This edition of Spin Cycle focuses on box sets for the holiday season.

KISS [ tickets ]
"KISS" (Island)
Street date: 11/20

KISS' legion of fans--the KISS Army--could not want for a much better box set than this. The five-disc set houses 94 tracks, 30 of which are unreleased demos and live versions. Most of the gems are on the first two discs, including rough demos from group founders Gene Simmons' and Paul Stanley's pre-KISS days, and the Stanley-sung demo of 1976's "God of Thunder"; Stanley penned that song for himself, but KISS' then-producer had Simmons sing the final version--against Stanley's wishes--and the track has become Simmons' signature tune. The set's most noteworthy highlight is the accompanying booklet that features track-by-track commentary from Simmons, Stanley, and fellow founders Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. The deluxe version of the box set, which is packaged in a faux guitar case, includes a hardcover edition of the booklet. This set succeeds in capturing the band's 30-year history with rarities and digitally remastered hits, exciting photos and an in-depth look into the four minds that created the rock and roll juggernaut KISS has become. --Jon Zahlaway, LiveDaily

Simon & Garfunkel [ tickets ]
"The Columbia Studio Recordings 1964-1970" (Columbia/Legacy)
Street date: 8/21

The five albums in this box set (which excludes "The Graduate") served as a soundtrack to many a baby boomer's youth. Each album is represented here with its own remastered CD, including previously unissued demos and alternate takes; highlights include the first take of "He Was My Brother" and a demo of "Old Friends." A booklet contains insightful notes, though information about the musicians on the first four albums is omitted. Simon and Garfunkel’s first album, "Wednesday Morning, 3AM," opens with Everly Brothers-inspired harmonies and peaks with "The Sound of Silence," reminding us of Simon's brilliance. On "Sounds of Silence," the song "The Sound of Silence" is electrified, and the Byrdsy "I Am a Rock" steals the show. The duo solidified its sound on "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme." "Bookends"' psychedelia doesn't hold up well, but the songs "America" and "Mrs. Robinson" live on forever. "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"' title track, sung by Art Garfunkel, is the duo's pinnacle. Garfunkel's voice is so gorgeous, one wishes that Simon had written more material specifically for him. --Don Harvey, austin.citysearch.com

Miles Davis [ tickets ]
"The Complete 'In a Silent Way' Sessions" (Columbia/Legacy)
Street date: 9/11

The seven recording sessions of 1969's "In a Silent Way" represent a vital and changeable point in Miles Davis' career. Throughout this triple-disc retrospective, as the music progresses from slow bluesy jazz to soothing jazz-rock fusion, Davis' horn mimics guitars and pianos, becoming more atmospheric than ever before. Keyboardists Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul all have input at various points, adding a variety of textures and styles. Disc two finds Davis and saxophonist Wayne Shorter loosening up and reducing their unison-playing time in favor of free individual solos, with guitarist John McLaughlin entering the fray with his slinky riffs. The original "In a Silent Way," represented on disc three, is a masterpiece of pastoral compositions. The gem, however, is "The Ghetto Walk"--a previously unreleased, slow-burning, 26-minute groove. Put all the sessions together and it's the ultimate documentation of a jazz master breaking all the rules. --Curtis Waterbury, portland.citysearch.com

Grateful Dead
"The Golden Road" (Rhino)
Street date 10/16

An exhaustive, enlightening document of the first and best phase of the Grateful Dead's career, this box set begs a tough question for Deadologists: which of the 12 discs is the biggest boon? Though only two discs of material are 100-percent new, the unique value of the set lies in the studio outtakes, rare live recordings and hidden tracks. Songs from the Dead's space-opus years sound almost crystalline now that they have been remastered--especially those on "Anthem of the Sun" (which, as the collection's extensive annotation details, was a curiously engineered work in its original form). However, the remastering exposes the sometimes dog-rotten harmonizing of the Dead's vocalists--thank goodness for the many bluesy, pugnacious vocal solos of "Pigpen" McKernan. In the end, added material helps fifth disc "Aoxomoxoa" narrowly take the prize for biggest boon, with its violently beautiful jams from that unfairly maligned album's recording sessions. --Jack Shay, citysearch.com

Various artists
"Say It Loud!: A Celebration of Black Music in America" (Rhino)
Street date: 10/2

"Say It Loud!" effortlessly balances content with context; African-American history of the past hundred-plus years is told through six discs' worth of songs that are historic in their own right. This box set serves as an excellent jumping-off point for anyone who’d like to delve further into the history of African-American music regardless of genre--Parliament's Chocolate City and Robert Johnson's crossroads both get a visit. Since the set is something of a primer, it's peppered with gems that would work on any listener's shuffle play - the Jackson 5's ebullient "I Want You Back" (although the set's lack of anything from Michael’s record-shattering "Thriller," presumably due to licensing issues, is a shame), Isaac Hayes' blistering "Theme from Shaft," the Ink Spots' plaintive "If I Didn’t Care." The companion book's essays on African-American history and culture during the 20th century, and soundbites dropped into the discs, offer both political and cultural background for "Say It Loud"'s hard bop and hip-hop. --Maura Johnston, citysearch.com

Cat Stevens [ tickets ]
"Cat Stevens Box Set" (A&M)
Street date: 10/30

Few singer-songwriters have had a stranger career than Steven Georgiou, now called Yusuf Islam but best known as Cat Stevens. He rose above the pack with a string of hits that beautifully expressed a yearning philosophical struggle--"Trouble," "Wild World," "Moonshadow" and "Morning Has Broken" among them. If all you want are hits, they're conveniently gathered on the second disc. But Stevens' path took him far from pop culture; increasingly uneasy with secular fame, in 1977 he converted to Islam and removed himself from the limelight. This four-disc set excellently packages Stevens' career, giving a palpable sense of how his artistry evolved from his first single, "I Love My Dog," to his swan-song Wembley concert in 1979 and his 1997 children's album "Syukur." While it's odd that the richly detailed liner notes make no mention of Stevens' widely criticized support for novelist Salman Rushdie's death sentence, the artist appears to be making an oblique apology by donating a large portion of the proceeds from sales of this set to the September 11 Fund. --Christopher Bahn, citysearch.com

Billie Holiday
"Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944)" (Columbia/Legacy)
Street date: 10/2

Ten CDs testify to the decade-plus that Billie Holiday (1915-1959) spent at Columbia at the start of her career. Holiday remains one of jazz's supreme tragic figures, and the details of her life in song are illuminated by liner notes and alternate takes. Listeners entranced by her standards--the seductive "Body and Soul" and "All of Me," the sultry "Summertime"--may be confused by the absence of "Strange Fruit," her early signature song, but one she never recorded for Columbia. These discs, none with fewer than 21 cuts, make up for that gap with an almost extravagant display of emotional storytelling. (One other noteworthy absence: the strings-heavy album "Lady in Satin," which Holiday recorded in the last years of her life upon returning to Columbia, and which is available separately.) Since "Lady Day" is pricey, the design demands comment: this is a sumptuous physical object. Like all the best box sets, this is a chest to be treasured. It complements the 1992 Verve box, whose 10 CDs represent her 1945-1959 tenure with that label. --Marc Weidenbaum, citysearch.com

Thelonious Monk
"The Columbia Years '62-'68" (Columbia/Legacy)
Street date: 6/19

This Columbia retrospective features three discs with 31 songs, six of which were not previously released. Interestingly, the tracks are listed according to format--solo, trio, quartet, live and big band--rather than chronologically, with many alternate takes chosen over the originals. Monk's percussive piano-playing and his angular chord progressions can sound awkward, but he always finds a way to romp passionately and soulfully with his fiery quartet. Whatever the format, saxophonist Charlie Rouse (who was with Monk for 11 years) is there laying down punchy lines that compliment the pianist's idiosyncratic sound perfectly. "In Walked Bud," with scatting by Jon Hendricks, is a wonderful highlight, as is the big band version of "Blue Monk," which swings ferociously in all the right places. "The Columbia Years" is an excellent collection, showcasing Monk's ability to put a fresh spin on his expansive repertoire. --Curtis Waterbury, portland.citysearch.com

Previous Spin Cycles:

Nov. 15: Michael Jackson, Prince, Natalie Merchant, Shelby Lynne, McCoy Tyner

Nov. 1: Lenny Kravitz, Dave Matthews Band, Bush, 'Harry Potter' soundtrack, Jad Fair & Daniel Johnston

Oct. 18: Charlotte Church, John Mellencamp, New Order, Death Cab for Cutie, Dan Bern

Oct. 4: Elton John, Garbage, Spiritualized, tribute to Hank Williams, The Strokes

Have a comment or question? Send a message to the Spin Cycle editor: Don Harvey.