In a time when you can stream or download nearly any album, from any artist, from any moment in time, stepping up the physicality of the music you listen to can make all the difference. A prime example of that is the box set. Sure, you can listen to the Pixies on YouTube, but that giant Minotaur box set and its accompanying art book and a through-line to the band’s entire catalog offer a serious immersion experience.
Then there are those that are looking for something nice to put on the shelf, the Talking Heads’ Brick acting as either an aesthetic object to beautify a room and/or as proof of culture to catch the eye of visitors. And then there are also the completists, those who need the alternate takes to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, the acoustic demos of Nirvana’s “Rape Me”, every single Big Star alternate mix. Whatever your reason, the box set is a comprehensive, unique, powerful experience, and our list offers up some of the very best.
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Of course, you need the proper equipment before investing in any of these expansive box sets, which is why our pals at Office Depot supplied us with all the technical goodies to bring them to life. So while you’re spending pretty pennies gathering these diamond collections, perhaps you’ll want to pick up a new pair of headphones or modern speakers for yourself, too. Let’s be honest, sound travels much better when you’re using something professional, folks.
FYI: Don’t forget to save a buck or two or 300 by entering Office Depot’s official #TechLove giveaway now. You have until December 15th to toss your name into the game.
X-mini KAI Bluetooth® Capsule Speaker:
Standing only two inches high when collapsed, three when expanded, the Bluetooth functionality of the X-mini KAI speaker makes it an asset in a variety of situations. It can be strapped to the handlebars of a bike for mobile music; linked to other X-mini speakers for some surround sound; or hooked up to a larger system to act as a dongle, allowing you to keep your MP3 device with you as you beam the tunes to the speakers. There’s even a built-in microphone so you don’t have to disconnect to answer calls. Good things come in small packages, so they say, and this small-yet-functional portable speaker is a testament to that.
Buy: Office Depot ($59.99)
808 Canz speaker:
Hey, is that a coffee mug, pal? A pencil holder? Neither! It’s the latest Bluetooth wonder to satiate your music fanaticism. The 808 Canz is a cute, adorable buddy of a speaker that lasts two-and-a-half to three hours at maximum volume and five to six hours at normal volume on a full charge. In other words, solid for a mid-sized party and essential for study sessions on-the-go. (And hey, as long as you have a USB outlet somewhere, you’re good to go until the world goes offline.) The little bugger also has a wireless range of 30′ and sports a headphone jack for personal listening. Need a chord? Rest assured, it comes supplied with a 3.5mm audio inline input for a direct connection. Squeeze it, adore it, but respect it.
Buy: Office Depot ($29.99)
Braven BRV-1 Water-Resistant Wireless Speaker:
There’s no need to lug around that bulky boombox anymore. With the Braven BRV-1 Water Resistant Speaker,
Buy: Office Depot ($179.99)
AfterShokz AS330 Bluez Bluetooth Open-Ear Stereo Headset:
Fact is, those over-ear, noise-canceling headphones are great for audiophiling out at home, but when jogging down the street, it’s probably a good thing to hear that car speeding up behind you. That’s where the AfterShokz Bluetooth sports headphones have the advantage by not going in, on, or over your ears. Instead, unique bone conduction technology sends vibrations through your cheekbones, around your eardrums, and directly into your inner ear. Yeah, bone conduction technology. It’s a thing. A thing that allows you to keep your ears open to the environment around you while still pumping in the jams to help you work off those holiday feasts.
Buy: Office Depot ($99.99)
808 Studio Headphones:
It’s finally time to upgrade from those earbuds,
Buy: Office Depot ($79.99)
Monster DNA On-Ear Headphones:
Buds be damned: The Monster DNA On-Ear Headphones are here to save the day. Lightweight, comfortable, and highly durable, the wireless pair will suck out the world’s noise and place your favorite musicians center stage — taking you to the live show of your choice. In other words, no more crummy beep-beeps from passing taxis, or nagging parents insisting you pay your student loans, or trains whizzing by and rattling the tunnel, depending on where you hang out. Got friends? The dual audio input jacks let you link your two headphones together to share the tunes in what’s sure to be a trending way to say, “Let’s go steady.” Just don’t surprise them with Gary Glitter.
Buy: Office Depot ($199.99)
Rhino Records – The Decades Collections
Rhino Records has a niche for compiling the history of rock and roll in all its various shapes, sizes, and sounds and presenting them in amazing box sets. Balancing between mainstream pop hits and those that lay slightly below the surface, Rhino’s decades collections are unrivaled.
For the ’50s, there’s Loud, Fast and Out of Control, followed by the legendary Nuggets 1&2 collections chronicling the ’60s. The ’70s were represented by two as well: No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion and its far tamer sister collection, Have a Nice Decade – The ’70s Pop Culture Box. Left of the Dial – Dispatches from the ’80s Underground compiled the ’80s early alternate/post-modern movements, while the ’90s were given the treatment complete with a bag of coffee beans with Whatever: the ’90s Pop and Culture Box.
Though the strongest of the collections are those covering the ’60s through the ’80s, the ’50s collection is essential to anyone who is interested in the early days of rock & roll. The weakest link in these sets is easily the ’90s collection, suffering mostly from a lack of balance between mainstream and underground artists that made the earlier collections that much stronger. –Len Comaratta
Buy: Amazon
Nirvana – With the Lights Out
For awhile, it didn’t seem like we’d ever get a Nirvana box set. Thanks to endless litigation between Courtney Love, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic, it took years and years and years to finally clench, buy, and coddle the three discs, Thurston Moore-penned liner notes, and one DVD that make up Nirvana’s With the Lights Out collection.
Was it worth the wait? I’d say so.Unheard-of demos (“Do Re Mi”, “Don’t Want It All”), crunchy rehearsals (nine-minute “Scentless Apprentice”, “Mrs. Buttersworth”), and the band’s first radio sessions (their 1987 appearance on Olympia’s KAOS 89.3 FM) felt so new and refreshing for all the diehard trolls of The Nirvana Internet Fan Club. (Myself included.) It was like a last gasp before the disappointment of truly knowing there was nothing left to explore.
That may sound depressing, and also prove that this inclusion here is a result of sepia-toned nostalgia, but it’s moreover an indication of how impacting this set was and how vital it’s become to the Nirvana lexicon. Commercially, it’s one of the most successful box sets ever released, having broken records for its opening week sales and being certified platinum. Right now, my own copy sports a dent right where Grohl’s eye is and that still bugs me. After all, it’s my precious. My… –Michael Roffman
Buy: Amazon
The Clash – Sound System
The Clash have had a few sets compiled over the years. Though the group’s first box set, Clash on Broadway, was a great collection of material from “the only band that matters,” the world would have to wait an additional 20-plus years before getting the full-on box set treatment with Sound System, the nine-disc collection complete with a novelty ghetto blaster case designed by Clash member Paul Simonon. This collection compiles the group’s first five albums (knowingly omitting the disowned Cut the Crap), three discs of extra and non-LP singles as well as the material that went on to compose Super Black Market Clash, the aforementioned Broadway set, and various B-sides in addition to the ubiquitous “previously unreleased” material in the form of unreleased mixes, outtakes and demos, and a DVD that includes all the band’s promo videos: The Clash on Broadway video, the White Promo film, and footage from Sussex University in 1977. –Len Comaratta
Buy: Amazon
Neutral Milk Hotel – Neutral Milk Hotel
Jeff Mangum delighted Neutral Milk Hotel fans by officially coming out of hibernation for a solo tour in 2011. Also announced was a vinyl box set containing the seminal In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and the less-renowned but still classic On Avery Island, as well as representation of the band’s fuzzier roots with the Everything Is EP. Sure, attractive packaging is nice, but wouldn’t most diehards already own this limited discography? What makes the box set essential is the revelatory nature of the unreleased acoustic recordings of the Ferris Wheel on Fire EP and the “Little Birds” single. The vintage recordings of Ferris Wheel tell the tale of a masterpiece in progress as they contain lyrics that would appear later in songs such as “Oh Comely”, while “Little Birds” offers a glimpse at what might have been a dark direction for Mangum and company post-Aeroplane. –Frank Mojica
Buy: Amazon
Miles Davis – The Complete Columbia Album Collection
Though it may come off a bit hyperbolic calling Miles Davis one of the most innovative musicians of the 20th century, it isn’t far from the truth. Davis’s music, style, and constant innovation have helped create at least a half-dozen jazz subgenres and influenced countless musicians in genres stretching from jazz to rock, hip-hop to electronic, soul to the avant. With a career beginning in the mid-’40s and ending a few years after his death in 1991–and as an artist who often released multiple albums in a single year–the thought of obtaining Davis’s entire catalog might appear a bit overwhelming. And rightly so, as is testament with Columbia Records’ most comprehensive Miles Davis collection to date: The Complete Columbia Album Collection.
The 70-disc cornucopia exhaustively compiles Davis’s Columbia output (note: no Birth of the Cool) and includes a 250-page book as well as the first ever DVD release of Davis’s Live In Europe ’67 concert. Collating Davis’s studio and live recordings, this collection is not for the lighthearted and, with many live sets repeating tracks, perhaps a bit frustrating to those who aren’t die-hards. Though the breadth of the collection might warrant a separate Studio box and Live box, as it stands, this collection is easily the most definitive compendium of Davis’s genius. –Len Comaratta
Buy: Amazon
Big Star – Keep an Eye on the Sky
Big Star was a band of neurotic perfectionists, as proven by the countless demos, outtakes, and fully-formed songs the power-pop legends left on the cutting floor. Much of this unreleased material surfaced on bootlegs over the years, but it wasn’t until Rhino’s 2009 box set Keep an Eye on the Sky that a proper comprehensive collection was assembled. The four-disc set spans Big Star’s entire existence — from its earliest jam sessions to Alex Chilton’s private studio dabblings — and includes a full live show from 1973 and alternate mixes of #1 Record, Radio City, and Third. The most interesting recordings here are the acoustic demos for that latter album, which are just Chilton and his acoustic guitar. A testament to his professionalism, even these demos are well-produced and crisp, and arguably more accessible than the chaotic versions that were infamously rejected by Ardent in 1975. It’s these lost moments that make Keep an Eye on the Sky such an exemplary archival dump and an essential document for Big Star fans. –Jon Hadusek
Buy: Amazon
Factory Records: Communications 1978-1992
“I’m a minor player in my own story,” the late Factory Records founder Tony Wilson famously once said. He was partially right, while he was in the background amidst one of the most important movements of music in the UK, he was hardly a minor player. He was the conductor, the leader, the one to rule them all. This four-CD collection acts as a tribute to the fallen hero, rounding up over 60 tracks from the label’s eclectic history, which includes selections from New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Electronic, The Durutti Column, and so many more. It’s an aural history book and probably the best introduction anyone can find to the genius label. You’ll even get some real left-field inclusions like The Royal Family and the Poor. I’m obsessed with Factory and even that name escaped me. Whatever the case, if you can find a physical copy, grab it. Then let it tear you apart emotionally.–Michael Roffman
Buy: Amazon
Galaxie 500 – Galaxie 500
Released in 1996, Galaxie 500 was a simple, yet sophisticated box set that compiled the entirety of the group’s material to that point. (Copenhagen, their live album, was released the following year, and the band’s 1989 & 1990 Peel Sessions didn’t see a proper release until 2005.) All three of Galaxie 500’s studio albums, Today, On Fire, and This Is Our Music, along with The Uncollected Galaxie 500, a disc of demos, unreleased material, and compilation appearances, received remastering treatment at the hands of the group’s original producer, Kramer. The music is accompanied by a booklet of photos and anecdotes from all three band members and is housed in a gorgeous blue and gray box covered with images of celestial cartography, designed by band member Naomi Yang.
Though possibly rendered obsolete when Domino reissued all three albums a few years ago, each with a bonus disc (Today with Uncollected, On Fire with the Peel Sessions, and This Is Our Music with Copenhagen), those collections were never released in the United States. Of course, these days international commerce via the Internet circumvents limited releases, but if you are so inclined to go online, find the box set; though it lacks the live material, it’s worth it for the elegant design alone. –Len Comaratta
Buy: Amazon
Johnny Cash – Unearthed
Unearthed, sadly, was too perfect a title for this late-period retrospective of Johnny Cash‘s work with Rick Rubin. To be sure, the five-disc set thoroughly exhausts every last shred of Cash and Rubin’s American Recordings partnership. There are unreleased duets with the likes of Fiona Apple and Joe Strummer, outtakes from the Unchained Sessions with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a classic reunion with Carl Perkins, and even a spirited treatment of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” alongside three-quarters of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But like most everything in Cash’s body of work, there was a biblical connotation to the title that was hard to avoid, especially upon its release just months after Cash’s death in 2003. The liner notes, stories, and photos that accompany the music make for a fitting final testament to a legend who ended his career on an incredibly high note. –Ryan Bray
Buy: Amazon
Yes – The Studio Albums 1969-1987
British progressive rock outfit Yes scaled the pinnacles with a series of grandiose albums, arguably peaking with #5, the seminal Close to the Edge, but maintained interest throughout a tenure that took in lineup changes and that old one, the returning band member. Though not without the odd Spinal Tap moment, the later albums still feature sufficient “Wonderous Stories” of their own. This box set offers all 12 studio albums from 1969 to 1987, remastered and extended with 66 bonus tracks. With artwork by the inimitable Roger Dean, the box is a thing of beauty in itself. Each disc comes with a replica sleeve and label, although track listings and lyric booklets are AWOL. It’s not the first collection of its kind from the band, but it’s the most definitive and the perfect way to chart the development of one of rock’s most influential acts. Boxed sets can be a non-too-subtle ploy to extract more bucks from a loyal fan base, but, listed at $74.98, this set offers great value, and you can find it even cheaper online. –Tony Hardy
Buy: Amazon
James Brown – Star Time and Otis Redding – Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding
Soul and rhythm & blues have certainly had their share of amazing vocalists. From early heroes of the genre like Solomon Burke and Sam Cooke through later legendary crooners such as Donny Hathaway and Teddy Pendergrass, these men touched souls, opened eyes, made hearts melt, and expanded peoples’ minds. As great as these men were, there are two who stand out from the pack: James Brown and Otis Redding.
Once described by Robert Christgau as the “finest box set ever released,” Star Time covers the majority of the career of the man known as the “Godfather of Soul”. At four discs and 71 tracks, the collection begins with his first hit in 1956 (“Please, Please, Please”) and ends with his 1984 collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa on the song “Unity”. With in-depth liner notes, some of which were penned by Brown himself, this is the ultimate compact collection of Brown’s greatest work and perfect for longtime fans and part-time listeners (as well as anyone not wanting to pony up the moola for all 11 volumes of James Brown: The Singles).
Buy: Amazon
While he may not have had as iconic a nickname as Brown, Otis Redding’s importance and influence can never be understated and, despite the shortness of his career, easily rivals that of the Godfather. This four-disc, 96-song collection is broken into two major sections. Part one, covering the first three discs, focuses on Redding’s studio material recorded for Stax. It includes three recordings “pre-Stax” as well as an early demo. The fourth disc is a collection of the best of Redding’s songs performed live.
In addition to this material is a short commercial Redding recorded for Coca-Cola, a public service announcement about staying in school, and even a holiday greeting. A 100-page booklet featuring testimonials and anecdotes from musicians and individuals throughout Redding’s life, essays, a photo album, track listings, discographies, and biographical and recording information rounds out this amazing compendium to an amazing vocalist taken far too soon. –Len Comaratta
Buy: Amazon
Leonard Cohen – The Complete Studio Albums Collection
Before Old Ideas was unleashed in 2012, this set of albums formed the definitive Leonard Cohen collection, and indeed, as the title suggests, was then complete. Nonetheless, it is still an essential buy, not just for the quality of the songwriting but also for that of the recordings. It brings new meaning to the oft-used phrase “remastered” simply because the engineering emboldens Cohen’s angst, lending it a heightened atmosphere and presence. His unique voice has seldom sounded better than here. Many of these 11 albums will be familiar to a mass audience–certainly the first three and most probably #8, I’m Your Man. Others, especially the intensely poetic and overlooked Recent Songs and the challenging collaboration with Phil Spector, Death of a Ladies’ Man, feel like you’re listening to whole new records. –Tony Hardy
Buy: Amazon
The Velvet Underground – Peel Slowly & See
If there’s one thing that evaded The Velvet Underground, it was commercial success. Stylistically facile yet lyrically complex, The Velvets crafted an astounding body transcendent of their time. With the visionary talents of Lou Reed, the band paved the groundwork for early punk and revolutionized the rock landscape. Nowhere is this more apparent than in listening to Peel Slowly & See, a five-disc collection showcasing their complete catalog.
Released in 1995, the comprehensive set features all four studio albums and is dually complemented by early demos and studio recordings. As an impressively remastered collection marked by crisp production and distinct sound, Peel takes listeners on an emotional journey. Through early studio recordings, fans are treated to the sounds of a burgeoning folk group on the precipice of genius, as foreshadowed by Reed’s impassioned songwriting. And in later works such as the emotionally gripping “Pale Blue Eyes” and “Candy Says”, that genius is actualized in a masterful approach.
Watching them journey from beatnik street artists to extraordinarily talented musicians is a stirring transformation—one that clearly solidifies the Velvets as rock’s most influential band. –Christina Salgado
Buy: Amazon
The Smiths – The Smiths: Complete
Released in 2011, this eight-disc set chronicles the notable Manchester group’s passage from cult band to chart toppers, while always maintaining the cult bit. It takes in four studio albums, one live album and three compilations, including the marvelous BBC session material of Hatful of Hollow. Some of the early Smiths work was a little thin sound-wise; under the careful tutelage of engineer Frank Arkwright, assisted by Johnny Marr, the recordings have been both beefed and brightened up. Further care has been taken in replicating original album graphics, and the outer box cover depicting four Manchester fairground gypsy girls, all big hair and practical clothing, upholds the iconic look the band achieved across all its album and singles covers. Smiths purists may complain that The Smiths: Complete is less than that as there are some missing B-sides (for example “Wonderful Woman” and “Jeane” from the single of “This Charming Man”), but there is more than enough on the standard version of this boxed set to keep the band’s stellar reputation alive. –Tony Hardy
Buy: Amazon
