Two weeks ago, “The Dark Side of the Box Set” compendium proved that most of this year’s single-album expansions were gross overkill. The music industry’s other trend in box sets, vinyl replica catalog roundups with no bonuses, shakes out here equally questionable. Yes, Virginia, the box set remains in critical condition.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.