The 13th Floor Elevators "Music Of the Spheres" vinyl box set!

The Charly 2011 monster 13th Floor Elevators box. Monster investment. Trinkets in the box aside, what's the story here?

Well, the box is awe-inspiring to look at, and the most comprehensive study of the Elevators is in a very well done booklet.

"The Psychedelic Sounds Of" has been given a loud, raucous transfer that may be a little too up front for some compared to the Sundazed, but to my ears both the stereo and mono discs here sound fantastic, appropriately rough, and tremendously immediate.

"Headstone - The Contact Sessions" follows that template. Loud, rude, in your face sound that has clarity and immediacy. It isn't the opera here, it isn't Steve Hoffman doing Jackson Browne either. I can't think of these tapes sounding better.

With "Easter Everywhere", the sound is noticeable weaker. Both the mono mix and the (preferable) stereo sound diffuse, lacking power, lacking bass, sounding rather cardboard-ish and no doubt betraying the inferior sources. It's very listenable - and a superb album, possibly even better than "Psychedelic Sounds", but until better masters are found, this is what it is.

Sonically, "A Love That's Sound" is quite good. Not demo material, but very good nonetheless. It is certainly dubious material, but Roky is here (mostly) and contributes some scorchers, and Stacy is on fire too. But "Bull Of The Woods" is the end of the line, much more commercial sounding, heavily Byrds influenced, and although the stereo sound is very good, a few tracks are mono from obviously lesser sources.

A live record from the 1966 Elevators, mostly containing garage-y covers, is again far from demo quality and an entertaining curiosity.

All in all, aside from Headstone and Psychedelic Sounds, and possibly Love That's Sound and Bull Of The Woods, there are no great sonic revelations here, but a number of musical ones, particularly how good Easter Everywhere is - and how even the dubious later material holds up. These were recorded very scattershot in generally primitive conditions, so sonics are never going to be the primary consideration. To have virtually all the 13th Floor Elevators material together in one box, compiled from what likely are the best extant sources, is a treasure.