Worst Box Design

David Gitin · October-25th-2003, 07:21 PM

Charlie Parker Master Takes box.

Squaredancecalling Steve · October-25th-2003, 07:26 PM

They like to think of themselves as "creative types." And if you specialize in reissuing reissues, packaging is probably the cutting edge.

BFrank · October-25th-2003, 08:41 PM

I've seen (and heard about) the Charlie Christian box, and can confirm that the design is the PITS. CDs stuck vertically into a block of foam. What were they thinking?

bostontricky · October-25th-2003, 09:17 PM

For me, the Miles Davis boxes on Columbia must represent some apex of design pretension. I fear busting all the CDs in the set if I open the binding more than a crack to read discographical information.

For that matter, any box set that has the CDs and booklet/information bound together. But at least the Charlie Parker Savoy/Dial master set is spiral bound, so my greatest worry is having a CD smash to the floor while I'm flipping through the set.

- - - -

What's up with that Herbie Hancock lucite box, anyway?

Nate Dorward · October-25th-2003, 10:07 PM

I hate the John Coltrane Complete Studio Sessions by the quartet. If you have trouble extracting a disc you can't tip the card pocket over, because all 8 pockets are connected in the same weirdly-folding case.

Intakt double-CDs (e.g. LJCO's Portraits) are usually very hard to extract at first from their central rosettes. I usually break several of the little pins in the process, & next time the disc won't stay on the rosette any more.

GA Russell · October-25th-2003, 10:14 PM

I agree with bostontrickly's comments about the Miles boxes. I just remove the CDs from the box and keep them in separate jewel cases. Same with Nate's Coltrane box.

tippy · October-26th-2003, 12:47 PM

Columbia Legacy "Louis Armstrong: Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings." The book is nice but the discs are too slip and slide in (out) their demi pockets. Haphazardly casual compared to the rest of the presentation. Also didn't like the rubber cement that came adhered to some of the discs, which I assume was makeshift, after-the-fact method to keep the discs on place. Also, I listen more to the recordings I already had, but that's not a box issue. Maybe I'll spin again.

Sergio Zamora · October-26th-2003, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tippy
Columbia Legacy "Louis Armstrong: Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings." The book is nice but the discs are too slip and slide in (out) their demi pockets. Haphazardly casual compared to the rest of the presentation. Also didn't like the rubber cement that came adhered to some of the discs, which I assume was makeshift, after-the-fact method to keep the discs on place. Also, I listen more to the recordings I already had, but that's not a box issue. Maybe I'll spin again.

That's the one I was thinking about. It's also a little hard to shelf properly.

Bostontricky, I messed up one of the Complete Bitches Brew cds when it sorta came out flying once when I opened the box.

SinginSumo · October-26th-2003, 01:54 PM

Ditto to tippy's post.

Dead Can Dance 1981-1998 (similar design to Columbia's Louis Armstrong set above)

Charlie Parker Complete Dial/Savoy (similar box design to both above)

Pete C · October-26th-2003, 02:06 PM

One of my Complete Bitches Brew cd's got damaged because it crept into and got lodged into the binding, then was all scratched up when I extracted it. Luckily, it was one of the ones with tracks only from the original album, and a friend had a the remastered version, so I was able to burn a replacement.

Jon Abbey · October-26th-2003, 03:27 PM

maybe it should be a new thread, but what are some well-designed boxes? the Ornette Atlantic one's pretty good, for starters.

stonemonkts · October-26th-2003, 03:30 PM

I agree with the comments on both the Miles and Coltrane boxes.

The ones I like the most are simply individual jewel-cased (or in the case of the Lyons, slip-cased) CDs in a BOX. The Monk Blue Note box comes to mind as well. Simple, safe, easy.

Why do they try and get fancy with these things?

Another nightmare box design is the Mingus - Passions of a Man

Oh yeah, and I too often damage the rosettes with those double CDs, and then as Nate said you can't keep them held in place any longer.

The Monk Complete Columbia is a poorly designed affair too (the soft little um...I don't know....pool-table-felt-like holders will NOT last I'm sure of it).

gdogus · October-26th-2003, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stonemonkts
The ones I like the most are simply individual jewel-cased (or in the case of the Lyons, slip-cased) CDs in a BOX.

Agreed. I prefer coated (not rough) cardboard sleeves instead of jewel cases for box sets, since that way the whole box will take up less of my shelf real estate. But I have to speak out against the "long box" format - e.g., the Herbie Hancock 60's Blue Note design. Doesn't fit on my shelves very efficientl, or likely with any storage set up designed for standard CDs.

Sergio Zamora · October-26th-2003, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
maybe it should be a new thread, but what are some well-designed boxes? the Ornette Atlantic one's pretty good, for starters.

I find the "Improvised Music from Japan" box to be aesthetically pleasing. It's a bit of a bitch to get things out, though, since there's no real way to get a handle on the individual cd holders inside.

vibes · October-26th-2003, 04:14 PM

For those of you that have the Charlie Christian box and have not taken the CD's out of the foam slits and put them in jewel cases, this warning is for you. I recently purchased this box at a local store. When I got home and opened the box, there was a sticky film on the CD's where they had been stuck in the foam. THIS FILM CANNOT BE WASHED OFF. I had to go back to the store and open up a couple more boxes before I found one where the CD's had not been affected. In short, if you haven't done so already, take the CD's out of the foam and don't put them back in.

October-26th-2003, 11:03 PM

I had the same experience with the Columbia Hot Five Armstrong set. The packaging is beautiful, but the slots for the discs are a major disaster. Rubber cement came of on mine as well. I couldn't clean the rubber cement off of one of the discs even enough to get it to play, and had to take a set back for that reason.

One thing that I do not like is when all discographical information is stuck in hard-to-find places in tight booklets (as in Trane on Impulse!) I really appreciate when each individual disc can be removed separately from a set with all of this information (Mosaic sets, Coltrane on Atlantic)

The Complete Blue Note sets of Dexter Gordon and Herbie Hancock were very attractive. But I can't open them up without two or three discs falling on the floor. Ditto Complete Billie Holiday on Decca.

BFrank · October-26th-2003, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by John L
One thing that I do not like is when all discographical information is stuck in hard-to-find places in tight booklets (as in Trane on Impulse!) I really appreciate when each individual disc can be removed separately from a set with all of this information (Mosaic sets, Coltrane on Atlantic)

I hear THAT! The Miles sets are all that way. In some cases, the disks themselves are poorly (a/k/a "edgy", "cool", etc.) identified, too. I don't know why each sleeve at least doesn't have a listing of the tunes.

As for the Dexter BN collection, the discographic info is well documented, but it's so intricately cross-indexed, you have to look in three places to know which cuts belong to which albums and with which musicians. Very frustrating.

shrugs · October-26th-2003, 11:46 PM

What about the newish Herbie Hancock box that comes in some tripped out plastic container? I don't own but I had to augh at the design when I saw it at a used store. The owner said he tried to open it and gave up or maybe he opened it once and would never open it again because it was a bitch to get back.

Tanager · October-27th-2003, 08:24 AM

I also like the Mosaic Select method of "jewel cases in a box." With that, I can just take out the disk I want to listen to, especially if I'm going to be listening in the car, w/o worrying about fussing over fragile packaging/slipcovers/other disks falling out, etc.

The recent Columbia/Legacy Count Basie set (which I have and love, FWIW) is along these lines - 4 disks in a double-jewel case with a booklet, all of which fits in a neat little box about the same size as a Mosaic Select. It's also cheaper than those fancy metal-bound booklet things used for several of the Miles sets, which I dig, b/c I'd rather pay for music than packaging.

GA Russell · October-27th-2003, 12:07 PM

I think we're in agreement regarding the boxes we like.

I would add the Stan Getz Roulette box, which uses the slim jewel cases.

clinthopson · October-28th-2003, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BFrank
I've seen (and heard about) the Charlie Christian box, and can confirm that the design is the PITS. CDs stuck vertically into a block of foam. What were they thinking?

I bought the Christian box, with is esthetically atttractive, but rediculous for storing. I moved the discs to jewel cases so I could file them and tossed the box. Plus, there are way to many alt takes of the same tune with very little to differentiate them.

The Verve Billie Holiday box takes first prize for useless recorded takes.

gnhrtg · October-30th-2003, 12:50 PM

I also had the impression that the Herbie box was intended to be displayed as is rather than "deconstructed" and listened to.

frankiepop · October-30th-2003, 07:59 PM

i couldnt hardly get the cds out of damn cardboard in coltrane's complete village vanguard set
so i cut the damn things and put em jewel boxes.

bostontricky · December-2nd-2003, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David Gitin
and the winnuh is...
Verve
once again...

with its Charlie Parker Master Takes box. Think sardine can with strange foldout exercises to discover discs and/or pamphlet.

The shame of it all is that if that fold-out contraption actually came out of the tin, this would be a wonderful 3-CD digipack, with armor cladding when needed.

Instead they glued the goddamned thing into the tin. I am so tempted to give it a good yank...