I only own a few, but my favorites:
Zeppelin Studio Recordings



The Who 30 years of Maximum R & B

I'm not really that into the who, but this is a real nice set.

Tori Amos- A PIano: The Collection

Two spring to mind....

Johnny Cash - Unearthed

So many great songs on there and that led to American V, which was OK by me.

Ray Charles - Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings

A great set that puts Ray's career into perspective and how can you not love that the actual box is shape like an like an old 45 player?

Johnny Cash - Unearthed: Four discs of previously unreleased music, and a fifth disc compiling select tracks from his first four American albums. The accompanying book (not booklet) gives an amazing insight into the Cash/Rubin collaboration. The only knock I have for it is the packaging; the discs go in thick, cardboard sleeves (promoting the likelihood of scratches) and the fabric outside shows shelfware way too quickly.

Waylon Jennings - Nashville Rebel: To trace Waymore's rise from Buddy Holly's protege to the definitive Outlaw, look no farther than this box set. Bonus points for having a thorough book that isn't bound into the rest of the box, making it easy to pick up and read. The only problem is that there are only a few tracks included from after he left RCA in the mid-to-late 1980s. There is at least one disc's worth of quality material he recorded in the last 2 decades of his career that could have been included.

By the way, I'm not big on boxed sets that just included whole albums (I'm looking at you, Garth Brooks). I like to see a thematic organization; maybe the whole thing is chronological, maybe it's grouped with hits on one disc, collaborations on another, etc.; whatever it is, I like to see some creative thought go into a box.

Another vote for:




While many boxsets are either a box of live tracks, or maybe some re-mastered tracks with maybe 1-3 new songs, TAFH has more than 2 albums worth of tracks never released by the band, basically the B-sides from Mellon Collie, 10-15 songs from TAFH were good enough to be spread out over 2 albums.

This is by far my favorite box set - hell, the thing comes in a mini-Hard Shell guitar case and comes with a hardcover book for all the credits and liner notes.

Good stuff, maynard!

Didn't we do this one before? Well, here are some mine (again), that haven't been listed yet....

Shocking.

Can't beat the Nuggets box sets. Fantastic all the way around. I probably listen to the Velvet Underground box the most.

to the VU and Nuggets box sets. And although I'm a Who fanatic, their box set is a let-down. Poor sound quality, unnecessary remixes, and baffling song selection (such as live "Substitute" over studio version). Still, it's the only place you'll find some of their unreleased tracks.

Hey, even if it were a box set from Thin Lizzy, UFO, DIO, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, hell, just about any band I really like, and was the same basic package (Hard Shell guitar case, hardcover book, 5 CD set with demos and rare stuff thrown in) I'd still say it was my favorite box set.

KISS just happened to be the one to do it.

Thought of another....

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - B-Sides & Rarities

Although technically it isn't a massive box set, it was three discs of unheard material for dirt cheap (I got mine at Best Buy for $13.99).

I also wanted to make a quick point about box sets. Too many times do artists release stuff we have all heard before, Iron Maiden springs to mind with Eddie's Archive. Give us something we haven't heard.

the Alice box is great. It has all the "hits" and well known tracks for the new fan, and is loaded with rareties for the die hards.

One really obscure one for most:

The ones I listen to most frequently (one artist boxed sets):
1. James Brown: Star Time
2. Message in a Box by The Police
3. Elvis Costello: First Ten Years
4. Scratch Perry: Arkology
5. Hawkwind: Epoch-Eclipse
6. Talking Heads: Brick
7. Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom
8. Black Sabbath: Black Box

Have you got/heard Nuggets II? It's equally great. Also good: The Pebbles series, Garage Beat '66 series. Sundazed and Ace have several compilations all good. Love this stuff!

Yep. I've got this, plus Miles Davis & Coltrane 1955-61, Complete Bitches Brew and Complete In A Silent Way. Every single one's a winner.

Also love

Tortoise - A Lazarus Taxon
3 CDs of rarities and a DVD to boot. It sold for around $20 when it came out two years ago. Now OOP and used copies on Amazon are $40 and new copies are over twice that.


Stereolab - Oscillons from the Anti-Sun
Again 3 CDs and a DVD for around $25. Fantastic value for some fantastic music.

And

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Downside Up
4 CDs of b-sides and rarities, but never released in the US. Had to import it.

Yeah, sixties garage rock is one of my favorite genres. Even the bad songs are still entertaining. "Spaz" is one of the most bizarre and unique musical rants I've ever heard. Nuggets II is the UK one right? I love the British Kaleidoscope, but haven't heard any of the other material.