Belinda Carlisle Anthology (5 disc set in a huge hardcover photo book) number 318 of 500

from Ronnie James Dio fantastic tribute album, to Lovehunters English album, and now to the latest Belinda Carlisle special release. 
Label them what you want, discriminate each musical genre all you want, but its all Awesome music to me.
ok, How do I try to explain my thoughts?
I read that Led Zeppelin didn't release too many singles, because they wanted to be known as an Album band.
To discover them, you have to get the whole album, listen from start to finish, then you try to get the idea what they are all about.
In a way, its the same for me in terms of Belinda Carlisle, I dont listen to Pop radio, so to listen to Belinda Carlisle solo career, I listen to her whole albums.

So, Belinda Carlisle for me is also an Album artist. From start to finish her solo studio albums are fantastic and entertaining.

A combination of fast and slow songs - pop, rock, trance-laden, motown, soul and whatever. Its all good to me.

She is also maybe fortunate to collaborate with some really amazing song writers, people like Ellen Shipley, Rick Nowels, Go-gos Charlotte Caffey, even the famous Diane Waren and Roxette's Per Gessle collaborate with her, and even musicians to guitar solo for her like The Beatles George Harrison.
Before Sheryl Crow became world-famous, she sang background vocals for Belinda too under the name Cheryll Crowe.

I think a good way to describe her compared to other female artists is Form is Temporary but Class is Permanent. Belinda has been around since with the Go-Gos and how long was that? I think she got that HARDCORE support which is still very strong world-wide.

You can take a Belinda Carlisle song, stripped everything down, and its still a great song.

My copy comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Belinda with number 318 of 500. And there is a Tote Bag too in the package... which I still have not opened it yet. 

So this is Belinda Carlisle 5 disc Anthology which comes in a  coffee-book table sized Photo Book format. There are 3 cds and 2 dvds.

The first two cds are a collection of her singles, the third cd has some of her rare songs like from the movies etc,
while the first dvd is a collection of her music videos of her singles, and the second dvd is a very nice collection of her performing on different tv entertainment programes and also some fabulous interviews from previous years.

My opinions and review of Belinda Carlisle anthology "boxset" content.
- How to fit an Anthology of her studio solo songs into two cds? IMPOSSIBLE!!!! so ok good idea, packed her singles in.
- Sun and Goodbye Just Go, some of her her very limited recent songs are here, I wish she would do a new studio album soon.
- But be warned, the songs are not necessary from the albums version, with Belinda singles known for having different mixes, so you have some songs which are the different remixes versions, notably Valentine. I was anticipating the 'tearjerker' album version LOL!

A breakdown of where the original songs in this first two cds of this Anthology came from each of her solo albums are as follows
- 7 songs from Runaway Horses album
- 6 songs from Heaven On Earth album
- 5 songs from Live Your Life Be Free album
- 2 songs from Real album
- 4 songs from A Woman And A Man album
- 3 songs from Belinda album
- 1 song from Icon album
- 1 song from the bonus disc of Voila album
- 2 songs from A Place On Earth Greatest Hits
- 1 song exclusive on this release

- the third cd, now the rarities, from different movies, from different special album releases, yes, there is a lot to say about that song from the Mannequin movie missing. But hopefully one day we will get it. But there is one amazing song present " BLESSED THE BEAST AND THE CHILDREN". Really nice song... but hey, she always have slow songs that gives me goose-bumps so its nothing unusual by right.

- Live In Japan, that one song from the REAL album was played that night but doesn't appear on this collection because the band stray into a Lou Reed number? LOL!! All those permissions and copyrights laws to be dealt with. But doesn't matter, we still got Emotional Highway!!!!!!
Continuing the tradition of great songs with Highway on the title - Highway Star, Highway To Hell, Heading Out To The Highway...etc LOL!!

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moving on next,
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- The first dvd is very nice, but the its the second dvd which is lots of fun and very interesting, oooo how I wish there is one footage from Letterman Show is it? Lay Down Your Arms accoustic with the Bangles and Go-gos guitarists playing acoustics and singing some amazing backing vocals at the same time??

- But its ok, that footage is on youtube, but we got other footages like Top Of The Pops, where most of the time artiste mimed their performance and at least Belinda don't really pretend faking too hard while obviously miming. She is just having fun with her band and backing singers.

Not as exxageratedly hilarious clowning around like Iron Maiden famous appearance "playing" Wasted Years on a German TV show last time though.


- Speaking of bands, its noticeable that Belinda always has a band with her even when she mimes on stage,
- Love the Children/Youth TV shows where she is guest and love the questions the Kids throw at her...
ok, I didnt know she wants to duet with Crowded House singer... Oh that guy really got talent, that Crowded House amazing singer/songwritter/guitarist guy LOL!!!.

- There was an interview which delves about something more serious topics like the L.A race riots. I find this is like a time capsule actually, discussing social issues which is still relevant today.

Another thing is at different TV programmes she so talk about saving the animals, the environment and all that, which I kind of support in my own way.
- There was also another bonus part of the dvd, which has Belinda going thru some of her songs that appear on one of her greatest hits compilations. That is also great.

....When the Go-Gos became the first all-female group to write and play their own.....

If you are a Belinda Carlisle fan, I think this Anthology 5 disc photo book edition is a bit costly, and yes there are a few gems that may still be missing, and yes, we still have the so-far four deluxe editions of her solo albums with I guess hopefully more to come, with triple discs versions for each deluxe edition album, but still I think this is a very good buy....

These are some photos of how the Belinda Carlisle Anthology looks like.... Click to enlarge.

Her recent lineup. Lily Gonzales looks very fit and healthy on the dvd that was live in Metropolis..

Thats about it...

"the sun comes up in China, the lights go on in Rome".