Thursday, October 2, 2008

::Miles & Nina: A Rebirth::

Went on a rare voyage to Virgin Megastore the other day and saw this:


I immediately flashed back to when my mother used to have to drag me out of the toy stores, kicking and screaming because I was leaving objects of my desire on the shelves.
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I stood with this box set in my hand for a good 20 minutes, examining the minutiae of the design and packaging.



"I need it in my life/ I want it in my life."
- Juvenile featuring Mannie Fresh (2003)


To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' landmark album Kind Of Blue (and to help fill in their wavering profit margin), Sony's Legacy Recordings is releasing this beautiful, illustrious box set. I think I'm in love.

Specs as follows:
*180 gram blue vinyl pressing of the album with original Columbia label.
*Double CD of the Kind Of Blue sessions (over 2 hours of alternate and live takes).
*DVD featuring new B&W 55-minute documentary and 26-minute televised recording of Miles' performance on Robert Herridge Theatre in 1959.
*12X12 bound 60-page full-color booklet featuring elaborate liner notes and essays, photographs, timeline, discographic info.
*Fold-out 22X33 poster.
*Six 8X10 photos.
*Reproduction of the original 1959 Kind Of Blue promo brochure.
*Housed in a 12X12 deluxe box.


It retails for $120. Boooo!!! However, I see that Virgin has it on sale for $89.99.

Not much needs to be said about this album and its place in the canon of recorded music. My love for these five tracks runs deep. Let's just say that tomorrow...that bitch is MINE! Read more here.


And let's not forget the high priestess of soul. Last Tuesday, Sony Legacy also released a new Nina Simone box set. Seems like this one is striving to be the most comprehensive career retrospective on her yet:

"Come put it in my life/ I'ma keep it in my life."
-Juvenile featuring Mannie Fresh (2003)


To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story

Specs as follows:
*51 tracks on 3 CDs spanning her work from 5 record labels: CTI, Philips, Colpix, Elektra, and Bethlehem. Also includes previously unreleased live tracks.
*DVD featuring a previously unreleased 1970 Emmy-nominated documentary and various live performances.
*Booklet with track-by-track liner notes by renowned biographer David Nathan.


This one retails for about $50.00, but you can find it for $45.00. The Nina box set actually looks a bit more interesting to me, being that I haven't seen any live footage of her. Hmm. I might have to spring for this one too. You can hit up the Sony website for more info, but their page on her sucks. Shame-shame, Sony.

However, they did manage to put together a little 3-minute composite EPK to promote the set:


If anybody has already copped these, let me know your thoughts.

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