Braxton Arista titles: vinyl or Mosaic box?

[bogdan101]

Hello good people of the organissimo forum!

This is my first post here, and I'm really happy to have found such a nice place to hang out.

I already have a few of the Arista albums,and usually am partial to vinyl over cd's, so is there any reason (aside from the booklet) to buy the Mosaic box rather than complete my vinyl collection?

Cheers

Bogdan

[jeffcrom]

Welcome!

I have all of Braxton's Arista titles on LP (even the four-orchestra box), so I didn't invest in the Mosaic set. I'm sure someone who has the Mosaic will weigh in.

[David Ayers]

I have nearly all the LPs and I don't have the CDs. If I sold the LPs I don't think I'd buy the box. Which LPs do you need? Some of it is skippable, according to taste.

[mjazzg]

Bogdan, welcome aboard

guess it depends on how completist you are and whether you want to chase all/some of the missing LPs down.

I was in a similar situation to you when the Mosaic was issued. The Mosaic hype/excitement sent me off to buy a few more of the LPs and I've been more than happy even without all of them - just means I've others to look forward to purchasing when the urge strikes. it you're vinyl orientated anyway, it's a lot to pay for the booklet

[JETman]

Mosaic may sell the booklet separately if requested. I know they've done so in the past. It's definitely worth an email to them.

[J.A.W.]

Mosaic may sell the booklet separately if requested. I know they've done so in the past. It's definitely worth an email to them.

I asked them about this and they told me they stopped selling booklets separately a few years ago, unless the sets are OOP and they still have copies of the booklets.

Edited April 16, 2012 by J.A.W.

[colinmce]

Frankly-- and I say this as a major Braxophile-- the Mosaic is not essential. While taking the work as a whole works on the level of "look what he managed to do with major label bucks in just 7 years", I think taking the albums on their own is more representative of Braxton's vision. Not to mention there's equally vital work from this period on Moers, Hat Hut, Leo, Black Saint, Muse & Freedom. The LPs have decent sonics, are easy to find, have great covers, and, above all else, contain exhaustive notes. While it's not Mosaic's policy to include liner notes in their sets, I think the lack here borders on insulting. While I'm fine not having Ira Gitler's 500th bland rundown on a Lee Morgan date reprinted yet again, Anthony goes into strenuous detail explaining his musical systems on these albums and to have the music without this goes explicitly against Braxton's intent. Mike Heffley's notes in the Mosaic are fine but hardly relevatory. Lastly, the way the music is divided is slightly confusing and breaks up some of the records.

I don't mean to complain overmuch. I'm thrilled Mosaic put this out and I'm glad I bought it. But for the purposes of answering your question, this is what I think.

[jlhoots]

I don't own a turntable.

[clifford_thornton]

I have all the LPs and the Mosaic box, and am happy to have both. I don't think the booklet is all that essential. The essay isn't one of my favorites. I like all the records quite a bit.

[jeffcrom]

I have all the LPs and the Mosaic box, and am happy to have both. I don't think the booklet is all that essential. The essay isn't one of my favorites. I like all the records quite a bit.

Expanding this topic a little, can folks here explain this to me? I frequently see posts by people who already have all the material in a newly-issued box set, but still buy the box set. I'm not being judgmental, just curious. Since it's something I wouldn't do, I don't quite understand it.

[JETman]

I have all the LPs and the Mosaic box, and am happy to have both. I don't think the booklet is all that essential. The essay isn't one of my favorites. I like all the records quite a bit.

Expanding this topic a little, can folks here explain this to me? I frequently see posts by people who already have all the material in a newly-issued box set, but still buy the box set. I'm not being judgmental, just curious. Since it's something I wouldn't do, I don't quite understand it.

It's a disease, especially where Mosaics are concerned for me. I tend to do this more for music that holds more value for me as well. Prime example -- I own all the Miles boxed sets, as well as all the individual cd's, sometimes 2 or 3 times each (old masterings, newer masterings, Japanese mini lp's, etc.). I know it's a sick compulsion, but everybody's gotta have their thing, ya know? I know people that own up to 10 cars! I look at that the same way.

[JSngry]

If it's something I have on older LP or CD or a dubbed copy, and it's something I know I'm going to want to hear more of as the years pass, I'll get a Mosaic, just to have better quality sound than I currently have and/or to own legit copies of the material and/or to have it on CD, so I can use my remote control like a big shot and feel like I've made it in the world.

And sometimes I'll spend the money just because that Jimmy Fallon commercial came on and he really did make it rain up in hyeh.

[bogdan101]

Okay, so if Mosaic didn't come up with a significant sound quality improvement, I'll stick with the vinyls... They sound decent for sure, but could have been better imho... Of course pressings matter, but this is not Pink Floyd so I don't expect they wore out too many matrices.

[Chuck Nessa]

Probably wrong with the last assumption.

[JSngry]

This IS Pink Floyd?

[bogdan101]

Probably wrong with the last assumption.

Okay, let me rephrase that: this is not Kenny G so I don't expect they wore out too many matrices...

[David Ayers]

Frankly-- and I say this as a major Braxophile-- the Mosaic is not essential. While taking the work as a whole works on the level of "look what he managed to do with major label bucks in just 7 years", I think taking the albums on their own is more representative of Braxton's vision. Not to mention there's equally vital work from this period on Moers, Hat Hut, Leo, Black Saint, Muse & Freedom. The LPs have decent sonics, are easy to find, have great covers, and, above all else, contain exhaustive notes. While it's not Mosaic's policy to include liner notes in their sets, I think the lack here borders on insulting. While I'm fine not having Ira Gitler's 500th bland rundown on a Lee Morgan date reprinted yet again, Anthony goes into strenuous detail explaining his musical systems on these albums and to have the music without this goes explicitly against Braxton's intent. Mike Heffley's notes in the Mosaic are fine but hardly relevatory. Lastly, the way the music is divided is slightly confusing and breaks up some of the records.

I don't mean to complain overmuch. I'm thrilled Mosaic put this out and I'm glad I bought it. But for the purposes of answering your question, this is what I think.

That's a guuuuud answer.

[CraigP]

This IS Pink Floyd?

This made me laugh.

[clifford_thornton]

I have all the LPs and the Mosaic box, and am happy to have both. I don't think the booklet is all that essential. The essay isn't one of my favorites. I like all the records quite a bit.

Expanding this topic a little, can folks here explain this to me? I frequently see posts by people who already have all the material in a newly-issued box set, but still buy the box set. I'm not being judgmental, just curious. Since it's something I wouldn't do, I don't quite understand it.

As a reviewer, I didn't pony up as much dough for it as I would have otherwise (would gladly have paid full price for it if I "needed" to). However, for me, it was a chance to evaluate the material as a whole rather than as individual releases heard and experienced over time. Though to somewhat different ends, I think the Mosaic consumer who has the material already might want to experience it differently, in addition to the collecting impulse. I'm sure there will be disagreement over this, but it's a thought.

Braxton's notes would have been great to have as well, though he's moved on in terms of his process from where he was in the mid- to late-70s.

[bogdan101]

As a reviewer, I didn't pony up as much dough for it as I would have otherwise (would gladly have paid full price for it if I "needed" to). However, for me, it was a chance to evaluate the material as a whole rather than as individual releases heard and experienced over time. Though to somewhat different ends, I think the Mosaic consumer who has the material already might want to experience it differently, in addition to the collecting impulse. I'm sure there will be disagreement over this, but it's a thought.

Braxton's notes would have been great to have as well, though he's moved on in terms of his process from where he was in the mid- to late-70s.

Any comments regarding sound quality of the Mosaic box vs. original vinyl?

Thanks!

[CraigP]

As a reviewer, I didn't pony up as much dough for it as I would have otherwise (would gladly have paid full price for it if I "needed" to). However, for me, it was a chance to evaluate the material as a whole rather than as individual releases heard and experienced over time. Though to somewhat different ends, I think the Mosaic consumer who has the material already might want to experience it differently, in addition to the collecting impulse. I'm sure there will be disagreement over this, but it's a thought.

Braxton's notes would have been great to have as well, though he's moved on in terms of his process from where he was in the mid- to late-70s.

It's that collecting impulse that sometimes hits me. I have all the vinyl, but I've been eyeing the Mosaic set. It's not totally rational...but I'm also trying to justify it to myself via the convenience factor.

[clifford_thornton]

Sound on the Mosaic set is good. Not RVG or DuNann, obviously, but I feel like some of the corners were brightened.

[clifford_thornton]

Right you are. I think you have to separate Mosaic's intent on presentation from the artist's programmatic intent. With the New Music (and with Ellington, Hill, and a few others in the Mosaic catalog), that becomes more of an issue and it's interesting to consider. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't imagine that Mobley, Morgan, or McLean were as concerned with how an album was assembled vis-a-vis track order.

If they did a Bill Dixon or a (later) Cecil Taylor set, they'd have to consider the structuring of a disc as a complete performance or closely-related performances in a way that is not often done on boxed sets.

[colinmce]

Definitely right about new music, but don't be so very sure about the hard boppers et al. Mulligan is famously quoted as saying he was peeved about "Complete Recordings" sets that played in session order; he said they worked hard to scructure the songs on their records a certain way. Differently for sure than Intents & Purposes but still.

[clifford_thornton]

Okay, thanks - as I said, just my guess but not exactly an informed opinion. I do think of Mulligan as a composer whose breadth would encompass being very hands-on in terms of album programming. I don't know why it's hard for me to put someone like Mobley in the same light, as much as I enjoy his music. And that's not to say I don't have a lot of love for hard bop/etc.