely Dan and The Police – Message in a Box and Cream – Those Were the Days(how can you go wrong when you put every single song in there?)

Response to K-Fed Up:

Have you even listened to Springsteen’s Tracks?? some great tunes are on that box set.

Left of the Dial. Joy Division box, A Life Less Lived.

Yeah K-Fed must have some pretty bad taste in music. Tracks is for the most part awesome. To think that some of those songs are Bruce’s outtakes and are better than the majority of other artists songs. A couple great albums can be put together with the tunes on there.

And how is Springsteen an ego-swelled disaster? He has the most integrity of any artist IMO…never sold out and not afraid to record what he wants and not just rehash another Rock album every couple of years.

Marvin Gaye- The Master: an excellent four CD set that chronicles his entire career. Some great unreleased songs too.

Elvis- the complete 50s Masters: a must have in anyone’s collection.

CCR- their six CD set is indispensible, including not only their entire recording output, but a full disc dedicated to their formulative years as the Golliwogs.

The Byrds- There is a Season: Ok so this is their second box, but they certainly improved on it by including a few pre-Columbia recordings as well as a few more Gene Clark songs.

There are a few sets that are just too expensive like the Buffalo Springfield Box and Nuggets 2. I have the first Nuggets box set and it is excellent, though “96 Tears” is a glaring omission.

Metallica – Live Shit: Binge and Purge.
2 DVDs and 3 CDs = 3 complete concerts. Come on, what more can you ask for.

Led Zep’s 4 cd box set (not the complete discography but, with very few exceptions, all the best).
The Who – Maximum Rn’B (again not everything i was looking for, but still a great selection).
Steely Dan 4 cd box set (such an underrated band and so many great songs! not a filler in sight!)

Hey RowHouse, are you Bruce or Wenner in disguise?

Sex, America, Cheap Trick

The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper

Tom Petty: Playback

Aerosmith: Pandora’s Box and Box of Fire

Black Crowes: Sho’ Nuff

I’d have to agree with K-Fed….the Boss is so fucking overrated it’s not even funny. Great live performer, but the albums are lame.

I’d go with Pink Floyd, Shine On, you fuckers.

The Aeroplane Flies High

Billy Joel — My Lives: Lots of cool stuff on here, a testament to his songwriting genius.

smashing pumpkins-aeroplaine flies high

No Thanks: the 70s Punk Rebellion

Peel Slowly and See: The Velvet Underground

Springsteen – Tracks. CD4 is a little weak for Bruce but still good. The rest are awesome.

The Bobby Darin box set

I’m definitely lovin Pearl Jam’s “LIve at the Gorge” from their live tour.

Were you there too, Saint?

Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)

The Pet Sounds Sessions (The Beach Boys)

Peel Slowly and See (Velvet Underground)

Between Thought and Expression (Lou Reed)

Back to Mono (Phil Spector)

Guilty (Randy Newman)

The Complete Recordings (Robert Johnson)

Sony Music: Soundtrack For A Century

The Great Deceiver: Live 1972-1974 (King Crimson)

any of Rhino’s “Have a Nice Day” sets … excellent packaging

Have to start any collection with these three:

Miles Davis -Complete Bitches Brew Sessions
Miles Davis -Miles Davis & John Coltrane-Complete on Columbia
Miles Davis -Complete Jack Johnson Sessions

Then add:

Bob Dylan -Biograph
The Band -A Musical History
King Crimson -21st Century Guide: Volumes One & Two
Jeff Beck -Beckology
John Coltrane -Complete Jazz Quartet Recordings

grace legacy edition

Alice In Chains – Music Bank

“Weird Al” Yankovic – Permanent Record

Aerosmith – Box of Fire

Tom Petty – Playback

Led Zeppelin – Remasters 4 CD box set

Springsteen – Tracks
Billy Joel – My Lives
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds Sessions

I agree with the inclusion of ‘Star Time’ but Springsteen is the kind of a**hole who could form a whole new dimension with his personal brand of a**holery (and that is a verb, I checked).

Although realistically most box sets are not necessary from start to finish, most can be cut down to two discs or so of genius; like that big Ray Charles box from the early 90s or The Faces box (’Five Guys Walk Into A Bar,’ which should also be included in this list). Also the Beach Boys box which is worth it alone for the Smile sessions stuff

Dylan/Biograph- If you only ever buy one Dylan release, this should be it…covers all aspects of Dylan’s career through its release date

Police/Message In A Box- Complete studio recordings, including B-sides
A must have…

Jeff Beck/Beckology- The BBA material on the second set is a little weak, but otherwise an astounding collection of rock’s best current guitarist…combine this with his greatest hits single disc and you have a killer set

Yes/In A Word, Yes- Best compilation of Yes material through their last studio album, Magnification

ELO/Flashback- Beautiful sounding remasters of the band no one admits to loving… the first disc alone is worth the price of the entire set-includes much of the early material, especially El Dorado and Roll Over Beethoven

Chicago/Box- Beautiful packaging and music from all phases of the band’s career…as always, the early Terry Kath years are presented with loving fondness, and the 80s singles era as well. There are also songs from more obscure times, including the big band album and the Stone of Sisyphus album (never released)…if you are a Chicago fan, this is a must-have

XTC/Coat of Many Cupboards- Set covers most of the history of XTC through early live recordings, B-sides, unreleased materials, demoes, and does include some previously released material, along with liner notes from Mssrs. Partridge and Moulding. Liner notes alone are worth the price of the entire box…p.s.-does include some Dukes of Stratasphere material!

Al Stewart/Just Yesterday-About a year ago, this box set made an appearance in my life, and I cannot quit playing it! Stewart’s early albums are given a good deal of coverage, though I would have liked more. His most popular period, 1976-1981, is of course well documented, and his prolific output over the last ten or so years is also covered, including the excellent Shells On The Beach. Includes some B-sides and rarities…

Led Zep-4 disc remasters

Dylan-Biograph
VU-Peel Slowly
Miles-Complete Bitches Brew
TWaits-Orphans…
Flaming Lips-Finally the Punk Rockers are Taking Acid
CVB-Cigarettes & Carrot Juice

Eddies Archive – Iron Maiden
The first 10 years box – Iron Maiden
Music Bank – Alice in Chains
The Beatles EP and Singles collections

The Velvet Underground- Peel Slowly and See

LED ZEP Complete studio recordings

Bowie: Sound and Vision

The British Invasion (the Rhino version)

the anthology of american folk music

box of pearls- janis

fruit tree- nick drake

a musical history- the band

the anthology of american folk music

box of pearls- janis

fruit tree- nick drake

a musical history- the band

tracks w/o question for a lot of other bands 1 disc would be a greatest hits bruce is still one of the best songwriters ever. oasis stop the clocks wish it had more b sides, they still have some of the best b sides out there. the most rocknroll band of the 90’s and one of the most important bands to come out of that time. good mention tom waits and petty

Kiss actually put out a great box set!!

john lennon anthology great set

let’s make one thing clear……a box set is not a box with all an artist’s cds in it. I box set is a collection of alot of the artists songs as well as some rare,live,demo or otherwise unavailible songs from the past.
Led Zepplin- complete recordings is NOT a box set…..neither is the DOORS complete recordings. Led zepplin’s 4 disc set is a box set as is THE DOORS first box set.

shine on – pink floyd
live shit binge & purge – metallica
with the lights out – nirvana

For me the greatest box set is Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music (Mango – 1993). This is the perfect introduction to Reggae music. This is to Reggae what Star Time is to Funk. The holy grail.

Peel Slowly and See!

I just looked at my modest collection
I
Marvin Gaye .. The Master 1961-1984 .. my favorite set.
I
I
The Jefferson Airplane Loves You … a waist of money

Pearl Jam- live at the gorge

doors-4cd boxset( the one with the MSG concert)

the who-max RNB

Pearl Jam- live at the gorge

doors-4cd boxset( the one with the MSG concert)

the who-max RNB

Bonfire – AC/DC

Biograph: Bob Dylan
Tracks: Bruce Springsteen
Peel Slowly And See: The Velvet Undeground
The King Of Rock And Roll (The 1950’s): Elvis Presley
Star Time!: James Brown
Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection
The first Nuggets boxed set
The Doo-Wop Box (from Rhino)
The Essential Johnny Cash (the 3-disc set)
The Stiff Records Boxed Set

“Peel Slowly And See” The Velvet Underground
“With The Light Out” Nirvana
“Songs Of Freedom” Bob Marley
“Shine On” Pink Floyd
“Heart And Soul” Joy Division

“Peel Slowly And See” The Velvet Underground
“With The Light Out” Nirvana
“Songs Of Freedom” Bob Marley
“Shine On” Pink Floyd
“Heart And Soul” Joy Division

“Peel Slowly And See” The Velvet Underground
“With The Light Out” Nirvana
“Songs Of Freedom” Bob Marley
“Shine On” Pink Floyd
“Heart And Soul” Joy Division

James Brown: Star Time
Tom Petty: Playback
Various Artists: Can You Dig It? The ’70s Soul Experience
The Cure: Join The Dots
Bob Dylan: Biograph
Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series
Eric Clapton: Crossroads
Neil Young: Decade
ZZ Top: Chrome, Smoke & BBQ
Various Artists: Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues
Prince: The Hits / The B-Sides
Bruce Springsteen: Live / 1975 – 85
Bruce Springsteen: Tracks
Stevie Wonder: At The Close Of A Century (Yes, the 4th disc is nearly worthless, but the first 3 more than make up for it…)

Live sh*t: binge & purge- Metallica
Boom box- No Doubt

nirvana – with the lights out

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Playback

A Piano: The Collection
By: Tori Amos

Genesis Archive 1967-75

Pink Floyd – Shine On

Aerosmith’s Pandora’s Box is a great box set…Their best stuff stopped when Permanaent Vacation came out.

“Star Time” I would rank number 1 on Time’s list of the one hundred greatest albums.

“Star Time” I would rank number 1 on Time’s list of the one hundred greatest albums.

“Star Time” I would rank number 1 on Time’s list of the one hundred greatest albums.

“Star Time” I would rank number 1 on Time’s list of the one hundred greatest albums.

Time magzazine chose Aretha Franklin over James Brown as the Soul artist of the 20th century. She is a better singer, and better on the keyboards.

Dylan – “Biograph”
Velvets – “Peel Slowly”
Rush – “Chronicles”
Pressure Boys – “Complete”

The Smashing Pumpkins-The Aeroplane Flies High.

Alice in Chains-Music bank

The Complete STAX-VOLT Singles 1959 – 1968. Enough said.

I agree with most of these; I’m not a Bruce Springsteen fan, though. How about:

Fats Domino: They Call Me the Fat Man or the newer one that replaced it

Little Feat: Hotcakes and Outtakes

Already mentioned:

Elvis Presley: The Complete 50s Masters

Phil Spector: Back to Mono
The Stax-Volt set is great! Lots of hidden treasures on it.

Has The Beatles’ 1 been mentioned yet?

1.2.3.4. punk rock set

SEX AMERICA CHEAP TRICK by cheap trick….one of the most criminally underrated bands of all-time.

Muddy Waters: The Anthology

Any Patsy Cline Box set, or Julie London box set.

Fruit Tree – Nick Drake

Are you kidding me? The people the mentioned Nirvana’s “With The Lights Out” box set must be kidding me. That steaming pile of crap was the biggest waste of I believe 70 dollars at the time.

Any REAL Nirvana fan would recognize how shitty it was. What a horrible collection, and even “Silver: The Best Of The Box” wasn’t worth the two dollars it is now selling for.

Willie Dixon The Chess Box

Bonfire – AC/DC
Atlantic Rock & Roll Box

Nirvana’s “With the Light out”, albeit a bit bloated, is high up there. The best “new” tracks dissected, including the only live recorded “Talk to Me”, make up a truly great album. Assuming you count some of the not properly recorded great songs like “Do Re Mi”. It would be a recycled album, but a damn good one at that. “Oh the Guilt” could be a smash on the radio, although radio sucks and I don’t listen to it.

Genesis 1976-82

The Kinks box set, you morons.

Pet Sounds Sessions
Phil Spector Back to Mono
Bob Dylan Biograph or Bootleg 1-3

Frank Sinatra – The Reprise Collection

at the end of the 60’s the Rolling Stones released a cloth covered box set in France on Decca records. it had pictures of one band member on each of the five discs; a french cut t-shirt, with glitter, in a sealed plastic bag;four albums of studio tracks including “Memo From Turner”;disc 5 was “Get Your Ya Yas out”

Miles Davis: The Complete Bitches Brew sessions

The Last Waltz

Biograph: Bob Dylan

I agree with the Cheap Trick and Velvet Underground box sets. But I have to list ” Clash On Broadway” as my favorite. I didn’t see that one much. That has to rank up there with the best of the Box Sets.

Product by the BUZZCOCKS!

‘The Clash On Broadway’

Louie Armstrong’s ‘The Complete Hot Fives and Sevens’

‘Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton’

‘Anthology of American Folk Music’

… and when the hell is someone going to put out a Van Morrison box set?

The reason there’s no Van Morrison box is that it would have to contain 10- 15 disks. Look at the quality and enormity of the man’s catalogue.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Playback”.
The Who, “Maximum R & B”.
Pink Floyd, “Shine On”.
Eric Clapton, “Crossroads”.

MetallicA – Live Shit Binge & Purge

Pretty crappy when you fork out $90 for a box set thinking that this is the definitive collection only to have a larger more complete collection issue 10 years later…with better production values plus 100 page booklets!!!

E.L.O & The Monkees are good are good cases of point here.

Atlantic R&B 1947-1974. Eight CDs crammed with gems from Ruth Brown, Chuck Willis, LaVern Baker, Ray Charles (pre-strings), Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Don Covay, Sam & Dave … unbeatable sampling of this genre. Of course, Atco ripped off most of these artists, but so did Chess and most other labels.
I bought the LP version of this years ago and bought it again on CD.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set. All that is needed on it is the insane live version of Red House but it has some much more live cuts and unreleased material. It showcases why Jimi is a guitar god.

Neil Young – Decade

It doesn’t get much better than James Brown’s “Star Time”.

King Crimson- The Great Deceiver

1) Woody Guthrie – Asch Recording vols. 1-4

2) Bob Dylan – Biograph

3) That first Led Zeppelin box set

The Band – The Last Waltz

The recent boxset has a bunch of tracks that weren’t on the original LP box, and that show was the best f-ing concert in the history of rock.

The KISS box set is amazing.

rod stewart’s box set, going back to the days with Faces

As mentioned previously the Atlanta R & B 8 CD Set is incredible. Give it a listen and here histrory in the making. Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Ray Charles and the almighty Professor Longhair leading up to Otis and Aretha; it doesn’t get much better.

And then you have those singles like “Mashed Potatoes”, “Skinny Legs and All”, “Tighten Up” and “Mephis Soul Stew”.

Also, Jimmy Buffett’s “Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads” on a 100+ degree day like today or a sub-zero February day can’t be beat.

“I shot 6 holes in my freezer,
I think I got cabin fever.”

And artists I wish had a box set out:

Dire Straits
Supertramp
Bob Seger
Dr. John

I will continue to be a rebel and buy the whole package. Nothing is better than actually sitting and listening to a set of music all the way through while devouring the liner notes.

I don’t think I want Phil Spector’s “Back to Mono”

live sh*t – metallica

Pearl Jam – Live at The Gorge

The “No Thanks” Punk Box set, such a wonderful stuff

Tori Amos’ “A Piano”.
C’mon, that box is great: the package is a keyboard!

Neil Young’s Archives Vol. 1 — oh wait, never mind……

Playback – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Traveling Wilburys Deluxe Edition

Garth Brooks “Double-Live”

Led Zeppelin’s first box set;not only a great package but jimmy page was finally allowed to re-master his music to modern sonic levels

Van Halen – right here , right now LIVE

Add The Temptations “Emperors Of Soul”-box set to that list.

Pearl Jam live from the Gorge

this one is only available as an import i think, but it’s from a genius band that deserves to be in the rock and roll hall of fame: THIN LIZZY’S ‘VAGABONDS KINGS WARRIORS ANGELS’….killer stuff.

Bob Marley – SONGS OF FREEDOM
The Police – Message in a Box
Steely Dan – Citizen Steely Dan
Eric Clapton (in this order) – Crossroads II, Crossroads

here is that boxset:http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Vagabonds,_Kings,_Warrio rs,_Angels

Cowabunga! The Surf Set
The Who: 30 Years of Maximum R & B

Does Tom Waits’ Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards qualify as a box set?
if it does, then it belongs on this list

def jam box set:
the first 10 years

hey mario kart
stop posting the same thing twice

oh yeah,
the Band, i forget the name, but its a book with 5 discs instead of a box…tight

Buffalo Springfield Box Set – you can burn a perfect rendition of the lost “Stampede” album from it.

The Beach Boys Good Vibrations – you can burn an almost perfect rendition of the lost “Smile” album from it as well as get the good stuff from the later, weaker albums.

Nuggets II – Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyonds – dozens and dozens of tracks that COULD have topped the charts here during the British Invasion.

The Zombies – Zombie Heaven – Sensational set of timeless pop. You can also put burn a rendition of the “grest lost Zombies” album from it. It includes their great whacked out single, “Indication.

That Ramones box-set with the comic book and 3-D glasses…as well as like sixty-something tracks and a bonus dvd!

tracks-bruce
fruit tree-nick drake
eric clapton-crossoads
b.b. king-king of the blues
george strait-strait out of the box
nirvana-the one that came out a couple years ago
earth, wind, and fire-not sure of the title, came out in about ‘91
james brown-star time
the beach boys-good vibrations
willie dixon-the chess box
fairport convention-unconventional-came out in 2002, has 4 cd’s and a booklet on the career of the band from start to current.
billy bragg-vol. 1 and 2

Tracks what a great choice, a full 4 cds with 90% previosly unreleased, and just great stuff. I am a 33 year Springsteen fan, and it contains some of my favorite Springsteen trax, like Thundercrack. The other tops, Peel Slowly and See-The Velvet Underground, Playback-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Clash on Broadway, Clapton-Crossroads, also The Allman Brothers-Dreams.

Definitely Playback by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

c’mon unearthed by johnny cash, that’s a great one. the third cd (redemption songs) is one of my fav cds ther others are full of good music too from his “american” years.

eric clapto-crossroads!

the doors-legacy

BONFIRE by AC/DC
nuff said

The Life and Music of Richard Thompson
Sam Cooke-Man Who Invented Soul
Nirvana-With the Lights Out
Miles Davis Quintet 1965-68
Sinatra Vegas

with the lights out–nirvana

pearl jam live at the gorge 05/06

Talking Heads – Brick

Smashing Pumpkins – The Aeroplane Flies High

soon to be released Ryan Adams box set

A personal favorite and not mentioned, Lee “Scratch” Perry Arkology compilation, if you are a starter in reggae hear this one, even before Bob Marleys Legend…

Have to agree with all the Miles Davis sessions, after hearing the Bitches Brew or In a Silent Way sessions, you discover so much behind the original album. Thats the reason to issue demos or B-Sides, and by the way, very few compilations achieve that…

im a big fan of the bon fire AC/DC box set

“No Thanks! The ’70s Punk Rebellion” from Rhino Records.
Although no Sex Pistols (they wouldn’t sign over the rights) it perfectly encapsulates everything that made the late 1970s such a monumental musical period. Great stuff.

Damn near everything Rhino puts out:

Nuggets
One Kiss Can Lead to Another
Loud Fast and Out of Control
Doo-Wop Box

Peel Slowly and See – Velvet Underground
The Chess Story

Each Motown singles box set

“When the CD is finally gone”

lol, yeah, I don’t think so.

That Metallica vinyl box from a few years back is pretty friggin sweet. All of their 80’s output on thick 180gram vinyl.
And of course Springsteen Live/1975-85

Nirvana with the lights nothing beats that man!

Steve Winwood’s box set:The Finer Things. Covers everything from Spencer Davis, Traffic, Blind Faith, Solo stuff.

Dylan Biograph

Marvin Gaye

Honestly RS is going to have to hire me soon for pointing out the obvious: Best box set ever is Led Zepplin Box Set..Absolutely no fillers. For those who haven’t seen this gem here’s a link http://en.wikipedia. org/w iki/L ed_Zeppelin_(box_set)

Bob Marley – Songs of Freedom
Stevie Wonder – At the Close of a Century
The Misfits coffin shaped box set

Velvet Underground – Peel Slowly …
Led Zep’s first boxed set

One more for the mix (if this one is listed, I’ve missed it):

Hitsville USA – Motown 1959 – 1971. Can’t beat a box that could have been twice as big (8 discs instead of 4) and not lost any quality whatsoever. Not a bad track in sight!

Of those not mentioned above, “Old Friends” by Simon and Garfunkel; The Byrds’ first box set; “Dreams” by the Allman Brothers; and although it’s not music, “Yeah, and It’s Deep Too” by Richard Pryor, which coolects all 9 of his album performances and adds a bonus CD of unreleased material. You can’t listen to it with the kids around, but on a road trip or stuck in traffic, it will keep you laughing.

Tracks is a FANTASTIC Box set. Disc 3 alone is worth the $50 price tag.

Live 1975-1985 (again Springsteen)is one I play all of the time, even over complete shows.

The Rolling Stones: The London Years – all the singles and b-sides 1964 – 1971. Child Of the Moon, Memo From Turner, Under Assistant West Cost Promotion Man

The Who: Maximum R&B – These tracks never sounded better. Naked Eye, Water, The High Numbers stuff…amazing

XTC – The BBC Sessions – Live and in studio, full band and acoustic versions. The Full Concert from Drums & Wires tour ( I think it’s D&W)

ZZ Top – THe Six Pack – The 1st 5 albums plus El Loco, remastered, remixed and sadly with updated (1980’s) drum sounds, But it sounds killer on CD. Highlight? Backdoor Love Affair/Mellow Down Easy live from the Fandango disc.

Tom Petty – Playback – Acoustic Kings Highway is beautiful. The outtakes from Let Me Up (his most underrated album) are very good. His demos sound like Traveling Willburys songs. Live Psychotic Reaction is very cool as well.