At the top end of the market, CD box sets are turning into limited-edition works of art, with hand-finished prints, special souvenirs and stratospheric prices to match. Prices are peaking at more than $1,000 for collections that are selling out. For those with cash to splash, there are some beautiful products to be had, including works by the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and more.Not all the big box-set acts are from the 1960s, and there are some by artists who are younger, though record companies are pitching these mammoth offerings at wealthy professionals who have been following mainly veteran acts for years. It may be for you, for your spouse, parents or grandparents - one thing for sure is that all these sets offer many hours of listening and reading material that is guaranteed to keep aficionados concerned happy over the entire holiday season. Top five picks:The Grateful Dead, “30 Trips Around The Sun,” 80 CDs; about $1,000 on Rhino Records.Bob Dylan, “The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12,” about $600 on Columbia Records.The Velvet Underground, “Loaded: Re-Loaded 45th Anniversary Edition”, five CDs and 1 audio DVD for about $70 on Atlantic Records. Also “The Complete Matrix Tapes,” 4-CDs for $44 on Polydor/Universal.The Isley Brothers, “The RCA Victor and T-Neck Album Masters (1959-1983),” about $130 for 23 discs on Legacy.Frank Sinatra, “Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955),” about $50 for four discs from Sony Legacy.The largest sets of the last few years come with some interesting souvenirs, such as a pair of Bono’s bug sunglasses in the “Achtung Baby” set for U2; or Pink Floyd marbles, drinks coasters and a scarf. These items are probably likely to be left in the boxes for the most part because these sets are highly collectible, especially if they are intact and in pristine loved condition. The value is only likely to go up.Even so, many devotees will be investing in the sets just for the music, which usually includes remastered material that sounds better than ever before, along with extras such as outakes, demos, alternative mixes, live tracks and more.This guide covers 2015 releases. There have been many other fine releases in previous years from (take your pick) Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and Blur.Celebrate the CD, while it lasts. If all the predictions are right, it is going the same way as tape cassettes, 8-track cartridges and maybe even vinyl as digital takes over. You can’t lovingly open an electronic stream like a present and examine it in the same way, can you?Here are some mostly cheaper reissues from this year, which are also highly recommended: “Sticky Fingers” by the Rolling Stones; “Physical Graffiti” by Led Zeppelin; “At Newport: 1955-1975” by Miles Davis; “The Complete Concert by the Sea” by Erroll Garner; and collections from the Faces, Pretty Things and Pere Ubu.Click on the slideshow for more details
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