Box sets

Various Artists, “Matador at 21’’ Tracing the venerable indie label’s humble beginnings, this six-disc set starts in 1989 and works its way to the present. Over the years, Matador has been home to some of indie-rock’s seminal artists, from Yo La Tengo and Liz Phair to Pavement and Cat Power. A final disc includes unreleased performances from the label’s 10th anniversary concert in 1999.

Dinah Washington, “The Fabulous Miss D! The Keynote, Decca, and Mercury Singles 1943-1953’’ The first 10 years of Washington’s brief career were among her finest. Hit after hit — from “Evil Gal Blues’’ to “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman’’ — Washington was a dynamo at home in R&B, jazz, and blues. “The Fabulous Miss D!’’ chronicles her early period with four CDs that collect 107 tracks (most of them on Mercury) complete with lavish packaging full of rare photos and extensive historical background.

Tito Puente, “The Complete 78s’’ Similar to Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings, mambo maestro Tito Puente’s early singles were a snapshot of the great artist he would soon become. Released on Fania Records, two new box sets compile all of Puente’s 78s from 1949 to 1955, which were previously released but are now collected in four-disc sets.

James Levine, “Celebrating 40 Years at the Met’’ Levine made his Met debut in 1971, and to mark his anniversary, the company has compiled two massive box sets with mostly previously unavailable telecasts and radio broadcasts. A remarkable operatic legacy, presented on 21 DVDs and 32 CDs.

John Lennon, “Gimme Some Truth’’ To celebrate what would have been Lennon’s 70th birthday, an extensive discography reissue campaign was undertaken this year. Eight of his solo albums were remastered and sold individually and as part of the 11-disc “Signature Box.’’ If you’re on a budget, consider “Gimme Some Truth,’’ a four-CD box featuring 72 songs arranged by theme: “Roots,’’ “Working Class Hero,’’ “Woman,’’ and “Borrowed Time.’’ It’s not an exhaustive chronology, but it’s a solid introduction to Lennon’s post-Beatles legacy.

Bob Dylan, “The Original Mono Recordings’’ The bard’s first eight albums as they were originally recorded and packaged, that’s the selling point for this bountiful and meticulously packaged box, collecting releases from 1962-1968 including iconic titles like “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’’ and “Blonde on Blonde.’’ For stereo-reared babies, the single-speaker-targeted sound is revelatory and intimate; for the less fanatical, and flush, among the following, a single disc version culling 15 tracks from the box is also available. (Amazon is also offering the set with a “bonus’’ live disc of a previously uncirculated recording of a show at Brandeis University in 1963.)

Jimi Hendrix, “West Coast Seattle Boy — The Jimi Hendrix Anthology’’ The influential guitar god’s catalog is one of the most exhaustively repackaged in history. The four CDs in this collection — authorized by the Hendrix family — break down Hendrix’s career chronologically from sideman to folks like the Isley Brothers and Little Richard to live and alternate takes and demos of the songs that launched countless guitar hero fantasies. Hendrix narrates his own tale in the included DVD, “Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child.’’ A two-disc version of the set includes 15 choice tracks and the documentary.

Bee Gees, “Mythology’’ This 50th anniversary set devotes one disc apiece to a Brother Gibb, including non-Bee Gee little bro’ Andy. Lovingly curated by Barry and Robin Gibb, Maurice’s widow Yvonne, and Andy’s daughter Peta, the booklet features testimonials from folks like Elton John, Tom Jones, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift. But you don’t need them to tell you what songs like “To Love Somebody,’’ “I Started a Joke,’’ and “I Just Want to Be Your Everything’’ amply demonstrate: too much pop heaven.

Various Artists, “The Rounder Records Story’’ The 88 tracks collected in this four-disc set are a mere snapshot of the staggering wealth of blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, pop, R&B, world, and rock music this venerable local institution has released over the last 40 years. But what an incredible slice it is, encompassing everything from obscure, virtuosic old-time banjoists like George Pegram to one of the biggest rock stars on the planet in Robert Plant. With each disc devoted to a single decade from the ’70s to the ’00s, this is a treasure chest of music history.

Straight No Chaser, “All I Want for Christmas’’ The charming and clean-cut Indiana University-bred a cappella warblers collect both of their seasonal releases — “Holiday Spirits’’ and “Christmas Cheers’’ — and a vibrant live concert on this two-CD, one-DVD set. Highlights from the DVD include dreamy renditions of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me’’ and the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love,’’ and a spirited run through their snarky perils-of-the-holiday-season romp “The Christmas Can-Can.’’