Miles Davis - Columbia Box Sets

[Rooster_Ties]

The Plugged Nicke box is 7 standard CD jewelboxes, with standard linernotes for each CD, all in one slipbox -- so the whole thing ends up being approximately the size of a cube (roughly). There's also a booklet that is the size of the footprint of a standard jewelbox, which fits in the slipbox too.

Note: One of the jewelboxes is actually a two-CD jewelbox, since that set was slightly over 80 minutes in length - and had to be split on 2 CD's. As a result, the discs are numbered 1, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (which makes perfect sense to me).

Nothing terribly fancy about the set, but neither did they do anything dumb when they designed it either -- and the importance of that cannot be underestimated.

If only the Bill Evans Verve box was as well done, design-wise (for instance).

FYI, here's a good pic of the Plugged Nickel box: CLICK HERE

[wesbed]

Thanks, Rooster.

I keep going to the stores and looking for a Mosaic Complete sized box. From the pictures I've seen, I can never determine what kind of box the Plugged Nickel set is in. The pictures have seemed, to me, like a record-sized box. I think, the pictures of this set generally just show a close-up of the cover of the Plugged Nickel box.

I can see from the picture you linked to, however, that the Plugged Nickel box is more like a thick Mosaic Select. Or, more like a thick version of the Miles/Blackhawk box.

Again, much thanks for the Plugged Nickel box picture you supplied.

[wesbed]

Is this a blue metal spine on the Complete Bitches Brew box? I can't quite tell from this picture. >link<

[tatifan]

I'll be getting some of these down the road. The "deluxe" packaging for the 4 cd set of "Bitches Brew" was an absolute nightmare.

I've never seen this packaging, except for, maybe, in pictures. What made it a nightmare?

I had to call Columbia customer service to have two of the four discs replaced. Glue from the sleeves got onto the discs making large portions unplayable.

Same here! No amount of cleaning would make one of the discs playable after the glue got on it!

Also, the Armstrong Hot 5 & 7s set is pretty good for scratching the discs -- I would recommend storing the discs in some other way away from that box.

On the other hand, Sony's customer service is good at replacing defective discs with a minimum of fuss, which is more than I can say for some other behemouth companies!

Edited April 27, 2004 by tatifan

[wesbed]

Also, the Armstrong Hot 5 & 7s set is pretty good for scratching the discs -- I would recommend storing the discs in some other way away from that box.

I had this same thought, exactly. The Columbia Hot Fives and Sevens Complete is a very nice package. But, the way the disks are stored is very poor. I was surprised to see such a potential disk-scratcher in the very nice Armstrong box. If these disks are played much, they need to be store someplace other than the Fives and Sevens box.

[Guest ariceffron]

thank god----columbia always overdoes it w./ packaging. why do i need to hold dave brubeck cds in a gold lame pirates chest. fuck all of that.

[wesbed]

Either way, they's some hellaciously good packages.

JSngry is correct again (as usual). I've recently purchased my own copies of The Complete Jack Johnson and The Complete In A Silent Way boxes. Both packages are VERY nicely done. If the current Miles box packaging is the 'more expensive' packaging, I'd rather spend the extra money and get the goods before the new, 'less expensive' packaging is released by Columbia.

[Tjazz]

Miles / John Coltrane (6) box will be re-issued 5/4/4.

Same price for the Miles/Gil Evans (6) box.

Deepdiscountcd.com sells it for $58.76

Edited May 2, 2004 by Tjazz

[tatifan]

Wait, hold on just a nose picking minute...IASW never had a metal spine, so why are they reissuing it?

Maybe this one will be reissued at the lower price WITH a metal spine -- perhaps recycled metal from the other sets melted down

[Chalupa]

so did anyone pick up the new miles/trane box yesterday? I want to find out about the new packaging.

[GregK]

so did anyone pick up the new miles/trane box yesterday? I want to find out about the new packaging.

I actually picked it up today-didn't buy it, just went in to bestbuy and picked it up to check out the packaging. hard to tell through the cellophane but it seems like the box is still made of metal. and, on the back where they have the Columbia marketing blurb written on the box itself, they have the date of release of the original box wrong-it says it came out in october 1999, when it was originally scheduled, but it actually came out in april 2000. funny that they couldnt get that right on the reissue!

[trane123]

Interesting. I stopped by Borders today and saw a version of the Miles/Trane set in a tall box that looked just like the Blue Note Herbie Hancock and Dexter Gordan six CD sets. Kinda nice, actually.

[Uncle Skid]

If the current Miles box packaging is the 'more expensive' packaging, I'd rather spend the extra money and get the goods before the new, 'less expensive' packaging is released by Columbia.

I've been thinking about this lately, and while I can certainly understand the reasons for wanting the nicer packaging, the lower prices are extremely tempting.

I may regret it years later, but for now, I'm going cheap. Same music, half the price. Or better yet, I can buy two box sets for the price of one of the metal spine issues.

Does anybody have a link that summarizes which individual CDs are contained in each of the box sets?

[Claude]

Here are discographies of the sets, as well a s pictures of the packaging of the old sets. It doesn't mention the album names though

http://www.kind-of-blue.de/box_index.htm

[Rooster_Ties]

If anybody runs across any on-line pics of the new sets, please post them here. Thanks!!

-- Rooster T.

[billyboy]

Found this on eBay -- looks like the new one.

[Uncle Skid]

Here are discographies of the sets, as well a s pictures of the packaging of the old sets. It doesn't mention the album names though

http://www.kind-of-blue.de/box_index.htm

Thanks, Claude!

I saw the new Miles/Coltrane set yesterday at Best Buy. The price was around $59, and it looked like the picture billyboy just posted. It kind of reminds me of those "long boxes" that CD's used to come in.

I haven't pulled the trigger yet -- that new Tal Farlow Mosaic is calling, too!

[Uncle Skid]

Just picked up the Miles/Gil Evans set today. Packaging seems pretty nice to me, although I have never seen the metal spine version up close. CD packaging is the "long box" form, trifold kind of thing; the book is also in that rectagular format.

Overall, no complaints other than the book won't stay open. Most importantly, the music is fantastic, but I'm sure many of you already knew that!!

[wesbed]

Here I was, wanting to get the metal spine boxes because I'd read so much good about them. From the picture in this thread, it looks like the 'cheaper' packaging may be more user-friendly and practical.

[AfricaBrass]

Here I was, wanting to get the metal spine boxes because I'd read so much good about them. From the picture in this thread, it looks like the 'cheaper' packaging may be more user-friendly and practical.

I have the metal spine version and I'd much rather have the new one.

The metal ones look nice, but they're really impractical.

Knowing me, I'll probably talk myself into buying both versions eventually.

[vajerzy]

I like the older packaging, except for the booklets- they are hard to read.

The new packaging looks like a user-friendly booklet which is a plus.

[Chalupa]

Thanks for the photos Uncle Skid!

[Tjazz]

Yeah, new versions are better.

Easier to read the booklet and easier to get the CDs out. (course, if those center plastic holders break, then the CDs won't stay put)

[Uncle Skid]

Thanks for the photos Uncle Skid!

Sure! Here's a couple more of the Quintet box. As I mentioned earlier, I was debating which ones to buy -- I ended up buying two of the new ones for roughly the price of one original box set.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it, as these can be had for around $50-$60 each. That's an average cost of less than $10 per disc, and each disc is packed full.

I was never able to find an "album index" for these sets, so here's some info:

Miles Davis - Quintet 1965-1968 ALBUM INDEX

• E.S.P. (Originally Released 1965)
  
• Miles Smiles (1967)
  
• Sorcerer (1967)
  
• Nefertiti (1968)
  
• Miles In The Sky (1968)
  
• Filles De Kilimanjaro (1969)
  
• Water Babies (1976)
  
• Circle In The Round (1979)
  
• Directions (1981)
  
• The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (1988)
  

I'm assuming that the last four or five albums listed aren't "complete" in this box set, but I'm not sure. The Discography is very detailed.

The Miles/Gil Evans box includes

• Miles Ahead
  
• Porgy and Bess
  
• Sketches of Spain
  
• Quiet Nights
  

[jazzbo]

You are correct, just certain tracks from these releases are included in the Quintet box:

Filles De Kilimanjaro (1969)

Water Babies (1976)

Circle In The Round (1979)

Directions (1981)

The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (1988)

Thanks for posting those pictures; look like great sets! I will not buy them again, I will not buy them again, I will not buy them, again, again, I will not buy them. . . .