Inside the boxes

“It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since his untimely death in 1977,” RCA Records declares on the back of its latest Elvis Presley retrospective.

What’s really hard to believe is that the label still has 100 unreleased Elvis recordings worth hearing after all these years of repackages -- and sure enough, it doesn’t. The Presley boxed set “Today, Tomorrow & Forever” is woefully pedestrian.

Pop fans should approach all boxed sets warily. These multi-disc packages may look as if they were designed with loving care, but the motivation is usually just profit. Often, single-disc greatest-hits packages are all you need. Here’s a holiday gift guide to this year’s sets. The albums are rated “essential” (it belongs in a comprehensive pop library), “for collectors” (a quality set, but more of an artist’s work than casual fans need) and “also available” (routine or less).

Essential

The Band’s “The Last Waltz” (Warner/Rhino). The incomparable Band said farewell to the road in a landmark 1976 concert in San Francisco that featured such guests as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton. Martin Scorsese’s concert film (also titled “The Last Waltz” and available on DVD) is a must, and this four-disc set supplements the film’s music with 24 extra numbers.

Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers’ “The Complete Specialty Recordings” (Specialty). One of the half-dozen greatest soul singers ever, Cooke spent six years with the Soul Stirrers gospel group before turning to secular music. This marvelous three-disc set includes 20 minutes of a performance at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1955.

Fats Domino’s “Walking to New Orleans” (Imperial/Capitol). This New Orleans singer-pianist didn’t have the rebellion and flash of such other ‘50s rockers as Presley or Little Richard, but his records had a wonderfully engaging, sing-along charm. Four discs.

Various artists’ “Sun Records 50th Anniversary Box” (Varese Sarabande). Sam Phillips’ Sun Records was by many standards the creative center of early rock ‘n’ roll -- the place where the blues and country music truly met. The 75 selections on these three discs go beyond the big stars (including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Junior Parker) to showcase some of the label’s other valuable contributors. The set doesn’t include anything by Presley, however, because RCA took control of all his Sun recordings when it bought his contract.

Various artists’ “When the Sun Goes Down: The Secret History of Rock and Roll” (RCA). Beware of musical salutes drawn from a single label. But RCA Victor and its subsidiary, Bluebird, were valuable showcases for blues in the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Among the artists represented in the four discs: Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Blind Willie McTell and Sonny Boy Williamson. Crudup’s “That’s All Right,” included here, was the song Presley recorded for his first Sun single.

For collectors

Bjork’s “Family Tree” (Elektra). This gifted and disarming singer-songwriter is among the most imaginative figures in all of pop, and this set is typical of Bjork’s eccentric approach. It’s one greatest-hits disc plus five mini, 3-inch discs of new, rare and unreleased material.

Jeff Buckley’s “The Grace EPs” (Columbia/Legacy). Here’s a customized package for fans who already have the folk-based singer-songwriter’s haunting 1994 debut album, “Grace,” and his equally striking 1997 posthumous album, “Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.” It contains five EPs that were released internationally.

Frank Sinatra’s “Frank Sinatra in Hollywood” (Reprise/Turner). Hollywood here means movies, not the city in which Sinatra recorded those great Capitol albums. You’ll find much to enjoy and much to skip over in this six-disc package. It’s a historical treasure trove, but Sinatra’s lavish Capitol, Reprise and Columbia studio collections are better entry points.

Rod Stewart’s “Reason to Believe: The Complete Mercury Studio Recordings” (Mercury/Chronicles) The best material in this three-disc package, not his later Warner Bros. offerings, is the reason Stewart is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He sings with a genuine sensitivity and passion, though his intensity and focus begin to drift on the third disc.

Also available

The Cranberries’ “Treasure Box -- The Complete Sessions 1991-1999” (Island). This Irish group’s debut album, “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?,” was a beautifully understated work, but forget virtually everything after that. A four-disc set.

Enya’s “Only Time: The Collection” (Reprise/Rhino). “Only Time,” the inspirational song from the Irish singer’s “A Day Without Rain” album, gave comfort to millions after the Sept. 11 attacks, underscoring the soothing qualities of Enya’s music. These four discs offer a generous career overview.

Elvis Presley’s “Today, Tomorrow & Forever” (RCA). There are a few choice if scratchy live recordings from a 1956 concert. Otherwise it’s assorted movie soundtrack numbers, outtakes and concert recordings. You can find at least a dozen better Elvis options than this four-disc set.

Various artists’ “Like, Omigod! The ‘80s Pop-Culture Box (Totally)” (Rhino). Unless you are having an ‘80s party, there’s really no reason to have seven discs that include lots of music by such acts as Taco, the Fixx, Night Ranger and New Kids on the Block.

Dwight Yoakam’s “Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years” (Reprise/Rhino) As a country artist greatly influenced by California mavericks Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, Yoakam was always a contender, but his vision lacked the indelible creative spark of his idols. One of the four discs is previously unreleased tracks, several of them live.

Robert Hilburn, The Times’ pop music critic, can be reached by e-mail at robert.hilburn@latimes.com