Singles 1963-1965 - Box Set Volume One [Single]

However this boxed set is pretty and will afford all the old geezers who will doubtless NOT be huffing and a puffing across the room to change discs every six minutes, a poignant whiff of nostalgia as they gaze with rheumy eyes on those fabulous picture sleeves now reduced to a fraction of their original dimensions.

Perhaps the logical move would be to release all this stuff as a vinyl boxed set so at least we could read the Loog Oldham's peerless text sans magnifying glass.

Well, the good news is that they’re all here… every “A” side, “B” side and EP track from the period when the Stones really were the most exciting thing around. And, unlike many groups of the time, their “B” sides and EP tracks were good – not just fillers but, as "I Want To Be Loved", "Stoned", "Little By Little", "Good Times, Bad Times", "Off The Hook", "Play With Fire", “Bye Bye Johnnie”, “Money”, “Empty Heart”, “Around & Around” & “2120 South Michigan Avenue” amply evidence, essential parts of what all the fuss was about. Thirty three memories in one boxed set.

And the bad news? Cleverly but annoyingly the whole lot is spread over 12 beautifully packaged individual CD’s with each one containing the A & B side of a single or the contents of an EP. Great to look at and, for those around at the time, a real walk down memory lane, but an expensive production and one that’s difficult to play without hopping out of your chair every five minutes or so to load yet another disc. At this price it would have been much more sensible and user-friendly to have included a couple of full length 16 track CD’s in addition to the individual releases but, as it stands, you’ll need to burn them down to your own CDs or playlist them through your iPod for the whole process to become manageable.

The alternative? Well, that depends on what you want and how much you’re prepared to pay... all the “A” & “B” sides from this period are included on the first disc in the “The Singles Collection – The London Years” boxed set which also includes both sides of their single releases through to 1970. All the tracks from their first EP are included on the “More Hot Rocks” compilation, all the tracks from the second EP are on their “12x5” album and all the tracks from the third EP are on their “Got Live If You Want It” album. An even more expensive option, with a lot of duplication, but then you do get a great deal more for your money.

So… an indispensable but oddly delivered memory bank for those of us who were there and want to be there again, and an intriguingly expensive “coffee table” purchase for those who weren’t.