Search - Bob Dylan :: Bob Dylan - Limited Edition Catalog Box Set

Perhaps too expensive, poorly designed......but.....

celavie | Walnut Creek, Ca. USA | 10/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music is well worth it. Listening to these SACDs will make you aware of how incredibly desolate the current musical landscape is. I find myself REALLY appreciating Dylan, the Dead, the Beatles, the Stones, the Doors.... Senility? Surely you jest. The music and songwriting of these groups ages well and endures.That said, here come the caveats. First, the cardboard packaging is not up to SACD standards. Yes, I realize the Stones used the same, but Columbia should have learned from history, instead of repeating it. If you look at Classical SACDs, you will find them packaged in very sturdy, classy, plastic jewel boxes, NOT cardboard! To remove the Dylan SACDs from the spindles requires considerable effort and flexing of the SACD. Bad Karma! Three of the SACDs in my Box Set were actually damaged. They had fine cracks around the hole, no doubt caused by their extremely tight fit on the plastic spindles. If you own this Box Set, I encourage you to carefully check each SACD for hairline cracks. If you mailorder this set, make sure the return policies are something you can live with. The design of this Box Set makes it very prone to shipping damage. Will there be subsequent Dylan SACD Stereo, 5.1, and 6.1 remasterings? You bet. They will always push the envelope, as technology evolves. These SACDs eclipse all previous versions and represent the current state of the art. The music and remastering are superb. Listen and you will hear......."

Rated 5 stars only until the next repackage/remastered set.

Mercury | Wilton Manors, FL | 11/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In other words, this is by far the best sounding set available right now (although the packaging lacks in the usual "We don't try hardest" American sub-standard spirit). The good things about this set are: 1. For regular CD listeners, the DSD mastering is brilliant and pristine. To use the worn out cliché; it is like hearing them again for the first time.
2. The SACD multi-track remixes are beyond expectation. If you do not already own one, this set is a major selling point for finding a SACD player.
3. The packaging is almost good. Thank goodness no plastic jewel cases. I particularly dislike them because they break and use up too much shelf space. Better than the Digipacks would have been Mini-LP format (see below).
4. The price amortizes out to a reasonable cost per CD (not great, just reasonable).The bad things about this set are:1. I swear this box is only made to hold 14 CDs and not the 15 that are stuffed into it.
2. They should have packaged all the CDs in Mini-LP format packages, precisely duplicating the original, historic LP designs via the all-the-rage Japanese special editions.
3. Some seriously necessary titles are still needed (Box 2?) such as Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A Changin', Self Portrait, Before The Flood, Pat Garrett, The Basement Tapes, Budokan, Shot Of Love, Time Out Of Mind, etc.After all, it is mainly about the music. For that reason this set is very highly recommended. Now The Beatles? Eno? Springsteen?To all those who are distraught over the Justin Timberlake fan's review: I hate to ruin your incensed rants, but I think you have been had. It sounds like a joke to me."

Kudos to Columbia Records!

celavie | 10/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kudos to Columbia for finally giving Dylan's catalog the sonic upgrade it deserves! The sound quality of each disc is a vast improvement over the old cds - and I'm talking about only the remastered conventional CD layer, not the SACD layer (as I don't yet have an SACD player).
The detail and clarity in Dylan's voice and musical accompaniment is absolutely stunning. You will hear things in the songs that you never heard before - for instance, the dramatic intake of breath before he sings the first line of All I Really Want to Do to kick off Another Side of Bob Dylan.
Thankfully, the remastering was done with the utmost respect for the original recordings. Nothing has been remixed (aside from the 5.1 remix of the SACD layer, of course); the glorious sound of these reissues was acheived through careful mastering of the original source tapes.
As an added bonus, the packaging for each album has also been restored so if you never owned the original vinyl, you'll have Dylan's own Planet Waves liner notes for the first time, Allen Ginsberg's Desire notes for the first time, etc. etc.
As for bonus tracks, who needs 'em? I say, save those for future installments of the Bootleg Series. These albums deserve to be heard the way they sounded when they were originally released - including the exact track listings!
Now bring on the next batch of remasters. I need a good sounding copy of New Morning!"