Moondog - Rare Material (2006)

This double-disc set release contains music from Moondog albums/discs currently out-of-print, only by which means this material is "rare;" for all you active Moondog listeners, who might have bought Moondog's music as albums have been released and re-released, every single track (and version) in this collection will be familiar. There are, however, 6 tracks that have not been released on CD before (tracks from the 1978 album "Instrumental Music" and from the 1986 album "Bracelli.")
"Rare Material" is actually a fine looking, fine sounding, and much appreciated (well produced) release, but not unlike Roof's 2004 double-disc release "The German Years 1977-1999" (where, on disc no.2, the entire, incidentally extremely rare, last concert of Moondog's can be heard) this is a collection of official material (on this release recorded between 1949 and 1995.)
As a lot, if not all, material of Moondog's official releases seem to be shelved at Roof, I would much rather see a (perhaps chronological) release of each individual Moondog album that has been released over the last 5 decades than having to buy rare material which isn't as rare in the true sense of the word as it is compiled from official releases. Even though my personal collection lacked "Big Band," I can understand people feeling cheated having bought a quite pricey double-disc set entitled "Rare Material" only to realize that they've bought music that they already own. (The fact that disc no.1 features this recording is not indicated on either the front or back cover of this release - only in small print inside the booklet.)