Only Time: The Collection [BOX SET] [ENHANCED]

Enya

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 12, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Enhanced
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00006LJ72
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,674 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #65 in	Music > World Music > Celtic > Fusion
  #71 in	Music > World Music > Celtic > New Age
  #76 in	Music > New Age > Celtic New Age

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A wonderful gift, this handsomely packaged four-CD box set (purple velvet cover, gold-foil lettering) also serves as an inviting midcareer retrospective of an uncommon vocalist-sonic architect. Only Time: The Collection is a mix-and-match assortment of tracks spanning Enya's first five U.S. releases (including her 1987 debut, The Celts) and embellished with a half-dozen B-sides not found on her previous U.S.-released albums. Chief among them are "May It Be" (from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack); "Isobella," a hushed, slowly evolving beauty formerly available only in Japan; and "Oiche Chiun (Silent Night)." The set's fourth disc is an enhanced CD that includes 1996 video footage of Enya performing "Oiche Chiun" during a BBC special. Also included is a 44-page, tall-format booklet filled with regal artist photos, song lyrics, and commentary on each track written by lyricist Roma Ryan. Some notations are throwaway items. Others are insightful, such as the unfinished lyrics (about lost love) for the instrumental title track to A Day Without Rain. The order is a jumble, usually mixing tracks from two recordings onto one disc. The stylistic difference between her dated 1987 debut and the sophistication of 1988's Watermark makes for some occasionally jarring listening on disc one. On the other hand, the opening sequence on disc three ("After Ventus," "No Holly for Miss Quinn," "The Memory of Trees") is mesmerizing. Overall, nicely done. --Terry Wood

Product Description
This Collection is the first career spanning collection of Enya's work, gracing 4CDs with 51 tracks. Featuring signature Enya favorites such as 'Orinoco Flow,' 'Only Time,' 'Caribbean Blue,' 'The Celts,' 'Book Of Days,' 'The Memory Of Trees' and much more. Also includes tracks not previously available on any domestic release such as 'Isobella,' 'Book Of Days' (Original Single Version) and 'May It Be' (Single Version). 48 page booklet features liner notes by lyricist Roma Ryan, a discography and archival photos. The 4th disc is enhanced with the previously unreleased performance of 'Silent Night'. The discs are housed in a purple-velvet covered digibook with 40 + page booklet. Reprise. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recycled "BOX OF DREAMS"box set, November 14, 2002

By	Distant Voyageur "Nicholas Computer" (Io) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Although this Box set was released in 2002, this set is basically a recycled "Box of Dreams" with new cover artwork and added tracks. Almost ALL of the content on this set exists on the Box Of Dreams trilogy released in 1998!

This is becoming a disturbing trend by record labels trying to to cash in on music buyers: Releasing already existing collections with new packaging artwork and added tracks! From a musical standpoint, this is a great multi-disc collection of music but this set could've been so much better. If it were possible they should've taken one of the discs and made it a total B-Sides collection instead of just including a few B-Sides and leaving out the rest. At least the amazingly haunting Isobella is available on here. It's a haunting track not too much different from Hope Has A Place or La Sonadora but better than both and Isobella would've propelled A Day Without Rain to a five star. Where are Morning Glory, I May Not Awaken, or Asbhaile(correct me if I misspelled it)? Enya has over ten B-Sides and they all should've been included on this set or on a single or double disc set. If they had all been put on here, this box set could've been the ultimate box set ever.

A thumbs down to the record labels where cashing in on the fanbase seems to have become a habit.

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Much New For the Die-Hard Fan, November 16, 2002

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I first fell in love with the music of Enya when one of her tracks ("Ebudae" from SHEPHERD MOONS) was played over the final scene of an episode of "Northern Exposure." It remains one of my favorite songs. It's included here along with four dozen other songs from her five studio albums dating back to 1987's THE CELTS.

So what's the problem? Let's face it, most fans already have the music collected in this box set. After all, Enya has released only five studio albums during the past fifteen years and fans (like me)eagerly bought each new release. So what is new here? Not much. There are only seven songs that --although all previously released--have never appeared on any of those five studio albums: "Oiche Chun (Silent Night)," "Eclipse," "Isobella," "Song of the Sandman," "Willows on the Water," "The First of Autumn" and "May It Be," the Oscar-nominated song from the film "Fellowship of the Ring." [Although it should be noted that "Eclipse" and "Willows on the Water" did appear on the 1998 3-CD collection A BOX OF DREAMS.] All seven of these songs were originally released as the A-side or the B-side of a single, but not included on any of her studio albums.

In addition the enhanced CD contains footage of "Oiche Chun," first aired on the BBC in 1996. Also included is a 48-page booklet with a complete discography, photos and liner notes by lyricist Roma Ryan. This box set is a real treat for both new and longtime fans. My only complaint is that the serious fan is being asked to pay a hefty price to add only a handful of otherwise hard-to-find songs to their collection. The dedicated fan would have been better served by a single disc update of 1997's PAINT THE SKY WITH STARS: THE BEST OF ENYA. [It's also worth noting that the two new songs--"Only If..." and "Paint the Sky With Stars"-- on THAT collection are NOT included here.] Those concerns aside, this is a thoroughly satisfying collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I love Enya, but..., November 17, 2002

By	T (Nowhere) - See all my reviews

I love Enya, and I do have this collection, but there is something corrupt about it. Where are ALL the b-sides? Let me show you a list of them: Isobella, May It Be, Aniron (Theme for Aragorn and Arwen), I May Not Awaken, As Baile, Eclipse, Morning Glory, Oriel Window, Song of the Sandman, Midnight Blue, The Promise, Storms in Africa Part II, Willows on the Water, Oiche Chiun, Book of Days (Far and Away), An Ghoath on Ghrian (The Solar Wind)-although I know that's stretching my hope much, S'Fagaim Mo Bhaile, and The First of Autumn. WHY WAS WEA NOT SMART AND MAKE ONE ENTIRE DISC A B-SIDE COLLECTION! We fans, have been waiting for years!!! Not only does this collection not feature these rare beauties, but it does NOT have even some of her great hits! Like "On My Way Home" (ask me if I've ever cried during that song) and "Only If..." (a whimsical song without equal). I'm very disapppointed with this release, mind you the production value of the set is wonderful, especially the notations from Roma (she's a personal savior of mine), everything else about this collect is down right cheap. It's as if Enya has no control over these releases (there's been three of them), and the company just tells her what they're going to do. Or, I shudder to think, Enya actually WANTS to do make these releases cashing in on all of us, her poor noble fans.