Singles Box Set [Box set]

21 singles plus a bonus disc are housed in this box set. Truly a fan dream collection comes to life.

If you love remixes, then you'll be thrilled with this set as it contains every track released on their CD singles and so many more. For example, "The Promise" offers the most tracks with the original version plus 7 remixes and 2 other songs. On the other end, "Walk this Way" only has 2 music tracks. Most singles contain 5-8 tracks, not counting videos and games.

The bonus disc contains:
No Good Advice (Original Demo)
Long Hot Summer (Alternate Version 1)
Long Hot Summer (Alternate Version 2)
Sexy! No No No... (Development Track)
On My Way To Satisfaction
Love Machine (Original Demo)
Some Kind Of Miracle (Illicit Mix)
Something Kinda Ooooh (Original Demo)

Each disc comes in its own cardboard sleeve with distinctive color border. The sleeves are a touch tight. I also wish they had done a better job at picking the cover that graces each sleeve. I'm assuming that these are the original, CD 1 artwork, but a few are boring compared to some of the inventive, alternate designs I've seen on different versions of the singles, such as "See the Day" and "Long Hot Summer."

The booklet is a fun read and offers tidbits on each single.

This is a fabulous set and I hope others (Kylie, are you listening?) do the same with their singles and unreleased remixes.

I FIIIIIIIINALLY received this pot of gold in the mail yesterday, after pre-ordering it the first day of July from the Girls Aloud website, and it was dispatched on July 6th...let me tell you!!! This sucker was very much worth the bucks AND the wait.

It's BEAUTIFUL and put together with both care AND class, woah!!! Once this thing is in your hands, you want to handle this thing with kid gloves!!

It's packaged in a silver metal "mini-flight" case, handcrafted, with lots of metal parts like 4 hinges, handle, side/corner pieces and latch, even 4 bottom protectors so when you put it down, the metal bottom doesn't get scratched, and their cool black logo feels like it was painted on the front, it's textured (nice)...anyhoo, you open the latch and both sides fold down...inside, cushioned by firm (but soft) grey/black foam, are 22 (yes, TWENTY-TWO) CDs and a really cool, well-bound, but soft cover, 64-page booklet called (and this is funny) "(You Can't Mistake Our) Anthology", with loads of pictures, well-written and edited and researched liner notes about EVERY single released...very eye-opening and revealing in the details...like I have to track down Moonbaby's CD!! Who's Moonbaby, you ask?? That was the pre-Girls Aloud band, signed by London Records in the 90s, that featured Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper from Xenomania, GA's producers/collaborators/unofficial members. It talks about Britpop gods Arctic Monkeys covering one of their songs and Franz Ferdinand wanting to work with Brian Higgins on their recent 3rd album "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand", after Alex Kapranos freaked out over Girls Aloud's hardrocking single "Wake Me Up"!! I love how snooty pop-averse music fans view Girls Aloud as "the pop group it's alright to like" and that "they make pop music for people who don't like pop music", or that genius singles like "Biology" have elements that appeal to people who wouldn't touch a pop record with a 10-foot pole but also appeal to pop afficionados to lap this stuff up, like myself, HA!! Lots more juicy details in the box. The CDs are all 21 singles, in ALL versions put together, plus a 22nd CD of 8 rarities, further rarities that are not on the limited edition 2CD version of "The Sound Of Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits".

All the CDs are in thin, but cool, cardboard slipcases that are colourcoded!! They're more than just singles though...they're EPs!!! Why EPs?? Because each disc has EVERY track from every format and part of the single on the CD...from Part 1 and Part 2, to vinyl-only B-sides, to cassette-only B-sides/mixes, to promo-only mixes, to download-only mixes, to megamixes and interviews, ALL OF IT!!! And it's EVERY single, every last one, from their first, "Sound Of The Underground" (2002), to their last, "Untouchable" (2009)...there's even the single-only "Comic Relief" collab with Sugababes on their cover of Aerosmith's (and later, Run-DMC's) "Walk This Way". Certain CDs in this set have computer files that have videoclips, karaoke tracks and even games!!!!

Talk about complete!!! Yes, the CD sleeves only have 1 picture each, but the other pics from other single releases (even vinyl picture discs) are in the booklet...like I said, well-bound, like a soft-cover BOOK, that there's no fear of falling apart...this set was totally put together with care AND class, and it really shows with the more time you spend with this splendid set...and I feel like I didn't just BUY this set...it's an INVESTMENT!! And it's the new standard for boxset packaging, design, research, curation, everything...it should win awards!!

And the final touch??? It's actually LOCKABLE!!! Two keys are inside the case...I wouldn't call this a boxset anymore...I'd call it a case!!

All the more fitting for the greatest girlgroup that is and ever was...they've raised the artistic bar so frikking HIGH that it's going to be very tough for all future girlgroups to match, and they tower over all prior girlgroups too, from All Saints & Ronettes on the pop side, all on the R&B side, to the Bangles, GoGo's & Cocktail Slippers on the powerpop side, to the Shangri-La's and Runaways on the dangerous rock & roll side. Girls Aloud are fitting for a boxset/case as cool as this.

Case closed (and locked)...literally, HA!!

I spent a LOT of money on this box set, but I must say it was worth every penny - stellar packaging, well constructed and the music itself is consistent and fun Best of all, each single doesn't have one or two tracks, but up to five or more (including remixes and B-sides).

Like a previous viewer wrote, this is the standard for singles box sets. The compilers obviously put a lot of care and attention into this set. I highly recommend purchasing this set - if you can find it.