Pag Collection

 

 

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the good:
i give the box set 4 stars just for the fact that for a decent price, the bulk of mr. pagliaro's catalogue is finally presented on cd for the first time (outside of the "sous peine d'amour" album and a few selected singles collections which were previously available.)
there are a few albums in the set which i've never managed to track down and finally got to hear for the first time. the english 1971 "pagliaro" album finally has some brightness to the recording which my mint '76 amber reissue LP never had. frankly, the set is almost worth it for having this album alone! most of the albums sound relatively good on cd, considering some of the master tapes have likely not aged well...or may not even exist anymore.
there's also a bonus disc of mostly rare, single-only material included (and the first new pag song in WAY too many years!)

the bad:
the "PAG" album (with "j'entends frapper") from 1972 sounds pretty bad, and may be the only one i really feel the need to complain about. i'm going to make a wild assumption that the master tapes are long gone, as it appears to be taken from an LP copy (listen carefully to the version j'entends frapper on "hit parade" from a few years back and you can hear ticks & pops.)
i really can't listen to that disc in particular. the sound is way too harsh for my liking, and was cleaned up way too much. it has too much digital artifact and absolutely no warmth. it's hard on the ears, and i still continue to listen to the unretouched copy i made from my LP instead. a shame, really, as it's one of my favourites and seems to be a very well recorded album. i was really looking forward to hearing a good remaster of this one in particular.
there are also many omissions in the set, including most of the much 7" singles from 1970-74 with plenty of exclusive songs. the mono 7" radio mix of "lovin' you ain't easy" in particular has always sounded better to my ears than the stereo LP version. also not included are any of the pre-1971 albums, which is rather disappointing (although a handful of songs from this era are included on the singles disc, as well as live versions of a few on the "pagliaro live" disc.)
the version of "we're dancing (till it blows over)" is missing the lead guitar riff throughout the entire song. could this be a possible remixing error? it's a little frustrating because it's not what anyone who knows the song is remotely used to.
at 13 cds, there is MORE than enough space to include more material than was included. the "PAG" album, for instance, clocks in at a whopping 28 or 29 minutes with nothing else on it, not even the 7" radio mix of "j'entends frapper" as a bonus. i reduced the set to 8 cds for listening in the car, doubling up on some albums for convenience.
the fact that there's still so much that hasn't been included is disappointing, to say the least.
then there's the packaging. i don't know if one of the previous reviewers was trying to be nice and hold back, but i won't.
the packaging is terrible. every single album cover has been completely bastardized and frankly, they look awful! the box itself leads you to believe that the album covers are mostly presented somewhat like the original sleeves until you open the box. every album cover looks like it was designed by a junior high student who just learned to use photoshop. they really look terrible, and they're very cheaply made as well! the glue inside a couple of mine let go upon taking the discs out for the first time. i won't even get into spelling/text errors. i know not everyone cares about packaging, but there is no reason that the album covers should have been retouched/changed/whatever you want to call it.

there really could have been a lot more care put into the set, period.

overall, regardless of the packaging and glaring musical omissions (for those who know about some of the deeper cuts to look for) this is still a great way to gather up albums that have been out of print for way too long and feed your ears some great music at a great price!

The packaging may be simple, but this bargain (if you shop) box, at long last compiles some of the absolute the best rock and roll Canada has ever offered: 12 full albums, and a singles compilation by the great Michel Pagliaro.
OK, so few south of the Canadian border have heard this music, Why? Who knows, but clearly a language barrier wasn't the problem since he rocked with equal "savoir faire" in both French and English."Pag" as he's often called never wanted to "play to chairs" and thus he kept his clever, turbo charged musical engine largely confined to Quebec and the provinces, though for a time he lived quietly in Paris.
He's created pop masterpieces ("Some Sing,Some Dance", "What The Hell I Got"),done the best roots rock covers ever recorded in French, made his own "classic" rock sound just that, toyed with the atmospheric,punked out and created minimal rock marvels that rival the best of Dave Edmunds work.His "Les Bombes" is a timeless protest dance track and guess what: it's all here!(Well, ok,a few brilliant chestnuts like "Run Along Baby","Good Feelings All Over""Body Mind and Soul","Le Generation de Aujourd'Hui" and any representation of his early and often charming covers crooning career are missing; c'est la vie!)
I do admit that my own 5 star reviews take "enthusiasm" into account, but there's a ton to feel such about on these 13 discs. Pag always was a musical chameleon, and to this day plays with absolute conviction and enthusiasm as his fabulous live DVD amply demonstrates. The booklet here is mostly lyrics, and the full story won't be told until "Pag" wants it to be, but if you're up for discovering a great well of under appreciated rock and roll, here's a bucketful!

The Pag Collection spans the career of this fine and fantastic Canadian artist. Michel Pagliaro has captured a sound that is timeless and as a bonus, he sings in both official languages of Canada. This 13 disc collection is a masterpiece to add to your music collection. Michel has a distinctly Canadian sound and you can easily attach yourself to even the lesser known songs (both English and French) that are part of the collection. Of course it also contains Michel's famous hits "What the Hell I Got", "Some Sing, Some Dance", "Lovin You Ain't Easy" and "Rainshowers" and more. An awesome Live disc is also part of the package. In all, a 20 year period is covered. It is a true pleasure listening to the variety of sounds that Michel has to offer; you will not be disappointed.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic music. So-so mastering. Packaging could be better.
Being used to the vinyl of these albums I was let down at first by the sound of these tracks. The vinyl sounds wonderful, warm and engaging. Read more

Published 5 months ago by James R. Parrett

5.0 out of 5 stars tonnes de flashs, tonnes de plaisirs!
Five stars for the following reasons:

1. The inclusion of all original albums, in original running order, except for the addition of a few critical cuts in English on... Read more

Published 5 months ago by badboy4adventure

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! A Box Full of Pagl!!
This box contains 13 discs - 12 of his original English/French albums and a disc full of his singles and non-lp tracks. Read more

Published 6 months ago by ukROBKO

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