Suggestions for the audiophile on your list
We’ve put together some recommendations for music lovers on your holiday shopping lists — the ones who want something tangible to hold besides an iPhone with a streaming app. and band members, to tell revealing stories about these pivotal years — in interviews before Prince died. The focus is on recording sessions. Tudahl has updated information so convincingly, he was hired this year to work on Prince’s archives. around $120/$210). Fourth in a chronological series of sprawling Bowie boxed sets, the 11-CD or 15-LP anthology spans from the MTV-buoyed album “Let’s Dance” to the underrated “Glass Spider (Live Montreal ‘87).” Among the “new” offerings are the rarities disc “Re: Call 4.” the fun if novel remix set “Dance” and a rerecorded version of the entire “Never Let Me Down” album, a title that rings true even in this lesser-celebrated era of the late rock genius’ career. was to the Minneapolis rock trio’s second album than its megahit, from the equally catchy “Singing in My Sleep” to four newly added and very worthy B-sides.
Bikini Kill, “The Singles” (Kill Rock Stars, $18). Anchored by the Joan Jett-produced anthem “Rebel Girl,” this compilation of three 7-inch records was released rather inconsequentially in 1998. It has since turned into perhaps the most celebrated and influential album by feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna and her hardraging Olympia, Wash., band. Old-school fans would love unwrapping the reissue on vinyl, but today’s cool indie kids could (and should) enjoy it, too. Bob Dylan, “More Blood, More Tracks: Bootleg Series Vol. 14” (Sony Legacy, $13$110). Not only does this finally give official credit to the Minneapolis musicians who recorded anonymously on Dylan’s 1975 landmark “Blood on the Tracks,” but it affords fans a chance to compare the oftbootlegged New York sessions with the Minneapolis ones, where five songs were recut with a full band and an angrier vibe. Plus, if you listen to all six CDs, you’ll get a window into Dylan’s demo-free recording process for which no two takes are alike. Also available as a single disc.
The Beatles, “The Beatles (White Album)” (Capitol, $25-$179). It’s the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ biggest (30 songs) and most eclectic album, and you can discover the demos, outtakes and drama (enter Yoko Ono) on the six-CD plus Blu-ray super-deluxe package. There are 27 acoustic demos and 50 mostly previously unreleased tracks plus a book and remastering by Giles Martin, son of Sir George Martin. Is anything ever too much for Beatlemaniacs?
Metallica, “… And Justice for All (Remastered)” (Rhino/ Blackened, $25-$200). Before they met up and slicked up with producer Bob Rock for their “Black Album,” the thrashmetal giants released this far more dense and artful masterpiece, featuring the MTV hit “One” and fan faves such as “Harvester of Sorrow” and “Blackened.” The 30th-anniversary $200 megabox seems like a bit much, but the $25 180-gram double-LP or expanded threeCD set are very justifiable.