Let’s get the bleeding obvious out of the way from the start. I love vinyl and have acquired more than a couple of discs this past year. But it sure is an expensive obsession. One of the features of my 2022 purchasing has been the discovery of how many excellent CD boxed sets are out there. These are fabulous for filling holes in the collection or completing a vinyl holding at far less cost than pre-ordering re-issues or making dangerous incursions into the shadowy land of Discogs. Here are a few of those 2022 purchases, in no particular order. Most cost the equivalent of between one or two LPs. Several were way less.
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The early Ten Years After albums are great. Full of exuberant blues rock playing, led by the incendiary guitar of Alvin Lee. I’d say Watt is the last ‘essential’ LP, though others might disagree. The box featured here.
Ten Years After 1967 - 1974 Chrysalis Records 2017, 10 CD set
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An embarrassing admission from someone of Welsh heritage, but I’ve never owned any albums by the hard rockers from the land of the long white leek. Early impressions: it’s the Rush problem. Like the music, can’t handle the squeaky vocals. (Ducks behind sofa in anticipation of at least one thousand five hundred and thirty seven objections).
Budgie: The MCA Albums 1973 - 1975 MCA Records 2016, 3 CD set
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Actually have most of this material on one or the other format, but this cheap-as-chips package of nice little facsimile albums was hard to refuse.
Free: 5 Classic Albums Spectrum Music / Universal, 5 CD set
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Colosseum were a fabulous live unit. Driven by the limber and powerful drumming of Jon Hiseman, the band played inventive, energetic progressive jazz-rock. Musicians included reed man Dick Heckstall-Smith and keyboard player Dave Greenslade.
Colosseum: Transmissions Live At The BBC Repertoirre Records / BBC Studios 2020, 6 CD set
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The more time I spend with Mose, the more I appreciate his art. It took some digging to locate this collection, but it was worth it.
Mose Allison: The Complete Atlantic/Elektra Albums 1962-1983 Strawberry Records 2021, 6 CD set
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Any favourite artists here?
vinylconnection.com.au 
I just like the phrase The Rush Problem. And somehow, I got a combined visual and aural wince.
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Hope Christmas Day hasn’t provoked too many winces, Bill. Enjoy the festivities.
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“Spirit of the Rodeo,” as it were.
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I baulked at the $60 odd for the Mose set earlier this year. Your praise of the set might push me over the line but 2022 has been a very expensive year one way or another. And it’s not over yet. As to purchases, this might seem odd, but Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater played by LSO is my highlight for the year. The singing is wonderful. Whacking external DACs on various internet devices has let me enjoy a greater diversity of music this year, and to dive a bit deeper into soul in particular. I will stick with Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith as my fav, edging out Idris Muhammed. Both may cost me in 2023 as I bargain hunt for physical products. I also listened to a fair sample of the albums you blogged about this year. Yours is incredible work Bruce. Thank you. Be well and do good in 2023. DD
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Love the variety there, DD. Thank you for your loyal readership, apposite comments, and willingness to ‘take the plunge’ now and then.
Hope ’23 does well by you too.
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PS For Christmas, I gave No. 2 son the Bob Marley Box set that you reviewed a little while back. Charlie is loving it and has started work on some wailers inspired lyrics.
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Isn’t that marvellous. Ripples. Love ’em.
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These all look great. I don’t have any of these boxes but I do have the Budgie and Free albums separately. A fan of both. On the box set front I just got Bett Jansch At The BBC and the anniversary reissue of the first VDGG album which is a lovely set and great value for money
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The Ten Years After set is very tempting!
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It’s compact! 🤪
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Snap! I got the Bert too. Love the book design. Have only got through a couple of CDs so far! Thanks for the reminder, Scott.
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Yes I’m just on the first disc 😂 Great design definitely. That label has been releasing some great stuff
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Every one a cracker!
I got the MAN – On Air 1972 – 1983 CD box set as a gift. (saw them 30 4 times back in the day)
I know what you mean an=bout the price of LP collecting, but I’m still reluctant to but new CDs … though I appreciate I couldn’t afford / ask for the MAN collection were it even released on vinyl.
I am tempted to revisit Cherry Red for some CD box sets though – even I’d play them less than my vinyl collection.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
🙂
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Man’s reputation as a great live band has really lasted. Are there extra live recordings in the box?
I know what you mean about the big ticket CD boxes; I’ve accumulated several of the King Crimson sets. They are brilliant but huge and expensive!
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Mainly Radio 1 Live sessions = live sets from Loughborough Uni in 1976 and Reading Festival. – (Radio 1 Rock Show. There are 4 audio CD plus two DVDs of OGWT and the Farewell show at Roundhouse 1976.
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Cool. Thanks for the intel.
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Yet again, I’m embarrassed at my unfamiliarity with most of these artists! Free, I know. At least I can easily recognize Roger Dean’s work for Budgie! 😉 Like Bill, I enjoyed your reference to ‘the Rush problem’…
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I only have Mose Allison on a disc playing with Stan Getz, Soft Swing, and this is a great reminder to get a couple more Allison recordings for these long winter nights. Growing up I’d hear Rush as part of the obligatory native content on the stations bouncing over the lake from Canada on cloudy nights, which is 90% of the time in upstate NY. I would reserve Rush for days when I’m stripping paint from old furniture or trying to keep the raccoons out of the garden.
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I’ve heard exactly one of these albums (Fire and Water).
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The early Ten Years After albums are worth checking out.
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These certainly have great covers and packaging, I’ll tell you that much. You said that one has those little facsimile albums and I love those. They are so cool. The only ones here I know kind of well are Free and 10 years after, cuz of I’d Love to Change the World is one of my favorite songs ever. I know a lot of people like Budgie but I don’t really know them though. I usually only buy box sets if they’re real cheap and it’s somebody I like a lot, but I like owning them.
I never really knew what Boxing Day is except that it’s a holiday in Canada, which I know because on TV they always advertised the big Boxing Day sales at all the stores in Canada. And if I drove over I always got some good bargains at the Boxing Day sales. I should have asked somebody there what is Boxing Day.
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Wow that’s cool. I like the Mose.
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He knows, you know.
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I know!
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Have a few of those individual albums. The box sets are very cool additions.
Signed. Envious.
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🙂
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