Led Zeppelin Boxed Sets: Which one?

[Ingo]

I want to replace my Led Zeppelin Box Set that got stolen along with about $2000 worth of other CDs. It was the 4-disc one from the early 90's, with the pictures of crop circles on the box.

It was stolen about 3 years ago, before I really cared about the sound quality of the CDs. I saw someone on here say that the Led Zeppelin Box Set was not remastered very well and sounded pretty awful.

Here's my question. Is the 4-disc Box Set, ok? For about $100 I can get the "Complete Studio Recordings Box Set". Is that one any better SQ wise?

There's gotta be some Zep fans that have had both of these out there.

 

[s m @]

Good grief.... If you like them much I think you really need to get the complete recordings. I believe it's a different (superior) remastering, and even if it's not, some of Zep's very best songs aren't included on that 4-disc set. Not totally sure about the remastering, maybe someone else can confirm. I have the remastered actual albums, the same one as in the complete box, I think.

 

[Sovkiller]

Get the hwhole collection, it is not that long and not that expensive neither, IIRC even BMG have it....

 

[eyeteeth]

All the box sets from the first ones with the incomplete scrambled discography, to the last one Complete Studio recordings are the same mastering by George Marino. So get the complete.

Some people prefer the original CDs which are less bright but that's a personal matter. If you can compare and prefer the originals, you'd be able to have the whole catalogue for something like 8x$5=$40.

If SQ becomes a big issue you'll need to hunt down the original Polygram CDs from West Germany. Houses Of The Holy Atlantic 19130-2 Europe 50014 is amazing.

Or you could go all the way, get a turntable and hunt down the Broadway address vinyl pressings with RL in the deadwax.

 

[eyeteeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingo There's gotta be some Zep fans that have had both of these out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeteeth Some people prefer the original CDs which are less bright but that's a personal matter.

Now that I think about it it is very individual even amongst the albums themselves. I prefer the remastered 'Presence' and yet I prefer the original 'Physical Graffiti'. The remastered 'IV' is OK actually. I have the Japanese issued CDs. I guess I'm fussy, I'm not even entirely happy with the Classic records reissued heavy vinyl very much.

I'm rambling...

Get the Complete Studio Recordings (Marino/Page remastering).

 

[Wmcmanus]

Get the complete studio recordings from yourmusic.com for $59.90 (free shipping).

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/13510.html

Don't spend $100 or more on this in a store! With the money you save, you could get the other Zep essentials:

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/51956.html

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/25535.html

That's everything you'll ever need, and for under $90 in total. Sorry to hear about your music collection getting ripped off. That's really terrible.

 

[xixco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Get the complete studio recordings from yourmusic.com for $59.90 (free shipping). Don't spend $100 or more on this in a store! With the money you save, you could get the other Zep essentials: That's everything you'll ever need, and for under $90 in total.

listen to ^this man!

that one set has everything the original 2 box sets had, plus an additional song, or so i've been lead to believe.

then there's that "unreleased" song that's on the BBC sessions ("The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair"), and pretty much that's the entirety of their studio output --> all for a comparatively low price!

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xixco then there's that "unreleased" song that's on the BBC sessions ("The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair"), and pretty much that's the entirety of their studio output --> all for a comparatively low price!

Ya, and on top of that, the "How the West Was Won" and "BBC Sessions" are awesome live recordings that really demonstrate their brilliance as a band. It would be hard to recommend one or the other to supplement the 10 disc box set of studio recordings, because they are both spectacular.

 

[DJ Mauler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Ya, and on top of that, the "How the West Was Won" and "BBC Sessions" are awesome live recordings that really demonstrate their brilliance as a band. It would be hard to recommend one or the other to supplement the 10 disc box set of studio recordings, because they are both spectacular.

i second that How The West Was Won, some of the best led zep live.

 

[gdpeck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeteeth If SQ becomes a big issue you'll need to hunt down the original Polygram CDs from West Germany. Houses Of The Holy Atlantic 19130-2 Europe 50014 is amazing.

Reading this thread made me decide it had been waay too long, since I had heard The Rain Song. I decided to grab my copy of Houses of the Holy from my trusty Complete Studio Recordings, only to find out that my wife has determined that the Complete Studio Recordings doesn't fit in with the "staging" of the house we are trying to sell, and has put it away in an unknown location.

Since she is away from home in a later time zone, it probably wouldn't be wise to call her just to ask where a few stupid (in her opinion) CDs are, so I decided to just grab the one standalone Zeppelin CD I ever bought and it turns out to be this pressing.

I can't wait to find the remaster to do a comparison, but since I am extremely susceptible to placebo effect, I'd like to thank you eyeteeth, for salvaging my late night playlist.

P.S. - So this isn't a complete thread crap, I have to concur with the recommendations to get the Complete Studio Recordings.

edit: added an s

 

[Ingo]

Thanks a lot guys! I guess I'll be buying the "Complete Studio Recordings" from yourmusic.com.

I'm kind of leary about yourmusic.com, however. How simple is it to cancel? Is there any kind of hidden fees or anything?

 

[Wmcmanus]

There are no hidden fees, and it's easy as can be to cancel yourmusic.com. I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of clicking something to tell them you want to cancel or sending them an email. There are threads on the subject at the SH Forums and nobody has ever had any problems whatsoever.

The only 'catch' with yourmusic.com (if you can call it that) is that you'll need to order at least one single CD at $5.99 because the queue doesn't work with multiple disc sets. So if you got the 10 disc set, plus the other live recordings that I mentioned, plus at least one more single disc, it would still be only $95.84 (for 16 discs in total) and then you could go on your merry way. But, for me at least, it sure is hard to quit!

 

[eyeteeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdpeck so I decided to just grab the one standalone Zeppelin CD I ever bought and it turns out to be this pressing. I can't wait to find the remaster to do a comparison, but since I am extremely susceptible to placebo effect, I'd like to thank you eyeteeth, for salvaging my late night playlist.

You're welcome.
That's a stroke of good luck.

No placebo here. It's warm and smooth, very analogue sounding.
You'll notice the obvious difference in volume between the West German and the remaster. (Also the original and remaster).

The West German Zeppelin Cds are I believe flat transfers, no EQ, no levels screwing, no monkeying around, hence the lower volume. You'll need to turn it up but you're rewarded with superior dynamics from lack of compression.

 

[Canman]

This yourmusic.com site is owned by BMG music service. Do their CD's have the "manufactured for BMG" logo?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus There are no hidden fees, and it's easy as can be to cancel yourmusic.com. I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of clicking something to tell them you want to cancel or sending them an email. There are threads on the subject at the SH Forums and nobody has ever had any problems whatsoever.

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman This yourmusic.com site is owned by BMG music service. Do their CD's have the "manufactured for BMG" logo?

What would it mean if the CDs did have the "manucfactured for BMG" logo?