Rollermania - The Anthology [Box set, Collector's Edition, Original recording remastered]

Not sure exactly who this 4-set is aimed at, but I think it will suit just about anyone from nostalgia-loving 70s fans, to died-in-the-wool BCR fans (and there are still zillions! - just do a google search), UK fans, US fans or even completists! - truly something for everyone.

Forgetting the argument of musical talent (or lack of!) - the Rollers always polarised opinion from undying love and devotion to complete and utter cr@p - and loads in between. I assume interest for this set would be from folk interested in the era/music involved, i.e. glam/pop/bubblegum/teen etc. What sets this apart is some of the rarities and little-heard stuff rarely released or difficult to find. Every Rollers compilation - and there are many have Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-lang etc on them, but how many have Manana, We Can Make Music, and BOTH versions of Keep on Dancing (Both Nobby & Les's) - yep, none of 'em!

81 tracks (I think) and the 4 discs catalogue the Rollers output and career very well. Disc 1 has all the early/original recordings from their very first single (1971) Top 10 Keep on Dancing. Follow up singles Manana and we Can Make Music (neither a hit) were until now very difficult to find. Saturday Night - another failed UK single which as everyone knows became their US chart topper, even though it "failed" here in the UK. Lots of B sides from their early hits and most of the debut album Rolling.

Disc 2 Adequately covers the period in the UK known as "Rollermania" - The 12 months or so of tartan mayhem! - all the culprits are there from Bye Bye Baby (6 weeks #1)covering next 2 albums and singles/B sides again (Once Upon a Star & Wouldn't you like)

Disc 3 reflects the Rollers' US/Australia/Japan/world domination (briefly!) Huge US hits and "power pop" different from the earlier tenny stuff and again covering albums such as Dedication & Strangers on The Wind. Rollermania was on the wane in the UK by this time.

Disc 4 - a bit like disc 1 will be new to a lot of people. This was the end of the career when the bubble had well and truly burst and a much more mature sound from later albums such as Elevator and Ricochet - indeed by the time Ricochet came out they had lost the "Bay City" tag altogether and were known simply as The Rollers with it seemed a new lead singer and personnel changes evry other week! A couple of interesting curios include Les McKeown's solo stuff King's Road Chelsea, and the very aptly named All Washed Up.

I write merely as a fan of the era and yes, even as a bloke I sang along to the Shang-a-lang sound (I was only 9-10 year old at the time) and though they were no Beatles (as some had compared) and as songwriters no Lennon & McCartney, they played tunes the little girls (and little 9 year old boys lol) loved and fondly remember even in our mid-40s

Personally, I love it for the early stuff as I'd never been able to collect it previously apart from dodgy old vinyl at stupid prices! but the whole set covers the complete rise and fall of one of the first boy-bands. From simple singalongs to stadium rock. For all the scandal, check out the many books available. This is purely for the music, and it wasn't all bad;-)

This Is a Great Collection all the hits are here Nice Quality Sound there are some Really Rare Items here also. There are a lot of Album Tracks from all there Albums. Even the Original E.P.'s are broken down and all Tracks are Featured in the Order they Appeared on the Original Disc's Highly Recommended for all Rollers Fans.

Complete, comprehensive collection of everything recorded by BCR. Excellent value. Makes other collections obsolete. Accompanying information is similarly informative and interesting.