Box Set Redux and More
by Steve Matteo
The most comprehensive reggae reissue series of the year is Studio One recordings from the Heartbeat label. Studio One was the seminal ska label headed by record producer Clement Dodd, who, along with Lee "Scratch" Perry, was one of the two most influential producers in reggae history. The centerpiece of the series is the box set The Best of Studio One Collection, a four-CD set. The box consists of three CDs that can also be purchased separately (The Best of Studio One, Downbeat The Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One and Full Up: More Hits From Studio One) and a bonus disc, Rebel Discomixes. There are two other various artists discs (Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Years, Version Dread: 18 Dub Hits From Studio One and Six The Hard Way), along with single discs from solo artists Freddie McGregor (Bobby Bobylon), Delroy Wilson (The Best Of), Anton Ellis (I'm Still In Love With You) and John Holt (I Can't Get You Off My Mind). There is also One Love At Studio One 1964-1968 from Bob Marley and the Wailers, which features Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh.
From ska to folk, two box sets from last year that absolutely can't be beat are Billy Bragg, Volume I and Volume II, both from Yep Roc. Volume I includes four double-CDs of the albums Life's A Riot with Spy vs. Spy, Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, Talking With the Taxman About Poetry and The Internationale. Disc one is the original album, and disc two includes bonus material such as demo, live, alternative and EP material. There is also a bonus DVD that includes a full-length live concert and a complete live television concert. Volume II is similar in that it includes four double-CD sets and a bonus DVD. The albums include three Billy Bragg solo albums (Workers Playtime, Don't Try This At Home and William Bloke) and one Billy Bragg & The Blokes album (England, Half English). Just as on Volume I, each set contains the original album and demo, alternate and live material. The DVD includes a live television concert and a live concert recorded last May.
The Fillmores, both East and West, which were run by Bill Graham, were the holy palaces of live music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Many famous live albums were recorded there, most notably the Allman Brothers' Live at the Fillmore East. While rock music dominated the Fillmores, blues, jazz and other music also graced the hallowed stages. One of Graham's philosophies in booking the various shows was to include non-rock acts—varying the musical menu, turning the young rock crowd on to other styles, and giving non-rock acts their fair due as the foundation of much of the rock music of the day. Two soul albums have finally been released on CD and they're both absolute knockouts. In 1971 Aretha Franklin and King Curtis played shows at the Fillmore West and spawned two albums, Aretha Live at Fillmore West (Atlantic/Rhino) and King Curtis Live at Fillmore West (Atlantic/Rhino). The Aretha release is a two-disc set that includes the original album and a full disc of alternate performances of songs on the first disc and some songs that were performed that were not included on the original. Aretha, the queen of soul, is caught here in full power with a backup band that is unmatched. Clearly feeling the tide of the counter-culture sweeping over her, she is playing soul music for what Otis Redding called "the love crowd," including live versions of Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With" and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Aretha brings Ray Charles out for a blistering soul jam on "Spirit In The Dark" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." This extraordinary two-disc live concert experience is nothing short of miraculous. If you're feeling down, put this on and you'll be smiling for the next month. The King Curtis release is also excellent, with Curtis also embracing the love vibe on amazing versions of Procul Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Bonus tracks that didn't appear on the original album include Billy Preston performing "My Sweet Lord."
Finally, check out The Juliet Letters (Rhino) from Elvis Costello with the Brodsky Quartet. Originally released in 1992, this song sequence for string quartet and voice was yet another example of Elvis Costello stepping out beyond pop and rock. This two-CD set is also yet another instance of a previously released Costello album being reissued with not just a handful of bonus material but an entire bonus disc. The second disc is a real hodgepodge of material. There are plenty of live tracks from the 1995 Meltdown Festival in London. There are also studio tracks from albums on which Costello contributed his vocals to one track, including the glorious Hal Wilner-produced September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill.
