- Audio CD
- Number of Discs: 11
- ASIN: B003Y3BISS
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Well I did buy it and to be quite honest I'm glad I used a gift voucher because if I had spent my hard earned on this I would have been feeling slightly ripped off. The Signature box I'm afraid does not represent good value for money.
The box itself is too big for 8 albums and 2 bonus discs, about double the size of the Beatles mono box. The CD's themselves are packaged in digi-packs similar to the Beatles stereo remasters but the paper stock seems thinner and flimsier and the CD's are impossible to remove without touching the playing surface. The pictures on the CD's themselves are a facsimile of the album cover which looks cheap IMO. Would have been better to have recreated the labels from the original vinyl just like the Beatles remasters. The accompanying 60 page hardback book contains an essay by Rolling Stone music critic Anthony DeCurtis with plenty of photo's and drawings, many of which I have not seen before. The box also contains a drawer at the bottom of the box which houses what looks like another hardback book but is actually just a hardback portfolio for an Art print.
On the bright side the original vintage mixes are back in print again and especially in the case of Plastic Ono Band, that is great news. I was never a fan of the Yoko remixes from about a decade ago, too loud, too much noise reduction and poor choices of bonus tracks, especially on Plastic Ono Band. The 2010 CD's with the exception of Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey are in my opinion the best sounding Lennon CD's I've ever heard. The EQ is very tasteful and I can't detect any digital compression, limiting or noise reduction that has been the scourge of many a classic album reissue over the last decade. What's happened to the 2 80's albums is a mystery. They sound inferior to the 70's albums and were mastered in the US at Sterling sound as opposed to Abbey Road where the 70's albums and last years Beatles remasters were done. They sound heavily compressed and limited to me.
To pick up all 8 albums individually (including the Double Fantasy stripped disc) plus the Power to the People hits collection it will cost you just under £80! So for an extra £50 you get a disc of rarities (an excellent disc), a hardback book and an art print!!! Hardly represents good value in this day and age, especially when there are tracks on the Gimme Some Truth Set that are not on here. Ironically the Gimme Some Truth set represents quite good value for money at 72 tracks for under £30.
Now if the set had included Live Peace in Toronto, Menlove Avenue plus b sides like 'Listen The Snow is Falling' it would have represented far better value and would have made sense to have his complete discography in one place.
In summary, go for the individual CD's and leave this huge white Elephant on the shelves where it belongs..........
The box itself is too big for 8 albums and 2 bonus discs, about double the size of the Beatles mono box. The CD's themselves are packaged in digi-packs similar to the Beatles stereo remasters but the paper stock seems thinner and flimsier and the CD's are impossible to remove without touching the playing surface. The pictures on the CD's themselves are a facsimile of the album cover which looks cheap IMO. Would have been better to have recreated the labels from the original vinyl just like the Beatles remasters. The accompanying 60 page hardback book contains an essay by Rolling Stone music critic Anthony DeCurtis with plenty of photo's and drawings, many of which I have not seen before. The box also contains a drawer at the bottom of the box which houses what looks like another hardback book but is actually just a hardback portfolio for an Art print.
On the bright side the original vintage mixes are back in print again and especially in the case of Plastic Ono Band, that is great news. I was never a fan of the Yoko remixes from about a decade ago, too loud, too much noise reduction and poor choices of bonus tracks, especially on Plastic Ono Band. The 2010 CD's with the exception of Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey are in my opinion the best sounding Lennon CD's I've ever heard. The EQ is very tasteful and I can't detect any digital compression, limiting or noise reduction that has been the scourge of many a classic album reissue over the last decade. What's happened to the 2 80's albums is a mystery. They sound inferior to the 70's albums and were mastered in the US at Sterling sound as opposed to Abbey Road where the 70's albums and last years Beatles remasters were done. They sound heavily compressed and limited to me.
To pick up all 8 albums individually (including the Double Fantasy stripped disc) plus the Power to the People hits collection it will cost you just under £80! So for an extra £50 you get a disc of rarities (an excellent disc), a hardback book and an art print!!! Hardly represents good value in this day and age, especially when there are tracks on the Gimme Some Truth Set that are not on here. Ironically the Gimme Some Truth set represents quite good value for money at 72 tracks for under £30.
Now if the set had included Live Peace in Toronto, Menlove Avenue plus b sides like 'Listen The Snow is Falling' it would have represented far better value and would have made sense to have his complete discography in one place.
In summary, go for the individual CD's and leave this huge white Elephant on the shelves where it belongs..........
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all let me tell you that I am a huge Lennon/Beatles fan and will even admit to being an admirer of Yoko Ono's work. I'm not going to bother reviewing the music contained in this box set as I'm sure that anybody buying will be familiar with the contents already.
However, whoever came up with the concept for this box needs shooting. The box itself is just awkward. The drawer at the bottom with the art print is nothing but an expensive joke and what on earth is the wrap around card all about - it doesn't fit around the box properly and is too big to store inside the box.
The individual CD sleeves are nice and glossy with lovely restored colours but they are too small to get the booklets in or out of with ease, and it is difficult to get the discs in or out without leaving finger marks all over the discs. I have already ripped the sleeve of Sometime In New York City trying to get the booklet back in place! Then there's the so-called remastering...for anybody expecting some vast improvement like we got with last year's remastering of The Beatles' catalog think again. I find these new CDs rather top heavy and lacking in any depth...not a patch on the re-mixed versions of the same albums that came out a few years ago. The only plus is that they are the original mixes.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the ommission of the Stripped version of Double Fantasy is puzzling. It's nice to have the none-album singles on a separate disc but it wouldn't have been too much trouble for EMI to have included ALL the singles, or even include the B-sides to give us a really good 'bonus'. The Home recording discs are interesting but most die-hard Lennon fans will already have 70% of these in their bootleg collections. If you are new to collecting Lennon I recommend the re-mixed versions of the studio albums and if you want the videos, go for the Lennon Legend DVD which has excellent surround sound mixes.
However, whoever came up with the concept for this box needs shooting. The box itself is just awkward. The drawer at the bottom with the art print is nothing but an expensive joke and what on earth is the wrap around card all about - it doesn't fit around the box properly and is too big to store inside the box.
The individual CD sleeves are nice and glossy with lovely restored colours but they are too small to get the booklets in or out of with ease, and it is difficult to get the discs in or out without leaving finger marks all over the discs. I have already ripped the sleeve of Sometime In New York City trying to get the booklet back in place! Then there's the so-called remastering...for anybody expecting some vast improvement like we got with last year's remastering of The Beatles' catalog think again. I find these new CDs rather top heavy and lacking in any depth...not a patch on the re-mixed versions of the same albums that came out a few years ago. The only plus is that they are the original mixes.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the ommission of the Stripped version of Double Fantasy is puzzling. It's nice to have the none-album singles on a separate disc but it wouldn't have been too much trouble for EMI to have included ALL the singles, or even include the B-sides to give us a really good 'bonus'. The Home recording discs are interesting but most die-hard Lennon fans will already have 70% of these in their bootleg collections. If you are new to collecting Lennon I recommend the re-mixed versions of the studio albums and if you want the videos, go for the Lennon Legend DVD which has excellent surround sound mixes.
30 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
As an avid Beatles/ Lennon Fan, I waited in anticipation for this box., But what a let down. The packaging is fine, extravagent to say the least, but it is the music that most of us are interested in.
I was hoping that these remasters would take these recordings to a new level as was the case with the Beatles Box, but to these humble ears, there is not a lot of difference to the remasters issued a few years back. Nor do you get any of the bonus tracks that came with the older remasters. Furthermore, you do NOT get the stripped version of Double Fantasy as you would expect, and the Amazon description states.
As for the single CD of unreleased tracks, there is nothing essential there. Indeed some sound remarkably similar to the stuff on the Lennon Anthology.
So beware if you are expecting a complete package of Lennon releases or any dramatic new material. A lot of money and a bit of a let down.
I was hoping that these remasters would take these recordings to a new level as was the case with the Beatles Box, but to these humble ears, there is not a lot of difference to the remasters issued a few years back. Nor do you get any of the bonus tracks that came with the older remasters. Furthermore, you do NOT get the stripped version of Double Fantasy as you would expect, and the Amazon description states.
As for the single CD of unreleased tracks, there is nothing essential there. Indeed some sound remarkably similar to the stuff on the Lennon Anthology.
So beware if you are expecting a complete package of Lennon releases or any dramatic new material. A lot of money and a bit of a let down.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Opening Lennon's Box
I want to try and put a positive spin on this very deluxe John Lennon album box set.First up,I would say to any prospective purchasers,shop around and don't pay full retail,you'll... Read more
Published 2 months ago by DJ Control
lennon legend
I got my John lennon albums set at hmv i love the 7 albuns and singles and home demos which album i Did not like somtime in new york city my best albums are imagine, double... Read more
Published 17 months ago by craig waterhouse
a box set that will not provide power to the people
To the extent that i do or have ever "idolized" anyone, john lennon is certainly in my personal pantheon, absolutely. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Malachi Beale
Worth it for the music alone
Yes its expensive but the remasters using Lennon's original mixes are the ultimate. The absence of additional tracks is also right as it presents each album as originally... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Tim Goodacre
No stripped down???
Why, oh why would I order this vastly expensive item WITHOUT the new STRIPPED DOWN Double Fantasy? I'm sure it was on the description when I ordered but it is no longer there! Read more
Published 19 months ago by MC Bling
All of this and a Mont Blanc Pen
Unfortunately I share the same feelings about this box as the majority of other purchasers.
You may have noticed that following the Beatles Anthology series, a similar... Read more
You may have noticed that following the Beatles Anthology series, a similar... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Brian Jones
Not worth it
Other reviews have said it but this package falls a long way short of what a definitive John Lennon set should contain and is far too expensive for what it does contain. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Brianig
The Decline and Fall of a Fab
The truth, if you have not quite faced up to it yet, is all too clear in this Signature Box. John Lennon did still write the occasional great song afte the Beatles but never a... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Numinous Ugo
Amazon - your description is STILL wrong!!!
Come on Amazon - you are still describing this item as containing the 'stripped' version of Double Fantasy and it has been out for a week!
This isn't acceptable! Read more
This isn't acceptable! Read more
Published 20 months ago by Syd
John Lennon, Cash In Time!
Yep, it's cash in time for Yoko/EMI/capitol!
On the face of it, it looks a great set and so much more could and should have been done here! Read more
On the face of it, it looks a great set and so much more could and should have been done here! Read more
Published 20 months ago by BEATLEDAVE
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