Think of this column as a holiday gift guide if you must, but here's a caveat: You do not have to buy these boxed sets and DVDs for someone else. And these extremely worthy products will be on shelves long after the season is over. But, in case you're looking for ideas …
Various Artists: Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues/A Musical Journey (Hip-O) — Although I don't have the definitive library, I feel comfortable saying this is the most impressive blues collection ever assembled. Five maxxed-out CDs cover most every subgenre (delta, Chicago, boogie woogie, uptown, blues-rock, urbane R&B, West Coast, New Orleans, folk-blues, piano blues, jazz-blues, fife-and-drum and on and on — even African blues by Mali's brilliant Ali Farka Toure). More essentially, the set gives listeners a vital taste of just about every viable blues name. The producers concentrated on presenting each artist's signature track, so you get Louis Jordan's "Let the Good Times Roll" and T-Bone Walker's "Call it Stormy Monday" and Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" and Freddie King's "Hide Away" and Etta James' "Tell Mama" and B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone" and … just a whole bunch of others. Quick quiz: What two artists merit two songs (duets excluded) on this collection? Ahh, you were close. It's Muddy Waters ("Hoochie Coochie Man," "You Can't Lose What You Never Had") and Howlin' Wolf ("Smokestack Lightnin'," "Killing Floor").
The Who: Tommy [Deluxe Edition] (Geffen) — When Tommy came out during my mid teens, I wasn't ready for it. The world's first rock opera carried a certain importance, but at the time I wanted to hear Hendrix and Clapton crank up the Strats. As for Tommy, what was with all those acoustic guitars? A few decades later, listening to the album, reconstituted from the original stereo masters thought to have been lost, is a pure delight. The story, about a "deaf, dumb and blind kid" and pinball ace who overcomes his handicap to become something of a messiah, is trippy and a little dated, but still good fun. The true genius behind Tommy, though, is Pete Townshend's chords. Beautiful, far-ranging, exquisitely sequenced chords. This epic song cycle contains a plethora of fabulous individual tunes. And the acoustic guitars sound really, really good. A second disc of demos and outtakes provides keen insight into the creative process, with some of Townshend's early acoustic demos (guitar, piano, drums, vocal) rivaling the finished takes. A 5.1 surround sound version is available, but only if played on a Super-Audio CD machine.
Count Basie and his Orchestra: America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years (Columbia Legacy) — Basie is too often regarded as an avuncular figure in a tweed suit sitting at a piano, smiling, occasionally hitting his trademark three-note riff. Which is to say, his innovations as a composer, pianist and bandleader don't get nearly enough credit. His artistic accomplishments are well documented in this four-disc set that captures small-group recordings from the late '30s until 1950; big band sessions from the late '30s, '40s and early '50s; and, a special treat, an entire disc of radio performances (most of them previously unreleased) at five dance venues from 1937-1941. For starters, this set will scratch anyone's swing itch. Basie, proto-bassist Walter Page, drummer Jo Jones and guitarist Freddie Green are caught in all their synchronized glory. The box also serves up a hearty helping of tenor titan Lester Young, including some of his seminal early solos. The list of ace musicians peppered throughout these discs is too long to mention, although it's worth noting that three 1937 radio songs feature a vivacious Billie Holiday on vocals. Loren Schoenberg deserves big ups for his fabulous liner notes — a thorough musicological discussion of each session that manages to be lay-friendly.
James Brown: The 50th Anniversary Collection (Polydor/UTV) — There have been a lot of breakthrough moments in popular music history, but two singles James Brown released in August and November of 1965 rank way up there. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)" marked the birth of funk as we know it. That's just one reason to own this two-disc overview of the man known as the Godfather of Soul. 50th Anniversary starts in 1958 with "Please, Please, Please" and runs through a few highlights of Brown's more conventional rhythm & blues. The nascent funk hits from the latter half of the '60s are well represented ("Cold Sweat, Pt. 1," "Give It Up or Turn It Loose," "Mother Popcorn"), as is Brown's rising social consciousness. In the '70s, the Godfather's songs became looser and more open-ended ("Make it Funky," "Get Up Offa That Thing," "The Payback, Pt. 1") which are best presented in longer versions that have been chronicled on any number of other reissues. This set focuses on the shorter versions, packing as many essential songs onto two CDs as possible.
Bruce Springsteen: The Essential Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) — From a young Jersey buck spewing verbal fusillades about desperation and escape to a refined but earnest L.A. rock star, Bruce Springsteen's been down a long, fruitful, and oftentimes brilliant road. The Essential Bruce Springsteen covers the gamut: the wide-eyed R&B of the early days ("Rosalita"); the bombastic anthems of the mid '80s ("Born in the U.S.A."); the alienated lover phase ("Tunnel of Love"); the chronicles of post-9/11 angst and hope ("The Rising") and plenty of other stuff sprinkled in. Any self-respecting Springsteen nut will have all of these songs, many in more than one configuration, so Columbia has added a third disc of rarities. Overall, it's worthy stuff, dating back to 1979's rock 'n' roll throwdown "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)," along with a few live tracks (Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped," "Held Up Without a Gun," from New Year's Eve 1980). Gems include the brooding "Lift Me Up," (from John Sayles' film Limbo), which showcases Springsteen's seldom-used falsetto and a lo-fi, delta blues version of "Countin' On a Miracle." Another bonus: The CD booklet includes all lyrics.
Nat King Cole: The Classic Singles (Capitol) —- A dozen of the 100 singles on this four-disc set are indelibly etched into the American psyche. A subjective list, but here goes: "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Sweet Lorraine," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "(Get Your Kicks) on Route 66," "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," "Nature Boy," "Mona Lisa," "Unforgettable," "Tenderly," "Smile," "L-O-V-E" and "The Christmas Song." The rest of The Classic Singles are, for the most part, strikingly good. After Duke Ellington, Cole was America's next black artist to cross over with an image of absolute sophistication; he cut a pretty wide stylistic swath as well, from early swing tunes and ballads (with him on piano leading a drumless trio) to the symphonically produced pop epics of his later career. Along the way, he touched on blues, Latin stylings, country & western, gospel and even a dash of rock 'n' roll ("Send for Me," "Midnight Flyer"). Cole's delicate croon coarsened over the years, which enhanced his ability to communicate story, message and emotion in song. (His flawless enunciation didn't hurt, either.) These singles are an unqualified American treasure.
Donna Summer: The Journey/The Very Best (Mercury/UTV) — Late '70s/early '80s disco has been mocked and disparaged by music critics and other hipsters for years — and deservedly so, for the most part. The genre did leave behind a few worthy artifacts, though, and many of them belong to Donna Summer. This 20-song compendium includes all the chanteuse's hits, plus a bonus disc featuring five extended 12-inch remixes (which, surprise, sounds very much like today's house and techno). From "Last Dance" to "Dim All the Lights" to "She Works Hard for the Money" to "This Time I Know It's For Real" (her last big hit in '89), Summer shows that period music can have its timeless aspects. The Journey also includes two new recordings: the very disco-esque "Dream-a-Lot's Theme (I Will Live for Love)" and the loping "That's The Way." They don't add much to her legacy but don't taint it either. Disco was maddeningly formulaic — those constant 4/4 bass drum beats could make you want to defenestrate — but if you can ignore the genre trappings, Donna Summer made some really terrific pop songs.
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road [Deluxe Edition] (Island/Chronicles) — You could certainly argue that this 1973 double album represented the artistic pinnacle of Elton John's career. I'd also argue that Yellow Brick Road was the last truly good album he's made. (The following year's Caribou marked a downturn that never reversed itself.) This deluxe edition is configured for regular CD players as well as Super-Audio CD machines, where you can get a 5.1 Surround Sound mix. I loved this set when it first came out, so was a bit surprised to find, 30 years on, a fair amount of filler juxtaposed with great songs like "Love Lies Bleeding," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," "Candle in the Wind," "Harmony" and, especially, "Bennie and the Jets" (with syncopated piano work that's some of the greatest in rock history). "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is silly, "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n' Roll)" and "Dirty Little Girl" are slight. And the extras don't achieve the standards set by prior deluxe editions released by Universal: three average songs that were left off the original album and later released as B-sides, and a previously unreleased version of "Candle" built around acoustic guitar that's interesting but not revelatory.
The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 5.1 (Warner Bros.) — True sonic frontiersman, these Lips. In 1997, they released an album that included four CDs meant to be played simultaneously on four different stereo systems. It was called Zaireeka, and I actually knew a couple of people who jumped through the hoops necessary to experience it. Surround Sound is a whole lot easier. This ultra-deluxe reissue of their album from last year includes two discs, the first of which is a high-definition conventional CD. A DVD features the 5.1 remix, and it's a doozy. This is the first album I've heard that actually uses the potential of five speakers rather than simply channeling the music five ways. Sounds bounce and pan around, instruments come from all over, new effects add further intrigue for the ear. The whole thing is mesmerizing, and it ultimately sucks you further into the band's quirky pop, which deftly combines advanced technology and simple songs that glue to the gray matter. And how's this for personal testimony: It's made me a Flaming Lips fan. DVD includes some videos and making-ofs as well.
U2: U2 Go Home/Live From Slane Castle, Ireland (Interscope) — U2 is one of the few rock bands left that delivers real spectacle, and that talent is on absolute display during this two-hour-plus DVD recorded at a grand outdoor venue on Sept. 1, 2001. Throughout the show, Bono shows a knack for the grand gesture, cupping the audience — 80,000 strong and throbbing — in his hands. It's also extraordinary how much music three players and a vocalist can emit, due in large part to the Edge's extraordinary guitar symphonics. The 19 songs here don't cover everything, of course, but there is an emphasis on roof-raisers like "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "Pride (in the Name of Love)." Go Home also includes an engrossing low-budget documentary shot during the recording of 1984's Unforgettable Fire, part of which was recorded inside Slane Castle. Check out Bono in his New Wave mullet commiserating with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.
Various Artists: One Night With Blue Note (Blue Note) — In 1985, the once-great but left-for-dead Blue Note label was resuscitated. They celebrated with a historic concert at New York's Town Hall theater featuring label stalwarts from the past — Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Jimmy Smith, Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson and others — mixing with young bloods like Stanley Jordan, James Newton and Michel Petrucciani. The results are swinging and stately, if at times a bit stiff. Still, for jazzbos, this DVD's a must-have. The 5.1 surround sound mix is extraordinary.
Contact Senior Writer Eric Snider at 813-248-8888, ext. 114, or at eric.snider@weeklyplanet.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2003.