Saturday, December 4, 2010

Vinyl Box Sets Abundant This Holiday Season

The Vinyl Conflict - Slayer

For nearly thirty years, Slayer has been the single most distinctive and radical thrash metal band anywhere. Graphic lyrics, saturated in controversy and disturbing imagery; the frenzied guitar playing, powerful vocals, and unrelenting pounding drums at breakneck speed; the unparalleled concert performances; the shocking and blood-fueled albums all have kept their rabid, head-banging fans enthralled in mayhem.

For the first time in the band's storied history, 'The Vinyl Conflict' collects all ten original Slayer albums from American Recordings and puts them together in this limited edition box set.  Each album has been re-mastered from the original flat master tapes and is pressed on the highest quality 180 gram audiophile vinyl. Also included are reproductions of the original LP artwork, including inner sleeve art, all in heavyweight, litho-wrapped chip jackets. From 1986's 'Reign in Blood' to 1994's 'Divine Intervention' to 2009's 'World Painted Blood,' it's all here, it's all on vinyl and it's all original Slayer.

Everything has already been said about this music, including the fact that Slayer's first three offerings - 'Reign in Blood,' (1986) 'South of Heaven,' ('88) and 'Seasons in the Abyss' ('90) - are cornerstones in any respectable metal collection.

Buy it here: Slayer

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Jimi Hendrix - West Coast Seattle Boy


This DELUXE EDITION is a single disc selection of the West Coast Seattle Boy box set, representing a "best of" of what the full box set has to offer. It also includes the DVD Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, featuring Jimi's life story told in his own words. Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins brings Jimi's words and story to life. Rare and never before seen footage and photos - as well as the Hendrix family archive of the late guitarist's personal drawings, postcards home to his father, song drafts, sketches, and lyrics are all featured in this special ninety minute presentation.

West Coast Seattle Boytracks Jimi Hendrix's incredible journey from R&B sideman to international acclaim. This collection presents - for the first time - the most sought after of Jimi's pre-Experience recordings as a sideman for such rhythm & blues stars as The Isley Brothers, Don Covay, Little Richard and others; as well as previously unreleased and commercially unavailable studio recordings from every chapter of his career. The studio recordings include never before released (or even bootlegged!) alternate versions of such classic fare as "Are You Experienced," "Fire," "May This Be Love," "Love Or Confusion" and many more. In addition, new songs such as "Hear My Freedom," "Hound Dog Blues" and "Lonely Avenue" make their debut as part of this special collection. West Coast Seattle Boy also features another major revelation - an electric demo version of Bob Dylan's "Tears of Rage"!

A wonderful stocking stuffer!  Buy Jimi Hendrix Box Set

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Time Flies 1994-2009 - Oasis

VINYL DELUXE EDITION. This limited deluxe vinyl box set contains all twenty-six UK singles spread across five heavyweight 180 gram vinyl LPs, housed in a 12" lift off lid and box, and including a twenty-four page booklet!

Time Flies - 1994-2009 is the complete Oasis singles collection. Featuring all twenty-six singles released in the UK during their fifteen year career, plus the U.S.-exclusive hit "Champagne Supernova," this collection is the ultimate celebration of a band who had seven consecutive #1 albums and sold an unbelievable 7.5 million singles in the UK; who topped charts, sold millions of records and became legendary for their live show around the world, during the course of their career. Oasis were the band who defined Britpop. The album cover features an image from the band's landmark live shows at Knebworth in 1996.

Buy Oasis Here

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Cowboys from Hell - Pantera (Vinyl)


VINYL FORMAT. " Pantera's breakthrough album, Cowboys from Hell, is largely driven by the band's powerful rhythm section and guitarist Diamond Darrell (as he was then known)'s unbelievably forceful riffing, which skittered around the downbeats to produce unexpected rhythmic phrases and accents, as well as his inventive soloing. Phil Anselmo displayed a vocal range that could switch from a growling shout to a high falsetto - listen to him match Darrell's harmonic squeals at the end of "Cemetery Gates." The album gradually becomes more same-sounding as it goes on, but the first half, featuring such brutal slices of thrash as "Psycho Holiday," "Primal Concrete Sledge," and the title track, pretty much carries its momentum all the way through." –allmusic.com

Buy Pantera Here



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Michael Jackson's Vision


Michael Jackson's Vision - It might have been fate that MTV was born at the same time people began to notice the rare talent and artistic ingenuity of Michael Jackson. It proved to be a perfect match between the new television network and the young rising icon. Early on, Michael saw MTV’s potential as a force of its own and understood that it offered him the chance to pioneer a whole new visual style through which people could see music, not just listen to it. For the first time, artists had the opportunity to truly shape a vision of a story around their songs. For Michael, this meant treating the song as a “script” and creating a stand-alone film to tell that story. In fact, Michael referred to each of these productions as a "short film" and not a “music video.”

No other artist contributed more to the development of this art form than Michael Jackson. Just look at the impact of Thriller, which was recently named the first (and only) music video ever to be inducted by the Library of Congress into the National Film Registry - an elite collection of only a few hundred films. In addition to this, Michael’s vision had immense cultural impact . The enormous popularity of his short films proved to MTV Executives that they were wrong about what their audience wanted; it was Michael who broke through that initial barrier and created opportunity for future African American artists.

Here, for the first time, is the complete collection of all 35 of the short films produced by Michael during his career as a solo artist - 10 of which are appearing on DVD for the first time. All of the short films have been meticulously restored and remastered for the ultimate audio and visual experience and a bonus DVD includes 7 additional videos including “Enjoy Yourself” with The Jacksons, “Say Say Say” with Paul McCartney and the Previously Unreleased video for “One More Chance”. This is a true representation of Michael Jackson’s Vision.

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Grateful Dead - The Warner Bros. Studio Albums (5 LP 180 Gm Vinyl Box Set)

Deluxe Box Set Features Five Warner Bros. Records studio albums on 180-Gram Vinyl With Lacquers Cut From The Original Analog Masters.

Between 1967 and 1970, the Grateful Dead recorded five studio albums for Warner Bros. Records that formed the psychedelic canon on which the band's live legend was built. The albums spotlighted the early core lineup of Jerry Garcia, Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart.

Grateful Dead and Rhino will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of 'Workingman's Dead' and 'American Beauty' with 'The Warner Bros. Studio Albums,' a five-LP boxed set available on September 21. The collection contains 'The Grateful Dead' (1967), 'Workingman's Dead,' and 'American Beauty' (1970), plus the original mixes for 'Anthem Of The Sun' (1968) and 'Aoxomoxoa' (1969), available on vinyl for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The set offers detailed replicas of the original albums housed in a hard-shell case that protects and stores the music with the accompanying 12in x 12in book including unpublished photos and new liner notes by Blair Jackson. To ensure the highest degree of quality, the albums were pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI using lacquers cut from the original analog masters by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

The original mixes for 'Anthem of the Sun' and 'Aoxomoxoa' featured here for the first time since they were released went out of circulation in 1972 and 1971 respectively. Garcia and Lesh revisited 'Aoxomoxoa' two years after its release in an effort to cut through the dense mix, which was a result of the band's extensive experimenting in the studio with one of the first 16-track recorders. The overhaul changed the album's sound significantly, including the end of 'Doin' That Rag,' which originally closed with an a cappella vocal coda that was later removed.

Buy it here: The Warner Bros. Studio Albums (5LP 180 Gram Vinyl Boxset)

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David Bowie - Station To Station (Deluxe Edition) (5CD /DVD/3LP)


What separates this collection from other box sets and reissues is the full concert recording, instead of the usual sub-par outtakes. Most of the tracks from the album are performed along with Bowie classics like "Rebel, Rebel," and "Suffragette City."

Bowie modified the arrangements of these older songs to match the style of the record. "Diamond Dogs," and "Panic in Detroit" get a fresh makeover that doesn't stray too far from the original. And then there's a funky, tightness of "The Jean Genie," which takes on a life of its own with its infectious rhythm. By record's end, it's apparent that a magical event took place.

"Station to Station" is also available in a deluxe edition that includes five CDs, a DVD, three vinyl albums, and a plethora of collectibles, including replica tickets and backstage passes, booklets, and a poster.



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Signature Box - John Lennon

Yeah, yeah, I know it isn't vinyl, but this is certainly worth the investment.

John Lennon  was among the most important songwriters in pop history. Between him and his partner Paul McCartney, the duo revolutionized the way musicians would market themselves and their respective group. Most of the time, the songs that singers would sing were written by someone else (the Brill Building comes to mind as well as Motown). This song writing duo changed that, bringing their own compositions to the studio to record. This had a profound effect on music, allowing for more artistic freedom and experimentation.

As a solo artist, Lennon released seven albums during his lifetime, as well as "Milk And Honey," which came four years after his 1980 murder. Two bonus CDs of non-album singles and previously unreleased studio outtakes and home recordings are also included.

As Yoko continues to expertly preserve her husband's legacy, this is a loving repackaging of all of Lennon's post-Beatles music with this deluxe, career-spanning boxed set.

"Mother," "Working Class Hero," "Love," "God," "Imagine," "Instant Karma," "Mind Games" and many other cuts help a Lennon lover realize why he was so important to their lives. For the novice Lennon fan, these cuts will leave them wanting more, so they have something in common with other Lennon lovers. It would have been a joy to watch him age and continue to delight us with sound and word. What a shame.....

Buy John Lennon Music

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Cradle Of Filth - Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa (Double Vinyl Edition)

One of the most infamous and notorious names in metal, Cradle Of Filth continue to shock, excite, disgust and inspire in equal measures. Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, the latest chapter of the band’s dark history is to be released through Peaceville Records on the band’s own AbraCadaver imprint.

Their ninth studio album is, in the words of Cradle’s infamous frontman Dani Filth “without doubt the fastest and most brutal album we’ve created to date… A gothic horror themed slay-ride of fervour and perversion; yet amidst the orchestral melodrama and lush, cinematic production, there sits stalwart a ravening beast of furious riffing, flesh ripping vocals and monstrous, unstoppable percussion.”

Grammy nominated Cradle Of Filth have been pioneers of extreme music since their debut in 1994 and have continued to evolve with each of their subsequent releases. Unafraid of ruffling a few feathers, the band have continually refused to bow to convention or to conform to prevalent trends and fads. Yet despite this uncompromising stance the band are still the most successful British heavy metal band since Iron Maiden, with legions of fans around the globe.

This double heavyweight (180gm) colored (one blue disc and one red disc) vinyl edition is limited to 2000 numbered copies and comes packaged a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves. The vinyl edition also comes with a dropcard with a unique code to download digital version the album.

Buy Cradle Of Filth Here

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