Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

 It’s been a memorable year for box sets and other special releases. Several landmark albums got deluxe reissues, and there were greatest hit sets from some all-time greats. This means there are no shortage of good gift choices this season. Here are my favorites.

The Beatles: “Abbey Road” – The Beatles great final album gets supplemented with two discs of outtakes that offer some musical contrasts — check out the alternate takes of “I Want You” and the medley of “Mean Mr. Mustard”/“Polythene Pam”/“She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” — and finds the Beatles sounding more harmonious than at any time since “Sgt. Pepper’s.”

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Replacements: “Dead Man’s Pop” – The Replacements’ 1989 album “Don’t Tell A Soul” was marred by a polished radio-ready mix aimed to break the band big. Now this box set debuts a remix by Matt Wallace, the producer of “Don’t Tell A Soul,” that restores the natural sound of the band and turns this album into the masterful work it should have been. Then this brilliant set ups the ante with a disc of outtakes and a rowdy concert from 1989.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Prince: “1999” Super Deluxe Edition – I’ve always felt Prince hit his peak with this 1982 double album. This great box set does nothing to diminish that notion. It adds a disc of b-sides and remixes, 23 unreleased songs, alternate versions of some “1999” tracks and a concert from Detroit on CD and a Houston concert on DVD – both from the “1999” tour. The unreleased songs include enough keepers to suggest “1999” could have easily been a three-album set.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Bob Dylan (featuring Johnny Cash): “Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969 The Bootleg Series Vol. 15” – The latest collection from Dylan’s vaults is highlighted by two discs of unreleased collaborations between Dylan and Cash. The pair doesn’t take things – or themselves – too seriously here. Still, they deliver some fine performances of classic covers and Cash originals. Outtakes from Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” and “Nashville Skyline” albums are also included, as this set explores Dylan’s post-“Blonde On Blonde” return to his folk and country roots.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Steve Miller: “Welcome to the Vault” – The first in a promised series of releases, this three CD/one DVD set is packed with choice outtakes (alternate versions of “Rock’n Me,” “Swingtown” and “Jet Airliner” stand out), great live performances and tracks showing Miller’s love and mastery of the blues. Can’t wait for more.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Various Artists: “Ken Burns Country Music” – The five-disc soundtrack to Burns’ documentary covers lots of ground – formative early songs, key songs from the biggest names of the 1950s and 1960s and the new traditionalists of the 1980s. It’s a great summation of country’s development and quite entertaining as well.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Various Artists: “Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 Vols. 1 & 2” – Woodstock wasn’t the only festival of summer 1969. The Ann Arbor Blues Festival was plenty historic too, bringing together a who’s who of the blues world. These two CDs provide a good sampling, but leave you wanting to hear much more.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Glen Campbell: “The Legacy (1961-2017)” – This four-CD set includes Campbell’s hits, worthy album cuts and tunes he cut before his death in 2017, making this an excellent survey of Campbell’s career.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Rory Gallagher: “Blues” – This three-CD set, made up almost entirely of unreleased live performances and studio takes, is a treat for fans of this under-appreciated blues rocker.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Hootie & the Blowfish: “Cracked Rear View” 25^thAnniversary Deluxe Edition – This excellent set starts with the blockbuster original album, then adds a disc of b-sides and tracks from earlier indie releases, plus a 1995 live show that includes many pre-“Cracked Rear View” songs.

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The Kinks: “Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire” – This two-CD reissue presents this underrated album from the Kinks (plus a few bonus tracks) and unreleased songs Kinks guitarist Dave Davies recorded for a shelved first solo album.

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The Rolling Stones: “Honk” – This set collects 36 of the Stones’ best songs from 1971 through 2016. A third disc featuring 10 live performances from recent tours (with some cool guests) is a nice bonus.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: “The Best of Everything” – This two-CD set 38 presents hits and prime album cuts from across Petty’s career. His catalog, though, was deep and good enough to merit a more expansive version.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

Simple Minds: “40: The Best Of – 1979-2019” – Still alive and kicking as a band, this three-CD set is a fine summation of this popular group’s first 40 years of music.

Available Here: Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks

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