Family – Once Upon A Time 14 x CD box set

I received this a few hours ago. Though I’ve not played it yet, most of the albums are remastered from original master tapes. I thought though I would give an impression of its physical construction and quality.

The set is encased in a LP sized and stiff, glossy, plain black box and looks rather gothic. The title and band are etched in gold on the front and one side of the lid, the back is plain.

Inside, is the limited edition certificate (only 2000 numbered sets made). Underneath this is the LP sized hard-backed 71pp book, again with an all black cover. The quality of the pages and printing is high and it looks and feels more than its 71 pages. Pete Feenstra’s story of the group is copiously illustrated with b/w live photos, stills, colour continental picture sleeves and lots of printed ephemera making for a very nice item.

Next comes the faux Sounds newspaper with its Feb 1971 cover of Roger Chapman. In side are 20pp of contemporary gig reviews, pictures and period ads from the musical inkies of the time. Lots more to read and look at, and with a strong sense of nostalgia for the period and music press format.

Then we come to the CDs themselves. These are packaged to a good standard. They are not to the same super-high quality as the Japanese mini LP CD sleeves and inserts, but they are of a very good quality. Something similar to the Kinks In Mono box on Sanctuary. The nine albums all come in card gatefold sleeves with white paper inner sleeves as well. The original LP artwork features on front and back with photoplays of the group in the gatefolds. Smooth, clean card stock with matt finish and good quality picture reproduction. There are also lyric insert sheets in a couple and the repro of the poster that came with the Entertainment album. The double CD of out takes is also housed in a double mini LP cd sleeve and the 3 x CD singles are in repor CBS company sleeves.

The CDs are in three piles cushioned by a sponge surround with recesses cut to size for them. All in all it is a handsome looking and good quality box set and in that sense worth the £125 outlay. I’ll get to the music when circumstances permit, but visually at least this is a lovely set. I did not have any of Family’s albums but was very taken with everything I had ever heard growing up and what I youtubed in the present, so took the plunge. I liked the idea of their stylistic variety as well. I would imagine even if you have a few Family CDs already, this box is still well worth upgrading to.

Watch the promo for it on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl4srrENxi8

PM

Thanks Paul. I hope to receive mine soon.

I threw away the bad CD reissues I had for years.

After three days of battle with french mail, I finally recover my box this afternoon.

Production of the set is excellent quality and it's a pleasure to have all element perfect. A good beginning for a week-end of Family music.

Glad you wrestled it from the clutches of teh post office! I had a similar 'fued' with the Royal Mail over a box set from Japan recently. I've only played the first album and the 3 x CD singles so far and enjoyed them all. The book and music paper I thing are great.

Paul

How do you all manage to play them im in out all day attending work related activities returning calls medicals income support etc im hardly in now ive just bought a 10cc boxset too

Lol - That's a good question! For myself, I work from home, so I have the luxury of flexibility within reason. It's more like the old early industrial custom of honouring 'saint monday'. Tradesmen would work flat out for 2-3 days to get a week's work done then slow right down for a day more and then just do what they wanted for the rest of the week, with the following work week commencing on a Tuesday. The coming of the factory clock and the organisation of weekends by the mid 19th century put paid to it, but in these post-industrial times, such work patterns seem to be making a come-back.

As a distance learning tutor, I can get a lot of work in short bursts of time with tight completion schedules which don't give me room to pause. Once done though, I might have a lot longer to wait before a similar load comes in, and instead have a more even and managable flow of tasks in the interim. That's when I can 'allow' myself to give preference to the music. I can of course listen to music while I work (at a computer), which I do, but I do not like to listen to anything I have not yet heard for the first time whilst working. So anything new stacks up until I can give it proper listening attention. That's why I have only just broached the Family box, but I shall be going through it more methodically in a week or so's time.

PM