Robert Johnson Complete Box

I bought the Robert Johnson Complete box set on LP back when it first came out. I'm now looking to sell it and buy the CD version. Is the LP version of this box in demand at all? I'm not thrilled with the sound of it, but if there's some reason to hang onto it, I'd like to know before I ditch it.

Thanks,
Mr. Peabody

 

You can't buy any RJ hoping for good sound. It's the historical importance and the love of the songs. the cd's will sound a bit better, but they still sound like what they are....scratchy 78's.

 

They were able to draw out some of the amazing midrange and the "room" ambience of the original 78's. Sony did well by Robert Johnson. It certainly could have been worse....

 

I have both LP and CD set. I have to admit my LP set is still sealed.
There is a slight demand for the LP set but nothing major. You may get what you paid for or slightly more if it is in mint condition. You WILL sell it though, if you place it on eBay.
I also have to admit the CD has a huge advantage over the LP. With the CD you can program the takes you want to hear. With the LP you are sentenced to hear alternate take after alternate take without a choice.

JMO.

 

I don't care about scratchy 78s, but the first pressings were taken from EQd production masters from the 1970s. Later pressings used better transfers. Noticeable improvement.

 

The box I have on cd has alternate takes of almost everything.

 

This is the one you're talking about right?


This is the one you should look for


and here's an old thread on the subject

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?threadid=6749&highlight=robert+johnson+king

 

Ya, silly me got rid of this one, I thought it sounded better! Oh well.

 

Of course, if you're really into Johnson's work you need both. It's that old sound-versus-content conundrum again...

Didn't Legacy reissue the "Complete Recordings" set in a smaller format? Was it given a new remastering as well?

 

Yes, I had the older box for awhile before I upgraded.

The older box was a long box, with a long booklet, and two separate jewel cases inside with a disc in each.

The newer, remastered version is a thick, jewel-cased sized case (and as such, the photo of RJ on the cover and booklet have been cropped to fit the new dimensions), with clear trays inside and I believe the SBM logo on the back as well as the year this was re-done (1997 or so as opposed to the original 1990 date).

 

So, how does the remaster of the box set compare to the gold CD? I have the original box set and the gold CD, but I've never listened to the gold CD, which is still sealed.

 

This isn't the answer you're looking for, but if you have that gold CD as a collectable (something you may sell down the line), I'd leave it be. I doubt it's that much better, and as some have mentioned here before, good 78's of this material flat out beat the CD's by a mile. There's just no beating the original 78's, and any potential, incremental improvement in the gold CD over the remastered box set can't possibly come close to matching the difference from CD to 78.