Still have some Christmas shopping to do?

In a quaint bit of irony, even as the CD format appears headed for extinction the box set continues to thrive. Capitalizing on this fact, record companies are wooing consumers with bonus-laden packages that include such items as rare documentary footage, working amplifiers, and actual sit-down dinner dates with the artist at-hand (okay, just kidding about that last item).

In an effort to make your holiday gift-shopping easier, we’ve pared down the list of 2009 box sets to six releases that constitute the cream of the crop. Each is best enjoyed while sipping from a big glass of eggnog.

The Doors Live in New York

How many times can the goose in the Doors’ vault keep laying golden eggs? This latest box set, a six-CD behemoth that contains four shows staged in 1970 at the Felt Forum in New York, presents the band in full flight. Though a few of the songs appeared on previous releases, the bulk of the performances have never before seen the light of day. Longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick mastered the music, which boasts a sound quality that rivals the band’s studio discs.

AC/DC Backtracks

Who besides AC/DC would come up with the idea of packaging a box set inside a functioning guitar amp? Actually the packaging concept is merely a bonus, as the 3-CD, 2-DVD, 1-LP Deluxe Collector’s Editiondazzles in its career-spanning breadth and depth. Toss in a 164-page hardcover book and assorted other goods, and you’ve got a new standard by which future box sets can be measured. The 2-CD, 1-DVDStandard Edition is no slouch, either.

Want more? Then try…

The Beatles: Stereo Box Set (or Mono … take your pick)

Offering up the Fab Four’s 13 studio albums, a Past Masters compilation, and 13 mini-documentaries, this long-awaited collection gathers a hefty chunk of the best music of the 20^th century into one gargantuan package. The documentaries feature John, Paul, George, and Ringo (and producer George Martin) commenting on each of the albums, and the treasure trove of film footage is spectacular. Everything is spectacularly remastered, although from an audio fidelity standpoint some claim the mono set is even better.

Elvis Presley: Elvis 75 — Good Rockin’ Tonight

Hard to believe, but the King would have turned 75 on January 8, 2010. This set commemorates that fact is fine fashion. Spanning Presley’s entire career, the four-disc, 100-song set contains the trailblazing early hits, the so-so movie fodder, a smattering of live performances, and the late period songs that marked an unexpected creative resurgence. Rare photos and a solid essay round out this economically-priced package.

Big Star: Keep an Eye on the Sky

This four-disc set pays tribute to one of America’s greatest power-pop bands (the other being the Raspberries). Bad timing and bad luck consigned Big Star to cult status, but in fact the group should have dominated radio airwaves in the early ‘70s. Essential tracks like “September Gurls,” “Back of a Car,” and “In the Street” are rightly included, but it’s a series of acoustic demos – made by Alex Chilton for what eventually became Big Star Third – that comprise the heart of the set.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: The Live Anthology

Until this year there was just one live album – 1986’s Pack Up the Plantation – in the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ canon. No worries, however, as this colossal set puts thing right. Drawing from 30 years of Heartbreakers music, the 4-CD “standard” set features the hits, the near-misses, and off-the-radar covers such as the theme from the James Bond film, Goldfinger. Diehard fans will want to opt for the “Exclusive Collector’s Edition,” which tosses in a fifth CD, a documentary DVD, a concert DVD, and other bonuses.

Honorable Mentions:

Neil Young: Archives Vol. 1: 1963-1972, Kraftwerk: The Catalogue, Various Artists: Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968

Thanks Russell Hall at Lifestyle; and the link: http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Features/gift%2Dguide%2Dalert%2D1222/