Box Sets, aka: what defines a unique classical release? This one is a pain, but not just in classical. In classical, though, we tend to run into it a LOT more - Led Zep may put out one or two box sets, whereas the same classical CD may be re-re-re-re-released in many many box sets.
1 Label A releases a classical CD. 2 Label B licenses that classical CD and includes it as disc 6 of a box set. 3 Label A releases a box set, also including that CD. 4 Label C licenses that CD and includes it as disc 9 of a box set. 5 Label B releases that CD again, this time as disc 97 of a huge box set which includes the earlier box set. 6 Label D licenses that CD and reissues it again as a new single CD. 7 Label A re-issues that CD. 8 Label C licenses that CD and includes it as disc 73 of a huge box set. etc. To put this in perspective, think of label A as BIS, label B as Philips, label C as Brilliant Classics, and label D as Naxos. I've thought a lot about this one... My suggestion: I'd suggest that, for the single CD, whether it's the original label A release, the label A re-release, or the label D release, we consider those all the same. This is essentially how we handle similar issues elsewhere in the database already. I'd suggest, for the box sets, we keep it to the largest box set per label. So, Philips releases a 9 CD "The Complete Symphonies" box. Philips then releases a 20 CD "The Complete Orchestral Works" box which includes all of the 9 CD box. Philips then releases a 180 CD "Complete Works" box which includes the 20 CD box. We use the 180 CD box set as the only Philips box set listing for that CD, listing the alternate box set titles in the annotation. This way, we'd have the same CD only a manageable number of times: * the single CD release (#'s 1, 6, and 7) * the box set from label A (# 3) * the box set from label B (#'s 2 and 5) * the box set from label C (#'s 4 and 8) In this way, even if the list grew to 20 or 30 possible listings, they'd all fall into one of 5 possibles: * single CD release * box set from A * box set from B * box set from C * box set from D and we'd just be accumulating more and more "alternate possible box set titles" for each of the specific label box set listings, rather than having 20 or 30 different possible listings for what is otherwise the exact same CD. Brian _______________________________________________ Musicbrainz-style mailing list [email protected] http://lists.musicbrainz.org/mailman/listinfo/musicbrainz-style
