Album Review: The RoxBox: A Collection of Roxette’s Greatest Songs
4 min read
Ok, so as someone who already owns the 2006 version of The RoxBox there was probably no real need to go out and get myself a copy of the latest greatest hits box set from Sweden’s favourite pop icons, Roxette. But as a long-time fan of the band and proud ‘Roxer’ I say “why the hell not”. The release of The RoxBox: A Collection of Roxette’s Greatest Songs has been unveiled at the same time as another best of collection from Per and Marie; XXX: The 30 Biggest Hits (much like the 2006 RoxBox was with its sister compilation, A Collection of Roxette Hits – Their 20 Greatest Songs!) but contains a much more extensive and thorough trek through one of pop music’s most successful duo’s. The title of the collection is pretty spot on because the 4 discs really are a collection of the bands most treasured tracks and is perfectly timed with the duo’s latest globetrotting 30th Anniversary Tour.
On The RoxBox: A Collection of Roxette’s Greatest Songs the band take us back through 30 years of some of music’s biggest hits from a band who have continued to dominate the Swedish and international pop arena for 30 years. While XXX: The 30 Biggest Hits provides an abridged version of the band catalogue and is all about shining a light on the singles that everyone knows from the duo, The RoxBox guides us through 78 tracks from the bands extensive catalogue and includes not just the singles from the pair’s 3 decades in the spotlight but an array of non-released highlights including album tracks and B-sides.
While the big hits such as It Must Have Been Love, Joyride, The Look and Fading Like A Flower are all found here, the limelight really does belong to tracks that are lesser known to casual listeners. B-sides including the heart-wrenching See Me, Happy Together, It Hurts, Breathe and The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye allow those listeners to see a little more to the band than just the international singles that have made them a household name around the globe. Early album tracks including Paint (Look Sharp), Secrets That She Keeps (Pearls of Passion), The Rain (Tourism) and Goodbye to You (Pearls of Passion) drench the collection with 80’s and 90’s reminiscence while the bands later years are showcased with tracks from 1999’s Have A Nice Day (You Can’t Put Your Arms Around What’s Already Gone, Beautiful Things, Staring At The Ground and It Will Take a Long Long Time) and 2001’s Room Service (The Centre of the Heart, Real Sugar and Milk and Toast and Honey) being given the main focus on discs 3 and 4.
Over the years the band have released several other compilations focusing on their time at the top and former new tracks from those collections are given a worthy nod on The RoxBox. From 1995’s Don’t Bore Us Get To The Chorus we are offered 3 of the 4 tracks included on the collection; June Afternoon, You Don’t Understand Me and one of my personal all-time favourite Roxette numbers, I Don’t Want To get Hurt. A Thing About You, Opportunity Nox and One Wish, from the bands The Ballad Hits, The Pop Hits and A Collection of Roxette Hits – Their 20 Greatest Songs! respectively are given some time to shines, as are a few of the duo’s most recent hits such as She’s Got Nothing On But The Radio and Speak to Me from 2011’s comeback studio album Charm School and It’s Possible which served 2012’s Travelling as the records lead single.
The booklet that comes hand in hand with the physical release of the 4-disc set compliments the collection with a nostalgic presentation of images going through the years of the bands journey from the mid-eighties to date.
The RoxBox: A Collection of Roxette’s Greatest Songs is a weighty collection for any Roxette fan or general pop music fan alike, whether as a guide through some lesser known hits from within the bands catalogue or as a way for us Roxers to fill a gap in the collection. Either way it’s a must have!
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
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