Spandau Ballet ''The Story'' The Very Best of (Deluxe)

I bought the deluxe version of Spandau Ballet 'The Story'. The packaging is a little disappointing as it is one of those fold out cardboard things. As mentioned in a previous review, the writing is a little hard to read, especially for an ageing Spandau fan like me! However, the music makes up for it. I bought this version for the 2nd disc. I've been a fan since 1982 when as a 13 year old I saw them perform Lifeline on the tv. I have the first two albums on vinyl and as I haven't had a record player for many years I had forgotten how good they are. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening and winding the kids up by singing (badly) along to favourites like Mandolin, Glow, Pharaoh, Confused and Toys, along with Code of Love, Pleasures, Man in Chains and Raw. Happy days!After a week I moved on to CD1. Yes it is mainly a bog standard 'Greatest Hits' compilation with the exception on the last 4 tracks. Once More was released a few years ago, but the other three are new. These are very, very good especially Soul Boy. It is a fabulous, catchy track that I have had on 'repeat' for the last week. It would have made an excellent comeback single. It's great to know the Spandau boys still have it!The deluxe version is more expensive but it is worth every penny. It has taken me back to the days when (having run out of wall space) my only problem in life was getting my Spandau posters to stick to the ceiling! All for under £15!

So fans/customers have been well and truly shafted by Warner Music with this new compilation from Spandau Ballet. Not only have they used the poorly mastered tracks from the recent special edition series, they have also pulled a swifty by using very inferior mp3 files albeit only on one track (CD1 Track 15), it's still not good enough. If I want to buy mp3 files I will shop at a download site not buy a cd. Unfortunately this faux pas with shoddy mastering leaves you feeling like a mug especially when Warner are asking punters to re-purchase the tracks from the 80's that we already have all over again just to own the three new tracks in better than mp3 quality. I was hoping that Spandau Ballet would release the new songs on an ep for their devoted fans but that would defeat the purpose of Warner Music taking a double dip from the Spandau music pool with very little expense involved.As other reviewers have pointed out the package itself is very cheapish with a 12 page booklet containing a new but very brief bio, ONE period and ONE current band photo, which are both double page spreads so the two pictures take up four of the twelve pages. Then there's the many arty closeups of the gold dove logo sculpture featured on the cover (why?). Where are the song lyrics? Almost no info on the music makes this booklet a complete waste of paper and you will look at it/read it once. Don't waste your money, like I did, on this poorly cobbled together compilation. All of the music, bar the new tracks can be found in much better mastered versions on " Gold - The Best Of Spandau Ballet " which also comes with a dvd containing most of their promo videos or on " Reformation ", an outstanding 3cd audio anthology from a few years back.Five star music given a one star release. I've given the new songs, which are quite good two stars but they're not worth the price of this mess of a cd set. Save your pennies and don't buy this so called deluxe edition. There is NOTHING deluxe about it. If you already own all this music the single disc will do just fine to pick up the three new tunes."Round and Round It Goes..."

It's wonderful to listen to such brilliant music and rest it's just enjoy it.

I am a Spandau fan through and through but held off buying this as I already have all but the 3 new songs on various albums, be it the original or compilations so I feel somewhat ripped off that I am buying the same songs again and again. Having said that the songs are still great the new songs sound so Spandau and there are some slightly more unusual tracks included. So come on guys lets have an album of NEW tracks, I will be first in the queue.

Great collection from a band that hit their zenith in my fav decade of the 80's. The new song "This Is The Love" has certainly grown on me thanks to Radio 2.Point away though for some of the inlay notes being hard to read and starting with the line "It is one the great pop culture stories"!

What a Modern/Futuristic/True Romantic Band Spandau Ballet Really Are! I hope they have continued success with their Scheduled Concert Tour For 2015, and beyond? Always liked their songs, and this compilation is a great starting point to revisit those Gold Hits. Always seem to be compared to Duran Duran as I can remember back in the 80s. Both Highly Original and Inventive Bands, Both Very Different To Each Other.

I like the earlier Spandau Ballet songs when they were a cult New Romantic band ..... Think they were a bit more glossy and teenorientated with the later songs such has True and Gold ... The record label however, Reformation summed up what they were all about as a band musically ... Reforming their musical styles from synth to jazz-funk to soul as we progress from their debut,To Cut A Long Story Short to Chant No.1 and then through to True and Only When You Leave.

I am a Spandau fan so I have most of the songs on this album already, however it is worth having for the new songs and (especially) the remix of "Chant N.O. 1" which is superior to previously available versions. Worth having for long term fans and newcomers wanting a good retrospective.