The purpose of this review is to completely compare the contents of "Singles Collection: The London Years" to the 3 "Singles" box sets which as a group contain the same songs plus more. There are some good comparisons in the other reviews, but also several omissions and inaccuracies, so hopefully this 1-to-1 comparison will clear things up a bit as to what songs are included on each, and which "missing" songs can also be found on the other ABKCO CD's, particularly "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies". Each of these collections is rather expensive, so hopefully this may help you decide which sets you really need or want.

To settle one thing first though, the songs on the "Got Live If You Want It" EP contained in the "Singles 1963-1965" box set are NOT included on the full length CD "Got Live If You Want It". They share the same title but that's all, and were actually two different releases. Buying the full length CD will NOT get you all the same songs on the EP as indicated in another review. With that out of the way.....

"Singles 1963-1965": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this box set, with the exception of 3 original British EP's exclusive to the box set. The first EP contains You Better Move On (also available on "December's Children") and Poison Ivy, Bye Bye Johnny & Money (all 3 also available on "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies"). The second EP (originally titled "5 X 5") contains If You Need Me, Empty Heart, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Confessin' The Blues and Around & Around, all of which are also available on the "12 X 5" CD. The third EP (the afore mentioned "Got Live If You Want It") contains early live versions of We Want The Stones, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Pain In My Heart, Route 66, I'm Movin On & I'm Alright, none of which are available on any other CD (with the possible exception of I'm Alright which may or may not be the same version included on the full-length "Got Live..." CD).

Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" contain the early single/B-sides Come On (also available on "More Hot Rocks") as well as I Want To Be Loved, I Wanna Be Your Man & Stoned which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 3 songs not included elsewhere, plus the box set includes the live EP. So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" would appear to be the live EP.

"Singles 1965-1967": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 2nd box set, with no exceptions. Both contain the single/B-sides Long Long While & We Love You (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Sad Day & Who's Driving Your Plane? which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 2 songs not included elsewhere. No further conclusions.

"Singles 1968-1971": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 3rd box set, with a few unique exceptions. The third box set additionally contains Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (also available on "The Rolling Stones Now!") and three non-ABKCO B-sides + 3 remixes exclusive to the box set. The B-sides are the Ry Cooder instrumental Natural Magic (from the film "Performance" soundtrack...Memo From Turner was the A-side) and Bitch & Sway which were the B-sides to Brown Sugar & Wild Horses. My guess is the licensing rights to these B-sides belong to Virgin Records, etc. and hadn't yet been negotiated when "The London Years" was originally released back in 1989. The remixes appear to be 3 different "rap" style remixes of Sympathy For The Devil. The box set also contains a bonus DVD (see the item description for more on that).

Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" contain the B-side Child Of The Moon (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Brown Sugar & Wild Horses (also available on "Hot Rocks 1"). So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" would appear to be the three non-ABKCO B-sides, the three remixes and the DVD contained in the box set.

Final Conclusion: For the completest collector who has to have absolutely everything on CD, you basically have 2 choices. Buy all 3 box sets, or buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and the two box sets "Singles 63-65" & "Singles 68-71" (a lot of duplication, though "The London Years" runs a little cheaper than the box sets + you don't have to change CD's as often).

A slightly cheaper option if you're mainly interested in completing the ABKCO Rolling Stones "canon" not released on the regular studio full-length CD's is to buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and "Singles 1963-1965". You'd only be missing the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 Sympathy For The Devil remixes.

A cheaper option still, if you're only interested in the very early singles & live EP and can live without a few later ABKCO B-Sides, is to buy "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies" and "Singles 1963-1965". With those 2 you'd only be missing Sad Day, Who's Driving Your Plane? and the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 remixes.

In truth, the 2nd & 3rd discs of "Singles Collection: The London Years" make an interesting listen because each is primarily made up of A & B sides not included on the regular studio CD's. So they're almost like listening to independent CD's without repeating too many songs you'll hear when listening to the other albums. The 2nd disc from "More Hot Rocks" and also "Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)" do the same, only with different selections of songs, so comparing these two further is highly recommended as well.

Decisions, decisions. Hope this helps.

If you were living in London when "Come On" was released, if you went to your local record store and played it and its marvellous "B" side - "I Want To Be Loved" - on your mono, low-fi record player over and over again, if you went back to the store and bought each single and EP as they arrived and put every track through the same repeat play process, if you still have them in your attic in a lovingly scratched, wholly unplayable state or if you've lost them over the years then this is all you could ask for. Or is it?

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.

Well it finally looks as though ABKCO is doing a few thigs right. THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB ON THE REMASTERED CD collection. THEY SEEM TO BE CONTINUING THIS RENEWED INTEREST IN presenting the greatest Rock N Roll band in an appropriate light. The packaging of both newly released box sets is superb. Using the original picture sleeves to house each CD single was a fantastic idea. I was also impressed with the quality, unlike previous attempts,this time it was done right. The band sounds and looks great and the CD booklets are also an added treat. However, ABKCO does not know the history of the band very well. They continue to press the wrong versions of songs on their records and CD'S. This trend has been continuing for more than 25 years! It's really amazing that they can never get it straight. To this day they have still failed to issue the TRUE STEREO versions of hits like SATISFACTION and GET OFF MY CLOUD. They claim thay they have,but it's a farse. The only place you can get the TRUE STEREO versions is on import albums and cd's released overseas in the 70's and 80's. In addition, this box set should be entirely in MONO. All singles during the 60's were released in MONO or SIMULATE STEREO which is also a farse! They might also try releasing some outakes of some of the BIG HITS, or maybe some vintage video during the 60's. They are still the only major band from the 60's that does not have some sort of outakes CD or DVD! The bottom line is we love the packaging,but we have these songs 100 times over..LET'S HEAR OR SEE SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER HEARD OR SEEN BEFORE! WHY MUST WE OBTAIN FAN CLUB CDS AND DVD'S TO HEAR AND SEE SOMETHING NEW! WEll as the song says WHAT A SHAME!

If you're just the casual Rolling Stones fan, then I urge you to pass on this one. It's a twelve disc set with only two songs on most of the discs. Furthermore, this set covers only their very early cuts, up to but not including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." So you have to be a pretty dedicated follower of their blues / r&b roots to dig these tracks.

Now, if you do like that stuff, and either you don't own "The London Years," or you're one of us obsessive types, then this collection will NOT let you down. The discs are all pacakged and printed to resemble the old Decca 45's, and a couple press-kit stills only add to the fun. I don't think the booklet sheds all that much light on the tales behind the tracks, but it does have some great photos of early promos and posters. All in all, I believe it was a wise purchase.

If you never read the booklets that come with your CDs, skip this and get The London Years. If you think well designed and creative packaging is cool, or want to remember what it was like taking your 45s out of the sleeves and listening to them one at a time, this set is for you.

Completists will enjoy the first-time-on-CD (and first time in the US) of the entire UK Got Live If You Want It EP as it was released. Three of the tracks appear separately on other Stones CDs, but if you really want to hear the energy of the early Stones, you have to hear this EP (NOT the same as the full album of the same title) in its entirety.

The box set also puts this seminal music in its proper context. Two other UK EPs are compiled here, and they originally found their way to the US market in piecemeal fashion. The first EP released in the UK is a tour-de-force as this band of teenage blues and soul fanatics seem barely contained by the confines of a recording studio. 'Bye Bye Johnny' jumps out of the speakers, and the Stones relentlessly hammer the beat during 'Money (That's What I Want).' By the time the 5x5 EP was released in the UK, they were showing studio poise and savvy, nailing Berry's 'Around and Around' that they would later resurrect on 'Love You Live' album.

Their later singles begin to show signs of songwriting prowess as well. 'Off The Hook' is just plain fun and one of the great Stones B-sides. 'Heart Of Stone' and 'Play With Fire' prove that the boys learned well from their blues heros.

If your a collector, buy this. If not... who knows, this might find its way to re-release in more conventional packaging.