Then I thought back to my zeal for Donald Fagen's boxed set, and how that finally played out. I looked again at this fab bit of packaging and thought, "This is something I'd really love . . . to borrow." I am not dropping hints here. I'm just sayin': my culling instinct isn't done with me yet. And the more I relieve my sagging book-and-music-and-video shelves, the more prone I am to recognize those objects which are unlikely to sustain my interest once the initial "wow" factor has worn off.
Anyhow: Patterson Hood has some deep thoughts (followed by some cool downloads) on the Darkness box (which he was probably comped with) over here.
Well, Sir, the 2 CD set f"or $13.99 certainly is a fine temporary fix. I loved Darkness...." when it came out, probably because it appealed to my natural balkan pessimism. I'm not sure I would have appreciated the selections (and the versions of the original "Darkness..") on "The Promise" when I was a young punk. As a codger, I can't say enough as to how great the 2 CD set is.
ReplyDeleteI believe if I had the whole shebang you discussed here, i might just simply implode like a black hole.
Maybe that's aging; being satisfied with morsels when the whole meal may cause an upset.
....and I recall your Steely Dan box incident clearly. Too much beauty on those bones.
The attractiveness of the six-disc package cannot be overstated, even to a nominal Boss fan like myself. I mean, spiral-bound notebook reproductions of Broooce's own handwriting? Lavishly garnished with photos from the day, of course. I know most of the video footage on the DVDs is unlikely to entice me to a second viewing; I know the "notebooks" will thrill the first time, then quickly pass from memory; I know Darkness itself holds only the residual appeal of an artifact discovered very late after the fact (in 1978 I wasn't just wet behind the ears, I was wet in the ears). And yet, and yet ... man, that's lookin' good.
ReplyDeleteWP,
ReplyDeleteJust one more comment.
Your posting title this time has got to be one of your funniest.....that Edge is always getting closer.
Yes ... darkness with a distinctly red tinge to it.
ReplyDeleteWhisky - I can't recommend the Darkness set highly enough. As you point out, it's a work of art simply packaging-wise (and you haven't seen the breathtaking interiors), but the contents...
ReplyDeleteThe Houston concert DVD is worth the cost alone, but the 2009 empty-theatre run-through is stunning, and surprising. 33 years later, these songs still matter, and deeply.
It's money well-spent, this.
Ah, Mr. W., but your powers of persuasion are great. Will power ... weakening ....
ReplyDelete