Continuing the girl group theme (see my last post on All Saints' 90s-licious deluxe edition), we're now moving to Girls Aloud and their greatest hits collection 'Ten'. Celebrating a decade in the spotlight, this was a celebration of their biggest songs and the impact on pop they has achieved. Keep reading to see my cover-to-cover look into this Whole Lott History...
Quite a subtle start to the edition, for a band usually known for the Xenomania off the wall pop moments (a la 'Biology') and iconic, eye popping artwork (a la 'What Will The Neighbours Say?') this seemed a surprise to me - where's the colour? Where's the girls? It's sleek...but doesn't feel very Aloud to me...
OK! Here we go, shocking pink lining - now we're talking. Sleek black outside, bright pink inside: the embodiment of a grown up girl group? Love the cover art to the album, which we'll inspect more later.
Click "Read More" to see the rest of the review and my score for this piece! :)
Included in the edition are 6 beautiful art prints, one of each lady and that loverly cover art.
Glossy and gorgeous :)
Beneath the prints, we have another layer - what's that I spy...
A golden ticket! The girls ran a special prize draw which everyone who had this edition was eligible for :) The prizes included: a platinum plaque of the 'Out Of Control' album, a pair of Nadine's shoes and so on.. A cute touch to the edition.
Gorgeous cover, gorgeously nestled into it's cut out slot :)
Awkwardly, when you open the album's gatefold, the booklet is placed in the middle - not in a slot. It feels like it was an afterthought, after the album's two discs (for it's deluxe version) take up either side of the gatefold.
The two album discs and a snippet from inside the booklet
And what's this - another layer?
Included as a real plus to this edition is "The Passions of Girls Aloud" - a series the girls did many years back where they all followed their...passions :D It had never been on DVD before and as an extra note it's cover was originally used for a special 'Fan Edition' of the album 'Tangled Up' (for the fact fans out there!)
A pretty gatefold to house some pretty discs :)
And those discs look even prettier when placed next to the two album discs as well. The colour palette for this edition is really working for me - subtle, sleek and lovely...
...but those three words don't scream Girls Aloud to me, or their legacy. If this was a new album entirely then I could've maybe understood such a change in visual direction. But a greatest hits surely calls for a celebration of the zany, colourful, pop image they had created over the decade they are looking back at. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty and the materials are on point, it's cute, it just leaves me a lil bit 'Life Got Cold' rather than 'Long Hot Summer'...
Originality : 6/10
Materials : 8/10
Design : 8/10
The Music : 10/10
Overall : 8/10
Rarity: This edition is quite sought after now, as it sold out so quickly and very few people are willing to part with it! Keep eyes peeled to eBay though..
Click on the "my editions" tab to see more of my cover-to-cover reviews of limited edition beauties!!
Hello there!
ReplyDeleteWhere i can find this?
i am interested in the dvds the passions of girls aloud.