This year hasn’t been quite as prolific for box sets and other special deluxe reissues, especially compared to last year’s bounty. But if you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for that special music obsessive in your life, 2024 produced several good options. Here are some that stood out.
Elvis Costello: King of America & Other Realms
This six-CD set documents Costello’s fruitful, long-running partnership with producer T Bone Burnett, anchored by his 1986 album King of America. That excellent album marked Costello’s foray into Americana music before it was called that.
The set supplements King of America with unreleased solo demos and a full 1987 concert featuring the original tracklist and some cool covers performed by Costello and his backing band, The Confederates, including guitaristJames Burtonand bassist Jerry Scheff from Elvis Presley’s TCB Band, drummer Jim Keltner, keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and T-Bone Wolk on accordion and mandolin.
An additional trio of discs compiles released and unreleased songs from later Costello projects that fit stylistically with the King of America material, much of which was produced by Burnett. Taken together, this set suggests that Costello’s roots in blues, country and soul run considerably deeper than even his fans may realize. His command of these genres is every bit as strong as his signature talent for punk-forward pop rock.
Talking Heads: 77
This three-disc reissue of Talking Heads’ debut album goes well beyond the 2005 reissue, adding a disc of alternative versions of songs from that early period of the band’s career and a punchy, previously unreleased 1977 concert at CBGBs.
As for the outtakes, most have been released on other packages. But the early versions of “Pulled Up” (supplemented with a lively horn arrangement) and an edgier, slightly extended version of “Psycho Killer” with a different second verse are new to this set. This is a good document of the album that introduced one of the most singular and inventive bands to the world.
Green Day: American Idiot (20th Anniversary Edition)
Green Day’s most ambitious album is celebrated over four discs with this deluxe 20th anniversary edition of American Idiot. In addition to the original 22-song conceptual opus, it includes a concert at Irving Plaza in New York, 14 previously released outtakes, bonus songs, b-sides and 15 full-band demos.
There are some revelations among these outtakes, starting with alternate versions of the title track and “Letterbomb” (called “Cluster Bomb” in the demo stage) with notably different lyrics, along with a surprisingly different version of “Homecoming” that sounds even more like a Tommy-era Who track than the cut on the album. There’s also a trio of worthy tunes — the snappy “Everyone’s Breaking Down,” the anthemic “Just Another Year” and the amped-up “Lowlife” — that didn’t make the original album.
The Tragically Hip: Up to Here
The 1989 debut album that introduced The Hip’s taut, straight-ahead rock sound and launched the group’s rise to becoming one of Canada’s biggest bands gets quite the expansion on this comprehensive reissue via Universal Music.
In addition to the original album, this three-disc set yields a half-dozen solid songs that hadn’t surfaced before — including potent outtakes “She’s Got What It Takes,” “Rain, Hearts and Fire” and “Wait So Long,” alongside the full-band demos “When The Weight Comes Down” and “Hailstone Hands of God.” Topping things off is a full concert, Live at the Misty Moon, demonstrating that even at this early stage of their career, The Hip were a formidable live band.
David Bowie: Rock ‘N’ Roll Star!
This five-CD/Blu-Ray set explores Bowie’s creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona and the timeless music that sprung from his most iconic era. The set is bookended by a disc of demos, alternate versions and outtakes from various recording sessions, most of which were previously unreleased.
You’ll find plenty of other shining moments across three additional discs compiling radio, TV and concert performances. If you’re a fan of the Ziggy era, this is a deep dive you’ll definitely want to take.
Faces: Faces at the BBC
One of the most essential bands of the 1970s, The Faces made themselves a regular presence on BBC Radio, known for broadcasting some of the era’s defining live performances. This eight-disc set collects all the outfit’s various BBC studio appearances and concerts from 1970 to 1975, providing ample evidence of the songcraft and live swagger of the band led by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood.
Joni Mitchell: Archives Vol. 4: The Asylum Years, 1976-1980
Folk music icon Joni Mitchell continues to unpack previously unreleased material from the vault in this selection from the artist’s storied run with Asylum Records. Archives Vol. 4: The Asylum Years, 1976-1980 covers the productive period when she dropped the studio albums Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter and Mingus — on which Mitchell explored a fusion of jazz and her established folk sound. Heavy on live material, this set also includes a healthy number of solo demos and studio outtakes. It all makes for another excellent collection from Mitchell’s backpages.
Miles Davis: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
The latest dive into the deep vault of Miles Davis concert recordings showcases the trumpeter’s newly formed “second great quintet” — saxophonist George Coleman, bassist Ron Carter, keyboardist Herbie Hancock and drummer Tony Williams.
The latest in the jazz legend’s Bootleg Series covers three concerts in 1963 and two more from the following year in Paris after Wayne Shorter had replaced Coleman. The ensemble showcases dazzling musicianship and a melodic sound that challenged audiences and set a powerful new blueprint for the artform.
The Police: Synchronicity (Super Deluxe Edition)
This six-disc set includes The Police’s original hit album and a 1983 concert from Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. But the meat of this Synchronicity special edition is three collections of unreleased demos, alternate versions of the original songs, outtakes and bonus tracks. Highlights include a previously unreleased spin on “O My God” and a stinging and clever transformation of “Every Breath You Take” into “Every Bomb You Make.”
Weezer: Weezer 30 (Anniversary Super Deluxe)
The world has turned, and Weezer remains. The beloved power-pop band’s breakthrough 1994 debut, known colloquially as “The Blue Album” hits the 30-year mark with a three-disc box set. Highlights include the original album and a disc of full-band demos including several songs that didn’t make the album (the frenetic “Paperface,” the scruffy “Thief, You’ve Taken All That Was Me” and the heavy and slightly chaotic “I Can’t Forget This Way”) — plus a slew of live cuts, some of which are surprisingly raw.
More music box sets, at a glance
John Lennon: Mind Games (The Ultimate Collection)
This immersive six-disc set from Beatles legend John Lennon follows similar treatments of his Plastic Ono Band and Imagine albums, with multiple mixes of the songs, alternate takes from the recording sessions and more.
The Rascals: It’s Wonderful: The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings
This seven-disc package includes every album released by The Rascals on Atlantic Records between 1966 and 1971 — the peak years of this underrated band’s career — plus a handful of outtakes.
The Yardbirds: The Ultimate Live at the BBC
This set compiles three discs of performances from the Jeff Beck lineup, while a fourth features Beck’s replacement, Jimmy Page. It serves as a pretty comprehensive alternate anthology of the Yardbirds output from 1965 to 1967 while illustrating the group’s growth as a live act.
Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (‘) (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
Zappa’s first album to hit the top 10 in the U.S. — featuring the famous single “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” — gets the deluxe treatment with session outtakes and two concerts from 1974.
Looking for a companion gift for that special Zappa head in your life? Check out his daughter Moon Unit Zappa’s memoir Earth to Moon, featured in last week’s music book roundup from Boulder Weekly: bit.ly/MusicBooksBW.
Need more gifts for music lovers? Here's a roundup of the best music books of the year.