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- Verified Buyer
The tracks in this box set can be found in several forms all over the place, but often suffering from either too much cleanup, or not enough. Bear Family is a company that offers box sets of high quality. While these box sets are often very pricey, there is a good reason for that. You have to take into consideration the amount of money it takes to get a hold of high quality recordings, master tapes, plates, etc. At the same time, it's a niche market. Not many people are going to throw their money at recordings as obscure as some of these can get. Then you have restoration. Some times, the only available recording is a dusty old shellac recording that somebody found in an attic.Thankfully a group as well loved as the Sons of the Pioneers, their recordings aren't as hard to find as groups like The Ranchmen, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Rider's of the Purple Sage, The Ranch Boys, and countless other great western recording groups of the past.What you get here is almost all of the official releases the Sons of the Pioneers made from 1934-1943, including some early Roy Rogers songs. Of course not everything is represented, but you have to take into consideration just how much the Sons of the Pioneers recorded. Some songs were recorded several times. In all honesty, the four big Sons of the Pioneers box sets only scratch at the surface of how much work these fine men did. If you own only this box set, you're still missing out on their many transcriptions they did for radio; standard, teleways, orthacoustic, thesaurus. Plus their singles from the 40's to 50's. Some tracks are alternate takes, and a few that I can think of were omitted. The original release of "I'm an Old Cowhand" is only in alternate form in this release, but if you are a Sons of the Pioneers fan, but I have it in other releases in similar quality.So many great eras. It can get a little overwhelming when you collect sons of the pioneers work.Let's talk quality. The tracks in this box, many of which I have in several other forms, have never sounded better. I don't hear any excessive scrubbing, but don't worry, there's still a little hiss. You don't get that rubbery sound you hear in so many other collections. There is also little to no pops or crackles. The tracks are also played at the right speed, which is another issue in some releases. I play guitar along with these tracks, and never have to retune from track to track.I'd recommend the My Saddle Pals and I box set, if you just want more of a broader introduction to the Sons of the Pioneers, even though not all of the early recordings sound as good on it. If you are already a big fan, and you seek audio quality, you should make some room on your shelf. It's the same height, depth, and similar width to many Longines Symphonette or Reader's Digest box sets, so it looks just fine next to your vinyl records.For those wondering about the book. It is full of good information, written by Ranger Doug. I'd recommend buying "Hear My Song" from Ken Griffis as it is pretty much the definitive Sons of the Pioneers. Head over to www.bobnolan-sop.net if you want a closer look at each individual member.
