Customer Reviews

Singles 3

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Made in EU in 2003, Serial# ELVISBOX-103, Playing Time 149:10

Are you a Costello completist? Did you already pick up the first 2 boxes?

Well, this time, we get 11 discs (not 12), and a fair amount of music (2-and-a-half hours) compared to the other 2 sets. This 3rd box completes (or so it seems) the first decade of the singles released by EC. (This one covers from July 1983 to April 1987.)

BUT, there are a few flaws surfacing when looking into greater detail in the material compiled herein:

Disc 4, the "I Wanna Be Loved" single, REPLACES the "radio version" that was released as the A-side of the 12-inch single with the "regular" version which appears on the "Goodbye Cruel World" album;

Disc 8, the "Tokyo Storm Warning" single, OMITS the 6-and-a-half minute version of the track which appeared on the 12-inch version of the single (it combined the 2 parts without interruption).

Also included, as was the case for the other 2 boxes, is a 12-page booklet that gives a track-by-track history (or should I say "context") of each of the singles.

Personnally, I'm getting pretty tired of spending all this money on the various Costello items: first there was the "regular" albums, then the "remastered" version on Rykodisc that included bonus tracks, then the 2-CD "expanded" sets which include TONS of bonus tracks, and now, 3 box sets that only cover the first decade of his career (I bet there will be more to cover the next decades if this sells well!)

And those boxes don't include ALL the tracks from the first decade (when combining the 7-inch, 12-inch and CD formats)... so what's the point?!?

Oh... I get it! You want the record sleeves ?!?

I feel like a philantropist after buying the 3 boxes; if you're not, I would seriously suggest you "invest" roughly the same amount of money in the 2-CD versions of the albums: you don't get ONLY the singles, you get the FULL albums AND lots of music not on these 3 boxes!

Q: How many versions of Everyday I Write the Book does one need? A: Three versions less than are included in this collection. There's a really good reason the "1984 Dance Mix" is only now making its "CD DEBUT" ...it's awful. Costello has already released all the best stuff in this collection at least 3 times. Buy the Rhino or Ryko re-issues instead. Even Amazon tries to clue us in... "This Set is Essential for Collectors who Relish the Fun of Having Everything in the Costello Canon." ...meaning: if you think it's "Fun" to be a completist, you'll "Relish" spending another $50 to stay that way.