Contemplating The English Beat Box

As you probably know, 10 days ago Shout Factory! released a good-looking five-CD box set on the English Beat called 'The Complete Beat.' All three studio albums are there, but the real finds are on the last two discs. This is especially true if you never owned the extended-versions compilation 'M.B.P.M. (More.Beats.Per.Minute).' The fourth disc of 'The Complete Beat' is chock full of 12" and dub takes, and the fifth disc contains a plethora of Peel Sessions, as well as a handful of live songs recorded in Boston, circa 1982. For those with the 'What Is Beat?' compilation, you already have a couple of those tunes, but I digress.

I had the box set in my hands yesterday, but I got cold feet and passed. It wasn't the price. I think $38.99 is fair... especially if you don't already own a majority of the works. My problem is I do, indeed, have the three studio albums, as well as some of the bonus material. This dilemma arises all of the time with me and reissues: Do I really need it, again? I would (more or less) be buying it for the Peel material. So, it that worth $38.99? Hmm.

To add to the confusion, I got home and visited the Shout Factory! site only to find out if I order directly through the label (and for a few extra bucks) I could get the box with a signed booklet and the never-before-released 'The English Beat: Live At The US Festival, '82 & '83' CD/DVD. I have seen quite a bit of both performances, courtesy of US Festival specials on VH1, and they were amazing. As I write this, I think I have come to a decision. Where's my credit card? Here's a look at the bonus material, along with a couple of other goodies:

Bonus Beat: Disc 1 - 12" & Dub Versions
1. Hands Off . . . She's Mine (Extended Remix)
2. Twist & Crawl (Extended Remix)
3. Stand Down Margaret (Dub)
4. Too Nice To Talk To (Dubweiser)
5. Psychedelic Rockers (Dubweiser)
6. Doors Of Your Heart (Extended)
7. Drowning (Dub)
8. Hit It (12")
9. Which Side Of The Bed? (12")
10. Save It For Later (Extended)
11. What's Your Best Thing (Dub)
12. Cool Entertainer (Extended)
13. Jeanette (Extended)
14. March Of The Swivel Heads (Extended)
15. I Confess (Extended)

Bonus Beat: Disc 2 - Peel Sessions & Live In Boston
1. Tears Of A Clown (Peel Session – Nov. 5, 1979)
2. Ranking Full Stop (Peel Session – Nov. 5, 1979)
3. Click Click (Peel Session – Nov. 5, 1979)
4. Mirror In The Bathroom (Peel Session – Nov. 5, 1979)
5. Big Shot (Peel Session – Nov. 5, 1979)
6. Too Nice To Talk To (Peel Session – Sept. 22, 1980)
7. New Psychedelic Rockers (Peel Session – Sept. 22, 1980)
8. Monkey Murders (Peel Session – Sept. 22, 1980)
9. Walk Away (Peel Session – Sept. 22, 1980)
10. Spar Wid Me (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
11. End Of The Party (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
12. She's Going (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
13. Save It For Later (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
14. Sole Salvation (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
15. Pato And Roger A Go Talk (Peel Session – March 29, 1982)
16. Best Friend (Opera House, Boston – Nov. 19, 1982)
17. Tears Of A Clown (Opera House, Boston – Nov. 19, 1982)
18. Twist & Crawl (Opera House, Boston – Nov. 19, 1982)
19. Get-A-Job/Stand Down Margaret (Opera House, Boston – Nov. 19, 1982)

The English Beat - March of the Swivel Heads (Extended) (mp3)